I'll never forget Nicole, the high heels caused her consumption and she never recovered 😞 At least it wasn't that dastardly Catherine De Medici that got her
Let's face it, back then the designers, shoe manufacturers and shoe salesmen WERE MEN ! Also, I bet 50 bucks that those rabid "anti high heels" guys all had "side women" who they had wear high heels as their 'kink' !!!!
Well yes of course, because those men didn't have a uterus dangling from their ribcage by bungee cords that was in danger of bouncing out of alignment if they didn't keep their pelvis tilted at just the right angle... (Could you hear me roll my eyes there?)
@@draughtoflethe can you imagine if we gave men that same energy? "Wearing heels will cause your testicles to become rotted and they may fall off." Like I think it's time to give them a little dose of it lol.
If the uterus moves too much it will actually just break free from its little elastics and roam about the body biting other organs and causing general chaos, this is just common knowledge and we need to do away with these dangerous trends!
The thing I find crazy is that the uterus doesn't move around and cause trouble, but endometrial lining absolutely can float around and fuck your shit right up. Fuck endometriosis.
we're talking about men.. the same group that worries their six inch penises aren't large enough to satisfy us and yet somehow think that a 2 inch tampon is sinfully pleasurable ffs
Women weren't allowed on cars, trains, or fast boats for a while because the prevailing thought was that the uterus would break free of its weak bonds and fall out - then she'd instantly be a man - equipment, attitude, and all! Step on a train as Charlene and after 25 mph become Charlie! We women are but weak, silly, mysterious things.
The visual image that the phrase "organs dog piling on your uterus" conjured in my head is perfection. The list of issues surrounding high heals took a wild turn when it went from listing some common foot issues that could reasonably be linked to footwear choices to divorce. Also did not expect eugenics to come up in a video about shoes, but I guess in America the racism just comes baked in.
Yep, I'm pretty sure the great US of A is where eugenics was popularized a couple decades before a certain party overseas took an interest. Actually, a lot of US policies at the time served as inspiration for that certain party. What do you really expect of a country where racism has played such an integral role in its founding and continuation to the point where you can't discuss any aspect of our history without mentioning it?
"I guess in America the racism just comes baked in." You mean Humanity? As in racism is baked into Humanity? Because that would be infinitely more accurate. Also, no, the US was not the first society to come up with concept. Or did you forget about the birth of Moses? You know, that time when the Israelites were enslaved to the Egyptians (yes, again, slavery was also a thing long before the US ever existed) and we're becoming "too numerous" for the Egyptians tastes/ability to control and the Pharaoh decided to kill all the male babies born to the Israelites? Forcing Moses' mother to place him in a basket floating down the Nile to save his life? Yeah. That story. Is that not the same concept? Pretty sure it is.
"If you're not good at making those choices, well, we're just going to have to take that choice away from you".......seems like I heard something similar in the last few months 🤔 Placing this fear of high heels ruining society alongside the suffragette movement, eugenics, prohibition, and world war, is thought provoking. Thanks for a very interesting video! 🙂
History provides us with an unending examples of how men. Will use *ANY* excuse to control women on the grounds of 'health & safety'. But it's *NEVER* been about 'protecting' women's health, but about controlling women. Be it high heels or corsets in the past to abortion right today. Any flimsy excuse to flex dominion & control over women will do for them.
@@lisettegarcia Hardly the same comparison. Vaccines are about preventing the spread of known diseases. Did you get a vaccination for smallpox? Probably not. Why? Enough people over time were vaccinated against smallpox that it ceased to be a threat in the wild. So, thank the people who chose to be vaccinated so it is no longer a threat to mankind.
I was once in the ER with abdominal pain and they were very concerned that I had twisted in ovary. Although luckily that wasn't the case and I didn't need surgery, it did lead to a very practical discussion on what would cause the twisting of the ovaries and displacement of the uterus. Basically, besides major trauma (as Nicole mentioned; childbirth complications, but also surviving a car crash or other sudden getting thrown and meeting a hard stop) the ER doctor said it can just happen through 'unusual movements' and that he thought that because I was young, I was likely a more mobile/active person who might twist in an odd way while, say, on a hike (uneven terrain) and reach down/up twisting to grab or pull something in an odd way or trying to catch myself mid-fall and landing strangely. At no time did the idea of posture or shoe choice come up; the entire talk centered around motion, stretching, flexing; walking gate was never mentioned and clothing choices weren't part of it either. Although I am not a medical professional in any way, it does seem to line up with what most of modern medicine says; that injuries of the organs are usually not caused by what we do while holding ourselves in a fairly stable way, but what happens when our bodies suddenly meet other forces, or move in a way that's unusual for our daily routine. It's why people who work out and train do a lot of warm ups before hand to practice moving their bodies in a correct/safe way and to keep the muscles stretchy enough so they will give and bend enough not to injure ourselves.
It's been said that ovarian torsion is one of the most painful things anyone could live through. My best friend had her 7 month pregnancy come to an abrupt halt thanks to one (caused by a cyst that was about the same size as the baby she carried. She called him Marvin. The cyst, that is. The baby was called Alexander). She confirms it is indeed excruciating. Though at that point she said she was almost (but not quite) relieved as she'd been on bed rest for two and a half months in order to prevent said torsion, and finally that was over. Baby Alex is now toddler Alex and is doing well, as is my best mate.
@@katherinemorelle7115 I was hoping the baby made it! Seven months is a bit early to have to give birth, but usually just fine with modern medicine. I had a canoeing accident that precipitated six months of irregular, but never ending menstrual bleeding. The doctors told me that the accident didn’t actually cause any real damage, and that the bleeding was from my hormones being screwy. It was apparently just that the bumping I took from the rocks changed how my uterus shed blood?
@@marthahawkinson-michau9611 Man, constant bleeding SUCKS. I've dealt with it a few times when switching birth controls or after I ran out and had to wait for a new prescription. Considering how common it is for doctors to shrug it off whenever a woman complains about something weird going on in her reproductive system, I highly doubt "screwy hormones from being bumped a lot" was the real reason for the bleeding. Glad you're better though!
@@katherinemorelle7115 I had an ovarian cyst in senior year of high school, and damn, that hurt so much. I can't even imagine how worried your friend must have been, going through all this! And such a relief that everybody is healthy now
@@marthahawkinson-michau9611 To answer your question - it is possile. The organs all share the same nerve and blood supply and also communicate to the brain there is something amiss, and any response of the body is possible. Hi - I have a pathology degree and now middle aged and still not menopausal, and am suffering greatly from profuse bleeding, shorter cycles and am in sheer agony every 4 weeks. Its so bad, ive spent nearly 4 years on constant iron infusions as replacement as the moss is so bad. Prob is, once your iron drops, you bleed more because iron is required to 1) clot and stop/shoten bleeding and 2) keep hormones stable. Totally not the topic of the video - however, for me its important, as I already have a sway back, twisted spine and scoliosis and heels are just agonising, not because of the shoe - but because it makes the unnatural curvature already worse. And it is the cause of internal pain, as the pelvic organs share the same blood, and nerve supply and the muscular skeletal muscles that control the muscles in the abdominals that move the legs - eg the illio-psoas, etc. So pelvic twisting is NOT funny and can cause all kinds of issues...
I know it's been said sooo many times about how today we know that so many Victorian Era doctors were just going on a wing and a prayer. How most of their conclusions were complete bunkum, and yet we still quote them as concrete basis on the harms that could befoul one with the wearing of corsets, so why not high heels too?
Always use everything you can to retain power and control *sigh* It is incredible how much of this is still happening. I find it especially interesting that a huge part of what they complained about in those bits of articles was that they didn't like how women looked in the heels and couldn't bear to watch them walk bc it looked so awkward. It is the same argument as "larger people shouldn't wear leggings BC then I have to look at them!" Imagine if the government tried to regulate leggings today. *smh*
History provides us with an unending examples of how men. Will use *ANY* excuse to control women on the grounds of 'health & safety'. But it's *NEVER* been about 'protecting' women's health, but about controlling women. Be it high heels or corsets in the past to abortion right today. Any flimsy excuse to flex dominion & control over women will do for them.
@@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 Although you are correct, I believe it is farther reaching than that. Wealthy white, usually older (but unfortunately not always) guys will do anything to control everyone else. :(
@@jennydelaflor2087 I hadn't heard that. Doesn't really surprise me if it's true though. Florida is all about form over function (spent almost 20 years stuck in FL).
What makes it even more typical is that the opinion seems to have shifted towards the opposite side of that spectrum now by a lot of men saying that women who wear high heels are much more feminine and attractive. Again backing that up with 'science', of course.
