RetroJapanese Fabric Dress and High Heel Shoes

[aimeekitty]

HIGH HEEL SHOES
Ok, I want to know the dirty secret.

ladies, do high-heel shoes hurt your feet?
Ie, when you wear those oh-so-fashionable-gorgeous shoes, a couple hours later, do your feet hurt bad? Do you get blisters?

I feel like I must have some kind of un-woman-like problem because I see so many women wearing high-heels almost daily and on style-blogs they talk about how much they love their shoes and how they're going to buy this hot pair of high-heel shoes. I see those shoes and think, "even if I'm going to a movie in that, where I will be sitting most of the time, the minimal amount of walking required to go to the movie, and to walk to a restaurant afterwards would be really not-lovely." (and then for 2 days I have a blister) Is this just because I'm really tall, so there's more pressure on my feet?

IMHO, it's not "HOT" to wear gorgeous heels but be limping around. Yet, I still wear high-heels.

Is there some secret? I don't buy cheapo heels either. I try to buy quality comfortable shoes. (shoe at left from Irregular Choice.)

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So I just got the new catalog from anthropologie and this dress was on the cover. Right away the bright pink and red (and the simple and large button closure) appealed to me.

I immediately thought of retro Japanese fabrics.... regrettably the shape of the dress leaves something to be desired. (rather bag-like isn't it?) $130+ for a bag! :(

It'd be much more flattering in a more defined shape like this, this, or this ...(plus the cute button opening.... be even cuter with that button opening and a contrasting white bib.)

Some examples of what I mean by retro japanese fabric:

kimono outfit(left) made by Kelly and doll-fabric shift (right) made by Atelier Momoni, fabric swatch from Fabric Tales.

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now off to FIDM!

Comments

[leoprincess.livejournal.com]

I have heels, one pair is an inch taller than the other. As much as I like them, my left knee doesn't like the added pressure that wearing them puts on it. :(

There are some heels, however, that I wonder how women can possibly walk in them. Those puppies are tall! O_O

[ashbet]

*raises hand* I have a lot of problems with them, mostly 'cos my feet run wide and a lot of heels pinch. Mostly, I just wear wedges and things with thicker soles these days, because they're SO much more comfortable than traditional heels.

So, um -- color me equally unfeminine? ;)

-- A <3

[leoprincess.livejournal.com]

I tried on a pair of wedgies and I love them. They didn't pressure my poor sick knee as traditional heels tend to do. As soon as I get some money (whenever that is) I shall buy myself a nice pair. Or 2. :3

[binkxy.livejournal.com]

SUFFER FOR YOUR FASHION.
That is all.

[melnay13.livejournal.com]

The last time I wore heels was in my high school beauty pageant. I'm 5'8'' and my heels were three inch stilettos... As soon as that blasted curtain went down, I was out of those suckers, and the balls of my feet were swollen.

So, no. It's not just you. *huggles my sneakers*

[kuramew.livejournal.com]

Yes, high heels tend to hurt. >_<;;

I now wear heels every day to work... and you get used to it, but I have a hard time believing that all that stress on one's feet is good for you, haha!

[kuramew.livejournal.com]

Holy crap.

Extra note.

The higher they are, the more they seem to hurt when you wear them. T_T;;

Short kitten heel, 1 inch = super comfy.

Super cute shoes with 4 inch heel = OUCH!!!!!

I learned the hard way~

[maryssa.livejournal.com]

the key to high heel shoes is trying many of them on and walking a LOT in each to see if they fit and are balanced correctly for your foot. Everyone has different feet and legs and thus shoes can perform differently per person. You want to find shoes that have the heel balanced more under the foot than on the back of the heel so that all your weight isnt pushed into the toes, crushing them and causing a lot of pain/strain. it makes shoe shopping a bit harder but it will be much more worth the investment once you find GOOD shoes.

that said, some of my shoes definitely do hurt but i dont mind bearing it sometimes to look cute ;p

[thatcalliecat.livejournal.com]

I can't wear any heels to work where I am standing a long time. I used to not be able to wear any heels until I had one con where i was wearing 3 costumes with heels.

