High Heel Hell
Now that I work in the city I get to see hundreds of people rushing off to work every morning and heading home every evening. One of the things that struck me was how many women seem to have problems walking in their high heels (pumps). They tetter and totter down the street, frequently stumbling and tripping. At least 80% of the women I encounter on my daily walk through the train station can barely walk in their chosen shoes. It makes me wonder why the hell they wear these shoes. Now don’t tell me it is because they are cute or fashionable, cause if you can’t walk in the shoes you are wearing then honestly, why the hell are they on your feet?
As I walk the women stumbling to work it makes me think of the ancient Chinese tradition of foot-binding. Foot binding, which was performed on young girls from the 10th Century to 1911, involved the breaking of the foot and reduced the foot length to no more than 10cm. Men found it arousing to watch women tettering on these tiny feet. Whilst nowdays foot-binding is a practice considered barbaric, I wonder if high heels perform the same function. Women wearing these contraptions frequently need help from their menfolk to walk up stairs or to get in and out of the car. It makes them appear helpless, just like Chinese women with their tiny feet and men still seem to love it.
Women who don’t wear high heels are considered lesbians. Think I am making things up, then watch this clip from 30 Rock.
Whilst it is funny and Liz’s “bi-curious” shoes did earn her a date with Stephanie March, it highlights the popular stereotype- comfortable shoes equals dyke. Why the hell is this? Why can’t women wear shoes that they are able to walk in and not be in pain after walking one block? Why does fashion (which is dictated by men) condemn women to suffer on a daily basis? Is it because men still like their women helpless?
The next time you put on those cute high heels you can barely walk in, stop, think and then change into your cute flat comfortable shoes. Your feet will thank you for it.
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Tags: high heels, shoes, women