The "wandering uterus" (aka hysteria) myth is always so hilarious to delve into. The more concerning thing is that women's healthcare is STILL so far behind because of the lack of real medical understanding in the field. I mean, obviously it's better nowadays, but there has been comparatively less study in female health and anatomy than there has been in men's until pretty recently. Many doctors (of any gender) still wave off a lot of "women's troubles," thinking it's "all in their heads." It's infuriating. [Edit: Oh, look! More "replacement theory", "the white race in doomed" BS. 100 years ago. UGH. Will it never end??]
You'd think that for as long as people have been concerned about wheat genocide, that we'd have actually seen some evidence of it by now. Also, I still love the video essay that Shaun did on the topic. Especially the dog and giraffe bit. Classic!
@@katherinemorelle7115 I'm concerned about wheat genocide! There are so many ancient wheat varieties that are not eaten these days: Einkorn, spelt, khorasan... what if we lose them to industrial monocrop agriculture?! And why limit it to wheat? What about other grains? Rye, sorghum, millet, all reduced to nothing but BIRD FOOD. SUPPORT HUMAN MILLET CONServaTIOn!!!
@@FrogsForBreakfast I've actually had millet before, it was actually quite good and could make a great oatmeal substitute for people who can't digest oats very well.
My mother in law had uterine dysplasia. I always thought it was because during childbirth the latest method was to link arms over the the woman's stomach and both parties bear down and press the baby out. Now I know, it was because she wore heels, not because they tore her uterus out of her body. 😑
I haven’t been able to walk in high heels since I got hurt in the military. I am doing some ballet exercises to now get back in to low heels but it’s also difficult to find shoes with low heels that aren’t boring. Designers seem to only focus on 3 inch heels or flats.
3 inches? 😮 I struggle to find something even that small, most of the heels where I live in Europe are 5 inches plus I also struggle to wear them... Probably because I'm 6'0 and have smaller feet than the average woman 😅 or maybe I lack the muscle. It just feels like too much pressure on my feet Also as the other person said, I highly recommend vintage online shops. They often have shorter heels with wonderful designs
I haven’t been able to wear high heels since I mucked up my hips having babies. I’m working on trying to fix this but I’m too old and set in my ways to bother with high heels anymore.
I will recommend the American Duchess shoes to you, ladies. The 2 pairs I have are well-crafted, beautiful and very comfy. And the heels are not terribly high either!
I mean... there were HUGE concerns about male effeminacy. The acceptable male colour palette shrank SO MUCH between 1850 and 1950. So there was definitely a double standard of "men don't have uteruses, so they get to have fun!"--but on the other side, there was a lot that it just became "unmanly", high heels among them.
Cowboy boots got the heel to keep foot from going through the stirrup and getting wedged in. Very bad thing if body attached to caught foot comes off saddle.
Carmel California (pronounced Car-MEL) used to have sidewalks made of gravel embedded in concrete so the surfaces weren't even. So them having the high heel law? Not surprising. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if that law has been superseded by a law making it illegal to walk on their sidewalks without a permit.
In high school (mid to late 1980's) I remember the difficulty of walking in my heels at a very picturesque shopping plaza that was paved in cobblestones... I wondered if the Carmel legislation was for a similar reason. Thank you for the extra insight.
If elevating your heels two inches tilts your pelvis out of wack, and creates an organ dogpile, what do these doctors think happens when women sit, or lay down, or bend over to do any kind of domestic labor?
2 favorite parts: The absolute delight Nicole gets At recounting all the hazards of fashion in detail and During the sponsorship bit when she gleefully states that she doesn't know much about the Balkans and " Oh! That's gonna be so much fun to research!"
It’s amazing how much medical knowledge was just bat shit crazy back then. They preformed autopsies and had for centuries; where exactly did the magic uterus strings go? Did no doctor see the tissues holding the organs in place? Though the idea that high heels could be the cause for divorce is probably my favorite bizarre claim!
I always wonder if in a century or two, people will be saying how batshit crazy people were in our time-- we'd been going into space and looking at the earth for decades, why did we keep saying it was flat? Didn't we see its curvature? 😂
My sister lives near Carmel. I asked her if knew high heels were illegal there, and she said, "Yes. I have a permit." I can't believe I was breaking the law while I was visiting and she didn't tell me!
Me, to myself: okay, things might be bad right now, but at least we aren't combining racism, sexism, and bunk medical science in order to tell women what they can and cannot do with their bodies... Me, to myself: DAMMIT
I, too, heard the women's call. Cookies. Lots of cookies. It doesn't fix anything, but in the end you had some tasty cookies, so that's a good day for you.
women: [exist] men: HOW DARE YOU DIMINISH THE DOMESTIC SUPPLY OF INFANTS!!!!! seriously, though--how does one person's choice of *shoes* affect another person unless the first person kicks the second in the shin?
My husband's grandmother has a summer home in Carmel. I've actually seen the notices about high heels posted around town. It makes a lot of sense when you see how terrible their sidewalks are and how steep the hills can be. Also, most of the people in Carmel are in their 70s, 80s, 90s and would definitely sue the city if they fell. Love your videos, and I can't wait to see your 1920s wardrobe when it's complete!!🖤
As someone who finds around 2”-3” heels best support their very high arches, just wow. If I buy sneakers they have to have a drop and I have to build them up with inserts. Also in the early 2000s my mom told me wearing high heels during pregnancy causes miscarriage.
I knew a woman in the 70s who was in her 50s? or so who physically could not place the heels of her bare feet on the ground after wearing high heels all her adult life. Well that's what she told us. Even her slippers were high heeled mules
The Achilles tendon shortens if you wear them all the time. You can get it back with physio and slowly wearing less high heels, but yer it gets much harder to stretch it back out the older you get.
My great grandmother had to get her ankles fused due to severe arthritis. Before they did the surgery, they asked her what her expectations were for movement after the healing process. She demanded that they set her ankles just right so that she could continue wearing 1.5" heels every day. I still think that's funny, decades later.
I appreciate that you always do such in-depth research for us. The content is enlightening and entertaining, and the amount of work you put in to each episode really shows. Thank you for that. Hugs
As a 10 year old I remember being completely flabbergasted that my 2 friends, Sherry and Sue (sisters) had "high heeled" snow boots. This was in 1972 mind you. It was just not a thing you saw elementary school girls wearing. One pair was blue and the other yellow and they were plastic.. They were probably not that warm as we all walked to school together in the very cold snow of Anchorage, Alaska. I was very jealous I think. Because compared to the pull on over the shoes rubber boots I had, they were way more stylish. The heels, maybe 1.5 to 2 inches? But it did seem scandalous at the time. Now I am wondering, what was their mother thinking? Lol.
It might be worth mentioning I have seen a few channels lately putting relevant visuals in the bottom inch or so of the screen, and that happens to be right where the closed captioning and bar ads tend to be, so if I have the text on I can't see what's behind them, so putting the heels, for example, more centered on the screen might be helpful for some viewers [my crimes as a content creator are far worse and more numerous]
Watching you geek out about having something new to research was lovely! That's kinda how react when I've got something new to research. And that was a thoroughly fascinating video, even if it did make me a bit sad. The whole heels/corset/hairstyles etc thing always strikes me as being rooted in misogyny and reminds me of why I keep some of my interests (including fashion) hidden from a lot of people - as I know too many people who consider them frivolous and would consider me less capable.
Really enjoyed this, I found it interesting that the same strategies get used every time in an attempt to force conformity. Really makes you think about how important autonomy is not that current events hasn’t done enough to reinforce that fact
I love this list of things that can be caused by high heels!! Who knew everything was caused by high heels! I have been trying to research my grandmother unfortunately I don’t think I will ever find the answer. On the one document I can find she is listed as baby. So I may never know who named her or if her name was changed when she was taken to residential school. Still looking into it but some documents have been “lost” over the years. Unfortunately I do know that the her birth records were lost in a fire. I’ve talked to the woman who is trying to digitize the school records but it has hard work between the spelling and hand writing!
Sooooo they just wanted us all to pretend it wasn't just men being misogynistic and insecure about their height? XD I'm so thankful I live in place and time that is fairly good about human rights.
ok, I can't help but see the similarities between banning high heels because "women aren't having enough babies" and what's going on now with abortion laws. Dear lord....
I’ve enjoyed your channel so much, especially this video, because you thoroughly highlight all the shi* female identifying persons have to deal with, or have dealt with throughout time. Thanks so much for this!
It makes sense. You do look part Balkan. It's your body shape, broad rounded shoulders and more rounded face - more of an Eastern European shape. I'm Macedonian predominantly (which is Balkan and Eastern European). On a side note, my grandmother born in 1916 didn't wear heels over 1.5 or 2 inches.