So what I did is I took my most comfortable heels, Though they were 4" the only place I felt pain was the ball of my foot because I wasn't used to the pressure.

no matter what, all day, i wore those heels. Took them off after they started hurting though. So here I am internetting, doing laundry, etc etc. in heels. If i went out- i brought backup flats.

but keep in mind quality shoes doesn't mean that the shoe is well made for people like you and me who are not used to heels. We need to have a good portion of our weight on our heels.

So yes my feet hurt but with hard work I've gotten my feet used to it. and I swear i have the most sensitive feet in the world.

[eleryth.livejournal.com]

I've gotten used to it with practice, but the shoe has to fit really well or else it hurts. I started wearing them for not long periods of time, and slowly worked up from there. I do, however, get blisters/calluses on the outside of my pinky toe, and it's only from heels. I think it's because of the shoe shape, so that's where it rubs a bit more.

I had the same thoughts when seeing women in Japan - they wear heels all the time, and never say anything about their feet hurting. I guess it's building up stamina, sorta like learning to sit seiza. The more you do it, the more you can do it.

[claidissa.livejournal.com]

I tend to buy fashionable, comfortable shoes too. I have a few slightly uncomfortable high-heels that I wear for special occasions, but I've been lucky enough to find two pairs of high-heeled boots and one pair of normal high-heels that I can walk around in all day and not have my feet hurt. ♥

[sakurae.livejournal.com]

Nope, unless they're lower heels with suffient padding like platforms, my feet hurt in heels for sure! I don't have to wear them often so when I do, it keeeeels @_@

[mayuka13.livejournal.com]

>>"ladies, do high-heel shoes hurt your feet?"
YES!

>>"Ie, when you wear those oh-so-fashionable-gorgeous shoes, a couple hours later, do your feet hurt bad?"
Still yes!

>>"Do you get blisters?"
I don't get blisters. But the balls of my feet hurt real bad. D:

Little known fact: Since I work as an extra a lot. When I see a lot of principal actresses wearing spiffy designer heels what a lot of people do not know is that in between takes the actresses swaps their shoes off and wear comfortable shoes (like slippers or uggs). The same thing of they're doing close ups where you don't see the actor's feet ... chances are they are wearing a pair of fuzzy slippers.

[kattykinns.livejournal.com]

Well I've found the thicker the heel the more comfy they are to wear, wedges especially are comfy but stilletos not at all! I mean the higher you have to arch your feet in the shoes the more pressure it's going to have on your feet.

I used to wear heels all the time with no problem then I found UGGs and my feet went all all comfy and soft that I can no longer wear my old heels LOL! If anything is higher than 3" I can't walk in them XD It doesn't really matter on the brand but the shoe itself just because they're a good brand does not make them instantly comfy, cheapo heels often can be more comfy than brand ones! You just need to shop around and find some heels that are more suited to your feet.

Oh and to add to that I think everybody uses those gel cushions and stuff they make now so the pain isn't as intense. Ive never tried them but I've heard good things about them so they're worth trying :)

[covariant-brine.livejournal.com]

Depends on the shoes and how used I am to walking in them.
I don't know how often you wear heels. If it's once a month, it's never going to be easy.
For me, it's breaking in the shoes, as well as *being*/walking comfortably in them, until they are second nature, so I don't feel like I'm walking on cobblestones, or have to think about my feet constantly. I get blisters when I am being gingerly, or from shoes that at too damned narrow at the Achille's tendon (strangely, I have this problem with some sneakers, too). I will pound on those like ballet shoes to soften them up. ^^

I used to wear them all the time, even cheapo ones, and never thought anything of it, to the point where I could run in them. Cheap ones were more likely to hurt than more expensive ones, but in my POV that's $20 vs. $80. (I don't pay $400 for shoes. XD )
Now, I live in the toolies and heels are impractical because of the lack of sidewalks and places to wear them. ^^ But when I do wear them it reminds me how out of practice/tone to wear them comfortably. In the past I had 5" heels (with about a 1" platform in the front) that I wore with no problem whatsoever, and thought they were some of the most comfortable heels I ever had. I miss those, but there is no-place good to wear them here anyhow. ;D

I also always buy heels in the large end of my "size range" (7 1/2 - 8) so there is room for my toes to spread a little for balance. Heels are just not the place to try to cheat your shoe size down out of vanity.

I do hate stiletto-type heels, though. I like more than a square quarter-inch to walk on...

[miss-jane.livejournal.com]

I bought these gorgeous maroon colored heels. I wear them at work and yeah, they hurt. I need insoles, but that's beside the point.

