Official SCIENCE*: HIGH HEELS make you SEXY (Ladies)
However uncomfortable, overly expensive and impractical killer heels may be, think again before ditching them for your next night out: new science has proved high-heeled shoes definitely make women look sexy. In the same year CERN boffins found the Higgs Boson in a gigantic underground particle accelerator, an academic study …
This topic is closed for new posts.
Re: Germaine Greer
Her dig was at another ugly feminist. Woman on woman action (slagging off in the press)
Re: Germaine Greer
Regardless of which individual Greer was having a dig at, the point is that she had successfully made the observation without the need for a "study".
So many factors..
First off, "attractive" is subjective.
The whole package, however, is a subtle play of curves. There are good heels and bad heels - good heels take care to load the foot bone structure in a way that doesn't cause damage, and are engineered properly (there are a *lot* of mechanics involved in a decent high heel), and there is a "maximum height" above which no woman should go (easily found - if the front leg goes straight into the toes as one straight line you are really at the maximum point - go beyond that and you're looking at damage) - depends on the feet involved.
Bad heels do not distribute pressure properly and should be banned as torture devices. Platforms tend to quickly trend towards being crap because the height throws off the delicate balance required, and the designer's idea to put a heel fully at the end of a shoe is stupid as well (the heel should really be under the body's weight or they will hurt when walking as you end up creating a lever effect). There is a reason why the classic spike heeled pump has endured so well over the years as a design - from an engineering perspective it offers the best balance between support and height. However, it needs someone with trained ankles.
Price is not an *absolute* measure of quality, but if you like the elegant sight of a woman in heels and she is your partner I suggest you don't skimp on price or complain about it - it's not design you pay for, it is (in many ways) feel good factor.. With boots it gets a bit more complex because then you also have to deal with the shape of the leg - a leg with decent muscle development is easier to design for (the "modelling" leg is a tad too underdefined, but that's a personal opinion, I like people with an athletic build that at least throw a shadow).
Anon because I know far too much of this I had friends who had a shoe factory, and as an engineer it's fascinating to see how complex it actually is to create a good pair of heels or boots (it helps having a happy test recipient around :)..
Re: So many factors..
Actually, its not subjective at all. Its biological. Core attributes always dominate. Always have done. Your man above, with his kinky boots comment, is pretty much spot on. Sorry to break it to you but despite all the social and PC bullshit, we, men and women, are animals with animal instinct.
Re: So many factors..
Actually, its not subjective at all. Its biological.
Disagree. Some people say that you can divide the male species up in "breast" men and "leg" men. The former couldn't care less about what shoes a woman wears because they never get that low :). Not being all the same is what keeps things interesting..
Re: So many factors..
Of course a lot of it is biological. But a lot is also cultural and thus subjective. We're a damn long way from our animal roots, so attributing *all* the blame on "nature" and discounting "nurture" entirely is naive*.
Unfortunately "studies" like this shed very little light on the subject, as they provide no breakdown on the balance between biological and cultural influences, and don't actually tell us anything that we don't already bloody know! (Within the context of Western norms, anyway.)
*) Also, there is a high correlation between calling political correctness "bullshit" and being an asshole. Just sayin'
Re: So many factors..
"as an engineer it's fascinating to see how complex it actually is to create a good pair of heels or boots"
Frankly it amazes me that anyone can mass-produce "person-shaped" anything, especially since the commonest starting materials are flat (perhaps not in the case of shoes, but certainly for clothing).
Then again, all the women I speak to assure me that most of the time they don't actually manage it. I get reports that "There's nothing in the shops this year. Everything makes me look like a box/bin/pipe/wall/...".
Anon, since the women in my life seem to manage to look wonderful anyway.
Makes you wonder how we ever made it out of caves what with making the wheel before the heel.
The wheel got us out of the caves
Then the heel brought us back - otherwise there'd be no baby cavemen.
Re: The wheel got us out of the caves
If we'd invented the heel before the wheel we'd never gotten to leaving the caves, being too busy with making said baby cave dwellers :)
Subjectivity
Could everyone here stop saying that attractiveness is subjective? That's pretty well known (almost as well known as why women wear high heels, in fact). The whole point of doing statistics like this is to see if there is a pattern underlying the subjectivity.
Personally, I hate high heels and watching women trying to move around in them is more likely to cause laughter and contempt than arousal.
Now, a good pair of wellies? Now you're talking! Say "ooo-arr", darling...say it like you mean it!
Re: Subjectivity
watching women trying to move around in them is more likely to cause laughter and contempt
You've never seen an elegant woman then, or have been reading too much feminist material (I note that even Greer is looking more feminine these days).
Part of my youth was spent ballroom and latin dancing at a reasonable level, and my dance parter was also an enthusiastic gymnast. Especially under load you soon recognise what is a quality pair of heels and what is rubbish, and my dance partner quickly took to applying the same demands she put on her dance shoes to her going out shoes. I recall one time where she found a pair of shoes that was so good, she bought two pair and had one pair resoled for dancing (it takes a special soft leather and rubber heel tips). When training she used 4", but she had no problem with 5" for presentation (depends on the dance, of course, some are too intense to risk 5").
