It’s no secret that I love a good pair of high heels. They are a central part of my wardrobe. I own very few pairs of flats, and I generally only wear them for working out and sometimes on weekends. I don’t even own a traditional pair of “flats”-- just loafers, sneakers, and two pairs of boots. And one pair of those boots is a hideous pair of purple Uggs I wear to take my dog out when it’s cold.
You may think I’m crazy, but let me tell you the primary reason I go through the trouble of wearing heels all of the time:
I work in a male-dominated industry, and I like to be eye-to-eye with male colleagues and opposing counsel.
Yes, I recognize there are many compelling feminist arguments that, among other things, heels are sexist. I am a feminist, and I acknowledge and respect the history backing those arguments.
But in my case, I politely disagree. To me, heels are empowering and give me confidence. They literally put me on equal footing (so to speak) with the men in my professional life. I’m 5’7, and in a 3-4 inch pair of heels, I clock in at around 5’10-5’11. The average height for an adult U.S. male is 5’9. For whatever reason, men in my line of work seem even taller. That may be my own internalization or something statistically accurate. I don’t know. If I’m taller, all the better.
Of course, podiatrists, physical therapists, and other medical professionals cringe at the idea of wearing high heels at least 5 days of the week. I’m not saying it’s good for your body. I’m probably destroying my back, knees, and feet. For me, it’s a power move.
And to be completely transparent, I like the way I look in heels. Strangely, I also find my balance and coordination to be better in heels. Maybe it’s because I’m paying more attention to not falling over?
The key here, though, is to find high heels that do not pinch your feet, give you blisters, or otherwise make you want to go home just so you can change your shoes. I have a couple of pairs like that, and I hardly ever reach for them. They are purely “sit down occasion only” shoes.
My holy grail of heels? The Sam Edelman Hazel Pointed Toe Heel.
They are classic, true to size, and come in over a dozen colors. The heel is 3.75”, which brings me up to my target professional eye-to-eye height. They are not the least expensive shoe on the market-- they usually run about $120.00. However, Sam Edelman has some pretty frequent sales, seasonal colors go on discount at Nordstrom all the time, and you can even find current and discontinued colors on Amazon. They also last about 3-4 re-heelings by a cobbler depending on how much you wear them. I wore through the leather on one pair of black heels, and the cobbler sadly said there was nothing more that could be done. RIP.
They say if the shoe fits, buy it in every color, right? I own these in about 10 colors. Seriously. It works perfectly for me because every pair of heels I wear fits exactly the same way. I have never, ever had an issue with blisters, and I can walk around in these all day without any pain at all.
True story: I have a “special “(i.e., worn to death) pair of black Hazels that I bring with me on work trips. They have survived cobblestones in Europe, the marble steps of the Grand Palace in Thailand, and non-western bathrooms in China. I call my ability and agility navigating in these heels “mountain goating.”
They have now become a cult classic shoe for the women in my office. I swear. They’re the best.
Do you wear heels as much as I do? And what is your holy grail shoe? Let me know!