posted
Why are so many women's shoes torture devices?
There used to be a store near me that sold these really cool foam pad kinds of things. I bought them once for a pair of flats that cut up my heels when I wore them for more than a few minutes, and they were amazing. I think they also had skid-resistent things to stick on the bottoms of shoes that were kind of slippery. But I can't find them anymore. Have any of the other Hatrack ladies used these kinds of things? Which ones did you like best?
posted
I have two awful blisters on the back of each heel right now from these adorable yellow flats, and some sore spots on a toe from pointy toed heels. I've tried those insert things and they always hurt more than the shoe already did
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:Why are so many women's shoes torture devices?
The short answer is "Because so many women buy them." Until painful shoes are sent to the dustbin of fashion by widespread rejection, they will continue to be made.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I used to use the non-skid pads, and the foamy thingies, but haven't needed them for quite some time as I hardly ever wear dressy shoes these days. I used to buy them at better shoe stores. Sometimes you can find stuff like that at Walgreens. Check near the feet products.
Incidentally, I just read a fascinating article that pointed out that humans weren't made to wear shoes, and that wearing shoes causes us to walk unnaturally, leading to all sorts of problems. Like curled toes. I used to have curled toes, but over the last few years I've been wearing walking sandals or open-toed shoes (even into winter, as my feet have had a tendency to be HOT lately), and my toes are slowly straigtening out.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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xnera: But the downside to dumping shoes is, split heals, thick callouses, bleeding, spines/thorns, and worms burrowing into our feet, so they can lay their eggs and start a family.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Funny you should bring this up. I was just reading an old National Geographic article (2006, I think) on shoes. One of the people interviewed said that you can't be a dominatrix in comfy shoes; you have to be in pain to want to take it out on others. LOL!
Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Part of looking good is being as uncomfortable as possible. That's why guys have to wear ties.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by MightyCow: Part of looking good is being as uncomfortable as possible. That's why guys have to wear ties.
And wear suits to formal functions in sweltering weather. Every time I watch westerns I am constantly thinking, "Its 90+ degrees out there, how can they wear full body underwear, long pants, undershirt, shirt, vest, and coat + hat?!"
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Oh this is why I love being a woman in comfortable shoes.
Hey boys, how much do a woman's shoes affect whether you find her attractive or not? I've always been curious about that.
Coming from this side of the street, I gotta say that anything that looks painful, especially heels, is unattractive.
Posts: 7085 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Dood. I'd just wear hiking boots. Screw uncomfortable shoes. I have go anywhere do anything shoes.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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It depends on what you mean. High heels make a womans legs look nice, but most of the time I would say it doesn't matter to me at all. If we are dressed up nice for some reason it might...I wouldn't wear docksiders with a suit, so I don't expect my wife to wear sneakers with a dress...but overall I don't notice unless the shoe is drastic one way or another.
High heels on a woman just make me very glad I am a man. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I think that while heels can definitely look very good and compliment an outfit very well, the absence of heels isn't a bad thing by any means.
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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I buy these moleskin strips that I cut up and put inside my shoes where they rub (like the back of my heel and around the balls of my feet since mine are kind of wide and I don't wear heels often.) I started doing it to help break in my tap shoes but now I use it for everything.
My favorite shoes are my tall heeled boots. I wore them to an interview today because my other shoes tear up my feet, even though I nearly died since its 100 degrees outside.
My boyfriend is actually happy if I don't wear heels. I once had to be carried out of the French Quarter on his back because my shoes wear literally killing (blisters suck!) Ever since then he gets nervous when I wear heels. He was very proud that I found a comfy pair to wear to a recent wedding and ended up being one of the few girls who didn't ditch her shoes in a corner an hour into the reception.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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My least comfortable looking shoes are actually far, far more comfortable than my flats.
Seriously. My 4.25" stiletto pumps are ridiculously comfortable. Only problem is that I need to find those skid-resistant pads to put on them because on some wood floors, they are slippery. But they are very, very comfortable and don't cut my feet.
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I decided a couple years ago that I would never again wear uncomfortable shoes. For me that meant all my 3"+ heeled shoes (heels do bad things to one of my big toe joints that is prone to problems) and some flats. Granted, I wear tennis shoes to work, and (living in Phoenix) usually wear sandals the rest of the time, so I have it easier than some people, but I have never looked back!
Edit: Thanks xnera for that link! I'm loving it! In some small way it makes me feel good about the fact that, whenever possible, I go barefoot. Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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xnera, I enjoyed the link as well, thanks. I'd like to see some research into the claims, but it makes sense to me that we've developed a maladaptive walk due to our shoes (and unnaturally hard floors and pavements).
Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Why are so many women's shoes torture devices?
The short answer is "Because so many women buy them." Until painful shoes are sent to the dustbin of fashion by widespread rejection, they will continue to be made.
Too right. Which is why I only own one or two pairs that are not really comfortable -- and even those are only slightly uncomfortable, and worn only to things like weddings. I gave up entirely on heels greater than 1.75" with my first pregnancy, and have never looked back.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Yup, me too. My highest heel is now about 1 1/4", and that's the maximum I'll buy.
Sadly, here, dressy shoes are uncomfortable beyond belief. Happily, yesterday, I managed to find a second shoe store with shoes in my size and managed to get a relatively comfortable pair of shoes that look good enough for general out and about-ness for when I can't wear my Birkenstocks, which are my most favorite all-time comfortable shoes and only cost me Rs.3250, or about US$32.50. Sadly, that new pair of shoes cost a lot more than I thought, but comfortable shoes? This is happiness. Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I really enjoyed the article, too. I'd love to see some more serious research done, because it *does* make intuitive sense, and I know that some things which do turn out to be total nonsense.
