High Heels as a Symbol of Power and a Perfect Metaphor for the Eternal Feminist Struggle

High heeled shoes confuse me. I have a practical personality, so a shoe that seems to be designed to be difficult to move in being so popular with so many people has always been a mystery to me.

There are many reasons not to wear high heels. The lack of a solid base leaves people more vulnerable to injuries. Even for experts, it can be difficult to run in heels. Many complain of aching feet after wearing them. For some, heels are reserved for special occasions, like weddings. But even at these events I've witnessed most people taking off their heels when it comes time to dance, effectively abandoning them halfway through the event. The issues with heels are not just practical. They can be medical. We know that people can suffer from back, hip, and knee pain caused by the tendons and muscles actually changing shape due to habitual heel wearing. Besides, with heels, there's more pressure to match shoes perfectly to an outfit, which just sounds like too much work to me. 

Since I don't personally wear heels, I am, in some ways, the wrong person to speak on the issue, so it's probably a good idea for others to provide their own insight in the comments below. However, with my outsider perspective I have a few ideas about how and why high heels became the power symbol they are today. 

Socialization to wear heels is strong. Even Barbie's feet were originally designed to exclusively wear heels.

It's perhaps important to acknowledge that we see high heels as essentially feminine, though they're not. So few things that we associate with gender are inherently gendered, but don't tune out yet. History backs me up on this one. Heels were originally invented to help people keep their footing in stirrups while riding horses, and first became truly popular as a fashion trend in Europe in the 17th century. Aristocrats (AKA rich men) wore them to emphasize their height and power. Originally, high heels were exclusively a part of mens' fashion.

From Hyacincinthe Rigaud's portrait of Louis the XIV wearing his signature red heeled shoes. 

So, why do so many women still wear these fancy stilts? 

True, heels accentuate aspects of the feminine figure. But this doesn't seem to be enough to explain their popularity. The key, I think, is in the challenge. Many women who make it through a day in heels seem to carry themselves just a little bit taller, their posture a little straighter (even beyond the physical effect of the heals). Heels have become a symbol for feminine strength. How strong must we be if we are able to continue on without flinching, though we've added extra challenge to our experience? The point is that it hurts, but that we are powerful enough for it not to stop us from doing our thing. 

Fred Astaire was great, but don't forget that Ginger Rogers did everything he did... backwards and in heels.

As an extension of this, heels seem to be the perfect metaphor for the feminine experience in modern society. For example, it used to be that women were tied to the home and expected (in most cases) not to work. We've grown since then. Women have joined the workforce, and today it's almost considered odder if an adult woman doesn't work. This, of course, is counterbalanced by the fact that most workers make less money than they used to, which makes it much harder for families to function with only one working adult... but let's not let ourselves get too off topic here. The point is that women can now 'have it all.' Or, perhaps they are expected to do it all. Care for children, keep house, and work. This doesn't apply to every family, of course, but when we listen closely we'll still notice people saying things like, "Ah, it's so nice that your husband helps with the chores..." or, even worse, "How cool that Dad is willing to babysit." Women also tend to have to work harder at their places of work in order to receive the same respectful treatment that men seem to get automatically. Nowadays, many women do everything that men do, but with extra challenges. In short, women do everything that men do, but in heels. 

In a world where almost every other supposedly feminine fashion trend that was inconvenient or uncomfortable has been pushed aside or entirely forgotten, high heels persevere. Just like the women who wear them.