Topic of Discussion: High Heels

Tuesday, January 12, 2010





No matter how fashionable I have been over the years I have always figured out a way to skirt around wearing heels, I could make flats or boots work for any outfit but, recently I decided that with the things I planned  to get accomplished maybe the “adult” thing to do would be to wear heels. The first thing I did was search the internet to see how other plus size women felt about wearing high heeled shoes. Some of what I found truly shocked me but, some things didn’t.

Through visiting the forms, blogs, and websites I came to three conclusions 


1.) Some larger dolls say that when they wear heels they feel bigger.
So  2.) Larger dolls say that with the extra weight they carry bearing down on their feet it’s impossible for them to walk in heels.
3.      3.) Some people don’t think fat women should wear heels at all. They say their feet are fat and unsightly. 



That was almost enough to detour me from wearing heels but then I remembered all of the fat fashion bloggers I have seen wear killer heels and saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I certainly know how the women that I described earlier feel. I to use to feel bigger when I walked around in heels which is something no one likes. When you feel awkward you look awkward.  I also do feel like the extra weight I carry on my body does cause my feet to hurt faster in heels verses other shoes. However, even I don’t think that anybody should be restricted from wearing anything.  As I mentioned before plenty of fatshionistas wear heels and look fabulous doing so. So, even when I didn’t wear heels it certainly wasn’t because someone told me not to. That really shocked me. Of all the names I have been called in my life no body every told me I had fat feet before. Geez!

Then I took to twitter and got help from some of the other heel wearing fatshionistas out there regarding how to better deal with my heel wearing issues.

So, my first pair of heels to start getting me back in the grove were 2 ½ inches and a walked around in them fine. I went to a party and stood up nearly the whole night in them. My second pair were 4 inch booties. I got them home, slipped them on and I fell right over. To be honest my feet hurt badly. I think it was the high arch that being in the booties had created that hurt so much. But I’m still not giving up.

Here’s my plan of attack
     1.) Gel inserts. In these booties my feet definitely need more cushion and comfort so, those are a good investment.
2.  2.) Start walking. Even if only a few steps at first! You gotta learn how to crawl first right?

The strangest thing is I can’t believe I even need a plan of attack. When I was in Grammar school (like 7th and 8th grade) I wore 3 inch heels like a pro. I helped my dad carry a computer up 3 flights of stairs in 3 inch denim and white strappy sandals. What happened to that?

So if the goal is to convince my mom I need these I have a long road ahead of me

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So, this topic of discussion is pretty open.  Being fat women how do you feel about wearing heels? Can you relate to any of the 3 reasons I listed above regarding people not wearing heels? Do you wear heels? Why or Why not? Do you have any funny or interesting stories about you and a pair of high heels?  How did you learn to walk in high heels?  To be a fatshionista must you wear heels?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

My dream would be to wear a fabulous pair of peep toe 4 inch heels! I have squishy, wide, short but damn cute feet! However, I have plantar fascitis which I've picked up from my nurse training. I don't wear them because it hurts too much, not because of my weight or because I think I'll look too fat (if you can't figure out I'm fat without heels then there's just no hope for you.) I have to wear special in-soles in just about every pair of shoes that I own - including slippers. There's no hope for me in heels, so I jealously seethe (sorry, /admire/) and glare at the wonderful fats who can wear them :( But for me, it's just not meant to be. Those heels you posted are AMAZING, just.. Everything I would go for if I could wear them - only they'd be green! I love green :D
My best wishes in getting back in to heels, I'd love to see some ootds of you in them :)
Devon

corazones rojos said...

Sometimes I think a taller heel will make me look bigger, but in the end, I don't really care. I wear high heels whenever I want and they make me feel sexy. They make my legs look awesome and add height - which isn't always so bad (I'm 5'7", btw). For me, the trick with new heels is just to walk in them around the house before I go out. Plus, if my feet do get sore, I always carry an extra pair of more-comfortable dressy heels in my car.

Kari said...

Well me being 5'4" I thought that wearing heels would be a cinch and would give me height but it isn't really that easy. My younger cousin wore some 5 inches with ease and I kinda thought why couldn't I? So I'm trying it out with wedges at first and I'm gonna see how that works. Hopefully it doesn't hurt but we'll see how that goes. :) Good luck with yours too.

Unknown said...

It really does depend on the particular shoe for me. I only factor in weight because I have weak ankles so I prefer a thicker heel or wedges vs. stilettos. Makes me feel more steady on my feet.

I have worn 4.5 inches with no problems and then been a clumsy mess in ballet flats. So the height isn't the problem.

I've learned that I need to make sure the shoes are a comfortable fit. Cause shoes that hurt will make you miserable and clumsy.

Also, sometimes I have to spend a little more because of my shoe size (9.5 Wide)

Unknown said...

And I wanted to add...heels are not a requirement for fashionista status. At least not to me. There are plenty of stylish, low heeled alternatives. In reality, you have to try different things to find what fits you perfectly.

Karine said...

Glad to see you're experimenting with shoes, but like Danielle wrote, you do not need to wear heels to be fasionhable or adult especially if it hurts! Do remember that heels are bad for your entire body especially your back.

That being said, I love wearing heels because at 5'2", I appreciate the extra inches! Heels are hard for everyone, but I think it is true that thicker heels are better because of our extra weight because we are overworking the balls of our feet with stilettos unless the arch is right!

good luck! remember wedges are good :)

thefatandskinnyonfashion said...

