Women's feet are a mess (not so with men's feet)
Every time my GP sees me walking into his office with high heeled shoes and high heeled boots, he always tells me the same thing: that I need to change shoes or I'm going to end up with big foot, leg, and spine problems.
I gotta admit I have a long-standing love affair with shoes, particularly high heeled ones. I'm not tall, and these make me taller. However, doing research on the Internet I found an x-ray of a woman's foot in a high heeled shoe and it scared the living daylights out of me, so I looked at the article. SCARY what we women do to our feet! I'm trying to come to terms with this and find the courage to wear better shoes, lower heeled shoes.
In any case, here's the article that scared some sense into me.
Are foot and ankle problems worse for women?
By Judith F. Baumhauer, MD, and Kathryn O’Connor, PT
... women’s feet are not just smaller versions of men’s feet.
A research study by Wunderlich and Cavanagh examining lower limb and foot measurements of approximately 300 men and 500 women in the U.S. Army concluded that biologic differences existed between male and female feet and legs. They noted significant differences in arch shape, size of the lateral side of the foot, great toe, and ball of the foot. Women, for example, had a wider forefoot, shorter arch length, and shorter metatarsals compared to men. This study was among the first to promote incorporating the structural differences between the female and male foot into the design and manufacturing of women’s shoes.
... Studies have shown that differences in the structure and size of the foot bones (specifically by measurements of metatarsal, phalangeal, calcaneal, and talar bones) have allowed for forensic identification of sex. ... Although the initial purpose of the study was not to identify sex differences, statistically significant disparities were noted. For instance, the study showed that women had a 20 percent to 25 percent lower volume and surface area in the subtalar, talonavicular, and ankle joints and up to 16 percent thinner cartilage. ...Women and men also have significant differences in gait. Studies by both Kerrigan and associates and Sepic and associates have shown that plantar flexion and range of motion of the ankle are greater in women, possibly due to greater laxity in female ligaments.
... the typical, more fashionable high-heeled shoe with a narrow toe box causes increased plantar pressure and toe crowding, which can cause bunions (hallux valgus), bunionettes, hammer toe, and even neuromas. ...Studies show that 88 percent of women wear shoes too small for their feet and 70 percent were noted to have associated hallux valgus deformity. ... hammer toe is four to five times more common in women. ...Shoes with a heel of 1.5" or higher increase knee torque with walking, which may be associated with the increase of knee osteoarthritis.
More at the link:
http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/mar08/clinical2.asp
= new reply since forum marked as read
Along with most of my dresses. I think I have three, now. 
I saw a woman in high heeled snow boots, once. They were definitely made for snow, made of waterproof fabric & some fake fur around the top, but on a 2-3" heel. I had my flat snow boots on & I felt precarious walking.
One thing I've noticed, too, is more uneven walking surfaces with all the new designer tile & stone. I was at a restaurant for a business meeting & the walk way into the building was this bumpy, pebbly stuff. Inside, the floor was this very textured tile. I thought if I was in heels, I would have to take them off or fall on my face. I don't know how women do it.
or flip-flop/slides for this clumsy old lady
I used to wear "fashionable" shoes , and my feet ached all the time & I had bouts of sciatica..
Since discarding anything that is not super-comfy, my feet are great..and no more sciatica
So basically the MALE dancers should be en pointe and we should be in the lyrical shoes!
My feet are a hot mess by genetics (bunions/bunionettes) and add pointe shoes to that and - you have a better chance of meeting god in the next five minutes than you do finding a pair of shoes higher then an inch and a half (with a WIDE heel) in my closet!
Thanks for posting this though! I put stilettos up there with panty hose - a cruel sick joke!
popular in the 19th century, I suppose. You could sneak one into a party or something, and nobody would be the wiser. Yeah...that's the ticket.
(This picture was taken from a study published in 1905, in the American Journal of Orthopedic Surgery, showing the difference between a pair of feet of a native of the Philippines, who never wore shoes (Fig 1), and those of a Westerner, whose feet have been deformed by shoes (Fig 2/3).)
