**You don’t have to resist every patriarchal beauty standard to be a feminist.** - A feminist, is [‘a person who believes in feminism, and tries to achieve change that helps women to get equal opportunities and treatment:’](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/feminist) (Cambridge English Dictionary) Being a feminist is therefore defined by a person’s beliefs, and their identity as a feminist can’t just be completely undermined by a personal clothing choice. - If the patriarchy is as overbearing as feminists say it is, (and it is!) it is unfair to demand that ‘real’ feminists must resist every single patriarchal standard in their day-to-day lives. It is deeply ingrained in society that heels are both a professional necessity and a beauty standard for women. Take the [Cannes Film Festival’s barring of women without heels in 2015](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/19/cannes-backlash-high-heels-emily-blunt-flat-shoes), or the case of Nicola Thorp who was [fired for refusing to wear heels as a receptionist](https://www.today.com/style/nicola-thorp-i-was-fired-refusing-wear-high-heels-work-t107541). - Heels don't have to just be a symbol of female oppression anyway. After all, heels were [originally worn by men](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21151350) and are being embraced by many men today, [Kanye West, Harry Styles and Justin Bieber](https://www.vogue.com/article/men-in-heels-harry-styles-justin-bieber-kanye-west) among them. They give anyone who wears them extra height and a strut which can make a statement. - Asking all women to reject typically ‘feminine’ things just demonises women who enjoy heels, telling them that typically 'masculine' gender roles are the gold standard for everyone. Feminity is belittled enough in men and should be celebrated in fashion, just like masculinity. - Feminists have to admit that the expectation for women to wear heels is deeply sexist, but the pressure is also very strong and women shouldn’t be judged for wearing them. Perhaps heels can also be reclaimed by women (and embraced by men!) in a healthier way!

**Feminism is about everyone having a choice, so if wearing heels is what you want to do, then do it!! Just be wary of possible sore feet as a result.** - Of course you can. Being a feminist is about choice. If you choose to wear heels then that is fine, if you choose to not wear heels that is also fine. What matters is that you had the choice, nobody forced your choice, and you made it at your own free will. - The only point I have against this, is that heels hurt. If you go out in them, you might regret it when you are barefoot on a sticky nightclub floor surrounded by broken glass. Also, it has been proved that they cause [musculoskeletal injuries] (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4735171/). But, it is your choice whether you want to risk these, this is the point of feminism - So yes, of course you can be a feminist and wear heels. But you might also be a feminist with some sore feet too!!

I really want 6 inch heels to become less popular. They're really bad for your feet... and of course they're completely impractical. There's always some sort of REASONABLE footwear, that ALSO looks good, that you could be wearing instead. I'm not trying to tell you not to do it... But... Man, I just really don't see the appeal.

**Yes, you can wear whatever you would like and still be a feminist, but arguments such as this miss the mark on modern feminism.** * Feminism has come a long way from where it was even just 50 years ago. *Intersectional* feminism has become more favorable because this lens realizes and acknowledges that not all inequality is created equal. It is, as Kimberlé Crenshaw puts it, [“a prism for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other”](https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/6/explainer-intersectional-feminism-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters). Intersectional feminism does not just aim to let girls wear heel and still be “girlbosses” that reject the patriarchy. Instead, it focuses on liberating women from patriarchal standards *and* challenging racist, ableist, and classist standards that are upheld in multiple societies around the world. * While being able to wear heels is a small argument that can be made within the framework of feminism, it’s important to realize that feminism has moved far beyond just empowering cisgender (and usually white) women. The movement has slowly but surely begun incorporating and celebrating BIPOC, trans, and disabled people into the framework. * Wearing heels can be great fun, but does not have as much to do with true feminist work as one might think.

**Feminism is so often entangled with how women present themselves – why are women’s issues so closely tied to appearance?** Women are so much more than their appearance. To most of us, this isn’t something that needs to be said, but when arguments like this come around it is a clear reminder of just how much women’s worth, values and traits are assumed based on the way they present themselves physically. In 2021, we should be past this. This is worrying for a number of reasons: • The concept of beauty as an ethical ideal is incredibly perverse, as investigated by [Professor Heather Widdows]( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9psHdJFo-Q) – her book [Perfect Me]( https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691160078/perfect-me) demonstrates how being _seen_ as visual perfection (in whatever way the beholder determines that) therefore correlates to moral perfection is an egregious way to judge a person’s character • Feminist stances must move beyond aesthetics in the 21st century, especially considering the serious issues now affecting the world’s women and girls • Gender binaries make beauty standards – such as high heels – incredibly [limiting for non-binary or gender non-conforming people]( https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/wearing-makeup-non-binary-beauty)

**DEFINITION** Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern societies are patriarchal—they prioritize the male point of view—and that women are treated unjustly in these societies. Efforts to change this include fighting against gender stereotypes and improving educational, professional, and interpersonal opportunities and outcomes for women. - I do no see anywhere it mentions a woman cannot wear heels... - Smile at the person next to you! You both deserve it.