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Praised (and criticized) by both sexes, this erotic fetish has a highly controversial reputation. But studies have shown that high heels can really change your sex life dramatically.
We are so accustomed to high heels that we do not even think their very idea is surprising: attaching strange conical devices to the heels of shoes is clearly contrary to all considerations of practicality and common sense.
Like many items of women’s clothing, high-heeled shoes were borrowed from the men’s wardrobe, where the heel had a practical purpose – to hold the stirrup while riding. Men shared their heels with women to symbolically lift them up on a pedestal. And for the sake of this eight-centimeter “pedestal” women are ready to neglect many inconveniences, and sometimes risk their health. What attracts this fatal object?
Figure proportion
It is for this that women themselves love them so much – they lengthen the legs and visually reduce the volume of the hips. Regardless of the type of figure, a woman in heels looks more slender, fit, elegant … and more sexy.
The posture changes: due to the shifted center of gravity, the deflection in the back increases, emphasizing the appetizing roundness of the buttocks. The chest rises, creating the effect of a high, “provocative” chest. The gait becomes more seductive because the range of motion of the hips from side to side naturally increases.
Added Growth
This was precisely the purpose of their historical predecessors – platforms in the ancient theater. Just like traditional Japanese geta, they made a person taller, more noticeable – even from afar. Heels allow a woman’s face to be in the line of sight of a man, “look into his eyes.”
“On average, a woman’s height is smaller than a man’s,” explains social psychologist Yulia Fedotova. “Her job is to get noticed, but that won’t happen if a man looks over her head. This means that you need to increase your height, which can be done, by the way, not only due to heels, but also with the help of a lush hairstyle.
Love yourself
Shoes with heels can be quite safe for health, the main thing is to respect your own body, says Galina Kuznetsova, editor-in-chief of the specialized publication Shoes Report.
“In the evening, it is worth spending 15 minutes to do gymnastics (elementary“ scissors ”or“ bicycle ”), take a foot bath. In addition, today you can buy a variety of gel liners – for the arch, under the heel, under the toes – which will reduce pressure and minimize stress on the legs. You can, when choosing shoes, give preference to shoes with anti-shock heels that soften hits on the ground, or shoes with special shock-absorbing insoles. And change shoes and heel height as often as possible.”
The impression of fragility
High-heeled shoes visually reduce the leg. Cinderella’s glass slipper was so tiny that it made it exceptionally attractive, unique in the eyes of the prince. There are by no means fabulous examples – one can recall the ancient Chinese aristocrats and special techniques for bandaging the legs, which made it possible to keep the foot tiny, child-sized.
“A small graceful leg, planted on a high heel, does not correspond in any way with the expression “to stand firmly on your feet”, and even more so with the words “to stand up for yourself,” says Yulia Fedotova. “Strictly speaking, a woman in high heels is not even capable of fleeing. Her destiny is to be conquered and surrender to the mercy of the winner.
From a social point of view, an independent woman has recently become an attractive creature. Throughout the ages it has been the duty of the wife to obey her husband in everything. It was he who had to stand firmly on his feet, but she – to give the impression of a helpless creature, incapable of surviving alone. And the desire to protect is the most important component of the male feeling of love.
It is vulnerability, as well as the feeling of floating above the ground due to such a small area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbcontact with it, that make a woman in high heels an “unearthly” creature.
“Standing on tiptoe, almost like a ballerina, she becomes a creature of a special kind, airy, symbolically close to heaven. This helps a man to believe that a woman, by definition, is devoid of shortcomings associated with physicality, ”adds Yulia Fedotova.
special attraction
The apotheosis of sex appeal can be seen in all variety shows and erotic shows – the highest hairpin, open toe, baring fingers, gold or red skin, eye-catching. Not a “glass”, not a “wedge”, not a “column” heel and not a solid sole, but a pointed fetish heel, sung by Helmut Newton in his erotic photo shoots.
According to the French psychoanalyst Catherine Anthony, a high heel is nothing more than a phallic symbol, a male attribute that a woman is deprived of by nature. Following her logic, a man who endows a woman with such an attribute in his erotic dreams is unable to admit to himself his homosexual desires.
If we avoid intricate interpretations and turn to modern studies of female physiology, we can assume that the signal that a man receives when he sees a woman in heels is more applied and straightforward: he simply expects stronger sexual pleasure from her.
