Can Tall Girls Wear Heels?
I’m ridiculously tall. Especially when I wear heels.
When I walk into a room, people turn and stare. Little kids always look up at me in awe and tell their moms, ‘she’s big’. People are constantly telling me, ‘you’re so tall’. Yeah. Thank you Mr. Obvious.
And, there are always the questions.
‘Why are you so tall?’ ummm….
‘How’d you get so tall?’ I grew.
‘Did you play basketball?’ Did you play mini-golf?
‘You should model.’ umm…thanks, I think
Being tall as a teenager was a pain in my as-high-as-your-head butt. Don’t ask me why, but long jeans were hard to find then. I wore men’s jeans or jeans that were 2 inches shorter than I really needed them to be (the longest inseams then were 34″…I wear a 36/37″).
And, I just felt like I towered over everyone. Because I did. Needless to say, I didn’t like to make myself any taller than necessary. I rarely wore heels because I didn’t like to be taller than the boys.
Being tall is not all it’s cracked up to be. You get stared at. Girls hate you because you get stared at. You try to hide because you get stared at. You can’t shop for jeans in stores (this is true even now–I have to order online). Nothing fits the way magazines make it seem clothes should. You feel huge even if you’re thin. You get called ‘mama long legs’. It’s pretty isolating.
Yeah, I know…boo hoo. I should feel blessed for being so tall. And, as I’ve gotten older, I do. I’ve learned to feel comfortable in my body. I’ve learned to smile at the kids who think I’m a giant. I’ve learned to wittily respond when people ask such obvious questions. I’ve learned how to shop for my uber long legs and not cry every time I see super cute, trendy pants that come in only one length. And, I’ve learned to wear heels…scratch that…I’ve fallen in love with wearing heels.
In fact, I prefer wearing heels. Even when I was a teacher, I’d wear 3 inch heels all day. (Believe me, there’s nothing more intimidating to an 8 year old than a 12 foot tall teacher.) When I wear heels, I feel all dressed up. I feel put together, sophisticated and feminine.
So, can tall girls wear heels?
I hear this all the time, ‘You’re wearing 4 inch heels? That just shouldn’t be allowed.’
But, seriously, why should tall girls be denied the amazing, leg-lengthening effects of a sexy pair of heels? Why should tall girls not feel put together, sophisticated and feminine?
It’s true it makes us taller. It’s true we tower over you even more. Deal with it. It’s nothing personal. We just want to wear the same cute shoes you get to wear.
So, if you’re a ridiculously tall girl who’s stayed away from 4 inch heels, stay away no longer tall sister! Go for it! Buy that pair of sky high stilettos, tower over your man (and everyone else) and LOVE it!
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September 25th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
I love this post. I too am a fellow tall gal… so I know what you mean! I love wearing heels. It doesn’t stop me either
September 28th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Great post. I’m short, really short at 5’1″ but I think it’s great to read about embracing and enjyoing your height, what ever it is. I’m very tired or reading how I can look taller or how I NEED to wear heals to “lengthen” my look. I say play we should play to our strengths, you can take long and I’ll cover short, both can be very fashionable.
October 4th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
THANK you for posting this! I definitely remember being conscious of the fact that i was at least a head taller than everyone in the hallways in high school. Ick . . . and that feeling of your pants legs shooting half way up your shins when you sat down because you couldn’t find long enough pants! I can also relate to the push and pull between girls’ animosity, feeling self-conscious/embarrassed, and having everyone think you have what they want. It’s bizarre and I’ve never seen someone sum it up so well before. So, from a fellow-heel wearer thanks for putting this out there!
October 8th, 2009 at 12:27 am
ohmgggggg thank u i hate when ppl make comments about me being tall and wearing heals like im 6`1 and when i wear 4inch heals i hate when people stare or make comments but thank u for the confidence boost and im glad to know im not alone in being stared at lol =)
October 9th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Jessica–when I see you around town, we should have a secret, tall-girl handshake.
Heather–thanks for adding perspective from the other side of the fence!
Caddy–Bizarre is a good word for it…glad to hear from an ally.
brittani–just know they stare b/c they want to BE YOU. lol!
October 11th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Im not tall but IA that you should be able to wear what you want. But at the same time, everyone at every height and size gets some kind of comments and being short is treated worse than being tall especially when it comes to fashion. So I think its pretty petty for you to complain about it so much. Follow your own advice and deal with it
October 11th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Hmmm…I guess it’s all about perspective, huh Janey?
