[Lucy-H22368]

Why do we wear sneakers? Because they are more comfortable than dress shoes. As many industries become more casual in their dress codes, employees opt for more comfortable clothes. Most women's dress shoes are quite uncomfortable and not designed to be walked in, so it makes sense that women who work for companies with a casual dress code will be very likely to wear sneakers. Many men choose to wear them too. Remember that this is not Europe, and although the ancestors of many Americans came from Europe, this is a completely different place. I am interested in why in your question you hold women to a different standard of dress than men.

User Detail :  

Name : Lucy-H22368, Gender : F, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Age : 25, City : San Jose, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[M.K.]

Since when, and why, do female office employees in the United States often wear sneakers at work? To a European like me it seems very unusual, because in Europe sneakers are rarely worn in an office setting, especially not by women.

User Detail :  

Name : M.K., Gender : M, City : San Francisco, State : CA Country : United States, 

[Alicia31408]

I started wearing sneakers to work when I started taking public transportation. My office is seven blocks uphill from my bus stop. Walking in heels was not only bad on my shoes, but also bad on my feet. I keep three pair of pumps in my office and change into my 'work' shoes when I arrive in the morning and out of them when I go home.

User Detail :  

Name : Alicia31408, Gender : F, Age : 31, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Occupation : Attorney, Social class : Middle class, 

[BB23292]

I would have thought the health benefits were obvious. Traditional office shoes are notoriously bad for the feet and back. I would also like to point out that it is becoming more common in the United Kingdom, too. Sneakers are some of the very few flat and comfortable shoes that are fashionable to wear. And the modern styles go very well with suit trousers. I'm not too sure about wearing them with skirts, though!

User Detail :  

Name : BB23292, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 26, City : Edinburgh, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Occupation : PhD Student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Charlie-F]

About 20 years ago, there was a strike by New York City's mass transit workers. Many of the millions who work in Manhattan had to find alternate means to reach their places of employment. This happened in the spring during a period of beautiful weather, so a substantial number of those workers chose to walk. In many cases, this involved walks of five to 10 miles - in some cases, no doubt, even longer. Many women (and some men) who elected to walk wore sneakers to the office, then changed into shoes when they arrived. The strike lasted two or three weeks. By the time it was settled, a new fashion was born - one that remains fairly common in New York City today.

User Detail :  

Name : Charlie-F, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, 

[Cynthia Wilson]

Because they are conflicted, they want comfort yet want to fit in in our male dominated society that demands a woman wear uncomfortable clothing to work. European culture is more sexist than American culture, so women wear sneakers so they won't injure their feet as they walk to work. Once they get there they may injure their feet though by doning those incredibly stupid high heeled shoes. The real question should be why don't women wear comfortable shoes all the time?

User Detail :  

Name : Cynthia Wilson, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 38, City : Denver, State : CO Country : United States, Occupation : programmer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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