I get blisters when I'm usually breaking shoes in, but I admit there have been a pair of really nice ones that I have that still give me blisters. I rarely wear them... and they're really nice (brown with copper studs!).

There are gel insoles you can get from Dr. Scholl's for high heels!

See here.

I really need to get some of those for my winter boots, which do have heels.

[bluejeans07.livejournal.com]

I can't wear heels without suffering. The gel pads helped to small extent but even then, the pads are thin so that your feet can still fit inside of the shoes. My only pair of heels are really casual and the heal is super thick. XD

In the end, I just wear vans with cute designs on them!

[quezzie.livejournal.com]

The secret is...there is no secret! T_T

A lot of heels I've tried feel like they're pushing my weight into my toes, and my feet are already on the wide side, so a lot of 'cute' shoes pinch already. Most times, my feet begin to hurt even just walking around the store, and I have to take off the shoe. Also, I'm 5'3", not tall by any means.

What does this mean for my style? I don't have a lot of shoes, but I love the ones I have, and they end up being super well-made. Like, a pair of comfy leather cowboy boots with a low (1.5") heel.

[spiralstairs.livejournal.com]

Most of the time I wear flats, people express surprise. I'm almost never seen in a heel under at least 4". Usually I wear wedge heels since they're easier to move around in and keep my balance, and I rarely wear pointy toes. It's really a matter of what's your personal style and comfort level. I've been wearing heels since I got my first knock-off Steve Maddens (in fake copper snake skin) since I love the look, it kicks my height up to a desired 6' (instead of a 5'8" I have to stretch for). The skin is a lot tougher on my heels and ball because of how often I wear heels and walk around in them, but if I spend most of the day on my feet, I could wind up with a blister. I'm not in agonizing pain because if I was, I wouldn't wear heels, but there are some days where I come home sore.

Don't worry. There's no way you can lose girly street cred for being uncomfortable in heels. It's all about your comfort and style! :)

[lenity.livejournal.com]

You're not the only one. When I wear heels to the office, I keep a pair of flip flops under my desk for when I need to get comfortable.

As far as the heels go, thicker heels and wedges are a lot more comfy than stilettos and anything higher than 3" for me is killer. ><

Hmm... Gel pads? ^^;

[nofunangie.livejournal.com]

Insoles are your friends. Also making sure before you leave the store they don't pinch/rub/chaff you in the wrong spot. I know my foot and I know it is most prone to blisters on my heel and tops of my toes, so I stay away from shoes that I know will aggravate those areas. If it's bothering me just the tiniest bit in the store, it's only going to get worse no matter how cute the shoes.

Also wearing a shoe with a bit of a platform that minimizes the arch stress on your foot can help too. It's why stripper heels are so tall, yet, not all that uncomfortable. It's optical illusion- the shoe is tall, but the arch isn't much different then a 2 or 3 inch heel. Also the thicker the heel, the more comfy I find them. Stilettos= ouch, 40's style pumps= better, wedgies= dancing all night long!.

But mostly I find the more you wear heels, the more you get used to them. I wear heels a lot and find my feet get uncomfortable when I'm wearing flat shoes. Even my work boots have a small heel to them. So maybe incorporate them a little at a time to your daily wardrobe, always bringing backup shoes in case you need them.

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

They hurt the balls of my feet, in particular, and in addition to the more acute pain, there's the long-term damage that you can't feel--all that research showing that high heels can lead to hip and knee problems like osteoarthritis later. Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather take up the challenge of finding other nifty shoes to wear.

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

(Insoles are just going to mask the real problems of misaligning your spine and hips, too.)

[volleygurl2418.livejournal.com]

Kitten heals are the way to go in my opinion. I would never wear anything higher if I have to go to work. Especially since I want to go to Japan and teach English, I'm -not- game for walking all over the place in super high heels.... TT-TT

I always used to try avoid having height, considering I'm 6 ft and wear a size 11. I guess now that I'm a little more grown up (24), and I have a tall boyfriend, I'm trying to play around with heals a little more. But usually when we go out, its not where I have to stand/walk a ton. Nice restaurants, movies, a stroll, nothing that needs me to be on my feet for a super long time.