Thanks for commenting.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:04 pm
omg i love this! I’m 15 and 5’8 and the tallest by at least 2 inches out of all my friends AND i’m still growing….so i don’t really like to promote the fact that i’m ridiculously tall. But i recently decided i wanted to get a pair of heels for this party i’m going to and i’d been worried about wearing them and feeling awkward towering over everyone. I was actually leaning toward not wearing them but this inspired me to wear them. So thanks for giving me the extra boost of confidence, it’s nice to know i’m not the only one who isn’t overly thrilled about being so tall. hahahh
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Sara–thanks for your great comment! I’m so excited that you are going to wear your heels! Rock them, girl (and don’t forget to stand up straight and tall).
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:25 pm
hey crystal~ i remember being a fellow tall girl with you in high school, and to my dismay (at the time) i grew an inch the summer i graduated…hello 5’11. I loved flip flops because they were the closest thing to the ground, but now i love heels too!! there is something about being the tallest girl in the room that is not intimidating anymore but empowering. Whatever your asset, use it! I am glad to have this confidence now to share with our daughter:) Great column!!!
December 15th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
I was 5″11 at age 14 a freshman in high school….. the girls HATED it but the guys did not care then much. xD
February 8th, 2010 at 1:13 am
i am so glad i found this. I am an 18 year old at 6’1 and not once have i EVER worn heels. my mom won’t even let me buy them (i got my height from her..), because she says “me and you are tall enough..and you already hate having so much attention.” so whenever i see heels that i LOVE, i pick them up, put them on, strut around the store..and then put them back in the box and walk away. but i want to be girly girl like the rest of the world…
and actually have the experience of how it feels to buy your first pair of heels. it’s almost like becoming a woman! so thank you so much for this, and i am totally rubbing this in my mom’s face 
.
xoxoxo
lyndsey
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:44 am
i really really love this post. i’m 14 and i’m already 5’11. althought i don’t live in country, where everyone else is small, but i just hate when peaople ask about my height. but yeah, this summer i’m defenitely gonna wear some beautiful pair of heels!
so, tall girls, hold your heads held high and rock the heels!
April 3rd, 2010 at 12:42 am
I’m tall too. I’m not sure now how tall, because I thought I was 5’10 but then the doctor’s office measured me and said I was 5’8ish and then at home I measured myself and I thought I was 5’9. The other day I was 5’10. My ex boyfriend measured me and said i was only like 5’8 and a half. This new guy claims to be 5’11 is actually exactly my height. So let’s just say I’m between 5’8 and 7 feet. lol! Anyways, I used to be so self conscious of my height but my boyfriend, who’s like 6’3-6’4 told me, “Without heels, you’re cute but WITH heels, you’re a goddess, so beautiful and simply elegant and way better than cute.” I used to try to wear flats to appear shorter but I read somewhere that if you’re 6 feet tall, then it dosent make a difference height wise if you wear them or not. All people think tall girls must be 6 feet tall. So even if you’re 6’4 with heels on, people still see you as “wow! she must be 6 feet tall”. So rock your heels. And remember people only tell you to your face, “wow! you’re tall” because it’s a compliment and they envy you. They would never go up to a short person and say, “wow you’re short” or to a fat person and say “wow! you’re fat”. Cuz, well… you get the point! Peace
April 3rd, 2010 at 9:15 am
Tiffany…
you’re awesome!
Such good points about it being a compliment and that people generalize your height when you’re tall.
April 20th, 2010 at 7:18 am
my mom was telling me that its okay for me to wear high hills, but i didnt believe her due to my height.You have just given me a boost of confidence. thankyou!! i will now wear my hills with pride!
May 29th, 2010 at 4:46 am
Loving this post, and all the comments girls.
We tall girls should all be proud of it and slip on our sexy heels whenever we want! Let’s face it, the reason people constantly comment on it is jealousy. Being tall makes you look more confident, sassy, noticeable, commanding, strong… what’s not to like? And I’ve never met a guy who didn’t love a girl in heels, regardless of height.
Thanks for the boost lovelies! xx
May 31st, 2010 at 5:44 pm
I have just lost 145 pounds and always shyed away from heels. i’m 5’8 and was always too scare to wear them after reading this im rushing out to buy me pair now!!
xoxo.
nikki
June 2nd, 2010 at 4:35 pm
I’m 6′ tall and I have a PASSION for shoes! Especially high heels but I have NEVER had the confidence to wear heels in public because I just feel like a giant, so here I am with a closet full of cute heels that I just look at! This is so motivating!!
hopefully soon i’ll get that confidence too!
<3 mykala
August 30th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
I am currently 5’7 ish, i just baught a cuute pair of boot heels and im always scared to wear them cos everyone i know, well i would be taller then them. My bf is only 5’10 and i am weirded out to be taller.
I wanna wear them but i dont know where to wear any ony my heels… I cant go out to dinner ( Im only 15) and my friends dont wear heels…
So i wear my heels around my room not knowing what to do with them…
August 30th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Livi–Totally wear those heels to school, girl! I met my husband my senior year in Calculus…the first thing he noticed about me was my lime green heels.
