Pain is my Beauty and I Love It

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Let’s begin by admitting to ourselves and to each other that we don’t wear heels because they’re comfortable. We don’t wear six inch pumps because it's a walk in the park. We continue to squeeze into the smallest possible size, ignore the blisters on our toes from standing for hours on end, and nearly break our ankles trying to strut our stuff. 

Now that we have that out of the way… Why do we wear heels? What on Earth is the point of going through all of this trouble to be just a few inches taller? Well I’m happy to tell you. The answer is

POWER.


When we slide on our shoes we become taller than nearly everyone around us. It is a sudden and drastic change in perception. We’ve gone from looking at people to looking upon people. There is a sense of power that comes with this that is almost intoxicating. 

I can remember my very first time buying a pair of heels. I went to a department store in the middle of summer and I had no idea what I was looking for. I just knew that I wanted heels. I searched through the shoe racks before realizing the difficulty of finding a size 12 womens shoe. I was going to give up hope before I stumbled upon the most darling black suede four inch pumps. Immediately, I knew I had to have them. I also knew that this would just be the first addition to a very big collection. 

When I wore those shoes out, I felt unstoppable. I knew that a 5’11 man wearing four inch pumps would make me the center of attention regardless of where I went. I took advantage of that. Simply feeling like all eyes are on me made me feel exuberant. After that first day wearing them out, I realized the effect they had on me.

Over the next few months, my collection grew rapidly and my wardrobe followed closely after. As I began to wear more types of heels of various shapes and sizes, I realized that it was more than just the way I towered over others and drew attention that made me feel powerful. It's the way the shoes look, the way that they clack against the floor obnoxiously as if you’re a middle-school principal trotting through the hallways, the size of the stick that supports the heel.

More goes into a pair of shoes than I ever could have possibly imagined and what amazes me is how powerful those shoes can make you feel. 

So why do we wear heels? Why do we continue to needlessly put ourselves through torture? It is because when you hold power over others, you become invulnerable. You become protected by the opinions of others including those closest to you. Heels are a shield for the mind and soul that protect us through life. At least that’s exactly what they are to me.

What are heels to you?
Location: Orlando, FL, USA

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