Those blokes in the UK are so sensible. Sensitive too…at least I think so.

Late in 2009, the Trade Union Congress (mostly made up of men) proposed banning high heels from the workplace. Why? Well, they say it’s for health and safety reasons – they can cause injuries, but also because they’re demeaning to women. Aw, nice. And over in Scotland, Network Rail (bet that’s mainly men too) is encouraging women to ditch the stilettos for … less accident-prone shoes on railway concourses.

But then of course, as with any new suggestion, out come the nitpicking columnists and letter writers who object just because they can…but this time, the opponents are women! Scottish councillor Maxine Smith (an avid high heel wearer) said: “I would not see any good reason to suddenly swap my high heels before arriving at the station. This may well be a case of Network Rail looking for a ‘get out’ clause in the face of customers submitting less than altruistic insurance claims. If so, it is a sad reflection of the compensation culture in the society in which we live.”

And, on the Trade Union Congress story, the Telegraph quotes Nadine Dorries, Tory MP, who apparently says heels are beneficial for women in the workplace:”I’m 5ft 3in and need every inch of my Christian Louboutin heels to look my male colleagues in the eye,” she said. “If high heels were banned in Westminster, no one would be able to find me. The TUC need to get real, [and] stop using overtly sexist tactics by discussing women’s stilettos…”

She’s backed up by Michelle Dewberry, a former winner of TV reality show ‘The Apprentice’: “This is absolutely ridiculous and I think these union officials should be spending their time dealing with more important issues. I’m at work in five-inch heels and perfectly able to do my job. Heels are sexy, they boost your confidence and they are empowering to women. I can’t imagine these officials debating a motion about how tightly men should wear their ties. Wearing heels is a personal choice.”

So…and I’m scratching my head a bit here – it’s women’s personal choice to wear heels that can cause accidents and injuries. Fine. But it’s also their choice to wear heels because if they don’t they’re disadvantaged, disempowered and have less confidence in the workplace? Says who? Women. Strange. Whatever happened to feminism?

Suffice to say, spare a thought for short men. Who’s sticking up for them in the corporate world? Let’s hope they have access to complementary counselling for their – undoubted – self-esteem and inferiority issues.

Some guys like women in high heels, some don’t. I guess I’m in the ‘don’t’ category.

As you can see in another post on this site – Assume the Position - the wearing of high heels forces women into a more sexualized position, whether they realise it or not. Now obviously some guys will find that sexy. Personally it’s in the same category for me as wearing too much makeup, overdoing the perfume or becoming surgically enhanced. Ladies, you’re sexy because you’re sexy without the add-ons or being artificially forced into contortions.

Another reason given for wearing heels by women is to gain the extra height. Now I know for a fact that most men like to be taller than their mates. Ever been to a party where there is a short guy with a partner who is taller? Hear the titters of amusement, or the wee nudges to check that out? 21st century guys are being outperformed in the classrooms and boardrooms by women throughout the developed world so hey why not take away one advantage they naturally have? Doesn’t make sense to me.

I know the clackity clack of high heels over a hard surface is a head turner for many guys and it is for me too. Particularly if they’re skyscrapers I’m interested in how she manages to walk in them successfully and why she is bothering. So it’s with a feeling of amusement that I’ll turn and gawk a little.

Most guys are practical beings and will see the sense of something if it has a practical purpose. From a male view, the purpose of high heels is the fact that a lady being pursued can’t get away easily as you simply can’t run in the things! Maybe you need to ask the question: Are the men you’re attracting by wearing high heels really the men that you want to attract?

Well that’s just my humble male opinion anyway…..

Those blokes in the UK are so sensible. Sensitive too…at least I think so.

Late in 2009, the Trade Union Congress (mostly made up of men) proposed banning high heels from the workplace. Why? Well, they say it’s for health and safety reasons – they can cause injuries, but also because they’re demeaning to women. Aw, nice. And over in Scotland, Network Rail (bet that’s mainly men too) is encouraging women to ditch the stilettos for … less accident-prone shoes on railway concourses.

