Why the Red Heel logo?

Within the last 5 years we have had lots of questions and comments about our logo that includes a red stiletto with slick elegant heel. Some people get the symbolic meaning right and they love it, some hate it. Literally hate it. It bothers them so much that they spend the time to share it with us via email or Twitter. I’ve heard the concerns people have raised about excluding women who don’t wear heels or promoting the unhealthy act of wearing heels.

So, I thought it was high time to explain the meaning of the red heel. If you are one of those people who has concerns about our logo, thanks for visiting and giving us a chance to explain!

For me, the colour red means power. It means fire, action, strength, control, influence, authority and inspiration. The heel is a symbol of women and their feminine strengths. Did you know that heels were originally created and worn by men, and used in the 16th century by Persian soldiers on horseback? Of course, they are mostly worn by women these days, and I know there are exceptions! We certainly don’t exclude women who do not wear heels (I hardly wear them at all, and our Managing Editor Leanne refuses to wear them, period!) but it is a very powerful symbol of femininity; of women in general.

So this is the symbolic meaning of our red heel logo: “powerful” + “women”.

The Leaders in Heels community and magazine have been created to nurture, inspire and empower all female leaders and entrepreneurs in practical ways (not to wear heels, although I still love wearing them every now and then). Our mission is to increase the representation of female leaders and give women the choice and opportunities to design the life they want. We want to give them freedom to work in areas that are still mainly represented by men like STEM industries, or in the boardroom. Our red heel logo means freedom. It means having control of your own life. It means creating the life you want, rather than living someone else’s dream. Leaders in Heels (powerful women) are authentic leaders and they are not afraid to embrace their true unique female strengths.

To learn more about who Leaders in Heels are please refer to our Manifesto for more inspiration.

I would love to hear your thoughts no matter whether you love or hate our red heel logo :) Let the debate begin!

With love,

Kasia