History Main / HighHeelHurt

* In the Literature/{{Discworld}}, Assassin Johanna Smith-Rhodes does not normally "wear girly" and prefers the hardwearing and no-nonsense AdventurerOutfit. Very unwillingly, she has to wear conventional female attire for a mission, and gets a fast crash-course in how to wear dresses and high heels. This not something she has a great deal of experience in. Her more conventional friends - and an Assassins' School pupil - who are delivering the training are treated to [[FieryRedhead frustrated exasperation]] and comments about the high heels such as

* [[MemeticMutation Infamously averted]] in ''Film/JurassicWorld'', where Claire manages to hike through brush and outrun a ''T. rex'' in high heels without ever complaining about them or having attention drawn to them. In fact, this was done on '''her actress' own insistence''', since the original plan was for her to run through the jungle barefoot.

* ''Literature/AdrianMole'': In ''Cappuccino Years'', Adrian's mother tries to sue Shoe Mania!, after a stiletto heel breaks off when she is meeting [[Creator/AnthonyHopkins Sir Anthony Hopkins]] on a mountain. When asked in court why she was wearing heels, she says that she only wore them in the final stages, as she did not want Sir Anthony to see her in hired climbing boots. [[spoiler:She is successful in suing Shoe Mania!, as she shoes did not bear a health warning, and it is ruled that the name Shoe Mania! encouraged women to make unsuitable purchases.]]

* In ''Webcomic/MagicalBoy'' protagonist Max is a trans man who has inherited the responsibilities and powers of his former MagicalGirlWarrior mother. Unfortunately for him, this includes a very frilly feminine outfit which includes heels that he cannot walk in. As the comic progresses and Max starts to gain better control of his powers, his outfit slowly starts shifting towards a more masculine form, and the heels are actually the first thing to be replaced -- becoming baseball shoes.

* In [[Webcomic/SarahsScribbles her scribbles]] Sarah Andersen is [[https://www.gocomics.com/sarahs-scribbles/2015/09/02 happy to share]] the [[SarcasmMode joyful experience]] of wearing high heels for more attractivenes. It's very relatable.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Justice League Unlimited}}'': Subverted in the episode [[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS1E12WeirdWesternTales The Once and Future Thing: Weird Western Tales]], after time-travelling Leaguers end up wearing the clothes of Old West bandits as disguises, Wonder Woman complains the cowboy boots she's wearing are killing her. Batman points out, "You fight crime in high heels" to which Wonder Woman replies, "High heels that fit!".

* In the Literature/{{Discworld}}, Assassin Johanna Smith-Rhodes does not normally "wear girly" and prefers hardwearing and no-nonsense AdventurerOutfits. Very unwillingly, she has to wear conventional female attire for a mission, and gets a fast crash-course in how to wear dresses and high heels. Her more conventional friends - and an Assassins' School pupil - who are delivering the training are treated to [[FieryRedhead frustrated exasperation]] and comments about the high heels such as

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' in "Lisa the Beauty Queen" much like the aforementioned ''Recess'' example, Homer enters Lisa into a beauty contest and Bart helps teach her how to walk in heels after she stumbles on her first attempt.

* ''Literature/AdrianMole'': In ''Cappuccino Years'', Adrian's mother tries to sue Shoe Mania!, after a stiletto heel breaks off when she is meeting [[Creator/AnthonyHopkins Sir Anthony Hopkins]] on a mountain. When asked in court why she was wearing heels, she says that she only wore them in the final stages, as she did not want Sir Anthony to see her in hired climbing boots. [[spoiler: She is successful in suing Shoe Mania!, as she shoes did not bear a health warning, and it is ruled that the name Shoe Mania! encouraged women to make unsuitable purchases.]]

* In "Bombshells", a short story within ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', Molly Carpenter suffers through wearing a pair of very high heels to infiltrate a fancy party. Andi the werewolf, wearing a similar costume with similar shoes, hints that she's in pain too - but says it's just a matter of getting used to it. Molly doesn't seem convinced.