Don't get me wrong, women go through a special kind of hell wearing heels (among them, not listed in the article, is a shortening of the calf muscle and Achilles tendon from the raised heel...which can lead to a whole host of health problems, including weakened leg muscles and tendinitis), but every shoe in western culture is a mini-foot binder. Deformed feet is one thing, but shoes, with their dark/damp environment, are disease incubating factories. Their rigidity and "raised arches" also prevents your own arches from being the proper shock-absorbers and springs that they evolved over 100,000s of years to become (actually millions, when you include our more distant ancestors), and, along with weakening your arches, deny proper walking gait. Not to mention the undue stress that any raised heel (especially high-heels...but all shoes, including tennis shoes, have elevated heels) has on your knees/hips/back/etc...
The list goes on and on, and it's covered incredibly well in this book:
The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons to Kick Off Your Shoes
http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Book-Great-Reasons-Shoes/dp/0897935543
It's a quick read, and highly recommended.
I'd be a little scared to run barefoot, lest I get glass or a rusty nail in my foot tho. 
Yes, it's virtually impossible to run in heels.
The most dumb-ass thing I ever saw was a pair of sports shoes with HEELS! That's downright idiotic.
and was fortunate to have never liked heels... went barefoot for the first 20 years of my life and still do when I can... my feet are so wide (w/very high arch) that I have a very difficult time finding shoes
my daughter had a bilateral bunionectomy last fall, she had never worn heels, but somehow was cursed with bunions anyway... she can now run again without pain!!
being prepped
afterwards... took a couple of months to heal
She took almost a fanatical interest in dancers' footwear. (She'd probably be glued to DWTS if she were still alive...). She said in sandals and dress shoes, a t-strap combined with a wide low heel and wide toe box provide good arch support. You will never see a professional dancer dancing on stilettos. They wear those chunky heels for a reason.
Wish we could go back to the 80s and those darling Capezio kidskin jazz shoes. I had a pair in every color.
Oh, and this from my jazz dance teacher (a former Broadway dancer and choreographer): wherever you go, wherever you step, keep your KNEE OVER YOUR ARCH. Always.
Edited for additional words of wisdom.
I wish I could still wear them, but it's not going to happen. High heels and a lasting lower back injury do not mix. I'm the woman you'll see drooling over the gorgeous heels in Nordstrom's shoe department.
My "dress shoes" are flats.
Mary Janes have been my fascination for a while now. There are so many different ways you can find them. I am saving for a pair of them that are hand painted with peace signs .
I have a wide foot, high instep and little in the way of an arch. All made worse over the years with my choice of heels. Nobody has ever said anything about how odd my shoes may be in the world of pointy toe stilettos. They always comment about how cute they are but they are different. Spend the time and you can find such awesome flats or shoes with small heels that are unique and make you seem to have such an individual style.
The best way to be comfortable is to be individual and happy with yourself and the way you look and dress and feel, oh so free and comfortable. I have found what used to be called odd is no longer looked down upon. (thankfully )
Thank you again for this thread and the others Sarah!
You can see the deformation in the foot of any woman who's been accustomed to wear high heeled shoes without X-rays; the big toe normally isn't partly turned inward to press against the second toe, for instance. THIS is what high heels do: 
And the image in the left is of a "normal" foot: 
just might give you ladies the good excuse you need in order to finally put away these oppressive abominations.
Just a thought.
I have two pair and they are so comfortable. Nice roomy toe box.
I work from home so bare feet are my norm. But, when I go out I wear my Ariats more often than not.
They looked fabulous and her feet didn't bother her. Actually, I wore simple flats when I got married, although my best friend wore heels and my favorite picture of the whole day is her, sitting on a bench, with that Ahhhh! look on her face as she removes her shoes.
you'll love the rope sandals. One puddle and your feet are soaking wet!!
Just pulled mine out of the closet...
Go for it!!! I think you'll like 'em.
Women who choose to wear 4-6 inch heels deserve whatever happens.
Response to Sarah Ibarruri (Original post)