I mean if they wanted to see shoes that do actual damage to feet they should look at pointe shoes which did exist at the late 19th century so during this time period…
Modern day hysteria is now called conversion disorder. They don't say it like that but that's what is basically is. People (specifically women) are often told today that they are hypochondriacs, making it up or that it's simply all in their head. When experiencing very real and legitimate physical illness or disease. I know a woman who was having seizures and constantly exhausted, the doctors could not figure out what was wrong. So their go to was you're perfectly healthy and this is all in your head. Newsflash it wasn't. The ego of some doctors to not believe patients and just conclude that they're crazy is engaging. Perhaps they could just admit they don't know everything.
"I bought my wife heels and the next day, she filed for divorce! No, of course I don't give her spending money. She'd blow it all on perfume. Pass me another cigar, will ya?" 😂
As always, comprehensive research and dramatic delivery. I really enjoyed this video!! This was totally on me; in the 70s I once fell off my platform shoes and sprained an ankle.
This is fascinating and gives me an insight into some of the opinions I encounter now. I love high heels and wear them whenever I can. I grew up in Britain and never encountered any comments about wearing them. I moved to ruralish Canada 15 years ago and I constantly endure judgement about wearing them.
The mention of wandering organs made me think of when I was little and my sister and I would play with our younger siblings, by swinging them in a blanket or flipping them upside down with handstands, my Grandma would freak out saying we would flip their liver. To this day if she witnesses a tot play too rough or go upside down in any way she warns of flipping the liver.
As a trans person, my own personal health and fashion choices being labeled as somehow the downfall of society is unfortunately pretty normal. That doesn't make it make more sense to me though :/
Being 5'10" high heels might as well be illegal... I'm morbidly curious how some of these folks would react to some of the attire today if inch heels were taboo, I used to have sneakers with thicker soles (and as I think of it, the most comfortable work shoes I wore for years until I couldn't find them were Ariat clogs which had about an inch and a half-ish heel)
Wear high heels 👠 proudly!!! I was over 5'10" and wore them all the time. Back injuries have taken there toll but,I still wear heels for the occasions that I feel that need them.. Never let your wonderful height stop you from enjoying high heels!!!👠
Oh, I remember all the stuff years ago about 'skinny jeans will kill you!! They'll cut off circulation to your legs!'. Before that it was all 'cropped tops and cardigans will freeze your kidneys and your spleen!'. Or the large wide legged jeans will cause you to trip and fall to your doom. So, those kind of people who are overly interested and bothered by what others, mostly women, wear are definitely still around.
Hon, wear the heels! I'm 5'9 and the joy of watching men's faces as I come up to them wearing three inchers is unbeatable. Be the Amazon queen! Strike fear into the hearts of men!
"High heels are causing infertility. Why are women wearing them?!" women seeing many pregnant women dying in childbirth. "Have you considered that maybe that's the point?"
Wow, this took a turn at the end, I wasn't expecting. But 💯 with you on that. ✊ This was superb content, one of the best of yours I've seen.👏 Watching you physically pained trying to talk about the sexism and utter absurdity was 😂
I am afraid this librarian would have been one of those on the side of bad shoes causing foot, leg, and back pain, since bunions and arthritis run in my family, but I feel I would also be in the Prohibition camp due to the alcoholism that also runs in my family. My feet do not like heels of any height, at all. Any extra pressure on the ball of my foot for more than a few minutes is very painful. More than an hour, and my knees start screaming. After a regular work day (check in, check out, shelve, assist patrons) on a heel higher than 1 inch and I am in agony from the hips down. I do not blame the shoes, though. There must be something about my anatomy that reacts badly to the slight heel height most humans find comfortable enough for daily wear. It has been a sad thing, since character/dance shoes have heels and make my favorite hobby of theater very painful to do. Fashionable shoes for work or fancy evenings are out of the question for me. Even athletic shoes require inserts after a short time. Sigh.
Ballet flats don't take arch support or plantar inserts very well, in my experience. The heels on that style tend to flop off. They are soooooo cute, though. My feet are so picky. Narrow heels, high arches, potential bunions, brewing arthritis, and I am overweight, too, because it is hard to move when the feet hurt at times, but they do not hurt bad or often enough for a medical intervention. The podiatrist has better things to do than make a fat 56 year old woman comfortable in two inch heels! 😂
@@valariebrown3768 Aw, that’s unfortunate. I also have high arches and narrow heels with one more so than the other so I understand the struggle with them falling off. Well, hopefully you can find the right nice shoes for you sometime.
Thank you for the interesting lesson on high heels. While I don't personally wear them I'm not surprised about the kerfuffle surrounding them. And as a Utahn I'm not surprised about the trying to put into place a law regarding them( that was information I didn't know). It's funny how much we think we have changed but in reality we are just as ridiculous today about different things that our ancestors were about high heels and other things.
Remember the Utah law when cars became normal household items, that a woman was not allowed to drive unless her husband was out front waving flags for the information of other drivers? I always had to laugh at that one. My mom is a Utahn, so I grew up with a lot of these funny things as part of the culture.
Some of these videos are hysterical i have watched the ones on the gowns , the arsenic gowns i understand that one so that one was interesting and i understand why they had to ban the dying of some colors in the process , but the corset ones and the high heel ones made me think now men and the medical profession have TRIED , to put some kind of control over a woman and what she wears or does , and i sat here and said ... why don't they mind their own business , you may want to do a study in mens undergarments or shoes or corsets just to show how silly it is but it is interesting it really is with all the issues going on today in 2022 it really makes you look at it from a different perspective and say now thats just plain silly . I love your channel
Thanks for the video, just goes to show that we do not know what it is that we do not know. Enjoy your research into the family history, I did a DNA test here in the UK some time ago, has been a massive and interesting rabbit hole to slide down. Some confirmed the known history but the Irish, welsh, Scottish and Swedish connection was a surprise. Must be from a long way back.
Interesting video, as always. I'm reading a book about the eugenics movement in the United States that started in the 19th century. According to this book "War Against the Weak:" by Edwin Black, eugenicists theorized that it would be beneficial to the whole of humanity for the white, morally and intellectually superior Nordic types to have more children and for the "lesser' social groups to be prevented from procreating,. This may have been one cause for concern about the damage of high heel wearing?? Just a coincidence that I'm reading the book and your video has related content. Of interest to you? Thanks
Let's face it, the beginning of Nazi Germany had fans in the USA due to the Eugenics of the Nazi party ! Back then in the USA, LOTS of people were locked up, given labotomies and/or hysterectomies ! JFK's sister was given an ice pick lobotomy (without her mother's consent - her own father had that done to her!) So, yeah. Lots of medical nightmares not that long ago !
@@ealusaid Funny how there are some currently saying the same kind of things: race replacement, a shortage of white babies, the downfall of morals which needs to be legislated away, (so a restriction of rights).
I remember being told that buzzing my hair was self harm. But as for high heels... well, I've got a genetic thing that doesn't let me comfortably wear even the slight heel rise on a pair of normal sneakers, so I just stay away from them except for studying them like any other weird art form that comes my way. 😆
I don't do heels because I have mild scoliosis. I can't put my orthopedic inserts in them. They also tend to cause issues with my knees and compressed right foot. (I got diagnosed at 16 by military medicine but didn't get any help managing it for another 6 years.) I will say there is a noticeable difference between a stiletto and a 1-inch tall, wide heel with a lot of internal support and good heel placement. I can wear the latter for a few hours on occasion without too much discomfort. These 19th-early 20th medical claims sound like men completely misunderstanding women's health, general sexism, and classism per usual.
I had heard of hotels, restaurants and etc. banning stiletto heels due to the damage they did to floors, but this was a hell of a ride and definitely not like anything else I had heard of!
It's fascinating to me that people did historically say similar negatuve things about both corsets & high heels, because I like to compare shoes & corsets when people are overly negative about corsets: They are both fundamentally practical, supportive, garments, that are (more) strongly associated with fashion. They can cause harm if improperly fitted, poorly made, or if form is prioritised over function (tight lacing, overly pointy toes, very high heels, etc), but if comfortably fitted & well-made can actually help counteract a number of problems (especially those relating to posture). They come in various forms for different purposes - everyday, sport, fashion, evening, etc - including specially made versions for medical purposes. Maybe if that isn't enough to convince someone I can really hammer the point home by comparing some of these quotes alongside contemporary corset criticisms to show how equally ludicrous they are!
Key word here, "regulated into the correct decision" My that sounds so familiar, does it not?! One persons' decision, that could have repercussions on a large scale. Why on earth do people feel that they deed to regulate people to a "correct decision" .. believer in freedom of choice. ((( and isn't it amazing that history repeats itself*L*))) 20 years from now, our "modern science and medicine" will be proven to be as accurate as what our past was thought to be accurate. Enjoyed the video.
