Ask A Dude: Do Heels Really Make A Difference?

**R1D2** · 06-01-12, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by Pete

The purpose of those changes is to 'improve' appearance, and nothing more.
That's form, not function.

I agree.
An how the heck do women wear 9" stilettos?

**Xotica** · 06-02-12, 01:37 AM

I wear these occassionally on the dance floor. Black 5" cutout heels w/ankle strap.

**Cavalier** · 06-02-12, 05:11 AM

Originally Posted by Pete

The purpose of those changes is to 'improve' appearance, and nothing more.
That's form, not function.

But humans respond differently to differing visual cues. Making yourself look better has very practical and very real effects in the real world. As much as I wish (and I do) that I were so enlightened that I treated all people differently regardless of physical appearance, studies show that humans who are aware of the physical appearance of those they interact with cannot do that as a general matter.

If you take what you are asserting to an extreme, one really should only ever wear the cheapest clothes that meet one's required functional needs, ever. Since "mere form" should never matter, but I suspect you would agree that cost and functionality do, who needs multiple "styles" of shirts and pants? You certainly might need plain (undyed and patternless, of course...keep the costs down) shirts, plain undyed pants and/or shorts, things like that, but "suits" and anything purchased for aesthetic reasons would be out. You might be able to get a real deal if you buy plain beige one-piece jumpsuits in bulk!

Of course though, aesthetics do matter, as we all want to be perceived as attractive by the opposite sex (or the same sex for some). And we all use clothing to send social signals to those around us. Wearing the same highly-functional outfit, day after day, might be efficient, but it would send a social signal that would undesirable.

High heels (and, for men, things like suits and ties) add no or even negative functionality in a certain sense, but if your goal is to communicate with your peers, then they send signals that, in the proper context, add real value. If your goal is to communicate in the best way you can, then those sorts of clothing are in fact very "functional" in pursuit of that goal (in the proper contexts, of course).

The goal of high heels is to present a woman in a somewhat more attractive way. That is a positive signal in many contexts, because humans treat more attractive people better than we do the less attractive. Improved interactions with others is obviously desirable, so I see wearing clothing that improves appearance as a "function".

Perhaps the real issue is that you are in that group that does not regard the effects of high heels as "attractive" and so they fail to elicit the intended response from you (and so in light of the negative effects of high heels on women's feet and comfort, you see them as worth less than the average person would). That's fair (as attraction is subjective), but I am not sure it renders them "non-functional" in the broad sense. If a woman wears a red dress to a party rather than a blue dress, there is a functional reason/* that should help her gain the interest of the men at that party...but if one man at that party is red-green colorblind, that doesn't negate the value of wearing red with regard to the men at that party taken as a group.

--------------------------
/* See "Red and romantic behavior in men viewing women," Kayser D., et al, European Journal of Social Psychology, Volume 40, Issue 6 (October 2010). The abstract says:

In two experiments, we investigate . . . whether red on a woman's shirt increases attraction behavior in men. . . . Our findings suggest that red acts as a basic, non-lexical prime, influencing reproduction-relevant behavior in like manner across species.

**R1D2** · 06-02-12, 05:30 AM

Originally Posted by Xotica

I wear these occassionally on the dance floor. Black 5" cutout heels w/ankle strap.

Maybe I will see you on dancing with the stars?!?!

**R1D2** · 06-02-12, 06:02 AM

http://m.yahoo.com/w/search/lp/web/m...en&.tsrc=rimsp
When you look like this who needs heels...

**R1D2** · 06-02-12, 06:33 AM

Trying to post a pic
http://pbr1263.photobucket.com/album...2stNC5qcGc.jpg
I'm about to kick the photo bucket. I do not know it yet. Any way these look styling an profiling. An they are Nikes.

**Pete** · 06-02-12, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by Cavalier

But humans respond differently to differing visual cues. Making yourself look better has very practical and very real effects in the real world.

Yes, form in general is not to be dismissed.
But the particular form endowed by high heels is marginal, and it comes at a disproportionately high cost of the function of footwear, as well as comfort and health.

Yes, heels really do make a difference. They add to some aspects of your appearance, make it hard to walk and impossible to run, bring you pain, and injure your feet.

**Pandaemoni** · 06-02-12, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by Pete

Yes, form in general is not to be dismissed.
But the particular form endowed by high heels is marginal, and it comes at a disproportionately high cost of the function of footwear, as well as comfort and health.

Yes, heels really do make a difference. They add to some aspects of your appearance, make it hard to walk and impossible to run, bring you pain, and injure your feet.

