Wearing Heels to Work and Public

[sscotty727]

To all you shy guys out there that need encouragement to wear your heels in public: I work for a VERY large company (probably most of you would have heard of my company) as a computer programmer/consultant in the Washington DC area. My clients are DoD (Department of Defenese, i.e. military). As a result, I work on a military base with government employees and military personnel. As you could imagine, my work environment is probably one of the more "tense" as far as fearing being "different". When I first started at this new client a few months ago, I was afraid to wear anything too "wild" and dressed "conservatively" although some of you would find that wild too. I am in an office with 5 other guys and 1 woman (no walls so everyone can see everyone else). I stared off wearing 2" block heeled shoes. In the meantime, alot of you know I have been working on perfecting hidden inserts. I recently perfected them and have been effectly wearing 3" heels to work. I also have 3" block shoes at home and on the weekends have been wearing them out shopping with the hidden inserts so effectly wearing 4" heels. Last Thursday I wore long pants and decided to try to wear the 3" heels to work with the inserts. I was so nervous someone would notice or say something. No one said a word. I've even realized sometimes while sitting my pants ride up high enough you can see the whole shoe! Even the woman in the office who would probably notice such things (she sits directly across from me) and never said a word. Now the guys (and girl) in this group are known for jokingly picking on each other, so I am sure they would have ribbed me about it if they thought it was strange. Since that went well, I decided to just keep on wearing them and have been wearing the same shoes for a week now. Not one person, co-workers, clients, guards, etc have said 1 word negative about me wearing 3" block heels! For all you shy guys out there, try getting some 2" or 3" block heels and wear them out shopping and see if you don't experience the same positives I have. It is VERY liberating and alot of fun. I also noticed I work and feel better at work because I am more relaxed and feel better about myself when I am wearing them. Hopefully this encourages others to try getting out in heels! Good luck, Scotty

[Firefox]

The workplace is interesting because who you are is linked with how you perform. If you are not on top of the game, perhaps someone may look for an excuse to move you along. My timekeeping is poor, sometimes I'm scruffy, I wear heels and unusual clothes. However, I can do twice the work in half the time, I'll always deliver, I keep clients, I save the firm money, and I've had two days off sick in the last three years. Any sensible employer will view your total contribution. If your employer is not sensible, find another one or work for yourself.

[sscotty727]

Firefox, You are exactly right. I am highly regarded within my company and the customer site because I get things done right quickly. I might be looked at strangely if I weren't very good at what I do. Also since I am a programmer and people things we are odd types anyway I am sure things like wearing heels are also over looked. Scotty

[JeffB]

Well, you good folks here already know my story! But I agree wholeheartedly with Firefox in that you're only as good in the workplace as how well you perform your job. However, personality shouldn't be discounted, in my case, I'm well liked by my co-workers, AND I do a good job, those factors helped my my choice of footwear all the easier. Oh, and for the record, I'm like most female commuters in that I wear sneakers to the office and change into heels after I arrive, then vice versa at the end of the day. Saves on wear and tear!

[micha]

The workplace is interesting because who you are is linked with how you perform. If you are not on top of the game, perhaps someone may look for an excuse to move you along.

My timekeeping is poor, sometimes I'm scruffy, I wear heels and unusual clothes. However, I can do twice the work in half the time, I'll always deliver, I keep clients, I save the firm money, and I've had two days off sick in the last three years.

Any sensible employer will view your total contribution. If your employer is not sensible, find another one or work for yourself.

Hi Firefox,

no, no and no - I can't accept your answer!. Do you want to propagate Stakhanov-working? In the former Soviet Union the Stakhanov movement was a campaign of the communist party for 'super workers' building up the communism. Working 60 or 70 hours per week and naturally never becoming ill - since a real communist never becomes ill :drinking:

You should feel lucky that you are still healthy. Only two days sick in the last three years? I got 10 years ago a type-I-diabetes. I don't know why, but it happened simply.

Are you ready to wear flat heels again if you get a chronic disease? Sorry, a very poor contribution ...

micha

[sscotty727]

Hi Micha, Sorry to hear about your diabities. Hopefully through diet and medicines you are able to reduce the effects of it. I think what Firefox meant wasn't that only if your perfectly healthy can you wear heels, but rather if you are good at what you do and get things down (in other words, a very productive worker), then you will be judged by your work. If you slack off or aren't very good at what you do, then they might look for any reason to get rid of you and heels would just be another reason they could try (he is very strange and very distractive, etc). Scotty

[genebujold]