I have high arches, so I not only can easily wear properly made heels, but certain flats/low heels cause pain in my arches. This is known among many people, including a very good physical therapist I had about 5 years ago. I also have lousy posture, but putting on well-fitting heels somehow straightens me up, naturally and comfortably. Before I broke my ankle (while not wearing high heels), I would often walk on the balls of my feet without being conscious of doing so. I can't speak for what my uterus is doing when this happens, but I don't have any complaints. Anyway, the question about whether or not high heels are good, bad or inconsequential, like many issues, should be about one's personal makeup, the shoes in question, how and when they are worn, etc. I have fibromyalgia so wearing any particular shoe for a length of time can cause pain, so I manage this by wearing different shoes throughout the day if possible. Great vid and topic - thanks for all you do!
I have ridiculously high arches and fibro as well. I was told by my dr. that flat shoes were an unhealthy fit for my foot, and the cause of my foot cramps in flats. Thanks for the tip to change shoes part way in the day! Of course, now I have to make sure I have 2 pairs of shoes to go with every outfit 😁
@@bossyboots5000 and since there are 365 days a year, each with day and night... LOL that's my response when anyone dares to suggest I have too many shoes! Seriously tho - changing my shoes throughout the day really takes the constant stress off the same muscles. I also try not to sit for too long or stand in the same position for too long, and I watch myself for clenching or locking into a position and force myself to relax. No clenching the mouse or steering wheel when I'm not actually using it. Really everything - break up your movements. It helps the next day! Also magnesium supplements and I are good friends ☺️ Hope these things give you some relief! Or an excuse for new shoes 😂
@@shirleypulawski8221 Thanks so much for taking the time to share! 💕 I too find that I can't stay sitting or standing too long without a break or my muscles get mad. And I don't stretch anywhere near as much as I should, good reminder. I try to check in with myself and make an effort to relax my body, but then I go right back to tensing it, lol (I've had to relax my forehead 4x while writing this). It's an ongoing process that hopefully I'll lick at some point. I was taking magnesium for awhile, but fell out of habit. Thanks for the reminder. 😊 I have an upcoming trip and now I'm planning day and evening shoes, or morning and afternoon shoes. Hee 😁 For health, you know. (But really, that does make a lot of sense to give your feet and legs a break from the same shape.) ETA: Gawd I love shoes 😅
Regarding foot health, I know Christian Louboutin shoes are really popular and awfully expensive, but I can't help feeling that so many of his high heeled shoes just look uncomfortable. Many times it looks like the foot is jammed in at a precarious angle. Oh well, I can't afford them anyway!😄
They are apparently very uncomfortable. Though if you can afford them, you can afford to be driven everywhere. I know someone calls them dinner shoes, because you only walk on them for as long as it takes to get from the car to the dinner table at a restaurant. And you can't walk much in them anyway, because then you scratch off the red lawyer on the sole. Louboutins are very much status symbols and nothing else. Because not only do you have to be able to afford them, you also can afford to be driven everywhere, and to buy new shoes for every event, as having less than pristine soles is so obvious. I personally would rather buy shoes that are comfier and are designed to last.
I have been in Carmel, CA (pronounced Car- like a vehicle and mel, like Mel in a name) and I can say, I saw many, many people breaking the law. 🤪😃 I agree, I think that one has got to be possibly because someone wore heels and tried to sue the city? I dunno. Wonderful research! I love listening to you and I love learning these things. Some are from utter ridiculousness.
Ha as someone who lived in Indiana I know exactly where the mix-up comes from, but the city in California is pronounced Car-MEL ;) Thanks for the video, I enjoyed watching!
It’s interesting that the high maternal death rate wasn’t due to, poor healthcare, unsanitary living conditions or the lack of contraception, which meant many women were worn out from frequent pregnancies, it was due to high heels. Ah the joys of being a Victorian or early 20th century male, where infertility was always the woman’s fault, after all what were women, but breeding stock. I wonder how many women, trusting the Doctors pontification, thought high heels would make an acceptable contraceptive…
My thoughts on the fears of rich white men flailing to control the world around them through footwear? 🤦 However did you keep a straight face filming this? Well done!
wow it's spooky how the sky falling then is the sky falling in every time period..the details may be different but the sounds are similar :( the other side effect of floating all these ills as the result of high heels is that if a woman complains about anything others will just say it's her own fault for asking for poor health. hardly conducive for a good healthcare experience...
Thank you so much for that clarification early on! I definitely was going into this video like, "well, it DOES hurt your legs..." but I was able to get on track with how insidious and overblown this moral panic was. And the context about the race arguments is so necessary - it turns it from "oh people in the past were dumb and silly" to "this was a political movement about control, not even simply over women, but for a much larger sociopolitical attempt at domination." Otherwise it's hard to imagine why this would have staying power for so many years.
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Oh, to be an intellectual in the Victorian era. Back then one could just say stuff and not cite anything and people would be believe one.
Nothings changed
Sort of like the internet.
a great time to be a grifter, and a terrible time to be someone requiring medical attention!
There’s a whole political party that has learned that lesson well.
@@tananario don’t forget main stream media, 📺
I'll never forget Nicole, the high heels caused her consumption and she never recovered 😞
At least it wasn't that dastardly Catherine De Medici that got her
Hi Lucas! This comment is next level funny 😂
@@VBirchwood Hi Vasi! Haha I guess I'm the top comment currently 🤣
Thank you for your jokes. It literally made me verbally laugh
You know a channel has hit its stride when it gets these deep lore inside jokes. Lol
I want a Catherine De Medici Time Travelers mug, but I don't feel nearly well learned as I'd need to be to own it
The audacity of men to tell women it's unhealthy to wear heels, when heels used to be widely a fashion and status symbol for men!
Pretty typical.
@@werelemur1138 unfortunately far too common, I'm so tired!
Let's face it, back then the designers, shoe manufacturers and shoe salesmen WERE MEN !
Also, I bet 50 bucks that those rabid "anti high heels" guys all had "side women" who they had wear high heels as their 'kink' !!!!
Well yes of course, because those men didn't have a uterus dangling from their ribcage by bungee cords that was in danger of bouncing out of alignment if they didn't keep their pelvis tilted at just the right angle... (Could you hear me roll my eyes there?)
@@draughtoflethe can you imagine if we gave men that same energy? "Wearing heels will cause your testicles to become rotted and they may fall off." Like I think it's time to give them a little dose of it lol.
If the uterus moves too much it will actually just break free from its little elastics and roam about the body biting other organs and causing general chaos, this is just common knowledge and we need to do away with these dangerous trends!
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Indeed! The infamous "wandering uterus"
O...M...G... wait til they discover (gasp)... SWINGS 😲
The thing I find crazy is that the uterus doesn't move around and cause trouble, but endometrial lining absolutely can float around and fuck your shit right up. Fuck endometriosis.
I was thinking this! Maybe the other organs dog piling on the uterus will just keep it from wandering off 😉😂😂😂
If they thought high heels tilted the uterus in a problematic way, what did they think of, say, laying on our stomachs? Bending over to do things?
we're talking about men.. the same group that worries their six inch penises aren't large enough to satisfy us and yet somehow think that a 2 inch tampon is sinfully pleasurable ffs
Shhh, shhh, don't worry your pretty little head about it
Don't you know women are supposed to be pretty ~mostly horizontal~ statues?
Women weren't allowed on cars, trains, or fast boats for a while because the prevailing thought was that the uterus would break free of its weak bonds and fall out - then she'd instantly be a man - equipment, attitude, and all! Step on a train as Charlene and after 25 mph become Charlie! We women are but weak, silly, mysterious things.
@@frankiemillcarek6976 (psst horizontal is sideways, vertical is up and down)
The visual image that the phrase "organs dog piling on your uterus" conjured in my head is perfection. The list of issues surrounding high heals took a wild turn when it went from listing some common foot issues that could reasonably be linked to footwear choices to divorce.
Also did not expect eugenics to come up in a video about shoes, but I guess in America the racism just comes baked in.
Like nice, warm white supremacists pie, freshly baked
Yep, I'm pretty sure the great US of A is where eugenics was popularized a couple decades before a certain party overseas took an interest. Actually, a lot of US policies at the time served as inspiration for that certain party. What do you really expect of a country where racism has played such an integral role in its founding and continuation to the point where you can't discuss any aspect of our history without mentioning it?
