Heels for Men

[Zarina]

It is an interesting discussion, why are heels and skirts only for women? I suppose it is just the tradition we have got used to, and I admit I am also bound by the influence of that culture. I would not find it appealing to see a man in traditional men's clothes wearing heels, but if someone is able to create a completely new look, then why not? On the other hand: men be happy that you don't have to suffer the pain in the ball of the foot we women are struggling with!

 

[SomethingElse]

Just to clarify what I meant, I wear jeans made for men rather than jeans made for women, because they fit me properly. Trousers or jeans are not 'male' in my mind, just as heels are not 'female'. I do not believe there is a reasonable rationale for gender specific clothing based on a pure market. Fashion is an evolution, after all.

Because I am intrigued by the dynamic business of ideas, my interest here is the gap in the marketplace. The fact that shoes or clothing are designed to be gender specific establishes a subjective control over what people wear and, in turn, how people behave. That there is little selection for the kinds of shoes being discussed on this thread... in the economic realm of supply and demand, we are talking about a demand that is purposefully not being supplied. It makes me stop and think.

My curiousity lies in where these social guidelines break down so something new and free can arise.

 

[TLjakes]

leyla m,

I respect your view point, but cannot agree, as any woman can go into her boyfriend, SO, etc. wardrobe and extract an item of clothing from it and incorporate it into her "fashion" and call it the masculine look. I now talk about items like boxers, suspenders, ties or what ever she wants to incorporate. Not one single person will turn around and look frowning upon her thinking there is something wrong with her.

Now you take a male going into his girlfriends clothing and extract any item of clothing that is seen as vaguely female and society has got an instant problem.

If you don't see a problem here then I don't see any light for men trying to change their choice of footwear. If men want to wear heels they cannot walk into a shop and get the heels they like from the men's department, cause it doesn't exist. Men cannot go into any store and buy a skirt in the men's department cause in Western cultures "It's not right!"

Why so unisex fashion always have male orientated clothing?

Are we defending? Tes I do think so, as we are trying to get something different for men in a society that is totally against change in general.

 

[ajott]

^Thats the point, TLjakes. In other threads here women are showing their new "boys jeans" and nobody seems to have a problem with that.

Me, I just thought some day, when I was seeing a pair of nice high heels on some womans feet again, that I just want to try and wear them myself, then I tried them and liked it. Thats all, no thought of changing my gender with them.

And now I'm posting here mainly in this topic because I have something new and hopefully interesting to show here. But I'm reading other threads too.

 

[benno]

Ajott. I'm in exactly the same boat as you.

 

[MissyJG]

I'm with you leyla. You guys are overanalyzing everything. Don't go that deep.. Heels were never meant for guys and never will be I think. A (high) heel is to accentuate ur femininity. Femininity, as in females. (except Prince can wear em) It's fashion, it's fun. But if you guys wanna wear heels, ain't nobody stoppin ya Someone has got to start..

 

[leyla m.]

i also find ladies in a mans suit with a tie horrendous
thats for example a piece of clothing i also see only on men

 

[Diorling]

^ A woman in a mans suit (properly cut) is insanely sexy, but a tie would ruin it.

Heels are perfectly fine on men, I cant be constrained by society, that is unacceptable. Though, my heels are on my Johnny boots, and they're quite masculine, I just like to hear the click click click, also it makes your *** and legs look AMAZING.

 

[leyla m.]

diorling you got my point exactly. the suit WITH the tie is bad... so tto try the whole look on a woman wouldnt work..
same goes for me with 5 inch stilettos or anything remotely looking like a ladies shoe.
fine, i dont have anything againts men wearin MENs shoes with heels. thats fine. but dont wear ladies shoes by force when you can find some easthetically better looking ones made specially for men.

 

[stilettogirl84]

Leyla and diorling have good points-

when menswear is converted into womenswear (stylishly at least) it is altered in some way, tweaked somehow. The cut is changed, certain elements are removed, others are added.

so if femenine things are to be incorporated into mens clothes it has to be a little bit at a time. like dirling's johnnie boots- which are essentially a men's ankle boot with a raised heel- that works because it incorporates masculine and femenine elements.

a man in a stiletto- (espescially the five inch, pointy patent one) simply is not fashion- that is fetish.

 

[Dego]

a man in a stiletto- (espescially the five inch, pointy patent one) simply is not fashion- that is fetish.

Depends on how it's worn.