But then of course, as with any new suggestion, out come the nitpicking columnists and letter writers who object just because they can…but this time, the opponents are women! Scottish councillor Maxine Smith (an avid high heel wearer) said: “I would not see any good reason to suddenly swap my high heels before arriving at the station. This may well be a case of Network Rail looking for a ‘get out’ clause in the face of customers submitting less than altruistic insurance claims. If so, it is a sad reflection of the compensation culture in the society in which we live.”

And, on the Trade Union Congress story, the Telegraph quotes Nadine Dorries, Tory MP, who apparently says heels are beneficial for women in the workplace:”I’m 5ft 3in and need every inch of my Christian Louboutin heels to look my male colleagues in the eye,” she said. “If high heels were banned in Westminster, no one would be able to find me. The TUC need to get real, [and] stop using overtly sexist tactics by discussing women’s stilettos…”

She’s backed up by Michelle Dewberry, a former winner of TV reality show ‘The Apprentice’: “This is absolutely ridiculous and I think these union officials should be spending their time dealing with more important issues. I’m at work in five-inch heels and perfectly able to do my job. Heels are sexy, they boost your confidence and they are empowering to women. I can’t imagine these officials debating a motion about how tightly men should wear their ties. Wearing heels is a personal choice.”

So…and I’m scratching my head a bit here – it’s women’s personal choice to wear heels that can cause accidents and injuries. Fine. But it’s also their choice to wear heels because if they don’t they’re disadvantaged, disempowered and have less confidence in the workplace? Says who? Women. Strange. Whatever happened to feminism?

Suffice to say, spare a thought for short men. Who’s sticking up for them in the corporate world? Let’s hope they have access to complementary counselling for their – undoubted – self-esteem and inferiority issues.

Get this: high heels can improve your sex life. Apparently. At least according to Dr Maria Cerruto of the University of Verona. Turns out high heels work your pelvic muscles and a stronger set of those equate to better sex!

Now leaving aside the fact that Maria Cerruto herself says she loves high heeled shoes and, “I tried to find something healthy in them…”, and also that the study was based on a small sample of incontinent women (!); the results sort of make intuitive sense. Stay with me here…

Dr Helen Fisher, an anthropology professor at Rutger University in New Jersey says that “High heels thrust out the buttocks and arch the back into a natural mammalian courting – actually, copulatory – pose called ‘lordosis’. Rats do it, sheep do it … lions do it, dogs do it…”.

So when women are wearing high heels they are contorting their body into a sexual posture, that men see as sexual readiness. So doesn’t it stand to reason that if a woman spends a lot of time in high heels, that the muscles used in sex will get a good workout?

I guess if I walked around in a golfing stance often enough it would build up my quadriceps and probably tone my gluteal (butt) muscles too. If it didn’t create a real handicap, it might even help my golfing one. But I’d feel pretty stupid doing it.

P.S:

And of course, it all hinges on whether or not you believe what people say about their sex lives

High heels and cars? I would have thought you’d just take your high heels off while driving. I mean, what’s the point of keeping them on if no one can see your accentuated calves or butt? Well, according to an article on star.com, high heels are so popular, and so engrained in our culture, that other industry designers and manufacturers are now adjusting their products to accommodate heels.

Yep, it turns out that General Motors are adjusting the pedals on their cars to better suit women driving in high heels, by changing the tilt of the accelerator and brake pedals…although they won’t admit it because they don’t want to put potential male customers off!

How cars are being designed for women in high heels

Guess it shows how, to keep customers happy, you’ve got to give them what they want, right? And it seems that’s all General Motors are doing, following on from an experiment in 2002 when 100 male GM staff members wore skirts and stilettos, long fake fingernails and carried toy dolls in an attempt to experience their latest SUV from a woman’s point of view.

Although….I wonder what it might do to your car premiums, if an insurance company knew you were a serial stiletto wearer? Be Wiser Insurance in the UK has a page on its website specifically advising women not to wear high heels while driving. They cite research that shows over 80% of women wear inappropriate footwear while driving, and 10% of female motorists have had an accident or near miss as a direct result of the shoes they have been wearing. They also blame heels on the increasing number of deaths at zebra (pedestrian) crossings – wearing heels slows down your reaction time. Bad luck if you happen to be crossing when Sarah Jessica Parker comes down the road!

Driving in heels causes accidents