ankle straps for shorties? - YouLookFab Forum

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ankle straps for shorties?

Aziraphale

Veteran

I have summer footwear-related question that I asked in the comment section of Angie's latest post on summer wedge shoes, but now I've noticed that there is a forum....is this the appropriate place to ask questions? Well, here goes.

A while ago I fell in love with and bought a pair of black pumps with very high heels and four black straps that encircle my ankles. They’re sort of gothy and flirty at the same time. I thought they looked good on me when I tried them on in the store, but I’ve since heard that short women should NOT wear ankle strap shoes. I am slim and very short — only 5’1″! — but I do have shapely legs with delicate ankles. Also my legs are long relative to the rest of me. Does this mean I can get away with wearing ankle straps, or have I made a big mistake? Any advice on how to wear (or how not to wear) them? I know that if I wear a short skirt with them, my legs look nice and long, but when you’re 38, short skirt + high heels = trashy.

Dressing

22 replies

Latest reply was from

Queen Mum

Veteran

I think there is more to take into account than just height. I would think that if your feet and ankles are proportionately petite it would be fine. I think where it gets hard to wear ankle straps is when your feet and ankles are larger.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

In general I would vote nay on this but as you describe your proportions, it might work. I saw a picture of myself in shoes w/ ankle straps recently and did not like the way I looked (I am 5'4" myself). If the shoes have really high heels I think ankle straps could work on shorties. Finally, the thickness of the ankle straps matters.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Yep, I've got small feet to go with the small ankles. I've heard that an ankle strap draws attention to the ankle, and I'm OK with that. But there are four skinny ankle straps on these, so it looks more like an ankle cuff. I can see that they're not as leg-lengthening as regular pumps, but they're way funkier. I probably should post a picture, but I have no idea how to do that. Any suggestions on how to wear them? They look great with scrunched skinny jeans, but the jeans completely cover the ankle straps, which kind of defeats the purpose of wearing such a unique-looking shoe.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

My feet and ankles are small too. How about a mini skirt? They look cute on petites. That way you have plenty of leg to look at but you can still see the shoes. I also wouldn't hesitate to wear them with the skinnies, even if the straps are covered. The cool-ness of the shoes will still emanate.

As for posting photos, you have to upload them on a service like photobucket and then provide a link in your thread text. Otherwise, wait the 10 days until you are a full "active member", then posting photos is really easy.

Aziraphale

Veteran

I've gotta say, I've got a very short denim mini with a frayed hem that does look hot with those shoes....but I'm not eighteen. These shoes are really high. As a 38-year-old soccer mom, I think I'm a bit too mutton to pull it off! But maybe a not-quite-so-short mini would be OK? (Minis are often not all that mini on my tiny frame....) Especially if I wore a modest top? Or should I stick with the black knee-length pencil skirt? How about skinny black capris?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Nice to see you participate, Elisabeth! Any way we can see a photo of you in the shoes since there are many variables at play?

Aziraphale

Veteran

Angie -- unfortunately, no. There's no one here to take a photo at the moment. I have not actually worn them out yet, since they are the kind of shoes that look better without hose and it's still too cold for that! I guess what I'm trying to ask is, are there instances where ankle straps can work for a very small woman? Like I said, I thought they looked pretty good on me (though of course they are not as leg-lengthening as plain pumps) because I have nice legs and slender ankles. I was a bit deflated when I kept reading, over and over again, that short gals should steer clear of 'em!

Thanks also to CocoLion and Queen Mum for your input.

Katiepea

(website)

Veteran

Even if you can't post a photo on here, can you get your camera, turn the flash off and take a picture of yourself in the mirror? That way you will be able to get an objective look at yourself. I do this myself sometimes. Even if you can't download it on the computer, the picture on the screen of the camera itself should be enough to give you some honest feedback.

I must say as a 5'4" inch person with fat ankles and calves (relative to my fairly petite size), that it is more slimming to not have the ankle strap. However, you have slim ankles and calves, so perchance you can get away with it.

(And dare I be a devil (oh, ok, I will!)...... and say that if you really, really love these shoes, even if they aren't "perfect", the world won't end and people won't gasp in horror. I'm sure the joy you would get from wearing them would make up for any potential leg shortening that may occur.... ;-))

Aziraphale

Veteran

Well that's a very good point. No one's going to point and laugh. Thanks Katiepea!

Polly (thunalata)

Veteran

I thought I couldn't wear ankle straps as I have thin ankles, but as Angie says, there are so many variables that you can't be sure without a photo. Even a poor photo is helpful!

stringy

Veteran

There are so many variables to consider, I think it's for an individual to decide rather than something we can make a rule of thumb for.

