Women Professionals: Heels Are Hell (Cute, but Hell Nonetheless)

This blog entry inspired by “High on Heels: How Shoes Affect the Juggle” (Wall Street Journal blog, May 21) and “For Women Litigators: A Courtroom Footwear Dilemma?” (Wall Street Journal Law Blog, May 22).

I love shoes, but I hate the pain that comes along with long days in high heels. I’m not talking about sexy, strappy stilettos–you’re supposed to be presenting arguments, not picking up dates.

Heels are hell.

Even if you’re used to wearing them, you will eventually wind up with hip, back, and foot pain, often chronic, from years of heel-wearing dictated by professional dress codes.

I think a commenter called Boston Lawyer hit the nail on the head:

Maybe I’m wrong about this, and I’d certainly prefer if I were, but women in certain professions in the public eye (appearing before judges and jurors, in my case), really have a legitimate reason to buy and wear uncomfortable heels (after a long jury trial once, I came home with double tendinitis in my feet from heels-wearing), skirt suits and stockings, makeup, jewelry, etc — all of the stuff that my male colleagues don’t have to spend time and money on. If I were to appear before an 80 year old male judge in something actually comfortable, the conventional wisdom is that I’d be doing my clients a disservice.

(Sidenote: Double tendinitis?! OUCH!)

So you just hate professional dress codes?

I absolutely understand the professional dress code in law offices, and it doesn’t bother me (though I am in the camp of people that really does work just as efficiently in PJs as I do in a suit–it’s just the appearance that changes, not my work ethic, but I understand that it does affect work level for some people, and I can get behind the dresscode).

What I dislike is being near tears on a Thursday afternoon because my feet hurt so bad because of heels. I’m all in favor of jeans-casual Fridays simply to give women a chance to wear foot- (and back- and hip-) friendly shoes for 20% of the work week!

If I ran my own office, this would be one of its quirks: you can wear whatever shoes you want while you’re working, except for flip flops, because the sound they make drives me crazy. Footwear can click pleasantly, but should never “thwock, thwock, thwock.” It’s unnatural. Now when you go to court or to a client meeting, you’d be expected to be in situation-appropriate footwear. But in the office? Your feet are comfy and cared-for so that you’re focused on your work, not on the pain in your arches.

Takers?