Can you regularly stand all night in 6 inch pumps (no platform) as a cocktail waitress?

Ouch. Men suck. I know, I’m one of the gender. I know we never could do that. Why we ask that of you is beyond me.

Those look painful…

I’d say see how it goes and if it gets too much till you can’t physically do it anymore, then quit!

Sounds really painful to me. Like @ruby12 I’d see how it goes and take it from there.
You could try to get those “party feet” things which might make a difference, although I’m skeptical.

That reminds me of Chinese foot binding. How many hours a night do you have to do this? What do you do about the advances of the patrons?

I think it’s ridiculous to have to perform in shoes like that. It looks more painful than sexy to me. But hell. You can try it and see if you can stand it. Otherwise, start looking for other work now.

The heels sound physically exploitive at best and dangerous at worst, not unlike the potential patrons you’ll be dealing with. lol

I couldn’t do it for a single minute. It will only take one girl breaking an ankle (I say it will take about a month) and they will rethink the idea. I just don’t want you to be the one with the broken ankle!

This is the equivalent of making a ballerina stand en pointe for 6 hours or binding one’s feet. The damage is considerable and can give you decades of misery and medical difficulties.

One of dozens of articles

”Problems range from common concerns like bunions, corns, and calluses to more complex issues like misshapen hammertoes or that excruciating pain in the ball of the foot that seems to grow worse with each passing year.”

Another article

Blisters, corns, or calluses can develop when high heels throw weight into the ball of your foot.
Lower back pain
can result when your spine bends backwards to compensate the forward push of your body when you walk in heels.
Pain in the ball of your foot, a condition called metatarsalgia, can stem from high heels.
Ankle sprains are more likely because your foot position in heels and the often-narrow heel width can make ankles unstable.
Achilles tendonitis is a risk. Frequent wearing of heels shortens and tightens calf muscles. This can lead to painful inflammation of the Achilles tendon at the back of your heel.
Benign tumors of nerves, called neuromas, can grow between toes. Symptoms may include sharp pain and tingling or numbness of the toes.
“Pump bump,” or Hagland’s deformity, has been linked to women who often wear high heels. This painful bump on the back of the heel bone occurs when the bone rubs against the shoe or a narrow, pointed shoe makes toes curl up.

Find another job. I understand that the money is good, but not good enough to turn you into a cripple.

As one who hates seeing women being forced to wear high heels, I wish I had more time to craft a comprehensive reply.

Because I don’t, I’ll just say that I think this could be reportable to OSHA.

Oh dear Lord, that’s physical abuse!! How awful.

Here’s the shoe.

Have the owner wear a pair for several hours.

It really is a monstrous suggestion and borders on the exploitive.

Just looking at them makes me feel in need of a podiatrist.

No, of course not. But c’mon they don’t give a shit about your comfort.

I couldn’t find anything regarding OSHA’s (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards on high heels, but I did find this Article in the Los Angeles Times about women cocktail waitresses in Las Vegas. The article goes on to say that OSHA hasn’t yet dealt with this problem and the best bet, although tenuous at best would be to sue based on sex discrimination (men are not required to wear high heels).

Here is an article from from In These Times in Britain that you might want to read, regarding the safety, or lack thereof, of wearing high heels in the workplace.

Here is some information on which legal statute would be used if you attempted to sue based upon sex discrimination. Unfortunately, it looks like this has not yet been attempted, successfully. But check it out any way. You need to arm yourself with as much legal information as you can.

You might also want to contact OSHA simply to ask them some questions about your situation.

I’m with the camp that says you should start looking for another job now, or risk becoming debilitated when you are older.

@Kardamom

Yeah, I wonder how trying to sue for sex discrimination would work in a sex fantasy industry.
I mean, men arn’t paying to look at waitresses in sweats and tennies after all.
Seems to me this would be like trying to sue a Seafood restaurant for not serving Pizza.lol

@Coloma Yeah, I really have no idea how these things work. I’m guessing that the entertainment industry, and maybe cocktail waitressing or working in strip clubs may be exempt from the usual sex discrimination type of thing.

Does anybody know anything about that? I would be very curious to know. I’m not even sure how to do a Google search for it. Any ideas anybody???

OK, I’m exhausted from looking for some good info, but I did find This from the Brennan Center for Justice. It’s a very good, well informed article and does discuss (just scroll down far enough if you don’t want to read the whole thing) some of the legal ramifications.

I just found another article. This one describes how a female cocktail waitress sued the Sands Hotel and Casino for discriminatory dress codes. You can read it Here

Those thing are meant to be worn for just a few minutes at a time, not for hours of standing. You wouldn’t last and any money you do make will be going towards your medical bill. I say start looking for another gig as soon as you can.

@Coloma and @Kardamom I think if ANY men at the facility are NOT required to wear the same heels as the women are required to wear, that’s where the case is. The heels . . . . (men, not shoes)

Personally, I’d either work two jobs or just suck up the difference in income from one, rather than be exploited by having f-me pumps as part of my work uniform. I was a barmaid/bartender during college, and I would say either the new manager is just plain stupid or trying to sell his waitresses. If the bar is busy enough, he should want drinks delivered quickly and efficiently, which obviously increases profit. I highly doubt anyone could hustle drinks very successfully wearing these. That is what makes me think he is trying to sell you as part of the overall experience of the strip club.
I wouldn’t even try it. Depending on your area, waitress jobs are a dime a dozen. Having experience puts in top of the hiring bracket, imo.
I’d see if he seriously expects you to wear them and if so, I’d tell him to piss off ; )

I’d chat with other waitresses and see if you can talk to management as a group. I’m sure this will impair the efficiency of your being able to serve drinks properly, and that you are not the only one with concerns of injury.

Also, it may be worth looking up and proposing alternatives—are there other fetish footwear that could be more comfortable? This one just seems really extreme. But I can imagine other footwear that could have a similar sexy effect without it being 6 inches and no platform…

(maybe jellies can help search and propose? what’s the rest of your uniform like?)

@lifeflame: Collective bargaining has always been an effective tool in dealing with extreme demands in the workplace.

Perhaps it’s time for a new union; Free our Feet.

I think it’s time to abolish all sexually exploitive industry..heh, in my dreams. lol