You regularly claim that you are a feminist, but then you always recommend heeled shoes to your readers. This contradiction has bothered me for a while, as I find heeled shoes to be a tool to hold women back. High heels not only cause foot pain and disfigurement, but they make women sexual objects and oppress them literally (try keeping up with a man in his flat shoes). As a feminist, I would think you would want to use the power of your blog to encourage women to dress in a way to be powerful and equal.
I am a feminist. I am a feminist who loves heels and makeup and skirts. I love that I have a choice in what I wear, and that what I wear can better express the person I am. I believe clothing and accessories are a fabulous way for a woman to express her personality and to help her realize how utterly gorgeous and wonderful she is. As a feminist, I think she can do it in the way she finds best.
Orthopedists have proven that a slight heel is healthier for the arch and your back than a completely flat shoe. That being said, I wear heels because they make me feel tall and they make me feel powerful. Not in a sexual way, but in a way that I walk differently, I stand differently, and I like how that feels. I personally don’t like how I feel in flat shoes – I pronate more, my arches hurt, it doesn’t flatter the type of clothes that I like, and it doesn’t feel true to my personal style.
I recommend heels because… well it is a personal blog and I am influenced by my own style and tastes. I also recommend them because most women I meet like at least a bit of a heel – just as a suit and tie makes a man look and feel dressed up or professional, a pair of shoes with some heel makes many women feel more dressed up. A pair of heels can oppress a woman if she isn’t comfortable in them, and the last thing I would ever recommend is for a woman to wear something that makes her feel oppressed, uncomfortable, or untrue to herself.
I think expecting a woman to not wear something because of her beliefs is just as oppressive. Read my blog, you will never see me recommending one to wear something to attract a man or be sexy – I don’t believe in dressing to please another person. I write about wearing clothes to please yourself, to be true to yourself, to fit your lifestyle and personality. A woman is powerful when she feels good in her skin, and good in that which adorns her skin. Be that a skirt or pants, heels or flats, it isn’t my place or your place to tell her what makes her feel powerful. I write advice, not gospel. I often offer flat-shoe options, and I often admit that my advice may not be universal. But I don’t believe for an instant that because I enjoy something different from you that I am any less of a feminist or doing my fellow women a disservice. For the definition of feminism is the belief that women are equal human beings, and that means that we women have choices, the right to choose the option that is best for us, and not be judged by our sisters for that choice.