* ''Series/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'': In part one of book 8 (The Hostile Hospital), [[spoiler: Esme Squalor]] chases the main characters through the Library of Records. She repeatedly trips due to her bladed stiletto heels and ends up using them [[spoiler: as throwing knives against the Baudelaires.]]
* In an episode of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', Lois tries to become a superhero of her own: "Stiletto". Her signature piece of costuming is, of course, a pair of killer heels - and she spends much of her time complaining about how hard they are to walk in, how much they hurt her feet or both.

* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', during a BallroomBlitz, Ruby finds herself at a disadvantage in a fight against [[spoiler: Cinder]] because of the high heels she'd been wearing (as she favors boots, compared to her partner Weiss' CombatStilettos), even calling them "stupid lady stilts".
-->'''Ruby''': Can we have a serious discussion about how Weiss ''fights'' in these?

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' - Spinelli is entered in a BeautyContest and so must learn to walk in heels. Vince of all people has to teach her how. Her first attempt even prompts ominous music as her legs wobble.

* The book ''Literature/101UnuselessJapaneseInventions'' contains training wheels for high heels: small wheels added to the heel, to aid a young woman's transition to walking in heels.

* ''Literature/AdrianMole'': In ''Cappuccino Years'', Adrian's mother tries to sue the retailer "Shoe Mania!", after a stiletto heel breaks off when she wears them to meet [[Creator/AnthonyHopkins Sir Anthony Hopkins]] on Mount Snowdon. When asked in court why she was wearing stiletto heels on a mountain, she says she only wore them in the final stages, as she did not want Sir Anthony to see her in hired climbing boots. [[spoiler: She is successful in suing Shoe Mania!, to Adrian's disgust at this use of civil courts.]]

* In ''Webcomic/MagicalBoy'' protagonist Max is a trans man who has inherited the responsibilities and powers of his former MagicalGirlWarrior mother. Unfortunately for him this includes a very frilly feminine outfit which includes heels that he cannot walk in. As the comic progresses and Max starts to gain better control of his powers his outfit slowly starts shifting towards a more masculine form, the heels are actually the first thing to be replaced - becoming baseball shoes.

* ''ComicBook/{{Excalibur}}'': When Meggan and Phoenix have a FreakyFridayFlip, the [[DoesNotLikeShoes usually-barefoot]] Meggan immediately complains about how Rachel's CombatStilettos hurt.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode, "Yo Leela, Leela", as Leela is approaching the stage after winning a Slurmie at the Young People's Choice Awards, an announcer says, "This is Turanga Leela's first time winning the Slurmie and second time in high heels"; which is immediately followed by her briefly stumbling.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/plantar_fasciitis.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:As stylish and svelte as it may seem, fashion hurts, and women pay for it dearly.]]

Any show about men dressing up in drag for the first time is guaranteed to bring this up in a not-so-subtle [[AnAesop message]] about walking a mile [[InAnotherMansShoes in a woman's shoes]]. This trope can also show up as part of a tomboy's FemininityFailure. Subtrope of FashionHurts and AgonyOfTheFeet, and sister trope to OfCorsetHurts. Varying TruthInTelevision.

* ''Webcomic/MoonSticks'' is a GagADay ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' parody comic, it parodies this about Sailor Mars' heels [[http://moonsticks.org/67-sailormars-fights-in-high-heels/ in a strip]] showing her having to hang back at the start of fights to apply blister plasters to her feet.

* In ''Webcomic/MagicalBoy'' protagonist Max is a trans man who has inherited the responsibilities and powers of his former MagicalGirlWarrior mother. Unfortunately for him this includes a very frilly feminine outfit which includes heels that he cannot walk in. As the comic progresses and Max starts to gain better control of his powers his outfit slow starts shifting towards a more masculine form, the heels are actually the firsr thing to be replaced - becoming baseball shoes.

* In ''[[Webcomic/MagicalBoy]]'' protagonist Max is a trans man who has inherited the responsibilities and powers of his former MagicalGirlWarrior mother. Unfortunately for him this includes a very frilly feminine outfit which includes heels that he cannot walk in. As the comic progresses and Max starts to gain better control of his powers his outfit slow starts shifting towards a more masculine form, the heels are actually the firsr thing to be replaced - becoming baseball shoes.

What's ''not'' to love about {{high heel| power}}s? They're stylish, they make you taller, they shape the legs and produce a unique [[PowerWalk stride.]]