"The trick to walking in heels is to act like you own the world!" - Emily Marie Williams
Introduction
We all love high heels, but many of us fear them. We might even envy those who gracefully pull them off. But rocking a pair of heels is technique, not nature--you can learn it! I wrote this helpful guide to help you along your way:
Videos to Help You Master the Art of Wearing High Heels
There’s technique involved: I compiled a video playlist to help you learn the art of walking in heels, including a video focused on the specific needs of plus-sized women. I also included videos on making heels more comfortable to wear:
Why Bother?
Heels attract attention. We like attention!
Stilettos show the world you are in charge.
Spiked combat boots lack the seductive power of a good pair of “fuck me” heels.
Heels elongate your legs—thereby making your legs look fabulous!
Emily’s Tips
Pair bright and/or expressive shoes with otherwise “blah” outfits to really light up your presence. Show no fear!
Tall women wear heels too. Show no fear!
Keep your feet clean if you are wearing shoes that allow others to see the bottoms of them! Get a pedicure if going open-toe.
Practice, damnit!
About White Shoes
Style writers yammer on about when wearing white shoes (or white anything) is okay and when it is not.
Ignore all that. Do what you like. But consider your source—I’m an anarchist.
However, please consider the following thoughts, two practical and one cultural:
- White shoes quickly show whatever grime they pick up. Consider your environment or the weather when selecting a pair of shoes to wear. To illustrate, I wear white shoes year-round in sunny San Diego where I live, but leave them at home when I visit Oregon in the winter.
- White shoes can make an otherwise stunning outfit look like a uniform. “Uniform” opposes “style”.
- In cultures where the bride wears white to her wedding, guests might consider politely avoiding the color. I’m okay with a touch or two of white in a guest’s outfit, but highly recommend guests wear a different color on their feet. Shoes stand out; feet stand out—let the bride stand out!
Etiquette
Besides the wedding advice detailed above, one item of etiquette remains:
Don’t wear heels to a discotheque. You might step on someone dancing closely behind you. Heels of course prove totally appropriate for ballroom dancing, tangos, etc.
Kitten Heels Don’t Cut It
I asserted above that “stilettos show the world you are in charge”. Kitten heels wimp out in this respect—they lack sufficient badass. You need the full-length deal.
Mosh Pits
Like my advice on dance clubs above, please don’t wear heels into a mosh pit! Again, you might step on someone!
More to the point about mosh pits: I tend to lose one of my shoes every time I enter one. So don’t wear your fine pair of Christian Louboutins to one of my concerts… unless, however, you plan to lose both shoes and happen to be a size 10! In that case I’ll assist you by purchasing you a cocktail.
Large Feet
Huffington Post ran a great article recommending where to shop for shoes if you have long feet: The Best Shoe Sites For Women With Large Feet [2]. I simply provide this link to the article because Huffington Post repeatedly proves a reliable source, and because I do not possess specific knowledge about the quality of the recommended retailers.
Stunts
Hillary Clinton demonstrates how to perform a skateboard kickflip in heels:
My Workhorse Pair
For the price, I’ve found these the most comfortable. Have many pairs of heels, but this is the one I wear most often–so much that I’ve had to have them repaired once. Amazon sells them at reasonable price:
Stretching Your Heels for Better Fit
If your favorite pair of heels fits too snug, you (or your cobbler if you’d prefer) can stretch it. You’ll need a shoe stretcher specifically designed for high heeled shoes (make sure to choose the correct size), and shoe stretching liquid:
The following video demonstrates how to do it:
References
This article adapted, with improvements, to steemit from my earlier advice about the subject published at genderpunk360.com [1].