"I guess in America the racism just comes baked in." You mean Humanity? As in racism is baked into Humanity? Because that would be infinitely more accurate. Also, no, the US was not the first society to come up with concept. Or did you forget about the birth of Moses? You know, that time when the Israelites were enslaved to the Egyptians (yes, again, slavery was also a thing long before the US ever existed) and we're becoming "too numerous" for the Egyptians tastes/ability to control and the Pharaoh decided to kill all the male babies born to the Israelites? Forcing Moses' mother to place him in a basket floating down the Nile to save his life? Yeah. That story. Is that not the same concept? Pretty sure it is.
Right, the eugenics part after the goofy sexism was like BOOM cuz omg went from 100 to 10k
"If you're not good at making those choices, well, we're just going to have to take that choice away from you".......seems like I heard something similar in the last few months 🤔
Placing this fear of high heels ruining society alongside the suffragette movement, eugenics, prohibition, and world war, is thought provoking. Thanks for a very interesting video! 🙂
History provides us with an unending examples of how men. Will use *ANY* excuse to control women on the grounds of 'health & safety'. But it's *NEVER* been about 'protecting' women's health, but about controlling women. Be it high heels or corsets in the past to abortion right today. Any flimsy excuse to flex dominion & control over women will do for them.
Hoping you were being ironic or sarcastic 🙏 (not about the quality of the episode)
I had the same thought re vaccines/masks
How is it that regulating women's bodies and choices never seems to go out of fashion? *sigh...*
@@lisettegarcia Hardly the same comparison. Vaccines are about preventing the spread of known diseases. Did you get a vaccination for smallpox? Probably not. Why? Enough people over time were vaccinated against smallpox that it ceased to be a threat in the wild. So, thank the people who chose to be vaccinated so it is no longer a threat to mankind.
I was once in the ER with abdominal pain and they were very concerned that I had twisted in ovary. Although luckily that wasn't the case and I didn't need surgery, it did lead to a very practical discussion on what would cause the twisting of the ovaries and displacement of the uterus. Basically, besides major trauma (as Nicole mentioned; childbirth complications, but also surviving a car crash or other sudden getting thrown and meeting a hard stop) the ER doctor said it can just happen through 'unusual movements' and that he thought that because I was young, I was likely a more mobile/active person who might twist in an odd way while, say, on a hike (uneven terrain) and reach down/up twisting to grab or pull something in an odd way or trying to catch myself mid-fall and landing strangely. At no time did the idea of posture or shoe choice come up; the entire talk centered around motion, stretching, flexing; walking gate was never mentioned and clothing choices weren't part of it either. Although I am not a medical professional in any way, it does seem to line up with what most of modern medicine says; that injuries of the organs are usually not caused by what we do while holding ourselves in a fairly stable way, but what happens when our bodies suddenly meet other forces, or move in a way that's unusual for our daily routine. It's why people who work out and train do a lot of warm ups before hand to practice moving their bodies in a correct/safe way and to keep the muscles stretchy enough so they will give and bend enough not to injure ourselves.
It's been said that ovarian torsion is one of the most painful things anyone could live through. My best friend had her 7 month pregnancy come to an abrupt halt thanks to one (caused by a cyst that was about the same size as the baby she carried. She called him Marvin. The cyst, that is. The baby was called Alexander).
She confirms it is indeed excruciating. Though at that point she said she was almost (but not quite) relieved as she'd been on bed rest for two and a half months in order to prevent said torsion, and finally that was over. Baby Alex is now toddler Alex and is doing well, as is my best mate.
@@katherinemorelle7115 I was hoping the baby made it! Seven months is a bit early to have to give birth, but usually just fine with modern medicine.
I had a canoeing accident that precipitated six months of irregular, but never ending menstrual bleeding. The doctors told me that the accident didn’t actually cause any real damage, and that the bleeding was from my hormones being screwy. It was apparently just that the bumping I took from the rocks changed how my uterus shed blood?
@@marthahawkinson-michau9611 Man, constant bleeding SUCKS. I've dealt with it a few times when switching birth controls or after I ran out and had to wait for a new prescription. Considering how common it is for doctors to shrug it off whenever a woman complains about something weird going on in her reproductive system, I highly doubt "screwy hormones from being bumped a lot" was the real reason for the bleeding. Glad you're better though!
@@katherinemorelle7115 I had an ovarian cyst in senior year of high school, and damn, that hurt so much. I can't even imagine how worried your friend must have been, going through all this! And such a relief that everybody is healthy now
@@marthahawkinson-michau9611 To answer your question - it is possile. The organs all share the same nerve and blood supply and also communicate to the brain there is something amiss, and any response of the body is possible. Hi - I have a pathology degree and now middle aged and still not menopausal, and am suffering greatly from profuse bleeding, shorter cycles and am in sheer agony every 4 weeks. Its so bad, ive spent nearly 4 years on constant iron infusions as replacement as the moss is so bad. Prob is, once your iron drops, you bleed more because iron is required to 1) clot and stop/shoten bleeding and 2) keep hormones stable. Totally not the topic of the video - however, for me its important, as I already have a sway back, twisted spine and scoliosis and heels are just agonising, not because of the shoe - but because it makes the unnatural curvature already worse. And it is the cause of internal pain, as the pelvic organs share the same blood, and nerve supply and the muscular skeletal muscles that control the muscles in the abdominals that move the legs - eg the illio-psoas, etc. So pelvic twisting is NOT funny and can cause all kinds of issues...
I know it's been said sooo many times about how today we know that so many Victorian Era doctors were just going on a wing and a prayer. How most of their conclusions were complete bunkum, and yet we still quote them as concrete basis on the harms that could befoul one with the wearing of corsets, so why not high heels too?
Always use everything you can to retain power and control *sigh* It is incredible how much of this is still happening. I find it especially interesting that a huge part of what they complained about in those bits of articles was that they didn't like how women looked in the heels and couldn't bear to watch them walk bc it looked so awkward. It is the same argument as "larger people shouldn't wear leggings BC then I have to look at them!" Imagine if the government tried to regulate leggings today. *smh*
History provides us with an unending examples of how men. Will use *ANY* excuse to control women on the grounds of 'health & safety'. But it's *NEVER* been about 'protecting' women's health, but about controlling women. Be it high heels or corsets in the past to abortion right today. Any flimsy excuse to flex dominion & control over women will do for them.
@@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980 Although you are correct, I believe it is farther reaching than that. Wealthy white, usually older (but unfortunately not always) guys will do anything to control everyone else. :(
They did. They wanted to ban women from using leggings as pants. Florida i think
@@jennydelaflor2087 I hadn't heard that. Doesn't really surprise me if it's true though. Florida is all about form over function (spent almost 20 years stuck in FL).
What makes it even more typical is that the opinion seems to have shifted towards the opposite side of that spectrum now by a lot of men saying that women who wear high heels are much more feminine and attractive. Again backing that up with 'science', of course.
The "wandering uterus" (aka hysteria) myth is always so hilarious to delve into. The more concerning thing is that women's healthcare is STILL so far behind because of the lack of real medical understanding in the field. I mean, obviously it's better nowadays, but there has been comparatively less study in female health and anatomy than there has been in men's until pretty recently. Many doctors (of any gender) still wave off a lot of "women's troubles," thinking it's "all in their heads." It's infuriating.
[Edit: Oh, look! More "replacement theory", "the white race in doomed" BS. 100 years ago. UGH. Will it never end??]
You'd think that for as long as people have been concerned about wheat genocide, that we'd have actually seen some evidence of it by now.
Also, I still love the video essay that Shaun did on the topic. Especially the dog and giraffe bit. Classic!
It's a classic, you didn't know?
But also ironically if there is actually anything wrong with my uterus nobody wants to investigate that at all.
@@katherinemorelle7115 I'm concerned about wheat genocide! There are so many ancient wheat varieties that are not eaten these days: Einkorn, spelt, khorasan... what if we lose them to industrial monocrop agriculture?! And why limit it to wheat? What about other grains? Rye, sorghum, millet, all reduced to nothing but BIRD FOOD. SUPPORT HUMAN MILLET CONServaTIOn!!!
@@FrogsForBreakfast I've actually had millet before, it was actually quite good and could make a great oatmeal substitute for people who can't digest oats very well.
My mother in law had uterine dysplasia. I always thought it was because during childbirth the latest method was to link arms over the the woman's stomach and both parties bear down and press the baby out. Now I know, it was because she wore heels, not because they tore her uterus out of her body. 😑
Jesus Christ that is terrifying.
I haven’t been able to walk in high heels since I got hurt in the military. I am doing some ballet exercises to now get back in to low heels but it’s also difficult to find shoes with low heels that aren’t boring. Designers seem to only focus on 3 inch heels or flats.