I took off my shoes, to see how I walked - I definitely drop right into this "fox walk" when I'm barefoot. It isn't contrived, either. I recognised my familiar barefooted gait. Then I tried it in shoes: my loosest, lightest, most flexible shoes. I drop right back into "cow walk", by habit, but I can kind of manage the "fox walk."
I'm going to keep experimenting for the next while. This interests me a lot.
I mostly exist in flat shoes. Particularly ones with which can fit my orthodics. But I have a couple pairs of heels I wear for special occasions. I don't mind them, since it's only once in a while. I could never wear heels day in, day out. It would kill me.
Posts: 2849 | Registered: Feb 2002
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quote:Originally posted by The Pixiest: Hey boys, how much do a woman's shoes affect whether you find her attractive or not? I've always been curious about that.
Very slightly. I'm pretty sure women tend to pay attention to other people's shoes more than men do. (Yup, a generalization based on gender! You can shoot me now. )
(I just realized I almost typed "women tend to pay more attention to other people's shoes than men", but I wasn't willing to go quite that far.)
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jan 1999
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quote:Why are so many women's shoes torture devices?
The short answer is "Because so many women buy them." Until painful shoes are sent to the dustbin of fashion by widespread rejection, they will continue to be made.
There also the problem of Evil Shoes in disguise. You know, the super-cute ones at the store that feel great and look good as you walk up and down the aisles giving them a test drive. But that first night on the town and you come home covered in blisters.
Some of my most comfy shoes were cheap ones that fit weird in the store but were great once they were broken in. And I've had too many cute expensive shoes turn into torture devices after the first wear.
For the most part, I'm content being a 5' 4" girl in Old Navy flip-flops.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:There also the problem of Evil Shoes in disguise.
That sounds like a blues song.
"I thought my shoes were sweet shoes, But they gone and left me blue. I took them off my feet, There's a bruise and blisters too. Oh, I'm icin' my big toes now, I've got the e-vil shoe blues."
I wear flats. Period. I have dressy flats and everyday flats and sneakers and flip-flops. I threw out my last pair of heels (other than my wedding shoes, which I keep for sentimental reasons but don't wear) last year.
And I'm happy with that. I think I have a pair of heeled boots somewhere but I think when I find them they will go bye-bye, too, and I am going to invest in some nice non-heeled boots.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Why are so many women's shoes torture devices?
The short answer is "Because so many women buy them." Until painful shoes are sent to the dustbin of fashion by widespread rejection, they will continue to be made.
There also the problem of Evil Shoes in disguise. You know, the super-cute ones at the store that feel great and look good as you walk up and down the aisles giving them a test drive. But that first night on the town and you come home covered in blisters.
Some of my most comfy shoes were cheap ones that fit weird in the store but were great once they were broken in. And I've had too many cute expensive shoes turn into torture devices after the first wear.
For the most part, I'm content being a 5' 4" girl in Old Navy flip-flops.
I've found that cheap shoes are much more likely to cause harm. Except for flats. All flats are evil and out to destroy me.
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One of the big advantages of being a nurse is you get to wear comfortable shoes to work and still look professional.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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I used to find high heels much more comfortable, and then I realized it was because I had very tight calf muscles. (I'd spent a good bit of my childhood on tiptoe.) It took years to correct.
I don't know if this is your reason, pH, but if you don't do regular calf stretches, it might be a good idea.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester: One of the big advantages of being a nurse is you get to wear comfortable shoes to work and still look professional.
quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester: One of the big advantages of being a nurse is you get to wear comfortable shoes to work and still look professional.
Or a guy.
Ha! I've been thinking this the entire time. I ONLY own pairs of shoes that are extraordinarily comfortable. Even my church shoes are lands end and QUITE comfortable.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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I gotta admit, high heels do add something of a zowie factor to the way a woman walks. Isn't that the whole point of high heels? Nevertheless, I hold no rancor against women who prefer more comfortable shoes. Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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One of the many differences, I suppose. For me, a choice between a shoe that's ugly but comfortable and one that's fab and painful (literally) is no choice at all.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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I agree that high heels ad a wowie mczowie factor... they make you walk sexier, they lengthen the leg, and they lift the tush. huzzah!
I don't think they are required to be sexy, but they can be quite handy in a lady's arsenal of sauciness.
Posts: 3936 | Registered: Jul 2000
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"You've got arrested development written all over you, Die Fledermaus." "Those are his condolence cheeses!"
Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:Originally posted by porcelain girl: I agree that high heels ad a wowie mczowie factor... they make you walk sexier, they lengthen the leg, and they lift the tush. huzzah!
I don't think they are required to be sexy, but they can be quite handy in a lady's arsenal of sauciness.
I concur. Plus, I like tall, and heels are tall-enabling.
If I find someone attractive, I'll find her attractive regardless of what sort of shoes she happens to be wearing, but I recognize that I've been conditioned to like how women look in heels.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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I wear flats (sometimes cute flats, sometimes sneakers, sometimes cute flat boots, sometimes at the moment snow boots) every day. I can walk in them (run/hike/whatever in them) and that's important.
I still like heels for occasions. I like how I look in heels, and how I feel in them. I feel sleeker and longer and sexier, and I'm sure that translates to how I portray myself.
Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
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I don't usually notice what shoes a woman is wearing unless they really stand out, and if they do its as often to think "wow, that looks really uncomfortable" as anything else.
But I have to admit that the woman playing "Tigress" in OSF's "Tracy's Tiger" wore heels, and... Wow. That girl could move.
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Have any of the other Hatrack ladies used these kinds of things? Which ones did you like best?
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