e Posted March 16, 2002 Posted March 16, 2002 Let's face facts. A small minority of women wear high heels regularly.The gal that "lives" in her high heels compared to other types of footwear is few and far between. But they are out there! My question: what does the woman have to overcome to wear high heels on more than rare or special occasions? Is it how the heels feel or how they look?
Jodi Posted March 16, 2002 Posted March 16, 2002 It is both. I live in high heels. My maximum height though is 4". I am a believer in the complete look of the outfit. The shoes and bag will either make or break any outfit. A nicely proportioned high heel will enhance most all outfits. I just feel great when I know that my look is together. I might also mention that I am very selective on my heels when it comes to comfort, and purchase my heels with comfort in mind. A good, comfortable pair of heels can be worn daily and for extended periods without any problems. Jodi
terayon Posted March 16, 2002 Posted March 16, 2002 i dont really know what you are talking about....women are sort of expected to wear heels in most job positions...i dont know why women would ever have problems wearing heels whenever the hell they wanted....doesnt always have to be 4inch stilettos, it could be a 3inch block heel...but most women i know always wear heels...i think its guys that are the small minority here
Laurieheels Posted March 16, 2002 Posted March 16, 2002 Terayon, for the people in your age group, heels are the big thing. If we look at some older women, the dynamics change. Some women think comfort means flat and roomy shoes. They look at footwear as if shoes should be like cars. Shoes are like shoes, and they are about personal fashion. Some women feel they cannot wear heels, they feel heels are bad, a tool of male opression, and many other things. To overcome a social stigma is never easy, but thanks to fashion trends, the people in your age group are getting into heels early, and this may help for heels in general. It may hinder us thin heel girls from finding what we like, but it is a start.
Laurieheels Posted March 16, 2002 Posted March 16, 2002 : what does the woman have to overcome to wear high heels on more than rare or special occasions? Is it how the heels feel or how they look? Okay, it is how they feel first, and almost as much, how they look. I am going to find the blend of comfort and style. The shoes will feel good on my feet all day, and they will look good on me. What does it take to move beyond heels for special occasions? PRACTICE! That's my worn out line, I know. Muscles need to be exercised in order to wear higher heels. The foot must learn where the change of pressure might be, and it has to adapt to this. Joints must become used to extending to a new position. This can take time for some of us. I push myself a bit, much like an athlete will push to get better at running or blaying basketball. The idea is to exercise the feet, ankles and knees, and that is what wearing a higher heel can do. I am lerning this right now as I spend my work days at five inches. One thing to keep in mind, of course, is that pushing can be bad. To become better at wearing heels, one must have breaks. Wear a higher heel, then maybe sit and slip off the shoes, or wear something a bit lower for an hour. We cannot lift weights all day for better muscles, we must do sets, and rest in between. The same can apply for learning to wear higher heels.
IHeels Posted March 17, 2002 Posted March 17, 2002 It's not hard to give an answer here. For me, being a sporty type and very flexible courtesy of some ballet training I found no real problems in growing into heels. I started part time at 14 to 15 years wearing 3 - 4 inch, when I left school to go to Uni I just gave flats the big heave ho - heels full time - bliss. Over a period of a few years they just got higher to where I'm today. I'm a near permanent wearer of 5 - 5½ inch, wear flats only for sport/gym. Being fastidoius to fit I also have no foot problems. Inga HEELS are POWER the HIGHER the BETTER.
Nata Posted March 17, 2002 Posted March 17, 2002 The biggest hurdle for me when I started wearing heels is wearing it for the first time. With no prior experience of wearing heels, I jumped into 4 inch heels. The first time was tough for me. Even though my parents accepted the idea of me wearing heels at that time (17 years old then), my peers were still in trainers and platforms. I was attracting a lot of attention. But after a while, I have got used to it and I just ignore them now. Cheers, Nata
Laurieheels Posted March 18, 2002 Posted March 18, 2002 There is one hurdle that occurs many times. Moving up in heel height. My crazy experiment to reach seven inch heels and see if someone can walk in them has many hurdles. The goal is to be careful and have the muscles and joints stretch each new height. So when we look at hurdles, every half inch may provide one. I may pick up something five and a half inch on Wednesday, so I will report more on how a small increase acts a hurdle, and how high of a hurdle. In Calgary, I'm Laurie Heels, A Channel. (I cannot endorse the major networks here, that would be wrong)
Melissa Posted March 18, 2002 Posted March 18, 2002 Laurie, you are certainly right.Some women think comfort means flat and roomy shoes. However i classified myself under the younger age group category. Most of my friends just starting to wear 2 inch heels and ask them why don't they wear high heels? For them they feels that is more comfortable to wear flat and low heels as high heels will prevent much of their walking. However I think the biggest hurdle was when I started wearing heels when I was 14 and it really feels discomfort eventhough i have the will to wear them. After much practice for 2 months ,I guess, I can wear 4 inch heels easily and now it becomes secondary to me.
Laurieheels Posted March 19, 2002 Posted March 19, 2002 Yes, Melissa, it is about practice, and you have done well, two months and four inches is excellent progress. Just take it at your own pace, don't hurt your feet, and you'll get used to four inches to the point where you can run in them if you wished. I do not advise that, but if you feel that way, then you know four and a half or even five are attainable. I tend to be anxious and impatient about this type of thing, which is why I have the mysterious trainer. I need to be kept rational and safe. Let us know if you reach five inches!
Carolyn Posted March 23, 2002 Posted March 23, 2002 I found 4 inch doesn't take too much practice. You can walk straight away. A few days or so and you'll be used to wearing them fr longer periods. After a few weeks they're second nature. 5 inches are different. I would only wear them for short periods of a few hours and they do take practice to walk in nicely. There's also a difference between stilettos and block heels. Stilettos need more muscular control. Maybe that is why they can feel soooo good to walk in. As far as overcoming any social prejudice, I think you have to be confident about your look and yourself. Many of the the people in this forum wear what might be termed unusual fashions. The guys wearing 3-5" thicker style heels and the girls 5"+ stilettos. Good luck to everyone, I say. There are some people who just don't like us wearing heels. I have had one or two bitchy comments but you learn to ignore that sort pathetic jibe. Most of those people are only jealous. ~Caz
Laurieheels Posted March 24, 2002 Posted March 24, 2002 Caroyln, you just gave me an excellent idea for a new topic... You mentioned that stilettos require more muscle control and feel good. That stirs up a theory...
Anita C. Posted November 17, 2003 Posted November 17, 2003 It comes from within. You have to WANT it! "Spike Heels . . a Pork-pie hat . . Have on the mend in no time flat . . Ten Minutes 'Till The Savages Come by Manhatten Transfer.
Anita C. Posted November 19, 2003 Posted November 19, 2003 1) Get a full length mirror. 2) Put on your Stilettos 3) Turn around 4) Look over your shoulder into the mirror 'Nuff Said! "Spike Heels . . a Pork-pie hat . . Have on the mend in no time flat . . Ten Minutes 'Till The Savages Come by Manhatten Transfer.
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