My biggest battle right now is trying to wear in some boots I bought from Aldo. Super cute, but too tight >0<

Reading everyone's posts, I am interested in gel inserts now... wouldn't your foot slip all around inside your shoe though? O_o *is oblivious*

[jezeroth.livejournal.com]

WOW those shoes are cute! O_O

[mordath.livejournal.com]

High heels kill me - I just can't do it. I'd love to - I have some that just rock, and I've seen more that I'd love to be able to wear, but no. They have me in screaming agony after about an hour, and I walk a lot.

[persoconchii.livejournal.com]

this reminds me of something that happened ages ago. My cousin came in wearing ridiculously hot strappy high-heel sandals, was gushing about how gorgeous they were and how much she loves them.... and her toes were covered in bandaids and she ended her speech with "they hurt like hell, but I luv 'em anyway!"

I'm almost sure the secret is wear 'em so much your nerves die so u feel no pain >_> A wider heel style helps a lil tho!

[taeha.livejournal.com]

It's not just you, high heels KILL me. I have always chalked it up to weighing more than 125lbs, and having small feet. But I think the people who do wear them regularly kind of just get used to it. Whenever I try them on, my feet get all smushed into the toe part.

I used to have a pair of chunky platform heels that I loved to wear, but I can't do the high, thin heels. I don't think there's a secret, and I don't think you're alone. :)

[april-art.livejournal.com]

I last wore heels (around 4") regularly years and years ago... tromping all around England where streets were irregular (mostly in boots, but often in very impractical shoes! --I've also done weird things like climbing Silbury Hill at Midsummer in ballet flats...!). I've also worn high-platformed clogs and fell off them on frozen, rutted ground and had to hobble around with a cane... that probably got me off the whole high-heeled suffer for fashion thing! (Two working legs are amazingly necessary for so many things... and no fun when an ankle is hurting even when you're just lying down! geesh!).

Anyway, I found that it's best if you wear the heels so often that you develope a callous on the ball of your foot. After that, it's not so bad as long as you've got a shoe that isn't pinching or rubbing anywhere...

I've stuck to only 1" maybe 2" and mostly wedges/platforms, since then... always going for comfort. I look at high heeled shoes now and just laugh and think people wearing them are crazy. No more suffering for fashion for me!!!

[merrycalliope.livejournal.com]

Those shoes are SO CUTE!

I think some people can get used to high heels or have some sort of special ankles. I don't think it's height thing either. I'm 5'2" and wear US 5 shoes and I have still never found a pair of heels that didn't have me in pain by the end of the day...even if I was sitting most of that time. Even my boots with a super low heel start to bother my feet after awhile.

So, yeah, I think people get used to them young or something. If you grew up wearing sneakers, hiking boots or Doc Martins it's hard to get used to heels.

[kittythepook.livejournal.com]

I also love the look of heels, but after only half an hour in them the pain becomes so intense that I can't walk. I'm not exaggerating, it feels like someone is stabbing a knife up into my foot. If anyone has any nonsurgical solutions, for the love of god please let me know!

[ladyofthethread.livejournal.com]

It's not just you or a height thing. I can regularly wear 1 1/2" or 2" heels without a problem. But the 3"-4" heels I have for some of my costumes hurt after a while from all the weight being on the front of the foot and it probably doesn't help that I have wide feet. There was one time when I wore 4" platform heels for several hours at a con and the balls of my feet felt weird and kind of numb for a few days after! x_x;

[binsybaby.livejournal.com]

I WISH I could wear heels comfortably, but alas.

I have two pairs of heels at the moment, and they hardly see the light of day.
My leg muscles just can't cope with them. I've been told that walking in heels is physically just like running in flats. I don't know if that is true, but it feels true!
Also, even short-ish heels feel quite high to me. Maybe my ankles wobble too easily, but I just can't get comfortable with the extra height!

[yaso-khuul.livejournal.com]

Depends.
Stilettos for instance will KILL your feet.
So what I do is 1) go for quality - soft material instead of the hard plastic-y stuff
2) the wider the heel the more comfortable.
I don't really think height has much to do with it.

[kaijule.livejournal.com]

I can't wear high heels, just those that are about 1.2-1.6 inches, and even sometimes they hurt horribly!