I have been looking into vintage repro and historical repro shoes bc I can't physically handle a higher heel but want more than just a flat sometimes.
3 inches? 😮 I struggle to find something even that small, most of the heels where I live in Europe are 5 inches plus
I also struggle to wear them... Probably because I'm 6'0 and have smaller feet than the average woman 😅 or maybe I lack the muscle. It just feels like too much pressure on my feet
Also as the other person said, I highly recommend vintage online shops. They often have shorter heels with wonderful designs
I haven’t been able to wear high heels since I mucked up my hips having babies. I’m working on trying to fix this but I’m too old and set in my ways to bother with high heels anymore.
I will recommend the American Duchess shoes to you, ladies. The 2 pairs I have are well-crafted, beautiful and very comfy. And the heels are not terribly high either!
I'm not in their size range, but I recommend you check out Fluevog or Socofy. They're both way more willing to play with colour and style.
Were there any concerns raised about /men's/ heeled boots? I think that heeled riding boots for men, like cowboy boots, have a significant history.
I mean... there were HUGE concerns about male effeminacy. The acceptable male colour palette shrank SO MUCH between 1850 and 1950. So there was definitely a double standard of "men don't have uteruses, so they get to have fun!"--but on the other side, there was a lot that it just became "unmanly", high heels among them.
If I am not mistaken, high heels were a thing for MEN in the 1700's ?
Cowboy boots got the heel to keep foot from going through the stirrup and getting wedged in. Very bad thing if body attached to caught foot comes off saddle.
Carmel California (pronounced Car-MEL) used to have sidewalks made of gravel embedded in concrete so the surfaces weren't even. So them having the high heel law? Not surprising. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if that law has been superseded by a law making it illegal to walk on their sidewalks without a permit.
In high school (mid to late 1980's) I remember the difficulty of walking in my heels at a very picturesque shopping plaza that was paved in cobblestones... I wondered if the Carmel legislation was for a similar reason. Thank you for the extra insight.
If elevating your heels two inches tilts your pelvis out of wack, and creates an organ dogpile, what do these doctors think happens when women sit, or lay down, or bend over to do any kind of domestic labor?
I'm sure their opinion would vary with who benefits from those other activities.
Thinking!? Women can't do that! It's bad for the babies they're supposed to blast out!
2 favorite parts: The absolute delight Nicole gets At recounting all the hazards of fashion in detail and
During the sponsorship bit when she gleefully states that she doesn't know much about the Balkans and " Oh! That's gonna be so much fun to research!"
Wow, direct line from high heels to great replacement theory.... I'm going to go feral, the patriarchy is ridiculous.
I cannot tell you how blissful I got at the idea of going feral.
Who knew I could wear high heels as birth control 😂🙄
Omg, that would solve EVERYTHING rn. 😁
So for the purpose of birth control, do you wear those heals whilst in bed doing the nasty or must you wear them all the time?
@@cherylwright3917 lol 24/7
Careful, now... I'm pretty sure that high heels were at least partially responsible for BOTH of my pregnancies 😂😬😂
It appears to me that taking away women's choices has not quite gone out of fashion yet in the contemporary US...
It’s amazing how much medical knowledge was just bat shit crazy back then. They preformed autopsies and had for centuries; where exactly did the magic uterus strings go? Did no doctor see the tissues holding the organs in place?
Though the idea that high heels could be the cause for divorce is probably my favorite bizarre claim!
I always wonder if in a century or two, people will be saying how batshit crazy people were in our time-- we'd been going into space and looking at the earth for decades, why did we keep saying it was flat? Didn't we see its curvature? 😂
My sister lives near Carmel. I asked her if knew high heels were illegal there, and she said, "Yes. I have a permit." I can't believe I was breaking the law while I was visiting and she didn't tell me!
high heels were their equivalent of "because you're always on that phone!"
Me, to myself: okay, things might be bad right now, but at least we aren't combining racism, sexism, and bunk medical science in order to tell women what they can and cannot do with their bodies...
Me, to myself: DAMMIT
Gently, gently, breathe. As a fellow woman, I hear you. Also, your presentation, (chef's kiss)
I, too, heard the women's call. Cookies. Lots of cookies.
It doesn't fix anything, but in the end you had some tasty cookies, so that's a good day for you.
The comment and responses all win.
women: [exist]
men: HOW DARE YOU DIMINISH THE DOMESTIC SUPPLY OF INFANTS!!!!!
seriously, though--how does one person's choice of *shoes* affect another person unless the first person kicks the second in the shin?
Now I really want to take that room of doctors and make them watch a modern fashion show. Their minds would explode.
What a funny image!
My husband's grandmother has a summer home in Carmel. I've actually seen the notices about high heels posted around town. It makes a lot of sense when you see how terrible their sidewalks are and how steep the hills can be. Also, most of the people in Carmel are in their 70s, 80s, 90s and would definitely sue the city if they fell.
Love your videos, and I can't wait to see your 1920s wardrobe when it's complete!!🖤
As someone who finds around 2”-3” heels best support their very high arches, just wow. If I buy sneakers they have to have a drop and I have to build them up with inserts. Also in the early 2000s my mom told me wearing high heels during pregnancy causes miscarriage.
I knew a woman in the 70s who was in her 50s? or so who physically could not place the heels of her bare feet on the ground after wearing high heels all her adult life. Well that's what she told us. Even her slippers were high heeled mules
The Achilles tendon shortens if you wear them all the time. You can get it back with physio and slowly wearing less high heels, but yer it gets much harder to stretch it back out the older you get.
Yep, my grandma has the same problem. But then again she basically constantly wore stiletto heels when she was younger.
My great grandmother had to get her ankles fused due to severe arthritis. Before they did the surgery, they asked her what her expectations were for movement after the healing process. She demanded that they set her ankles just right so that she could continue wearing 1.5" heels every day. I still think that's funny, decades later.
I appreciate that you always do such in-depth research for us. The content is enlightening and entertaining, and the amount of work you put in to each episode really shows. Thank you for that. Hugs
As a 10 year old I remember being completely flabbergasted that my 2 friends, Sherry and Sue (sisters) had "high heeled" snow boots. This was in 1972 mind you. It was just not a thing you saw elementary school girls wearing. One pair was blue and the other yellow and they were plastic.. They were probably not that warm as we all walked to school together in the very cold snow of Anchorage, Alaska. I was very jealous I think. Because compared to the pull on over the shoes rubber boots I had, they were way more stylish. The heels, maybe 1.5 to 2 inches? But it did seem scandalous at the time. Now I am wondering, what was their mother thinking? Lol.
It might be worth mentioning I have seen a few channels lately putting relevant visuals in the bottom inch or so of the screen, and that happens to be right where the closed captioning and bar ads tend to be, so if I have the text on I can't see what's behind them, so putting the heels, for example, more centered on the screen might be helpful for some viewers [my crimes as a content creator are far worse and more numerous]
Watching you geek out about having something new to research was lovely! That's kinda how react when I've got something new to research. And that was a thoroughly fascinating video, even if it did make me a bit sad. The whole heels/corset/hairstyles etc thing always strikes me as being rooted in misogyny and reminds me of why I keep some of my interests (including fashion) hidden from a lot of people - as I know too many people who consider them frivolous and would consider me less capable.
Really enjoyed this, I found it interesting that the same strategies get used every time in an attempt to force conformity. Really makes you think about how important autonomy is not that current events hasn’t done enough to reinforce that fact
In other words, men thought women could use heels as birth control so therefore women shouldn't vote? That sounds way too familiar.
I love this list of things that can be caused by high heels!! Who knew everything was caused by high heels!
I have been trying to research my grandmother unfortunately I don’t think I will ever find the answer. On the one document I can find she is listed as baby. So I may never know who named her or if her name was changed when she was taken to residential school. Still looking into it but some documents have been “lost” over the years. Unfortunately I do know that the her birth records were lost in a fire. I’ve talked to the woman who is trying to digitize the school records but it has hard work between the spelling and hand writing!
Sooooo they just wanted us all to pretend it wasn't just men being misogynistic and insecure about their height? XD
I'm so thankful I live in place and time that is fairly good about human rights.
Please tell me that last part is deliciously dry sarcasm. 😊
ok, I can't help but see the similarities between banning high heels because "women aren't having enough babies" and what's going on now with abortion laws. Dear lord....
Thanks for this video; now I know without a doubt where my lupus came from - it was my shoes, lol!!!🤣😂
I have laugh, this uterus belief must be where they forbid women to ride a train because the high speed would cause their uterus to fly out of them.
It was also used as recently as a couple of years ago as reasoning for why women shouldn't drive in Saudi Arabia. The more things change...