Careful fitting
“Shoes with heels should be comfortable from the first try on – don’t expect them to stretch and sit on your feet,” advises Natalya Kosyakova, Senior Sales Consultant at Firmato&Scontato.
“The main thing to pay attention to is the snug fit of the entire surface of the foot, including the arch, to the insole. It is desirable that there is no gap between the arch support and the arch of the foot, otherwise the pressure on the fingers increases. Try on shoes while standing on a hard surface. Fleecy rugs, which are used in boutiques so as not to damage the varnish on the soles of expensive shoes, often make it difficult to objectively evaluate the comfort of shoes during fitting. Some shortcomings can be corrected with the help of insoles and semi-insoles made of leather and silicone, fitting the shoes to the foot. But it’s better to take care of your legs – there are only two of them. And there are a lot of beautiful shoes.
Do they enhance pleasure?
There is indeed some basis for these male expectations of heels: a study by Dr. Maria Cerruto, a gynecologist-urologist at the University of Verona (Italy), shows that wearing heels stimulates the development of muscles that affect orgasm1.
By measuring the activity of the pelvic muscles, the researchers found that women who wore shoes with heels of about 7 cm or whose feet were located at an angle of 15 degrees to the floor showed higher activity (15% higher) of this muscle zone.
Well-trained pelvic floor muscles are the key to sexual pleasure: the better they are prepared, the stronger the sexual arousal and the brighter orgasm. In addition, they are associated with the health of the internal organs, bladder, intestines and uterus. With age, after pregnancy and childbirth, these muscles often weaken and lose their tone. A whole set of exercises has been developed to train them, but Dr. Cerruto is confident that the results of her research give us alternative possibilities.
“Women often have trouble doing pelvic strengthening exercises. Wearing heels could very well be such an exercise,” she says.
Between aesthetics and comfort
The heel can be of almost any height, as long as it is stable, says Irina Derkach, shoe designer.
“There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing shoes with heels. Firstly, the heel should not be overstated, that is, shifted towards the heel relative to the sole, it should not go either to the side or back – regardless of the load on it. It is better to give preference to stable heels.
The ideal combination of aesthetics and practicality is considered to be a seven-centimeter heel. Above – it is already difficult to keep a balance. If a woman wants to appear taller, you can choose shoes with a hidden platform. It is better to buy high-heeled shoes in the evening, when the leg, due to physiology, acquires maximum volume.
Heels for health
But what about the numerous studies about the dangers of heels, that they promise us problems with the spine, joints, varicose veins, thrombosis and other troubles? Here are some facts: a woman in high heels puts three times more stress on her spine compared to those who wear ballet flats or a wide, stable heel, and 26% more on the kneecap in the case of high stilettos and 22% if it is a stable heel.2.
We are talking about a really high (more than 7 cm) heel: a smaller height, according to researchers from Harvard, is within the physiological norm. The optimal heel height is 4-5 cm, depending on the size of the foot. Wearing shoes with flat soles is also not useful, as it gradually leads to deformation of the arch of the foot and deterioration of its depreciation properties.
The best option is to frequently change the height of the heel and the shape of the last. It is not so much the height of the heel that is important, but the correct distribution of pressure on the foot and good cushioning – or, in other words, correctly selected, high-quality shoes.
Shoes as an extension of the foot
When choosing shoes with high heels, the main thing is to understand how intensively and under what conditions we will wear them, says Nelli Rakcheeva, chief fashion designer at Ralf Ringer.
“From the point of view of technology, the heel height of 7 and even 8 cm allows you to make a comfortable last, in which the distribution of weight on the foot will be fairly uniform over the entire surface. These shoes can be worn for several hours without much stress. You need to try on shoes the way you intend to wear them – with or without tights. Of great importance for safety is the undercarriage of the shoe: rubber and thermopolyurethane installations in the leather sole are now successfully used to reduce slip and increase comfort.
It is better to choose shoes in which the foot feels free: in the summer, the foot is prone to swelling, and in winter, an additional small volume will keep you warm. Even if the shoes seem comfortable, don’t be too lazy to try on a pair of half a size or even a size up – often they are even more comfortable. Sophia Loren, for example, always buys shoes one size larger.”
1 M. Cerruto, E. Vedovi at al. «The Effect of Ankle Inclination in Upright Position on The Electromyographic Activity of Pelvic Floor Muscles in Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence». European Urology. Supplements, 2007, vol. 6
2 D. Casey Kerrigan «High Heels Dangerous to Your Health». The Lancet, 2001.