And this is feminist because....?

[QOFE]

I've just seen this linked on a local feminist group.

100 men are going to go for a walk round a city centre wearing womens shoes to "raise awareness of violence against women" (personally I'd rather they named it and said MALE VIOLENCE huh?).

But they want women to provide them with shoes

C'mon women, dress up the menfolk in your shoes so they can raise awareness of something we've been complaining about since fucking forever without even naming the real problem

Maybe I'm a mean spirited old curmudgeon but it's really grated my cheese

Oh, I like the sound of your German army boots QOFE, any chance of a link?

They need to ask drag queens to donate their heels.

I'm size 9 and I don't wear heels. Many women don't wear heels.

But good on them for doing something. More than most.

So even though their post didn't say high heels, posters assumed they mean high heels (even before anyone other than the op had seen the picture) so these men are fetishists and sexist. Even though they're walking to raise awareness of violence against women.

How very ironic that it was the posters here who equated women's shoes with high heels and not the guys who posted the appeal for women's shoes

Assumption that high heels were involved was entirely and predictably correct

Did you miss the photo from the FB page?

I see a difference between automatically assuming women's shoes = high heels vs the assumption an event that advertises women's shoes been worn by men will probably mean high heels since it's all about raising 'awareness'

FlaviaAlbia I'll have to ask DP, they were a Christmas present last year after the sole fell off my previous (10 years old) pair!

Of course they want stereotypically "women's" shoes because how else would there be any point?

They don't want our scratty old trainers do they, or my para boots, or the vile but handy crocs for popping out to empty the compost, etc etc.

They want shoes that look incongruous on men. Shiny shoes. Patent shoes. High heeled shoes.

Oh thanks! Don't worry if it's not handy though!

I'm a 9. They can fuck off if they think I'm going to hand over my difficult to find shoes so they can show that they are sorry some men abuse women.

I do wear heels at size 9. It's hard to find a beautiful, wearable pair.

If I was going for a walk like these men, if wear my trainers. I'm sure they have those already.

Or new look sometimes has cheap size 9. Bet they won't spend the cash though.

Ah, thanks QOFE, entire thread and comments make sense now

Nice idea in theory. People will still say "why aren't men saying anything about this?". Well, they are. Shame about the shoes thing. Suppose they think they need a gimmick.

Just pointing out that the request was for women's shoes and before the photo was even put up, the posters here assumed women's shoes = high heels.

I can't see the issue tbh? Walking 'in our shoes' is symbolic. They're asking women for old shoes they no longer want, not to go out and buy them a brand new pair. If a male friend of mine was doing this I'd happily support him by giving me a pair of my old shoes if they fitted. Anything that draws attention to violence against women is a good thing imo. It's good to see men showing their support. Criticising men with good intentions is one of the reasons why feminism gets a bad press.

I've got some old Birkenstock I can't wear anymore they are welcome to. And some DM Boots?

Oh FFS there are some disingenuous posters here. If they want 'women's shoes' they're not looking for trainers. You know that. I know that but big slow hand clap for all you clever people that noticed they didn't actually specify high heels

I can't give them any because my feet aren't that big. I could get some size 9 trainers from a charity shop and take them in and then they'd be 'women's shoes'. I guess that would make quite a lot of the twits on this thread happy

@JigglyTuff

Why are you being so aggressive? Most feminists (like me) think its positive when men want to get involved in feminist causes. Isn't this what everyone is currently calling out for? Men to speak out too against abuse and harassment?

And now a bunch of them want to in a way that will grab attention (thus raising more awareness) its still not good enough. Because ... shoes?

Shame about the shoes thing. Suppose they think they need a gimmick.

Yes, which isn't altogether ridiculous. The idea makes sense in a way, "in her shoes" to raise awareness of the experiences of women and girls. They don't mean they're having those experiences but it's the symbolism which they feel may get attention, especially as a group who I believe do a lot of work on raising awareness of male violence against women and girls. I wasn't too bothered by it until I saw the accompanying picture suggesting high heels, just because of the pressure which exists on many of us to wear them at times even if we don't want to. Shoes which many find uncomfortable and can cause long term damage being specifically women's shoes is a whole issue of its own I think.

This is not a good way to "raise awareness". They could at least be raising money to donate to relevant charities. They're virtue signaling, that's all.

I think it would get a lot more serious attention if a crowd of men marched, calmly and sensibly, calling for an end to male violence against women.

Instead of behaving like a bunch of pissed med students on rag week.

I'd far rather all those who have signed up instead commit to challenge robustly one misogynistic comment every week and shared the outcome publicly on the FB page and their own. That would be much more effective "doing".

Hopefully they do challenge misogyny as well but feel a march might help raise awareness of male violence against women and girls. I'd say by going on a march they're making quite public their opposition to this and that they're standing against it.

A march is a great idea. Men marching against male violence would get my full support.

I'm completely unconvinced by the need to associate it with "womens shoes" or a picture of high heels.

Well, to "walk in someone else's shoes" is a well known expression to mean to understand someone's point of view, so it's not quite the same as the "let's all wear women's clothes for a lark" brigade.
Don't agree that it's virtue signalling at all. It's men doing what we ask them to do time after time on this forum.
That they're not doing it in the exact way some of us want ("I'd rather they did it by...."), well, you can't please everyone.

I bet if we had a brainstorming session on how men could stop male violence against women, this would never have featured. In fact, awareness raising probably wouldn't have come up because more than 50% of the population are well aware, ta.

Walking in women's shoes means to me that you actually take some flack for challenging the status quo. Doing what you might do on a stag do (what's that all about, anyway?) isn't sticking your neck out.

I'm not being aggressive - I'm cross. This is a silly idea. Women don't have size 9 feet. If they want to 'walk a mile in women's shoes' then they can walk in their own shoes. Because if they don't want to walk in heels, what's the difference between their shoes and 'women's' shoes?

And :) just makes your posts seem more PA. HTH. :)

I'm well aware of it and think about it more than is good for my mindset but I meant raise awareness to the wider public because I don't think enough people are aware of the scale or the horrific attacks which are continually perpetrated on women and girls due to our sex. I do think a march by men to highlight this is a good thing - far from the only thing men should be doing but something.