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

actually I think it's a good idea they wear high heels- I certainly would not choose to walk a mile in high heels, but maybe this will help men see the extent of the oppression we face- that the footwear often deemed attractive or smart, that we have seen some women are required to wear at work is actually very uncomfortable. For me this is just another manifestation of the same system that means we are scared on the street, scared at work and scared at home. If people think it's hilarious to see men in high heels, that in itself is worhy of comment. Men's shoes=sturdy and comfortable, women's shoes=flimsy and painful. Now why would that be, hmmm?

If they want to 'walk in womens shoes' other than rather daftly literally, does that mean that they need volunteers to tell them to cheer up, wolf whistle, do stuff that make them worry about their safety.....

This is not a good way to "raise awareness". They could at least be raising money to donate to relevant charities.

That is often one of the purposes of the ones that are held in the US. They are fundraisers as well as awareness events. And, at least, for the ones that I am familiar with, there is no expectation or encouragement for men to wear high heels. The shoes do tend to have a feminine reference, such as pink trainers and sparkly flats, but there's certainly no expectation of high heels. One of the places where the men acquire the shoes are the charity shops that are run for domestic violence centers.

It's not my first choice for ways to raise money for domestic violence shelters or for domestic violence awareness, but I think it's important to focus on the symbolism of walking in someone else's shoes. And it has an added benefit of emphasizing violence against women when these days there is so much misinformation being spouted by some whose agenda is to de-emphasize the gendered nature of domestic and sexual violence.

Doug Stanhope - Raising Awareness

Yeah it's gimmicky but so much is these days. The white ribbon campaign are really good, they SEE the issue quite clearly. So I say cut them a bit of slack, they are a force for good in this world.

We have 'Walk a Mile in Her Shoes' every year in our community. The event organizers provide women's' shoes (up to a size 13 I think) and there is both an entrance fee and sponsorship money and the funds are raised for various charities supporting female victims of sexual violence. It's very much designed to get men to be the ones raising funds (although guess what, the fact that men walk means women sponsor them, so fuck an actual duck, all that really happens is the men get to virtue-signal and get their pictures in the paper as heroes, and women are the ones handing over the money to provide support for their own charities.)
I have (mostly) come to peace with the event now that they have finally stopped allowing blokes to parody women and turn up in make up and dresses and hoik fake bosoms and mince along the mile having a jolly laugh as they perform femininity, as it does raise funds for much needed services.
I support the notion that men should be stepping up and supporting women victims of sexual violence. I do have strong reservations that they shouldn't be doing it wearing women's' shoes, but I understand that it's a catchy gimmick.
It's been run here for years. It's only the last two years that they have stopped the 'look at me wearing a fucking skirt with my beard! Aren't I gorgeous?' routine.
I don't donate to the event. I donate directly to the services involved. But this event isn't new by any stretch. To do it without raising money is a farce and I wouldn't have it in my community. I put up with it because it raises otherwise non-existent cash.

And Errol, yes, that's exactly what the bystanders do. Because that's what you do when (women) wear high heels, isn't it? You catcall and wolf whistle. And the male walkers curtsy and mince in Europe heels, and the behaviour is validated by both sides.

I find the whole thing so problematic on so many levels, but every time I express concern, I'm just called a killjoy. I stay out of town on Walk a Mile day now.

they need volunteers to tell them to cheer up, wolf whistle, do stuff that make them worry about their safety.....

YES!

I can see both sides here. Literally enacting the saying “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”, makes a cute statement of solidarity. And blokes in sparkly heels is headline grabbing, which a protest does need. However, shoes are a feminist issue in themselves. I resent the concept of “women’s shoes” being heels, pink trainers, sparkly etc, reinforcing gender stereotypes. My favourite shoes are grey converse. One of the things I notice at feminist events is how few women attending wear heels, no matter how feminine they dress otherwise. Back in the ‘real world’ how often do you see women hobbling around in unsafe, damaging footwear, either conforming to societal pressure and expectations or even worse, forced to, either explicitly or implicitly by workplace ‘standards of dress’.
So unless the shoes are acknowledged as part of the problem, their use seems like a gimmick to draw attention to the men doing the protesting rather than the issues they aim to raise.

So for me whether the shoes are appropriate or not depends on how they are worn, described and talked about by the men involved. There is a danger it becomes ‘woman face’.

There is a danger it becomes ‘woman face’.

I agree with this. And I would be very upset to witness the type of carryings on that the theancientmarinader describes.

Yeah...

I find this whole idea deeply irritating. I don't wear uncomfortable shoes. A group of men tottering along in high heels means nothing to me, but it does reinforce unhelpful stereotypes.

I just did a Google image search for "White Ribbon Campaign walk a mile in her shoes"

And whaddya know..... every result is high heels high heels high heels. "Her shoes" is just code for high heels. Hahahahahahaaaaa isn't it funny these silly high heels. We get it.

Now maybe stop expecting them to be part of "business dress".

JigglyTuff wasn't being in the least bit aggressive. Rational and arguing a point well, yes.

Thank you Flavia :)

However, shoes are a feminist issue in themselves. I resent the concept of “women’s shoes” being heels, pink trainers, sparkly etc, reinforcing gender stereotypes. My favourite shoes are grey converse. One of the things I notice at feminist events is how few women attending wear heels, no matter how feminine they dress otherwise.

I seldom wear anything more than an inch or two in height, but I also don't think we should question a woman's feminist credentials, or otherwise criticize a woman, because of her choice of footwear.

I don't think that post was criticizing women based on their footwear? It read to me more like pointing out how few women choose to wear high heels when they aren't as bound by gender stereotypes/societal pressure/etc.

Thanks assasinated, that's what I was going for.

So they are marching against the expectation that "women" wear heels then? That makes sense.

If they are marching in heels intending to support women and show general solidarityt for women all the while stereotyping women as people who wear high heels, with some "isn't it silly all the big men having problems doing things that women can do so easily" thown in - well I think I come down on the bah humbug side of things.

Still the men will have fun - so that's great