As a gymnast, balance and poise wasn't exactly a problem for her, but dancing shoes were critical in keeping a sure footing and she and the other female dancers in our club would roam local and distant shoe shops for good heels. It's funny how they too seem to hunt in packs :)
Re: Subjectivity
Could everyone here stop saying that attractiveness is subjective? That's pretty well known
Actually, some people seem to disagree. See the post by ACx a little higher, who seems to think that it's entirely objective and biological.
Fascinating stuff
but where are the results for blokes wearing heels?
Re: Fascinating stuff
I was thinking the same thing. "A point-light system that placed markers on the subjects' bodies was used to show the raters just the movements of the walkers rather than their actual form." That statement alone makes it seem quite trivial to have a few guys strut their stuff and be rated in a like manner. It also makes it easy to compare if there is any difference in perception among body types based on movement. Who knows, maybe the paunch bellied ale guzzlers among us are found to have the most silky smooth and attractive motions if only we'd wear a couple inches of heel. I imagine it would be easy enough to find an adequate supply of test subjects down at the local pub most nights. Of course given how much ale they'd have to consume before walking about in heels might make their gait a bit uneven but there would be plenty of swing and gyration.
Re: the results for blokes wearing heels
They're here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Reid_(fighter)
And if you've followed the link, you'll now know why the article thought it best not to mention it.
Makes me wonder---
How come all the women who live in countries where shoes are not worn get laid then?
"Biomechanical analyses revealed that wearing high heels led to increased femininity of gait including reduced stride length and increased rotation and tilt of the hips."
The missed the word 'perceived' out of that sentence.
I dont see any others of the animal kingdom having issues with reproduction despite not wearing high heels.Me thinks its simply a fashion trend with psychological implications much the same as showing an ankle,the bustle,the low cleavage etc have done over the years.
Actual science and shit
Well, given that they did actual sciency stuff of trying to reduce cultural and fashion influences by showing people the movement without actually showing their form suggests that it was something a bit more basic.
I'm not sure you'll like their follow up study "People Fuck Other People Even If They Think They Could Look More Physically Attractive".
.. on the other hand ..
I dont see any others of the animal kingdom having issues with reproduction despite not wearing high heels
Thats because it's just too much work. It would be far too hard making heels for hamsters. Making corsets is already hard enough.
Anyone seen my medication?
I like a woman who wears
combat boots, drinks pints and smokes roll-ups. Girly girls spend altogether too much time pratting around with pointless stuff.
Re: I like a woman who wears
Like making themselves attractive for those of us who prefer more girly girls than pseudo men?
'Women are from Venus' etc
Your tax dollars (well, Pounds in this case) at work!!
Work it, baby! Work it!!
That is just pathetic. This has to be the lamest, saddest thing I have EVER read on El Reg.
Then you're reading the wrong articles.
el reg - the limbo dance of journalistic capabilities.
I have once again upset El Reg's army of dateless, furious one handed typists.
I have once again upset El Reg's army of dateless, furious one handed typists.
Hah! I have Dragon Dictate installed :)
The dirty Mac, please..
Sexy photos
Heals are sexy until... You can't find close parking, it's a beautiful night for a walk, you want to stop at the beach, there's a romanic downtown with cobblestone streets, the sun/moon is setting over the end of a wooden boardwalk, it's early but the feet hurt, "rub my feet", etc. I'll a sexy woman with a big smile and feet equipped for moving.
Well Duh......What is amazing is that, in these difficult economic times, you get people spending money on such idiotic "research"!
I tend to look at women who wear footwear which make it hard / uncomfortable to walk as somewhat daft and I really do not find it attractive.
Further, the experiment didn't show the figure / women but a representation so someone swinging their hips etc... would look more female than a normal woman in flat shoes, given certain stereotypes. It could have been a bunch of drag queens filmed then the results would have been the same.
What should have been noticed though, by the scientists, is that females walking along like they are crippling themselves, is not something in nature and really has not baring on attractiveness, just perceived attractiveness due to a western upbringing and terrible media.
Funniest thing about this whole thread ...
Not a one of you commented on the real reason why adult women wearing heels is perceived as attractive to men ... It's because it increases their leg-length & makes 'em look (proportionally) just barely pubescent.
Bottom line? If you're attracted to high-heels, lads, you're a latent pedo[1]. And you women actually trying to attract a mate with them ... do you really want to go that route?
[1] Guys attracted to actually wearing them, probably not so much.
Re: Funniest thing about this whole thread ...
If you're attracted to high-heels, lads, you're a latent pedo
Wow, you must really have some deep issues. I'm impressed - you even skipped Godwin's law..
Re: Funniest thing about this whole thread ...
Absolute rock bottom trolling, was your holiday period THAT bad Jake?
Re: Funniest thing about this whole thread ...
*period* might be the operative word.
