The Catsuit - Form or Function?

I don't think there is anything on the internet that gets me more riled up than the discussion about whether or not a female protagonist can realistically wear heels and still do awesome stunts and action scenes. I've gotten into many internet debates over this... because I think any woman can kick ass and wear heels, and I'm going to tell you why (minor Dark Knight Rises spoilers ahead)

Several months ago, when Catwoman's costume was shown, there was a pretty big internet outcry about how "once again a female action star is wearing heels" and "sexist costumes" and "isn't Nolan's Bat-verse supposed to be realistic?" It's caught my attention that when a female's costume debuts, the first impulse is to point out impracticalities in it. I think there are two sides to this coin, and as a female, I have no problem explaining why heeled boots work.

I think first and foremost, sometimes it's easy in the movie world to assume "the director wanted this" or "producers think this outfit will make us more money" and while those things may be true, it's helpful to remember that they are still dressing a character. This character may actually prefer this kind of outfit. Catwoman is a perfect example of this. Her character has always been a seductress, using her feminine wiles to distract her targets. If sex appeal and seduction is one of your tools, then doesn't a sexy costume make sense?

I also just extremely dislike the argument that one cannot move in heels for practical reasons. My roommate recently got me into So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). I was already firmly on Teams Heels before watching the show but watching these young women do a variety of dances and flips while wearing strappy stilettos only reinforced my opinion. I personally love heels and while I may not sport them every day and for every occasion, I definitely feel comfortable wearing boot heels (similar to those that Catwoman dons) for extended periods of time. Comfortable may not even cover it... part of me feels more empowered when I can wear some stiletto boots and march down the street knowing that I look good but am still physically capable of running, jumping or climbing even though I'm not nearly as acrobatically adept as Catwoman. I look at Catwoman or the women on SYTYCD and I wonder if they get that some feeling. The feeling that not only are you capable of doing something but that you can still do it while wearing heels makes you that much better, that much stronger. That boost to one's confidence could very well be more than enough to overcome any sort of physical hindrance that the heels may cause.

A big reason why the comments regarding Catwoman's shoes particularly bothered me, was that the shoes were also designed to serve a useful purpose as well. Long before the movie came out, it was said that the Selina Kyle's heels actually hid a blade that she could use in combat. The movie clearly demonstrated this on two occasions: once when she pinned an adversary against a wall with her heel and again when she used the heel blade to kick and cut a rope in order to lower a window washing cart. The shoes clearly had a greater purpose than only being a sexy costume design.

Not comfortable... then again, I accidentally got a kid size...

There is also an aspect of the costume that is supposed to represent a cat-like form. Take Batman, for example. I personally would go crazy if I had to don a cape and a cowl. I hate having my head or arms covered and I tend to get tangled up very easily. I would feel like the cowl limited my visibility and I wouldn't get 2 feet on the Bat-pod without the cape getting caught in my gears. While there are functions of these two costume elements - I would find them much more annoying than useful. However, these design elements help make Batman appear more like the animal from which he derives his name. In the same way, Selina's boots help her appear to have and more of a cat-like swagger. That visual aspect of the costume is important in the transformation from normal person into something more.

What is boils down to in the end is that it's always a choice. I wear heels because I love them. I love the way I look in them and the way they make me feel. I imagine Catwoman makes the same choice for similar reasons. Many people hate to wear heels and, lucky for everyone, they have that choice too.