I’m 5’11″ and he’s 6’0″. When I wear heels, I’m always taller than him and he LOVES it. I bet your boyfriend will, too.
September 15th, 2010 at 2:02 am
Thank you so much for this post (and for all the comments too, hehe!)
Tall girl myself, not as tall as some of you though.
I’m in this akward situation that most guys in my class are very small.. (I’m a sophomore)
And I just got this gorgeouuuuuuus pair of heels that I love, but I haven’t been wanting to wear them for these 2 weeks I had them or so.
Today, I’ll go out with confidence and wear them!
You should be proud of how you look, and wear whatever you want,
because beauty comes from the inside no matter what!
So thank you-And now go and rock those heels!
September 25th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
I am 6’0 and am very proud of my height. I never had a problem dating from high school right through college I had plenty of interesting male attention. Most of the guys I dated were always taller than me However,I got married to a guy who is 5’8. He simply loves my height! Yes I wear heels from 2.5 to 3 inches. I accentuate my height with a fabulous wardrobe. I’m always getting compliments on how fabulous I look. EMBRACE YOUR HEIGHT!! I do.
October 10th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
I’m 20 years old and 5’11 …and I’ve had the same problems.. People always talk to me about my height.. I always get refered to as “the tall girl” , I can never find 36 inseam pants.. In high school I was very self conscious.. And every time I go into a shoe store I go crazy over the cute high heels then put my head down and walk over to the flat shoes. But I’m SO excited because today I finally bought that cute pair of heels! I’m tired of denying myself because I’m too tall. I’m gunna rock them and not let the stares bother me
!!!!
January 5th, 2011 at 10:26 am
Now, here’s my linear and cynic reasoning. And all about your advantage, even if you are tall enough, indeed why not to tower even more over men, as if you consider a man shorter than you any less. It is not. Now my practical reasoning all in your favour. You have slender sleek and long legs, heels elongate them even more and make yourself even taller. But are they comfortable? No. So you are able to wear kitten heels, walking in comfort and remaining slender, tall, and leggy. Are those few more inch worth the discomfort?
What appear sexy about pumps are not the heels but the leg slendering effect, this effect though, is nothing near having naturally slender, sleek and long legs. Your heels height will look unnoticed or redundant. What’s more, ad for fashion what make a heel stylish is not the heel height but their overall design. You are tossing the privilege of wearing comfortable but stylish kitten heels, having already what a heel is going to give you, for a little redundant extra height but real discomfort.
January 5th, 2011 at 10:48 am
Thanks for your feedback, Anto, but I think you missed the point.
We’re not talking about the height of the heel here…we’re talking about can tall girls wear heels AT ALL. This includes your kitten heels. Which, are pretty much a waste of time if you ask me. For tall girls, all they do is add an inch or two without the stylish fun heels provide. And, they don’t make your legs look more long and slender.
Once you learn to walk in heels, many styles are quite comfortable. Most of my most comfortable shoes are heels, in fact.
Thanks for your comment.
February 10th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Thank you for your reply, Crystal. Due to computer problems, I’m going to update you now.
Crystal says “We’re not talking about the height of the heel here…we’re talking about can tall girls wear heels AT ALL.”
Yes, I missed it, but obviously the discussion is about *high* heels on already tall girls, obviously the “too tall” issue has been ridiculed here as it deserved to be, it was indeed a ridicule argumente against high heels. As you knew that was not my point.
Crystal says:”This includes your kitten heels. Which, are pretty much a waste of time if you ask me. For tall girls, all they do is add an inch or two without the stylish fun heels provide. And, they don’t make your legs look more long and slender.”
The point is that, lets’say, your legs are already very long and much more than average and naturally. Yes a high heel will add a little more height and even more slenderness, nothing wrong about that very fact, but is this worth feeling uncomfortable and the pain of stilettos?
I don’t agree about short heels not being stylish and fun, I don’t think it is the heel height that makes the bulk of the style and fashion of a shoe, why otherwise there would be so much heel height for the very same model?
The kitten heel is dainty and classy, and look fabolous even on much shorter girls, and I’d say, even have some leg lenghtening effect.
crystal Says:”Once you learn to walk in heels, many styles are quite comfortable. Most of my most comfortable shoes are heels, in fact.”
Good then wear them, there is nothing wrong, but i must tell you that you are lucky, most girl find it a pain in the foot and being tall and already having naturally the slenderness the high heel is going to give, is another good reason to avoid that hassle, isn’t it?
But warning, being so used to high heels may means leg tendons got shortenet due to the frequent use of them.
Read you later.
March 27th, 2011 at 1:03 am
I am a tell girl, I am 6’6 my BF is shorter then me he is 5’5. I do indeed were heels. I like being taller then my BF, but he seems to NOT like it a lot. I like 4′ to 5′ heels.