I tend to believe that whether the difference is "worth" the costs would be up to the ladies who choose to wear or not wear those shoes, not we random internet forum posters. It seems as though many women do feel the benefits exceed the costs.

**Cavalier** · 06-02-12, 05:43 PM

Originally Posted by R1D2

http://m.yahoo.com/w/search/lp/web/m...en&.tsrc=rimsp
When you look like this who needs heels...

Apparently, Paige Duke wears them nonetheless:

**Pete** · 06-02-12, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by Pandaemoni

I tend to believe that whether the difference is "worth" the costs would be up to the ladies who choose to wear or not wear those shoes, not we random internet forum posters. It seems as though many women do feel the benefits exceed the costs.

Obviously.

But note that the thread title is "Ask a Dude."
I'm a dude.
I think that people who choose to wear heels are making a bad choice.

**KilljoyKlown** · 06-02-12, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by Pete

Obviously.

But note that the thread title is "Ask a Dude."
I'm a dude.
I think that people who choose to wear heels are making a bad choice.

I'll second that.

**scheherazade** · 06-03-12, 01:12 AM

A female neighbor of mine had worn heels for years and her leg tendons actually lost the ability to stretch out, to the point that she was uncomfortable in flat shoes and she was experiencing back pain. Perhaps it was her mid-life crisis and a need to still feel 'sexy', IDK.

It took a considerable period of wearing shoes with gradually decreasing heel height to get her sorted out again.

I don't think I have ever owned a heel over 2 1/4 inches on my boots or fashion footwear except my riding boots when I was starting colts had closer to a 3 inch heel, designed to hold the stirrup well if a horse started to buck.

Some heels have a purpose and a place but one needs to be aware that if one changes their balance for extended periods there will be effect on the rest of the body. Other mishaps can transpire in an instant as in the video at this link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_466237.html

**Xotica** · 06-03-12, 03:15 AM

If you are going to dance professionally or in competition, shoewear is a major consideration. For the ladies, 2-3 inch heels max. Make sure the fit is snug and the sole is flexible. Physical conditioning is a must... cardio, strength, and flexibility excercises. Walk through a routine as many times as necessary before attempting it in full motion. Doing this will mitigate turned ankles etc.

Weekend clubbing (hip hop, trance, free-style, etc) is a different beast altogether. Stiletto/platform heels and alcohol are usually an accident waiting to happen. Be careful out there

Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor

**KilljoyKlown** · 06-03-12, 10:06 AM

Nike running heels.

**KilljoyKlown** · 06-03-12, 10:09 AM

They don't come much higher than this.

**KilljoyKlown** · 06-03-12, 10:13 AM

The beauties below were built to keep you on your toes.

**KilljoyKlown** · 06-03-12, 10:16 AM

Thin is in.

**~~conniety~~** · 06-04-12, 12:37 AM

Don't know why I like skirts better than shorts, my wife won't wear them much. But maybe it has something to do with easier access...

**domesticated om** · 06-04-12, 03:55 AM

My observations (I'm saying this to avoid sounding like this is hard fact):

I don't ever hear other men mentioning a woman's high heels or shoes in conversion. Heck - as a male myself, I can say with certainty that I never notice what shoes a woman is wearing when I look at her.
I'm thinking they are more relevant as a social-competition factor with women vs other women.

This is because the only times I ever hear shoes mentioned is women approving of others. They always seem to evaluate each other on things like "how much they probably spent", "how it makes them look cheap/tacky/cute/etc", "where they went to buy them", "brand name", "compliance to the rulebook of current fashion", "the message the shoe portrays to others"........etc etc. I think they represent certain socio-economic/behavioral flags that only the women notice.

The funny thing is.... if anything, men look at a shoe like this, and just think of it as a fancy shiny shoe:

we have no concept of how much it costs, the brand name, and don't generally derive any actual meaning from it.

A woman will look at that shoe, and say "that woman has no business wearing that shoe. It makes her look like a stripper. They only sell those at crummy stores like-"........ then just stretch this out for two more paragraphs.

Again, this is just my observations so far. Maybe I'm wrong and more men do pay attention. Maybe it differs by culture.

**~~Neverfly~~** · 06-04-12, 03:59 AM

Originally Posted by domesticated om

I don't ever hear other men mentioning a woman's high heels or shoes in conversion. Heck - as a male myself, I can say with certainty that I never notice what shoes a woman is wearing when I look at her.
I'm thinking they are more relevant as a social-competition factor with women vs other women.

The purpose of the High Heel shoe is; it forces a woman to stand in a way that makes her butt stick out.
Which may be why you failed to notice the shoes.

Women will notice the shoes, however, and that is why they get designed in ways a man wouldn't pay any attention too.