I've been working in high-tech (computers, networking, etc.) for more than a decade, yet have had numerous opportunities to brief the low-tech counterparts. Here's what I've noticed: 1. The low-techs grant the high-techs considerable leeway with respect to dress-code, because the high-techs keep the low-techs' equipment going, and they'd be in the can without it. 2. The high-techs know this (being high-techs, and therefore generally smarter than the average bear), yet smart enough that they push to expand the edge of the envelope, so to speak, not to break it. 3. Anything stretched long enough eventually reaches the same proportions as something broken - but with the complete support (or antipathy) of those through whom it may have been stretched). 4. The acceptable high-tech dress code is inversely proportional to the level of those whom you routinely brief. If you're the dungeon dragon that keeps the entire corporate network free from attack, then you can wear whatever you wish - but they will keep you in the dungeon. If you're the network administrator who routinely briefs various departments on what's coming next, then you're allowed some quirks (heel height among them), but the rest of your attire should be reasonably equivalent to company policy. If you're the CIO, it's suit and tie, with no room for "personal variance," as you're in the spotilight, and the company will not risk being seen as "gay," "backwards," "ultraprogressive," etc., (add a thousand adjectives, here) because that would be bad for business. And it would be bad for business, as most people out there just don't really know what to think of a guy in heels. Hence my continual admonishment to give them every reason to think we're brighter and more capable than the next guy, without giving them reason to throw out our case regardless of our professional qualification. In short, always be professional. Dress reasonably conservatively. Wear heels in moderate taste. When the general level of acceptance has reached critical mass, then (and only then) push the envelope. Once we have a fashion trend on our side, we're on our way. If we push too fast, however, too radically, we doom ourselves, as well as the rest of us, to the mutually exclusive choice of wearing heels or being employed.

[Firefox]

I'm not getting at people who are genuinely sick, but there is a culture in the UK of people "throwing sickies" ie Taking perhaps 10-20 extra days holiday a year by faking sickness. If you are that kind of worker, then mangement and HR could be looking for an excuse to move you on. That excuse could be innapropriate attire or some other trumped up reason. So I'm not trying to propogate any Stakowhatsit boring old theory I've never even heard of, I'm merely commenting on the way things actually work in the real world

[sscotty727]

Hi Firefox, I agree there are people out there that seem to always be "sick" yet look so healthy when you actually do see them. There are also alot of people that show up everyday and put there 8hrs in, but don't get a thing done or what they do get done is all wrong. Not sure which annoys me more. I think I could put up with someone taking time off "now and then" if they got alot done. Regardless, if you are good at what you do and are professional at all times, I think you could easily get away with wearing heels at work. Scotty

[ShockQueen]

I must admit, when I was working my job in Denver for a call center, I had the best time ever. 2 years of wearing various types of heels, ranging from simple 4" stiletto heels to 8" spike sandals with 4" platforms! I think it depends on the type of person you are. If you're confident in yourself then you should have no problems. It's those types of people who aren't confident, or have a lot of problems being out IN heels that tend to draw the negative crowd/comments.

[micha]

I'm not getting at people who are genuinely sick, but there is a culture in the UK of people "throwing sickies" ie Taking perhaps 10-20 extra days holiday a year by faking sickness. If you are that kind of worker, then mangement and HR could be looking for an excuse to move you on. That excuse could be innapropriate attire or some other trumped up reason.

So I'm not trying to propogate any Stakowhatsit boring old theory I've never even heard of, I'm merely commenting on the way things actually work in the real world

Hello Firefox,

may be that my answer was a little bit too harsh. But nevertheless: Only guys who are fit in their job are allowed to wear heels - others not? I have studied theoretical physics. I got a scholarship for being highly gifted. I don't believe that this could justify a personal privilege to wear high heels. Every stock worker or trucker has the same right!

By the way: We have a lot of new EU members (Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Slovenia, Hungary, Czech republic ....). Isn't it the right time to deal with eastern european history?

micha

[Firefox]

You could wear them if you are a good worker and genuinely sick, that was my whole point, if you look at what I said initially. It's the total contribution that counts.

[sscotty727]

I know I have been catching flack for wearing inserts in my shoes instead of just wearing higher heels, but now that I am into my 3rd week of wearing something interesting has happened. I actually have found it ALOT easier to walk in my heels and have no foot/leg pain at all. I can even walk at a pretty fast pace in them. Funny thing though. Now the back of my calves are hurting when I take the heels off...... Scotty

[Rockpup]

Scotty: Time for the stretching exersises! Your body can adapt to almost anything, and it's doing it's best to adapt to the heels.. it's best to mix it up.. heel's some days, no heels others.. you may not need a 50/50 mix, but something would be better then nothing when it comes to keeping your muscles limber enough to do anything you want them to I have short hamstrings/etc.. I could never touch my toes, but I can stand in ballet boots *shrug* Unfortunatly my line of work does not mix well with heels.. as I am often having to climb all over mechanical equipment, and walk over uneven objects.. hell, I need rock climbing shoes for some job sites Have a great one Jim

[hoverfly]

Yep, it sounds like you are shorting your tendons time to mix your heel heights. Even though I have to wear flats to work every day it does not take long in a weekend of HH wearing for me to feel that my tendons has shortened a bit. But the feeling does not last very long after a day in flats.

[sscotty727]

Your probably right, I've been changing out of my work shoes into other heels when I got home so been wearing heels around the clock. Anyway, been wearing my flatter sandals in the evenings.

I guess I just got too carried away with wanting to not get out of heels

Scotty