I’ve enjoyed your channel so much, especially this video, because you thoroughly highlight all the shi* female identifying persons have to deal with, or have dealt with throughout time. Thanks so much for this!
It makes sense. You do look part Balkan. It's your body shape, broad rounded shoulders and more rounded face - more of an Eastern European shape. I'm Macedonian predominantly (which is Balkan and Eastern European). On a side note, my grandmother born in 1916 didn't wear heels over 1.5 or 2 inches.
I mean if they wanted to see shoes that do actual damage to feet they should look at pointe shoes which did exist at the late 19th century so during this time period…
Modern day hysteria is now called conversion disorder. They don't say it like that but that's what is basically is. People (specifically women) are often told today that they are hypochondriacs, making it up or that it's simply all in their head. When experiencing very real and legitimate physical illness or disease. I know a woman who was having seizures and constantly exhausted, the doctors could not figure out what was wrong. So their go to was you're perfectly healthy and this is all in your head. Newsflash it wasn't. The ego of some doctors to not believe patients and just conclude that they're crazy is engaging. Perhaps they could just admit they don't know everything.
Reminds me of the issues surrounding women riding bicycles, bad for their health/virginity, and hurrying down stairs. Insane.
"I bought my wife heels and the next day, she filed for divorce! No, of course I don't give her spending money. She'd blow it all on perfume. Pass me another cigar, will ya?" 😂
As always, comprehensive research and dramatic delivery. I really enjoyed this video!! This was totally on me; in the 70s I once fell off my platform shoes and sprained an ankle.
This is fascinating and gives me an insight into some of the opinions I encounter now. I love high heels and wear them whenever I can. I grew up in Britain and never encountered any comments about wearing them. I moved to ruralish Canada 15 years ago and I constantly endure judgement about wearing them.
Is that a thing over there? :o
The mention of wandering organs made me think of when I was little and my sister and I would play with our younger siblings, by swinging them in a blanket or flipping them upside down with handstands, my Grandma would freak out saying we would flip their liver. To this day if she witnesses a tot play too rough or go upside down in any way she warns of flipping the liver.
As a trans person, my own personal health and fashion choices being labeled as somehow the downfall of society is unfortunately pretty normal.
That doesn't make it make more sense to me though :/
Being 5'10" high heels might as well be illegal...
I'm morbidly curious how some of these folks would react to some of the attire today if inch heels were taboo, I used to have sneakers with thicker soles (and as I think of it, the most comfortable work shoes I wore for years until I couldn't find them were Ariat clogs which had about an inch and a half-ish heel)
Wear high heels 👠 proudly!!! I was over 5'10" and wore them all the time. Back injuries have taken there toll but,I still wear heels for the occasions that I feel that need them.. Never let your wonderful height stop you from enjoying high heels!!!👠
Oh, I remember all the stuff years ago about 'skinny jeans will kill you!! They'll cut off circulation to your legs!'. Before that it was all 'cropped tops and cardigans will freeze your kidneys and your spleen!'. Or the large wide legged jeans will cause you to trip and fall to your doom. So, those kind of people who are overly interested and bothered by what others, mostly women, wear are definitely still around.
Hon, wear the heels! I'm 5'9 and the joy of watching men's faces as I come up to them wearing three inchers is unbeatable. Be the Amazon queen! Strike fear into the hearts of men!
Another great video. Your videos not only entertain, they educate as well.
The Victorians/Edwardians really could work eugenics into everything.
I'm assuming the men's cowboy boots with their heels concerned no one. Of course.
"High heels are causing infertility. Why are women wearing them?!"
women seeing many pregnant women dying in childbirth. "Have you considered that maybe that's the point?"
Wow, this took a turn at the end, I wasn't expecting. But 💯 with you on that. ✊
This was superb content, one of the best of yours I've seen.👏 Watching you physically pained trying to talk about the sexism and utter absurdity was 😂
I loved this one! :-) Also very much like the new '20s hairdo. Thank you for exploring and exposing myths from previous generations.
Always excited to see your videos pop up!
Mind is blown!!! Wow!!! Thank you so much for this history lesson. It needs to heard. Wow!!! Take care and have fun!!! 😷😎😷
24:02 I love that you *can* wear high heeled shoes in Carmel, as long as you acquire a permit first!
I am afraid this librarian would have been one of those on the side of bad shoes causing foot, leg, and back pain, since bunions and arthritis run in my family, but I feel I would also be in the Prohibition camp due to the alcoholism that also runs in my family. My feet do not like heels of any height, at all. Any extra pressure on the ball of my foot for more than a few minutes is very painful. More than an hour, and my knees start screaming. After a regular work day (check in, check out, shelve, assist patrons) on a heel higher than 1 inch and I am in agony from the hips down. I do not blame the shoes, though. There must be something about my anatomy that reacts badly to the slight heel height most humans find comfortable enough for daily wear. It has been a sad thing, since character/dance shoes have heels and make my favorite hobby of theater very painful to do. Fashionable shoes for work or fancy evenings are out of the question for me. Even athletic shoes require inserts after a short time. Sigh.
Maybe you could try ballet flats? They look really cute and most have no heel whatsoever and some are made with arch support.
Ballet flats don't take arch support or plantar inserts very well, in my experience. The heels on that style tend to flop off. They are soooooo cute, though. My feet are so picky. Narrow heels, high arches, potential bunions, brewing arthritis, and I am overweight, too, because it is hard to move when the feet hurt at times, but they do not hurt bad or often enough for a medical intervention. The podiatrist has better things to do than make a fat 56 year old woman comfortable in two inch heels! 😂
@@valariebrown3768 Aw, that’s unfortunate. I also have high arches and narrow heels with one more so than the other so I understand the struggle with them falling off. Well, hopefully you can find the right nice shoes for you sometime.
@@valariebrown3768man that sucks. I've got flat and wide feet, so I often wind up with men's sneakers and as of last year orthotics. It's awful.
Thank you for the interesting lesson on high heels. While I don't personally wear them I'm not surprised about the kerfuffle surrounding them. And as a Utahn I'm not surprised about the trying to put into place a law regarding them( that was information I didn't know). It's funny how much we think we have changed but in reality we are just as ridiculous today about different things that our ancestors were about high heels and other things.
Remember the Utah law when cars became normal household items, that a woman was not allowed to drive unless her husband was out front waving flags for the information of other drivers? I always had to laugh at that one. My mom is a Utahn, so I grew up with a lot of these funny things as part of the culture.
No I don't remember that. Sounds like it might be before I was old enough to be cognizant of what was going on around me.
Some of these videos are hysterical i have watched the ones on the gowns , the arsenic gowns i understand that one so that one was interesting and i understand why they had to ban the dying of some colors in the process , but the corset ones and the high heel ones made me think now men and the medical profession have TRIED , to put some kind of control over a woman and what she wears or does , and i sat here and said ... why don't they mind their own business , you may want to do a study in mens undergarments or shoes or corsets just to show how silly it is but it is interesting it really is with all the issues going on today in 2022 it really makes you look at it from a different perspective and say now thats just plain silly . I love your channel
Thanks for the video, just goes to show that we do not know what it is that we do not know. Enjoy your research into the family history, I did a DNA test here in the UK some time ago, has been a massive and interesting rabbit hole to slide down. Some confirmed the known history but the Irish, welsh, Scottish and Swedish connection was a surprise. Must be from a long way back.
Your comment about health exactly what we have been hearing for the last three years. One person health affects everyone.
Interesting video, as always. I'm reading a book about the eugenics movement in the United States that started in the 19th century. According to this book "War Against the Weak:" by Edwin Black, eugenicists theorized that it would be beneficial to the whole of humanity for the white, morally and intellectually superior Nordic types to have more children and for the "lesser' social groups to be prevented from procreating,. This may have been one cause for concern about the damage of high heel wearing?? Just a coincidence that I'm reading the book and your video has related content. Of interest to you? Thanks
Yup, the "race suicide" stuff Nicole discusses from the 1920s was straight-up eugenics.
Let's face it, the beginning of Nazi Germany had fans in the USA due to the Eugenics of the Nazi party !
Back then in the USA, LOTS of people were locked up, given labotomies and/or hysterectomies !
JFK's sister was given an ice pick lobotomy (without her mother's consent - her own father had that done to her!) So, yeah. Lots of medical nightmares not that long ago !
@@ealusaid Funny how there are some currently saying the same kind of things: race replacement, a shortage of white babies, the downfall of morals which needs to be legislated away, (so a restriction of rights).
I remember being told that buzzing my hair was self harm.
But as for high heels... well, I've got a genetic thing that doesn't let me comfortably wear even the slight heel rise on a pair of normal sneakers, so I just stay away from them except for studying them like any other weird art form that comes my way. 😆
Got a friend with same footbed issue, says is real pain to shop for.