I'll go and hide now..
Fascinating
I wonder whether the colour of the shoes makes a difference to how men perceive them? I notice I get far more comments for my scarlet heels or my leopard print ones (which are mid-height) than my black ones regardless of the height.
Can't say a 2.5" heel really counts as a high heel these days - needs to be 3" or greater IMHO. Several people have mentioned the engineering required to be able to take the weight and balance properly, something that seems to be sadly lacking in a lot of heels along with getting the size right as many places don't offer a half size, so you either end up with shoes that you walk out of as they are too big or stuff your feet into something too small and feel as though your feet are in a vice.
Being of the female pursuasion I like wearing heels and the height of them depends on how much walking I'm likely to be doing or the overall look I'm going for. Some outfits look better with a kitten heel and some with a killer pencil thin 3-4" spike. Finding a pair that isn't ankle breaking height or look like they should be gracing the feet of a prostitute is a problem these days. Will be very glad when that trend buggers off.
As you can tell, shoes are a bit of a specialist subject for me!
Re: Fascinating
As you can tell, shoes are a bit of a specialist subject for me!
:) Most women I know are, although most of my female friends combine attitude with altitude and wouldn't be seen dead in kitten heels..
If you avoid thick platforms you can usually find elegant heels in the 4"..5" class that you can actually survive in, but heeled boots tend to be easier to wear with a high heel, provided they are a tight fit (one of the reasons you want to stay with leather - it stretches to fit). I hope the platform trend comes to an end as it is simply not elegant at all.
You may want to check on where the heel is, though, because that could be the source of your discomfort. Alexander Wang, for instance, gets it wrong and puts it at the very end of the shoe bed which creates a lever effect and makes your toes hit the ground much harder. OTOH, Jimmy Choo tends to get it right and puts a heel under your weight (slightly curved in from the back) so you have control. A make which is more affordable but a bit offbeat is the Italian brand Biondini - they only do high heels but it's a bit difficult to find a local retailer or get an overview of their range.
If you have a problem finding the right size you may want to find a good shoemaker who can stretch shoes. It takes some time, but it can add the half size you need. That's what we often had to do with dancing shoes to get a perfect fit - nobody is born with 2 identical feet..
Enjoy your (expensive) hobby - rest assured many men will be watching :)
The flaw
in the experiment is simply asking the subjects to judge the gait they found most feminine. I can judge that Minnie Mouse is more feminine than Mickey* but that doesn't mean I want to fuck her.
*Try explaining that - there's a thesis in there somewhere.
I like a woman who can move
And to really move means some heel maybe but not very much. Ballerinas can move alright and wear no heels at all. I'm not attracted to a woman who imagines she's fashionable crippling herself while wobbling ludicrously while causing herself sprain injuries. Chinese men used to think feet on a grown woman bound to keep them to baby size sexy - a similarly oppressive, disgusting and vile practice as the one which now exists in our culture.
A/C because I'm married.
Women have proportionally (to their torso length) longer legs than men...
...so heels just exaggerate this effect. However, it's not sexy when a drunk women in stilettos takes a step back onto your foot.
I prefer people (women being a subset of that) with more common sense than fashion sense (hipsters who forked out for a fixed-gear bike, I'm looking at you!) ergo women who wear shoes that can be walked in for more than 5 minutes lose points but who cares anyway.
The point that the presumably male researchers have really missed is not why women are trotting around in daft shoes but for who; it's not men, it's to impress other women.
Reminds me of an old survey ..
... which asked men about womens legs. 1% said they liked long legs, 1% said short legs and 98% preferred something in between!
Sounds like thinly-veiled justification for sexism
All this sounds like a thinly-veiled justification for sexism.
The fact that we have one very dominant culture in the world, and that it gets imprinted pretty much from birth, makes it hard to spot a cultural phenomenon when we see one. I'm willing to bet that if you could find some test subjects coming from a culture where everyone wears either bare feet or flat shoes, they probably would not show the same bias towards heels.
Meanwhile, a bunch of misogynists are going to point to this and say "See -- it's all biological!" in an attempt to explain away their disgusting treatment of women.
Yet if you took fifty "Top Trumps" cards, each representing a woman as a series of individual measurements (none of which related to primary sexual characteristics) and another fifty representing men according to the same measurements, then you shuffled one of the women's cards in among the men and one of the men's cards in among the women, the only way you would be able to spot the ones that had been exchanged would be if the designs on the backs of the cards were different.
A friend of a friend
A friend of a friend bought his missus some 6" red high heels, to which she said " I wont be able to walk in those" to which he replied " You wont be doing much walking dressed in them Love"
Or the other way 'round
The researchers assume that the high heels make the wearer more feminine because they affect the gait and balance of wearers, but it could very well be the other way around: that the viewers have been taught by their environment that the specific gait and balance of walking in high heels are to be associated with feminity.
So which is it really:
high heels -> specific gait -> perceived feminity
or:
specific gait -> high heels -> perceived feminity ?
This topic is closed for new posts.
