High heel policy

A high heel policy is a regulation or law about the wearing of high heels, which may be required or forbidden in different places and circumstances.

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. The style was then subject to sumptuary laws. In more modern times, stiletto heels have been restricted when they might damage the floor surface or cause accidents.

Some dress codes, however, require women to wear high heels so that they appear to be taller and more attractive. Such footwear may be painful and damage the feet, and there have been repeated protests by women workers against such policies. In 2016, a British receptionist, Nicola Thorp, stated that she was sent home unpaid for not wearing high heels, and she then started a petition which attracted sufficient support to be considered by the UK Parliament, though it was eventually rejected in April 2017 as the government stated that existing legislation was "adequate".