 

[Zarina]

Leyla and diorling have good points-

when menswear is converted into womenswear (stylishly at least) it is altered in some way, tweaked somehow. The cut is changed, certain elements are removed, others are added.

so if femenine things are to be incorporated into mens clothes it has to be a little bit at a time. like dirling's johnnie boots- which are essentially a men's ankle boot with a raised heel- that works because it incorporates masculine and femenine elements.

a man in a stiletto- (espescially the five inch, pointy patent one) simply is not fashion- that is fetish.

You are so right! Those kind of shoes look so tacky on women but on men it is even worse

 

[TLjakes]

What is real strange in most of these arguments against heels for men is that it's being made by women. So i do wonder "why the lady doth protests so much......??

 

[stilettogirl84]

What is real strange in most of these arguments against heels for men is that it's being made by women.

Becasue in the main, the only men who would visit a "Heel's for men" thread- are men who wear heels?

 

[MissyJG]

^exactly.

 

[TLjakes]

Becasue in the main, the only men who would visit a "Heel's for men" thread- are men who wear heels?

So if I understood your answer correctly it tells me that in the 50's only women interested in pants would have read "Pants for women" threads?

Sorry still doesn't answer my question.

You see I have a theory, just as men put up a fight when women entered their "domains" in the work place and in society by starting to do things only men normally did, women is doing the exact same with men trying to get high heels as footwear. Just as men where afraid women would take away their piece of they pie they could call their "holy ground" woman has got the exact same fears of men invading what they thought they have the only claim to.

 

[stilettogirl84]

Just as men where afraid women would take away their piece of they pie they could call their "holy ground" woman has got the exact same fears of men invading what they thought they have the only claim to.

I really don't feel that way at all. As I said, I have no problem with men incorporating women's elements into their clothing.

That is, wearing men's clothes with female elements- such as a lace up shoe with a blocky heel, or a buttondown shirt with lace trim, or something.

but when a man doesn't want to incorporate elements of femenine clothing into what he wears, but insists on wearing actual female clothing or footwear- then I see that simply as a transgender thing - not that there's anything wrong with that-

when the lines began to be blurred in fashion, in the 1920's ish- and women began to incorporate masculine elements into their clothes, it was gradual. They did not start out by putting women in full men's suits with ties.

Instead, Chanel began using straight silhouetts and male suiting fabrics for women's clothes- and combining these with femenine elements- pearl necklaces, T strap heels, ect

 

[ajott]

A bra may have a gender, but shoes don't. In the right size high heeled shoes can be worn by female or male feet. So wearing those shoes isn't transgender for me.

And I don't have time to wait for gradual introduction, then I'll be dead when really high heels for men are accepted by everyone ...

 

[leyla m.]

I really don't feel that way at all. As I said, I have no problem with men incorporating women's elements into their clothing.

That is, wearing men's clothes with female elements- such as a lace up shoe with a blocky heel, or a buttondown shirt with lace trim, or something.

but when a man doesn't want to incorporate elements of femenine clothing into what he wears, but insists on wearing actual female clothing or footwear- then I see that simply as a transgender thing - not that there's anything wrong with that-

when the lines began to be blurred in fashion, in the 1920's ish- and women began to incorporate masculine elements into their clothes, it was gradual. They did not start out by putting women in full men's suits with ties.

Instead, Chanel began using straight silhouetts and male suiting fabrics for women's clothes- and combining these with femenine elements- pearl necklaces, T strap heels, ect

you said it so well!
there is indeed a difference in wearing a piece of clothing (shoes, etc) that was produced solely for women or an item that has elements incorporated that reflect womenswear (shoes, etc)
i also have nothing against that.
or do all women on here who want to wear pants go dig through their dads, husbands, brothers, etc closets. (not to mention that when pants went global for women one of the major ideas was that it was something liberating in the sense that it was also more comfortable) i highly doubt it.
i agree that there isnt much choice for men who want to wear shoes that look like womens shoes, but then maybe, there is a reason why sooo many designers in this world havent thought about that one too
i have heard of woman who have such big feet that they have no choice but to wear mens shoes in some cases. but a man who wants to wear ladies shoes by choice (specially those horrifically high shoes) is beyond me. its IMO for all the opposite reasons to those as to why women wear menswear influenced clothes, dont you think?

 

[Dego]

to quote Taylor Mac: "Honey, for you they are oppression, for me they are liberation".