I also wonder how some people can wear certain kinds of heels, just to look at them my feet suffer XD

[yume-ninja.livejournal.com]

i have heels that are mainly 3.5-4.5inches tall, i like them better taller. but there's just no such thing as a heel that doesn't hurt =(

i usually put inserts into them (GEL-IN" if u get my dr scholls ref")
the but real trick i guess is to only wear heels during the time u need it. even at events, i wear flats while driving or walking, then when i actually get to a party i'll change the shoes and throw my flats for flipflops into my bag. :D that way usually i'm only in heels for about 2-4hrs at the most. or at my desk at work :D

[snale.livejournal.com]

Mmm, yeah, I think the weight makes it worse, too. I didn't used to have too much trouble with heels until I put on those extra 15 pounds... But I think the shape of your foot and the way you walk (which way your feet naturally roll as you stride) probably affect whether you'll get blisters, too.

[dottiemaggie.livejournal.com]

I think there's a certain amount of getting used to them in general, and happening on the right pair to do that with. I have at least one pair that I'll wear when I'm on clinics - ie on my feet in appointments 8 through to 5... and, yeah, my feet HURT at the end of the day.. but they're really not that bad during the day, and I can't really say they hurt all that much more compared to when I wear flats in clinics :) And I have heeled boots I'll wear out dancing. And I have a pair of heels I wore to a wedding and my feet did quite well in them, dancing the night away..

but I think some of the girls who wear the stillettoes out and about all the time, and they don't even look comfortable and all, but the girls dance the night away and seem fine... I think that's just determination, and now they have callouses and tolerances and aren't bothered by it like I would be..

[kellyhime.livejournal.com]

I haven't been able to wear heels for years -- wore them too much when I worked in retail and ruined my feet -- but I really don't miss them. There's nothing that makes me grumpier than when my feet hurt, so I try to avoid it as much as I can.

I love Alita in that outfit! She's such a beautiful girl.<3

[super-hoodzie-x.livejournal.com]

A couple things...

1) I have the same problem with heels! Then again, I never wear them. I'm really short but i have really flat feet which makes it painful to walk a lot anyway, but even worse in heels. Even when i'm not walking in heels it's kind of painful, that whole having-your-foot-stuck-in-a-strange-position situation. Anyway, I feel your pain because heels are so sexy!

2) I used to love Oilily, which sells a lot of designer items (similarly priced to anthrolopogie, sadly) in a lot of similar fabrics to the dress you posted. They only sell baby/children/women's clothes, but i still like to look at them sometimes even if i can't afford them.

[theangrystar.livejournal.com]

It depends on the heel for me. I find it easier with better shoes (non target, etc). Some heels I can wear a long time, and I'm 5'11", so quite tall.

When I do shows, the heels I wear are often uncomfy and I just switch out. But yeah, they still tend to hurt by the end of the day. While I'm at my desk at work I tend to kick heels off while I'm animating. Nobody says nothing. =P

[shipperamy.livejournal.com]

They hurt, they hurt, they hurt, and I get blisters! However, this can happen to me with flats and sandals as well. Even flip flops! My feet are like the Princess and the Pea, for reals. XD

[deathlikescats.livejournal.com]

heels just hurt. Eventually though your feet and legs get used to the new posture if you wear them regularly. It's been years since I wore them and I'm having trouble getting back into wearing heels (I'm 5'11")

[slai.livejournal.com]

Hi Aimee,

I can't wear high heels at all --;. I tried some on, but I always felt as if I were falling. I don't think I can even walk with them let alone bear them on my feet for hours on end 8(!

[hikarichan78.livejournal.com]

Nope, there is no secret. They hurt everyone no matter how well they're made. >.< Studies show they cause arthritis in the knee and shorter tendons in your calves among at least another couple of things I'm forgetting with regular wear. Why I try not to wear them unless there's a special (usually loli) occasion. I also have back problems so I try to stay away as much as possible.

So we all suffer together... :p It's a myth that we're naturals when it comes to walking in heels. We did this fantastic little experiment with the ENTIRE class in a Sociology of Women course I took as an undergrad. EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE (including the guys) had to go try on heels and walk in them so we could describe our experiences to the entire class. And every person said how hard it was, esp. if they usually didn't wear them. That's when everyone learned it's an acquired skill and not some inherent female trait. Some of the guys' stories were the best though. This one poor dude had a heckuva time when he tried to find some that remotely fit him (he musta been a size 12 mens). I'm just glad the guys learned a little about how we females suffer for fashion that day. :p