Now every time there’s a talk about wandering womb I now think of Miss Fisher’s first episode where they talk about it 😆
I am currently in the throes of morning sickness. 🤮 Your videos have been such a comfort when I’m feeling like shit.
A conversation about choice...very timely in the US. Thank you for the research and time, very interesting topic.
I don't do heels because I have mild scoliosis. I can't put my orthopedic inserts in them. They also tend to cause issues with my knees and compressed right foot. (I got diagnosed at 16 by military medicine but didn't get any help managing it for another 6 years.)
I will say there is a noticeable difference between a stiletto and a 1-inch tall, wide heel with a lot of internal support and good heel placement. I can wear the latter for a few hours on occasion without too much discomfort. These 19th-early 20th medical claims sound like men completely misunderstanding women's health, general sexism, and classism per usual.
Thank you, Nicole. This is a wonderful commentary.
I had heard of hotels, restaurants and etc. banning stiletto heels due to the damage they did to floors, but this was a hell of a ride and definitely not like anything else I had heard of!
If I can state the obvious -- it wasn't ever actually about the shoes. It was, and still is, about controlling women's bodies.
Yes, the subtextual quickly became textual.
@@bossyboots5000 Was it ever subtextual to begin with?
When you showed examples of the “illegal” heels at the beginning I couldn’t help but think that I wear shoes higher than that daily to work!
It's fascinating to me that people did historically say similar negatuve things about both corsets & high heels, because I like to compare shoes & corsets when people are overly negative about corsets:
They are both fundamentally practical, supportive, garments, that are (more) strongly associated with fashion. They can cause harm if improperly fitted, poorly made, or if form is prioritised over function (tight lacing, overly pointy toes, very high heels, etc), but if comfortably fitted & well-made can actually help counteract a number of problems (especially those relating to posture). They come in various forms for different purposes - everyday, sport, fashion, evening, etc - including specially made versions for medical purposes.
Maybe if that isn't enough to convince someone I can really hammer the point home by comparing some of these quotes alongside contemporary corset criticisms to show how equally ludicrous they are!
Key word here, "regulated into the correct decision" My that sounds so familiar, does it not?! One persons' decision, that could have repercussions on a large scale. Why on earth do people feel that they deed to regulate people to a "correct decision" .. believer in freedom of choice. ((( and isn't it amazing that history repeats itself*L*))) 20 years from now, our "modern science and medicine" will be proven to be as accurate as what our past was thought to be accurate. Enjoyed the video.
Amazing video. Thank you for that ☺️
I was listening rather than watching while Nicole was doing the ad portion and could have sworn she said she was 31.5% Vulcan. 😂🖖
😂
I have high arches, so I not only can easily wear properly made heels, but certain flats/low heels cause pain in my arches. This is known among many people, including a very good physical therapist I had about 5 years ago. I also have lousy posture, but putting on well-fitting heels somehow straightens me up, naturally and comfortably. Before I broke my ankle (while not wearing high heels), I would often walk on the balls of my feet without being conscious of doing so. I can't speak for what my uterus is doing when this happens, but I don't have any complaints. Anyway, the question about whether or not high heels are good, bad or inconsequential, like many issues, should be about one's personal makeup, the shoes in question, how and when they are worn, etc. I have fibromyalgia so wearing any particular shoe for a length of time can cause pain, so I manage this by wearing different shoes throughout the day if possible. Great vid and topic - thanks for all you do!
I have ridiculously high arches and fibro as well. I was told by my dr. that flat shoes were an unhealthy fit for my foot, and the cause of my foot cramps in flats. Thanks for the tip to change shoes part way in the day! Of course, now I have to make sure I have 2 pairs of shoes to go with every outfit 😁
@@bossyboots5000 and since there are 365 days a year, each with day and night... LOL that's my response when anyone dares to suggest I have too many shoes! Seriously tho - changing my shoes throughout the day really takes the constant stress off the same muscles. I also try not to sit for too long or stand in the same position for too long, and I watch myself for clenching or locking into a position and force myself to relax. No clenching the mouse or steering wheel when I'm not actually using it. Really everything - break up your movements. It helps the next day! Also magnesium supplements and I are good friends ☺️ Hope these things give you some relief! Or an excuse for new shoes 😂
@@shirleypulawski8221 Thanks so much for taking the time to share! 💕 I too find that I can't stay sitting or standing too long without a break or my muscles get mad. And I don't stretch anywhere near as much as I should, good reminder. I try to check in with myself and make an effort to relax my body, but then I go right back to tensing it, lol (I've had to relax my forehead 4x while writing this). It's an ongoing process that hopefully I'll lick at some point. I was taking magnesium for awhile, but fell out of habit. Thanks for the reminder. 😊
I have an upcoming trip and now I'm planning day and evening shoes, or morning and afternoon shoes. Hee 😁 For health, you know. (But really, that does make a lot of sense to give your feet and legs a break from the same shape.)
ETA: Gawd I love shoes 😅
Regarding foot health, I know Christian Louboutin shoes are really popular and awfully expensive, but I can't help feeling that so many of his high heeled shoes just look uncomfortable. Many times it looks like the foot is jammed in at a precarious angle. Oh well, I can't afford them anyway!😄
They are apparently very uncomfortable. Though if you can afford them, you can afford to be driven everywhere. I know someone calls them dinner shoes, because you only walk on them for as long as it takes to get from the car to the dinner table at a restaurant.
And you can't walk much in them anyway, because then you scratch off the red lawyer on the sole. Louboutins are very much status symbols and nothing else. Because not only do you have to be able to afford them, you also can afford to be driven everywhere, and to buy new shoes for every event, as having less than pristine soles is so obvious. I personally would rather buy shoes that are comfier and are designed to last.
Reminds me of when leggings came on the scene and people were very concerned with women wearing them and that they were NOT pants. Laughable.
I have been in Carmel, CA (pronounced Car- like a vehicle and mel, like Mel in a name) and I can say, I saw many, many people breaking the law. 🤪😃 I agree, I think that one has got to be possibly because someone wore heels and tried to sue the city? I dunno.
Wonderful research! I love listening to you and I love learning these things. Some are from utter ridiculousness.
Ha as someone who lived in Indiana I know exactly where the mix-up comes from, but the city in California is pronounced Car-MEL ;) Thanks for the video, I enjoyed watching!
Imagine that, people freaking out about women making choices and endangering population supply. My gods I just cannot with any of this any longer.
This. "Women making choices jeopardizes our power structures, better keep them from doing any of that nonsense."
It’s interesting that the high maternal death rate wasn’t due to, poor healthcare, unsanitary living conditions or the lack of contraception, which meant many women were worn out from frequent pregnancies, it was due to high heels. Ah the joys of being a Victorian or early 20th century male, where infertility was always the woman’s fault, after all what were women, but breeding stock. I wonder how many women, trusting the Doctors pontification, thought high heels would make an acceptable contraceptive…
My thoughts on the fears of rich white men flailing to control the world around them through footwear? 🤦 However did you keep a straight face filming this? Well done!
2020s: "It's cause you always on that phone!"
1920s: "It's cause you always wearing those high heels! "
So fascinating as always.
Entertaining lecture! Hope somebody is paying you well for research time!
My mother had tuberculosis in the late 1960's. Pretty sure it wasn't caused by high heels but I'm not a doctor.🙄
Yeah, my podiatrist actually wants me in low heels. It’s a thing.
Mine too. Flat shoes cause my feet to cramp up.
We don't wash our hands, many women die after childbirth with infections... must be the heels!
wow it's spooky how the sky falling then is the sky falling in every time period..the details may be different but the sounds are similar :(
the other side effect of floating all these ills as the result of high heels is that if a woman complains about anything others will just say it's her own fault for asking for poor health. hardly conducive for a good healthcare experience...
I find it funny/sad that hysteria is basically "I diagnose you with Woman!"
Some of my favorite romances were written around the 20's. The bad girl always had tiny heels. Now I know why.
Okay, my uterus had bounced around willy nilly...that explains so much!!!! Hysterical!!! As in funny.🤣🤣🤣🤣
This video made me appreciate just how much medical science has improved over the last century, good lord😂
Thank you so much for that clarification early on! I definitely was going into this video like, "well, it DOES hurt your legs..." but I was able to get on track with how insidious and overblown this moral panic was. And the context about the race arguments is so necessary - it turns it from "oh people in the past were dumb and silly" to "this was a political movement about control, not even simply over women, but for a much larger sociopolitical attempt at domination." Otherwise it's hard to imagine why this would have staying power for so many years.
That was terrific!