My feet and knees always hurt in heels. I have a ton of them and I'm trying to wear them more often. But I have weird feet and knee problems so I just usually suck it up. I suggest wearing wedges. They still hurt but they will condition your feet more, and remember not to judge your feet to other people's feet. Everyone is different. Some people feel more comfortable in heels than flats and vice versa.

Anonymous said...

I love heels =). Those three reasons are FAR from what i feel. I feel pretty in them and it makes me feel good.

I started off with 2 inch and i walk around them all day.

Th only problem i have is the fact that most heels come for narrow feet and my feet are not narrow at ALL.

BUT theres ways around that i guess =)

Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler said...

I am 5'8", with a textbook hourglass. I (in the words of the fabulous Janice Dickinson) eat, sleep, and s*** in heels. I personally feel that they elongate my legs (especially in the skinny jeans) and they alter my stride-they make me slow down and give a little wiggle (my bf calls it my Jessica Rabbit walk). I think anyone can wear heels. F*** people who say you can't. People say I shouldn't do the skinny jeans b/c of my hips, but they're the pants that come out of the closet the most. F*** them baby, do you.

Plus size fashion queen said...

Hi! I am a plus size fashion blogger myself but I am still working on my blog so I wont put the adress down quite yet. However, I am a size 16, 200 pds girl and I wear heels and love them! I am in fashion merch. in college so I had to wear heels to fit in :) and that's why I checked out my options! First of all, plus size girls should not, in my opinion wear stilletos. It makes the calves look so much larger in comparison! I ordered some wide-feet booties with large heels from one stop plus and they are gorgeous and amazing and totally fab! I also strongly recommend wedges because they offer a lot more surface for the body weight and I can wear mine all day long!

Here is the adress for the boots!

http://www.onestopplus.com/clothing/Camille-Cuffed-Bootie-Wide-Width.aspx?PfId=180810&DeptId=19720&ProductTypeId=1

Sorry if my english isnt amazing, I am french canadian!
Lovee

Nik said...

Well you know I LOVE heels...but I find that I love them more if they have a platform...plus there are always wedges to redistribute your weight more evenly.
Something I learned from my mom was the babysteps to heelwearing:
Start inch by inch..don't jump from 2 to 4 inches...wear two for a while...then 2 &1/2..3...3&1/2..4..etc.
It's one of those things that takes time,patience,and practice.Also..I tend to walk around the house on my toes even if I don't have any heels on...I also do releves(I guess some people cal the calf raises?)when I'm randomly standing around.

Literal Gemini said...

Love heels. they make me feel sexy and can make you look thinner and more proportioned because they cause you to stand up straight.

BTW, I too am burdened with big feet, so when I find a shoe I like (95% of the time it is a heel), I usually end up buying it... I don't like shorter heels, they may be more comfy and stable but they feel to golden girl to me.

Literal Gemini said...

BTW - Hope no one gets mad that I said "they can make you look thinner." It was just a comment.

the toybox killer said...

i used to love wearing heels. in high school i galavanted around in massive (like 8-10 inch) platform goth boots, usually with a stiletto heel. i never had a problem. when i worked as an escort 4-6 inch stilettos were pretty much my work uniform. no matter how hard you market yourself as a 'suicide girl type' no-one is going to be happy if you show up at their door in combat boots, and until the spring i was rarely to be seen without my chunky nineties platforms.

then my boyfriend came to live with me in chicago. i am a very tall lady (5'10) and he is the exact same height as me. for the whole spring and summer i wore nothing but the aforementioned combat boots. a few days ago i had a job interview that required me to dress in business casual, which usually means at least a low heel. i wore a very nice pair of black vintage-style pumps. i was able to walk totally fine, but by the time i got home, not only did the balls of my feet ache, but my lower back felt like it had knives shooting up it.

i'm not really sure if it was lack of practice or if my scoliosis has gotten worse, but it was agonizing.

that's my personal experience with heels, as usual, it really has very, very little to do with the post because i keep getting farther from plus sizes.

it kinda makes me feel like an asshole who is just pontificating without having anything really to contribute.

Kamiesha said...

I love heels and I really don't care what others say. The only problem I have is that I wear wide and a size 11. So, its a kind of a double negative for me right now, but I make it work.

My favorite store is payless. Lol hey they have my size and now they have designer shoes.

I agree with Literal Gemini, short heels make me like and feel old lol. Thats my preference.

Gracie said...

I'm scared of wearing very high heels, because for starters, I'm not used to wearing them. So I can't walk with them well enough.
Also, I feel that because of my weight, I will get tired faster and thus not enjoy my time out with them.

I would love to wear 4/5 inch heels, because it seems that the cutest shoes are in those heights. I'm only 5'3, so extra inches wouldn't hurt! But alas, I'm a chicken.

Unknown said...

I have wide, fat, flat feet, really. So if shoes are too strappy, or even Maryjane type shoes, my fat pokes out. So usually if I wear heels I wear them under pants. Being my weight, I can't handle heels. However I keep buying them trying to practice around the house. Even some wedges hurt my feet. A few pairs of wedges I have, a few minutes and my feet are in excruciating pain.

When I bought my maryjane heels, in the house they were fine. So I decided to wear them to school. Walking from the parking lot my dogs started barking. I turned around to make sure I had my flats, then realized I locked my keys in the car. LOL So I had to hobble to class pretending my feet were fine. By the time class was out, I practically cried walking to my sisters car. There was no way I could've made it back through the parking lot to my car.

Basically, this plus size diva has to rock some of her wedges or flats. lol