Asian Heels and Other Shoe Sightings from Asia

November 8, 2011 4 Comments

Here are some shoe sightings I’ve spotted on my travels in Asia. Asian women are some of the most beautiful and well dressed ladies in the entire world. So what do they wear on their feet? Here are some Asian heels and other types of shoes. If you like shoes and ladies then dating Asian ladies could be the greatest thing you ever do!

And if you want to see more Asian street fashion, then the best place to visit is of course Japan. South Korea ranks a distant second. In third place is China, especially the larger cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou (Canton) and Shenzhen.

The stylish streets of Tokyo are simply the best place to see great footwear being worn on the street. Japanese office ladies love fashionable shoes, and they’ll often spend a good part of their weekend pounding the streets of Shibuya in search of the latest fashion accessory.

A typically amazing pair of stilettos of the type you'll see on the streets of stylish Tokyo

China is becoming wealthy, and the stiletto heel is rapidly becoming a status symbol. Sadly Chinese sidewalks and the often hostile weather mean that shoes don’t have a long life here. Surprisingly for the shoe manufacturing capital of the world, good shoes are quite expensive in China, so it’s not surprising so many of the wealthier families make shopping trips to Europe and other destinations.

High heels are a common site in China, and they're very much a fashion statementq

High heels are a common sight in China, and they're very much a fashion statement

All types of high heel shoes are popular in China. As far as tall shoes go, I saw a lot of platform wedges while I was last in Guangzhou. I wasn’t sure why they were so popular until the night of a huge tropical storm turned the sidewalks and roads into rivers. So while I was forced to walk around on tip-toes, the girls wearing platform shoes and sandal wedges like those below were well prepared for the raging torrents.

Wedge heels are particularly popular in Southern China

One type of shoe that’s quite common in China but rare in other parts of the world is the platform/wedge flip-flop. These are available in various colors, and a yellow version is show in the photo below. These shoes keep the feet away from the nasty stuff that’s lurking on many Chinese sidewalks, as well as allow the girl wearing them to gain an inch or two in height.

Platform heels and platform flip-flops are a way to cope with tropical downpours in Chinese cities like Canton

What Legwear to Wear With Heels?

As a man I’d have to say that one of my best memories of Japan are the large numbers of lovely Asian ladies walking around in thigh high and other knee length or over the knee socks. I’ve seen other women in Asia wear them, but they’re not nearly as popular in China as they are in Japan or South Korea.

Thigh highs and heels are a very common sight in Japan

If it’s cold in Japan, a lady will often put on a pair of thigh high stockings, but she’ll be reluctant to ditch the miniskirt or short pants. Sadly pants are more common in China, which is a shame because Chinese ladies arguably have the best legs on the planet.