Exploring The Enigma of Painful Footwear
Many would agree that high-heels are a strongly feminine feature. They are certainly not the easiest or the most comfortable option available. Even still, you cannot pass a day without glimpsing (and perhaps admiring) a woman in heels. That’s where the mystery lies: why do women torture their feet by their own doing?
Marilyn Monroe once said: “ I don’t know who invented high-heels, but all women owe him a lot!”
It’s true. Heels are and have been since history can remember, a symbol of power, and a way of displaying feminine sexuality, or what could be argued nowadays - power through sexuality. I was able to ask women living in Paris - the capital of fashion - why they wear heels even though they are, most of the times, uncomfortable. . The answers revealed that wearing heels is mostly for psychological support, rather than for fashion and style.
Beatrice; 19: “ I wear heels because they make my figure look wonderful. Also, when you wear heels, you are not entirely on the ground, you’re next level. You’re like a freaking goddess, and you know in your mind that you are better
Dana;19: “ I wear heels because firstly I’m short, and I don’t like feeling extra short compared to everyone else. Secondly, I think they make my legs look nicer and that makes me feel powerful or something.
Nicole; 21: “I wear heels because I like creating an outfit, like expressing my creativity through my outfit choices. Although heels can be uncomfortable, if I think the outfit works with them on, I’ll wear them. They don’t make me feel something different, but wearing the clothes as a whole is just exciting.”
Image Credits: Nicole Mairena
Marina; 20: “I wear heels because they make me look taller and make my legs look thinner. They also make my outfit more feminine, sexier, and formal. And feeling sexy equals feeling confident, which equals feeling empowered.”
Image Credits: Marina Simiaut
Elizabeth; 22: “Heels make me stand up straight. I don’t have long legs and I think they give the illusion of having longer legs. They also make me feels powerful, like I can conquer everything.”
Ivanna; 21: “I wear heels solely for fashion purposes, so either to match an outfit, or for a dress-code guidelines/manners. They do certainly add a feminine touch, so even though they’re not always comfortable, if they are part of a dress protocol, I wear them.”
Image Credits: Ivanna Klymenko
Chiara; 20: “My legs look great in heels, and I like my legs looking great. Also, people take me seriously when I’m wearing heels probably because the definition of femininity has to do with being feminine, which constitutes wearing heels. I’d like to think of myself as a confident woman in general, but when you can see my legs and how toned they are in heels with a dress, it’s just nice to see that I can appreciate my own body. However, I dress to admire myself, and not for anyone else, but if they admire, compliments are welcomed.”
Image Credit: Instagram/Chiara Amor
I guess it is fair to say that ever since heels entered the feminine world (yes, they were first worn by men!), they have served as a symbol of power, feminine sexuality and all that it entails, from confidence to empowerment. After all, many of us grew up learning that heels are what make a female strong and powerful, all beginning with Cinderella and her glass shoe. Even though wearing high-heels gets extremely painful and uncomfortable, they are, for many women, a way of feeling attractive and powerful.