I'm short, but have chunky ankles compared to the rest of my proportions. I can just about handle a wide strap, but I really dislike the way skinny straps look around my ankles. It's like my ankles are being strangled, or something. So I've been avoiding all these cage and gladiator styles, and am looking forward to slingbacks being back in style.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I am 5'4" and I wear ankle straps pretty often. I just bought some light tan cage-ish platforms and plan on wearing the heck out of them once my sprained ankle heals.

I would agreee that the frayed denim mini is a no go with them I am nearing 41 and still do a mini, but not too short, and NOT with high heels.

Steph

Veteran

I am not even 5'1, have short legs, thin ankles and muscular calves, and I wear ankle straps constantly. I have tried on several outfits with both ankle straps and no ankle straps, and for the most part I don't see a difference. I think that the straps highlight the slimness of my ankle, which I like.

As for the skirt, I don't necessarily think that you can't wear a mini with heels, but it does depend on exactly how short the skirt is. I also think that the type of skirt is important--you mention a denim mini skirt with frayed edges, which, to me, is a very, very young look. If it were a more sophisticated short skirt, I think that might help.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Mo, Steph: thanks for the input! Glad to hear that other petite women can pull of the ankle strap. And yes, it's a definite nay to heels with the short frayed skirt (which I only wear with flat white gogo boots, and even then I'm not sure how many more years I can get away with this....). So, when you gals wear your ankle strap shoes, what do you pair them with? And how high are the heels? I want my ankle strap shoes to look sexy but not too sexy, if you know what I mean.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I gathered up a few random pics. And just for fun the last 2 is the same dress with straps and without. Not sure I look shorter or taller in either one. (the jean shorts pic is not how I'd style them - I was just so excited to get the sandals in the mail I put them right on! I'm wanting an airy 70's blouse for that)

Hope this helps . . .

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Diana

Veteran

I am just under 5'4" and wear ankle straps all the time! I actually can't wear shoes without straps of some sort because they won't stay on my feet... but even if I could, I would probably still wear straps/cuffs quite a bit because I like the look a lot. I do have relatively long legs for my height and narrow ankles, which probably helps. If you're not comfortable with a skinny ankle strap, you could try a wider cuffed style which sort of fits more like a bootie around the ankle.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Diana -- I think skinny ankle straps are in fact easier for me to pull off. The shoes in question have four skinny ankle straps that, together, look like a wide cuff. I love the look, but wasn't 100% sure that they work on my slim ankles. I'm feeling more confident after all these positive replies from other petite women though!

Hang on, maybe I can find a picture of the shoes on the web, even if I don't have one of myself wearing them (this is embarrassing, but I don't know how to get pictures off my camera and onto the hard drive. I'll have to ask my husband tonight...).

OK, found one, here's the link:

http://www.serialdeviant.org/w.....-up-buffy/

Hope that works.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Mo -- thanks for the pictures of your fabulous shoes! I am envious of your new brown strappy platforms. And you're right, your legs look just as nice in the t-straps as they do in the pumps -- but maybe that's because it's a low ankle strap and the straps are slim. Check out the link I just posted -- my shoes have a really solid horizontal line at the ankle. Not ideal, but gee I like them.

Steph

Veteran

Elisabeth, I think that the shoes you have are cool and unique, and since you love them, you should keep them. At the end of the day, it's not like you are fooling anyone into believing you're six feet tall, right? So as long as the shoes don't look bad on you, even if they did make your leg look a little shorter, what's the harm? You still get to wear great shoes!

I am a major heel wearer, so all of my ankle strap shoes are 3.5 inches or higher. Most are probably around 4 inches, and several are five inches high. I am the type who tries on my outfits with several different pairs of shoes and there have been many times where I have consciously chosen the shoes with the ankle straps over those without, because I thought they looked better. Unfortunately, I don't have photos like Mo. One day soon I want to take photos of my entire shoe collection. If I do, I'll post them here.

I say go for it!

Aziraphale

Veteran

Steph, thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm gonna wear 'em and walk proud. Hopefully the 4" heel won't make it look like I'm trying way to hard, because yeah, as you say, no one's going to be fooled into thinking I'm tall.

On a side note, when I got my first pair of very high (4") heels a year ago, I was wearing them around the kitchen to break them in and noticed that I could reach all of the cupboards! I thought, wow, this is what it feels like to be a normal-sized woman. Bonus.

jessbuurman

(website)

Member

http://www.shopjessicabuurman......heels_c258

Anonymous

I'm 5'2" tall, and I wear ankle strap shoes. I don't wear 4" heels, though. My shoes all have heels of 2" or lower (most are below 1.5").

I make sure to wear outfits that look good with those shoes. It's all about proportions. Since I switched to lower heels, my skirt/dress lengths are shorter.