High heel policy

Historically in the West high heels were associated with aristocrats for cosmetic reasons, to emphasize social status among an elite who could afford to wear impractical footwear, to raise their height, or to keep feet and long dresses clean.

A 1963 article in a US building maintenance magazine stated, "Replacement of floors is estimated to have cost at least half a billion dollars throughout the country since the advent of the stiletto heel fashion.

[7] In 2023, a gay club called Bunker opened in Washington, D.C., and it banned high heels, as well as open-toed shoes and flip flops, "for customer safety."

[15][16] Guidelines on acceptable dress codes in the workplace are permitted by Canadian law in order to ensure that employees are able to complete their work safely and effectively.

Some workplace studies show that women in the hospitality industry who wear high heels have suffered injuries after tripping, falling, or slipping.

[17] In 2014, waitresses at three restaurant chains in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, claimed that they were required to wear high heels at work despite complaining of pain and injury.

[18] In April 2017, the Canadian province of British Columbia amended workplace legislation to prevent employers from requiring women to wear high heels at work.

In 2001, cocktail waitresses in Las Vegas organized a "Kiss My Foot" campaign which was successful in getting casinos to relax their requirement to wear high heels.

[13] Similar policies were tested again in the UK in 2016 when a temporary receptionist, Nicola Thorp, stated that she was sent home unpaid after she refused to follow the dress code at the office of accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers which, according to her, required wearing shoes with a 2-4 inch heel.

"[24] The petition gained widespread support from public figures such as Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and MPs Caroline Dinenage, Margot James and Tulip Siddiq.

[31] In 2015, the Israeli airline El Al introduced a requirement that female flight attendants wear high heels until passengers had been seated.

[34] In 2019, a petition against mandatory high heels was started in Japan with the hashtag #KuToo, blending the #MeToo movement with the Japanese words for shoes (kutsu) and pain (kutsuu).