The Gender Inequality Of High Heels
I have long believed that women should not have to suffer for fashion, but especially not in the workplace. While it is acceptable for men to wear looser fitting pants, shirts, and shoes that accommodate their feet, women have long been pressured into wearing form-fitting clothing and high heels that take a toll on their spine, hips, knees, ankles and feet, while altering their posture and gait.
The perfect heels can be great for a night on the town. They do wonders for your confidence – but only if it was your choice to wear them
In many workplace cultures, women are only seen as dressed professionally if they wear heels. They are pressured, by social expectations, to squeeze their feet into them, day after day, or risk being looked down upon, or worse, passed over for promotions or assignments. But in truth, it doesn’t affect the quality of their work.
They Throw Your Body Out Of Alignment
If you wear heels, you’re not alone. Studies show that 72 percent of women wear high heels at some time or another, whether it’s to a party or another special event, or just work. While special occasions see 77 percent of women wearing high heels, a whopping one-third of women wear them to work. Assuming that women spend 40 hours a week working that makes for a lot of time to have your body thrown out of alignment.
Quick Nobody Is Looking!
If you have a desk job, you can surreptitiously kick off your heels under your desk, but what if you’re on your feet? Even walking to and from meetings could make for some painful feet, leading to bigger problems later on.
Recently, a photo of a woman’s feet, bloodied from wearing high heels at her waitressing job, went viral. The employee in Edmonton, Canada, claimed that she was made to wear heels during her shift, which caused her to lose a toenail. Her manager then told her that she was required to wear heels again during her next shift.
Meanwhile In England
In another instance, a UK-based temp worker was sent home from her first day at an accountancy firm because she was not wearing high heels.
The Dark Side Of High Heels
It’s no secret that high heels make the female form look better. Your chest is pushed forward, your shoulders back, and your calves are made more shapely and firm. But there is a dark side to high heels. When she wears high heels, the woman’s body will have to compensate for being thrown off balance. The muscles tense up, causing possible cramps and muscle aches, her knees have to absorb more impact from walking, and her hips and spine are pushed out of alignment. And don’t get us started on the litany of foot problems that result, from bunions to hammertoes to ingrown toenails to bad ankles.
High heels can even cause accidents – many women have fallen and broken bones or sprained joints from losing their balance while on high heels.
Is Change Needed?
That doesn’t mean you have to throw your Jimmy Choos away – you can select lower heels and shoes with a wider toe box, or change from sensible shoes into heels once you reach your destination. But that’s just a temporary fix. The real change we need is one to the attitudes that dictate what we think women should wear.
Candice Galek is a young Female entrepreneur who has a knack for asking the question, "Why?" Cuban coffee connoisseur, contributing writer, and hobby tennis player. Making my dreams a reality multiple projects at a time. More info at https://www.bikiniluxe.com
Whats Your Opinion On Women Wearing Heels to Work?
Does wearing heels to work make you perform you job better, if so should Men wear heels to work as well?
Consulting Oracle DBA / PeopleSoft Admin / PeopleSoft Technical Architect / Entrepreneur
3 年an Interesting article, Candice Galek - full of Info I hadn't seen before. just to add some Diversity [of Thought] I'll take a Contrarian position. my work is 100% Travel, so I frequently eat-out, and occasionally at the much Maligned Joey Restaurant and their Competitor Moxie's, tho I have not been at the Edmonton location. also, since I mostly work in Corporate environments either for or with "Big-3" Accountancy/Consulting Teams, I'm familiar with the type of environment you cite for work with an Accountancy temp gig. the underlying assumption of much of the commentary here is that some random stranger or Gov't Beaurocrat can better decide the job requirements than the hiring company or manager. it's also true that many of the positions you cite are Sales positions, where Presentation, dress-code, and Cultural fit with the Customer are Integral parts of the job. if you show up for a Bikini-luxe Fashion Shoot - you need to be able to wear that Bikini, and there's a very small percentage of the population that can do it -- fitness, health, diet, age, etc. -- it's simply the job. I sympathize with the Joey Waitress who has to buy a $30 USD dress, but as a male working in "Big 3" Consulting engagements in American Corporate HQ's, I'm frequently wearing $700+ USD Brookes Bros suits, $500+ business shoes, and $100+ USD silk ties on 12+ hour shifts, under Intense Scrutiny from the Client, under very strict codes of counduct for 12+ hour shifts - part of the job. I eat at upper-end Business men's restaurants for partly practical reasons -- I don't want to get my Business attire stained at a "greasy spoon". I've frequently asked my Servers at Joey's and Moxies how they feel about their dress code, and the most frequent answer is very up-beat - they're having a great time, making a lot of money relative to other things they could do, associating with Business men, Consultants, and Sales folk as the Clients. they are frequently in Business School at a local University or College, and they enjoy the company of their co-workers who are similarly energized and ambitious. both Joey's and Moxies are agressively expanding, and the Staff is being trained in the Management techniques of these successful business models - an attractive inducement for a B-School student. I've been fired once for getting blisters on my hands at a Construction job in Crete, Greece, and once for fashion in the Alberta Oil-patch -- my side-burns were a bit long to put on a gas-mask quickly, and they simply fired me rather than ask me to shave them off -- welcome to "Men's world" thanks for this View into the Female Fashion experience !!
Yup, actually I did a summer-take-off-your-high-heels-blog about the good part connected with shoes. But this is also an interesting perspective with what is expected! https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/ta-av-dig-skorna-susanne-hydén?trk=mp-author-card
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8 年Gripping copy - totally agree.......
Sr. Project Manager at HCA Healthcare
8 年Good read, Candice. I couldn't agree more with you. It is a sad world we live in with standards almost innately formed in our minds. I dress business casual to business formal everyday and I tend to switch my shoes back and forth from heels to flats, heck i even throw in steel-toes when I need to go into one of our manufacturing bays. I do get tired of the comments when I am not in heels like, " you look so different without heels" and " Is today casual day?". I think if you are happy and healthy (comfy feet included) you will have a better day at work and overall. I started going with lower heels to meet in the middle. Thanks for this article! Hits home!
Independent Business Owner at PMBKDR Holdings
8 年Great write up... But with all do respect... to insinuate that its anything but women's inspiration to where heels despite comfort or health concerns is needlessly divisive... Dont you think. There are bonifide gender inequality issues in the workplace for sure... Equal pay for equal work the most prevalent and long standing. The socially pressurized reasons that goad women into squeezing (at times) into a pair of stilettos at all... Let alone for work... Begins and ends with a womans wants and insecurities ro be quite frank. My girlfriend recently stopped wearing eyelash extensions (or whatever they're called)... After her last set went haywire because if the glue. It was refreshing to hear her admit that she wore them out of habbit turned self inflicted pressure... To feel beautiful. Cal's gorgeous and she knows I genuinely feel that way about her... I applaud more her willingness to self examine. I liken wearing heels to that. For the most part. Internalized pressure to choose glamour over comfort... Most times than not within the context of competition with other women. A firm of gender inequality to be sure... But not the male hierarchy brand. Are there exceptions to every rule? Of course. In this instance... Strippers. Strip clubs would definitely fit the archetype where the workplace put pressure on a woman to wear heels for threat of job consideration, security or advancement. But for the countless numbers of women working in all manner of profession that choose to put comfort first... This premise is quite frankly disarming and kind if scape goating. Be it to work or church or out on the town... Women wear heels (again for the most part) because they choose to... For a muriad of reasons / insecurities... But gender inequality is at the super bottom of the list... If we're all being honest. Just my two cents