Heels are a prism through which thoughts and behaviours are diffracted in a cyclical manner between us and culture. According to Barthe, every object is part of a system of signs, also known as semiotics. The ability of heels to function as a common signifier to a myriad of signified thoughts and behaviour characterises it as a cultural object. It being the point through which diverse ideas are diffracted and inter-played likens it to a prism.
The bilateral and cyclical propagation between people and culture relentlessly drives the dynamic evolvement of signs emanated through this prism of ‘heels’. Some of these meanings or associations have long been rendered irrelevant today, while others have been preserved. Despite the compounding diffraction that culture subjects these preserved meanings to, some have thrived and embedded themselves into the human mind as ‘common sense’.
History has seen heels being worn for a wide variety of functions, with origins stemming from practical consideration by butchers, as an indication of social status by the ancient Romans, as an expression of seduction or as a tool of exerting dominance by men over women. Heels have hence exhibited hegemony since thousands of years ago, with the encoding of different meanings to be interpreted in different ways by different individuals in different contexts. Although in current times heels signify vastly different (or in some cases, surprisingly similar) meanings, its role as a signifier to a wide plethora of signified meanings has remained unchanged.
How did the addition of a platform or elevation to one’s shoes to make what we term as ‘heels’ come about? A pedestal in the context of a speech or an address is to provide a physical elevation to the speaker above the audience, creating a top-down flow of information that parallels the differing levels of expertise and knowledge. Similarly, in the constant struggle to be the crème de la crème, it is embedded within human nature to put themselves on these physical or make-believe pedestals to invoke a sense of superiority within. Heels therefore present itself to be a bring-around or mobile pedestal due to its ability to endow physical elevation, therefore gaining much popularity as a confidence booster, available for administration anytime and anywhere. The attractiveness of this signified meaning of elevation has propelled the desire for boundaries to be pushed out of the space in which this was originally observed, to be limitless and brought about anywhere and everywhere. This has therefore defined heels to be the solution – a mobile simulacrum of this idea, now reaching far beyond boundaries and subjecting anyone (willing parties or not) to this superior stature.
It is within human nature to seek to be different, to be unique like no other. Many have spent their lives in this pursuit of uniqueness, putting up strong resistance against falling into ubiquity. In this process, efforts to set oneself apart have nudged people to perceive heels as an avenue to perpetuate this idea. Foundationally, the conception of heels as a ‘unique factor’ predisposes its very downfall as an indicator of individuality. This very concept is fed into culture through heels, and as examined by Adorno, the culture industry absorbs this signified meaning and mass-produces it to be consumed by society. Consequently, these units are consumed by the general public and henceforth dilute the uniqueness it originally intended to promulgate. In this manner, the feeding-and-consuming cyclical relationship between culture and individuals creates an amplification effect which dilutes this ‘uniqueness’ the more it is propagated into culture.
Despite this phenomenon, heels are unanimously viewed upon by both genders as the essence of femininity and the signifier of female ideologies. This association defines the boundaries within which society views the action of wearing heels, which therefore dictates who such behaviour should be limited to. Therefore, wearing heels has become an exclusive right to women and identifies one as female; and anyone caught wearing heels are immediately associated with the female gender. Without doubt, there are some who might argue that heels are merely one signifier amongst many which signifies the female identity, and thus the lack thereof does not necessitate an identity crisis. However, the real question is – do women truly feel that way, or are they so hung up about heels because they have difficulty grappling with their identity as women, so much so that without heels they no longer know who a true woman really is?
Feminism viewed through heels is not limited to its primary form as an identity, but also carries meaning of feministic strength and power. The culture industry has assimilated this and encoded this message of power within heels. Heels are portrayed to be a symbol of power, exerting particular sexual magnetism and dominance. This association is commonplace and is best observed in the media and film industry, with the emergence of movies advocating ideas of feministic power packaged in a twin pack with heels. ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Devil wears Prada’ are but some prime examples of media with such content.
It is noteworthy how the majority of movie directors, filmmakers and writers are men. The male centricity of the industry inevitably results in largely testosterone-driven ideas and perceptions on the approaches towards the making of these films, and these male-dominated ideas have surreptitiously but heavily influenced society’s definition of beauty and artistic brilliance. These films hence owe their success to the ability to strike a chord with the largely testosterone-dominated viewer pool. At one glance, heels as a ‘sexual power tool’ appear to indicate that it accords women with the ability to entice and persuade men to their favour. However, as women make themselves the object of desire by the subject – men in this case – this so-called ‘power’ is in reality a simulation that is entirely founded upon the perceptions and frameworks of men.
Thus, is there really such a thing as feminism to be signified, or perhaps heels merely serve to expose the self-defeating efforts by women to prove themselves as superior, when in the process they change themselves to conform to the very expectations (by men) they desire liberation from?
Tapping on the empowerment by heels in terms of sexual power and dominance, individuals (especially women) have used this to their advantage in many instances. They utilise this tool to get their way around and as a quick-to-go option for immediate success sans the required effort and hard work. Such behaviour has reaped success for many, whether due to the inherent corruption of morals or the erosion of faith in one’s own abilities, and has become a prevalent phenomenon that is fed into culture as a way of doing things. Upon the crystallisation of and by culture, this sentiment is emanated through heels and proliferated to the people. This has since established stereotypes intuitive to the processing of the human mind and ordains the logical association that is packaged with the wearing of heels.
In view of all that has been discussed, it is evident that heels are indeed a cultural object through which a multitude of thoughts and behaviour are bilaterally circulated and diffracted between culture and the people. The truth of it all is – it was never our prerogative to decide what heels mean to us, for we are as much of a reflection of culture as it is of us.
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