High Heels, Fashion and Common Sense...

Fashion is not style. What leads women to dress so absurdly? Are we objects meant to perch and be put on display? Where would you ever wear a dress like this, from the recent fashion shows?  Why don't designers hear what women want?

I couldn't believe how many women in New York City strutted everywhere in high, high heels.  The frenzy for Manolos and other high-end shoes led to many foot surgeries for women who had damaged their feet.  Yet the trend continues.  My cute Atlanta shoes didn't translate well to the hard concerete of everyday life and the constant pounding.  One of my friends who had been in NYC told me to have rubber things put on the bottom of shoes... it cushions the impact.

Now I'm in Santa Fe and you hardly see a high heel anywhere.  Of course the population is older, but fashion isn't as big here and there is more common sense to some things. Plus, a lot of surface is not paved.

My  mother would wear high heels and walk a long distance to and from her work and years later had to have foot surgery.  Teachers, stay-at-home moms and those who are on their feet alot seem to develop a healthy sense of what works.  Style has to do with self presentation and personality and expression.  Fashion?  A tool to sell feathers to birds?

Why does fashion push the high, high heels?  I wonder if it is sexist and objectifies women.  Why do women do this to themselves?  Why do women allow fashion to dictate these things?  Designers who fetishize women...they don't see women as whole human beings but as symbols.  Forget the idea that clothes must be wearable.  Women are complicit in this and an article on this from WashingtonPost is pretty good.

Birds of a feather...buy...

photo: Maria Valentino for the WashingtonPost

Comments

[anthony]

Nobody's making you buy those shoes, so I am not sure about the "it's sexist and objectifies women" comment. No one knows if your feet hurt but you. If a man's shoes hurt, he probably stops wearing them. Interesting concept! Think of the space and money you coulod save if your closet had storage where the 500 pair of shoes are placed. As for the photo, my wife has an outfit just like that, doesn't everyone wear that around the house?

[janeywan]

I posted recently, a little blip, about a young woman out in 6 inches of snow and ice in heels. Maybe I'm way over protective of my feet, not to mention my back. Having had multiple surgeries on both my feet over the last 15 years, being fashionable isn't a consideration for me. Foot apparel has come a long way for women with problem feet, still has a way to go in my opinion.

[GeneMaudlin]

Right on, Ms. Pie. High heels are bad for humans and bad for the earth/ground upon which they do their trodding and denting. I hope somebody learns from your b**g to go flat.

[carron hardin]

It is said all legs look better in high heels. Maybe that is what Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo are hoping we believe. Comfort is for me. I like that about Santa Fe. That look is timeless, I think. The Santa Fe/Southwestern chic look. But mainly, people there are about the functional aspect. I like that. It is real.

[allison]

After viewing those runway photos, it occured to me why the models all look so sullen. They are probably thinking - you want me to walk out there wearing THAT? Either that or they haven't had any food for 3 days. And these are the designers so many women hold their breath for to buy their clothes and painful shoes?

[Bellezza]

Ah, you've touched a chord in me. As a person who deeply loves beauty, but was born with congenital bunions (!), I've had TWO surgeries on my feet. The most recent was last winter, and I'm glad to say that it was successful. During my recuperation, I read Snowflower and The Secret Fan (a lovely book!) and learned more of the ancient practice of foot binding. It was done to please men sexually, never mind the inconvenience to women. I thought, "Have we progressed one step further?" I mean, are women wearing high heels for themselves? I doubt it. Many are still a slave to appearance, no matter what that means to their health. I admit it's rather incongruous to wear red lipstick and Dansko clogs, or Birkenstocks, but I will not surrender my feet to anyone's whim. Ever.

[Sunnyday]

Great post, Mother pie!

Personally, women's feet and legs seem to look better and more attractive when wearing shoes that have heels. But too high heels, for me, evoke an unfeminine quality that I don't like and which is not flattering.

While I do admire the artistry of fashion designers, and while I gush over some high-heeled footwear I see in the stores, if they're beyond my budget, hurt my feet or make me wobble when walking, I don't buy them.

Probably SOME women insist on wearing those high high heels because their self-confidence needs to come from elsewhere?

[krst]

wow. high heel shoes can make a woman feel more self-condent, it may give as a sense of empowerment...and of course make us appear taller but the the health implications are soooooooo not worth it(osteoarthritis).

[Fred-Foot Care Specialist]

The truth is that human feet were not designed for high heels. Wearing high heels can change the structure and shape of the feet, which not only causes pain along the way, but may also inhibit proper functioning of feet over time.

Women experience pain when they wear high heels because their feet slide forward into the shoes, inevitably forcing their bodies to redistribute their weight while creating unnatural pressure points and disrupting the natural alignment of our body.

There are numerous foot ailments related to wearing high heels. Some of the most common ones are metatarsalgia (ball of foot pain), bunions, callous and corns, Achilles Tendonitis, hammertoe, and many others.

Wearing orthotic insoles designed for high heels will probably relieve some of the discomfort.

You can find more information on this topic under "Metatarsalgia" at http://www.footminders.com