March 29th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
I enjoyed reading this post and all the comments. I’m 5’10″ and I’ve always been self-conscious of my height and frame size. I’m a bigger individual; my body structure is a lot larger then someone standing at 5’3″. I’ve always stuck to flats, even for formal occasions. (Kitten heals should be banned from existence! Yuck.) Even though I’m tall, I have SHORT legs (I wear a 33″ endseam). Just because I’m tall, my legs don’t look long and slender–I’m not a stretched out short person–my legs are proportionate to my size and I still need the lengthening boost that heels provide. My biggest fear is that I’ll look manly or be called an “amazon” woman if I wear shoes with any height at all. I constantly think about how badly I wish I could wear heels. I’m not a confident person, so it’s a struggle for me.
March 30th, 2011 at 6:18 pm
@lauren
Nothing bad in being taller than your BF or becoming even taller, my point was are you sure is it worth wearing stilettos when you are already so tall? Take advandage of the fact and live comfortable. As I said the heel height is the most varying detail of a shoe style but is not as decisive as the shoe model and shape itself.
@Frankylove
If you have a thick ankle, did you know that wedges pumps flatter and compensate them, more than on a thin ankle? They are also much more comfortable than stilettos but the slendering effect will remain intact.
I don’t agree about kitten heels they are dainty and classy, look gorgeous even on much shorter girls, and I’d say, even have some leg lenghtening effect.
March 30th, 2011 at 8:16 pm
Hey Anto…how tall are you? Are you even a chick? As I said in an earlier comment, I’m not sure you get this post. This is a touchy issue for us tall girls, as you can tell from the comments. I’m not really sure you’re adding to the vibe here.
March 31st, 2011 at 1:45 am
Anto, thanks for the suggestion. I don’t have thick ankles, however.
I think this is the wrong forum to voice your opinions on, this is meant to be encouraging.
April 3rd, 2011 at 8:28 am
Ok, I confess, i was a boy if that was a fault.
May 11th, 2011 at 5:15 am
Just to sum it up: if wearing heel is a chore for you, being tall and lean is a one more reason not to wear them and avoid the hassle
.
May 11th, 2011 at 9:56 am
I don’t think anyone said wearing heels is a chore. Again, I think you’ve missed the mark. Thanks for playing…it’s time to move on now.
May 11th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
I’m late, I know, but one month ago my comments went eaten.
In fact I said “if”. If you, instead don’t feel pain wearing them, and
like the feeling. But against back bone troubles, i’d recommend wedges.
“This is a touchy issue for us tall girls, as you can tell from the comments. I’m not really sure you’re adding to the vibe here.”
I bet it is more touchy for shorter girls, believe me.
“Anto, thanks for the suggestion. I don’t have thick ankles, however.
?
I think this is the wrong forum to voice your opinions on, this is meant to be encouraging.”
I have nothing against thick ankles, i must stress, but roger, nonetheless.
And can’t my opinion be on pair with others, especially a male (but a comprehensive one) view
September 27th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Heels can be looked at but never put on by any female over 5’8 or 5’9. I know I’m 5’11 and my life has been hell! Why would I add to my own misery?
October 5th, 2011 at 11:45 am
6′ chiming in here…. I wear flats, heels, flip flops… hell, sometimes i go barefoot; however, I rarely wear stilettos, but mainly because I’m a bit clumsy and afraid of breaking my ankles (which are also not thick).
I really enjoyed reading this post and all of the comments – and I usually don’t comment on posts like this, but after reading the post by jessi and the posts by Anto I couldn’t help but add my thoughts.
Anto – redirect your browser… possibly to a page that doesn’t allow you to add your comments and opinions, EVER. There’s no need for your constant badgering. Plus, a good portion of what you say doesn’t make sense or is completely irrelevant.
If I read correctly, and I believe I did, you said, “I was a boy.” So does that mean you used to be male and are now female? Or did you mean to say I “am” a boy. If that is the case and you are in fact a boy – then you don’t have much business being on this site, and I doubt many tall women would heed your words seeing that you aren’t even a man – your just a boy.
That being said – if you used to be a boy and are now a girl then you, of all people, should know that those who are different from the majority of “normal” folks are somewhat sensitive to others’ opinions of them, and words that may not seem derogatory to some are very hurtful to others.
Jessi – as for your comment – why are you miserable? It is a proven fact that tall people are generally more successful than shorter individuals. There must be some other factor at hand that is causing you to feel so down about yourself. Work this issue out, strap on your favorite pair of shoes (high heels or not), walk out your door and say, “FUCK YES! I’M TALL AND I LOVE IT!”
October 5th, 2011 at 11:51 am
lala – you just made my day!