Random Impractical Footwear Sported By Superheroes (15 items)

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  (#7) Emma Frost

  • Wolverine and the X-Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: First Class, Generation X, Marvel Universe

  Emma Frost has the unique ability to take the skimpy, male-gaze-intended garb of the stereotypical superheroine and absolutely own it. As one of mutant-kind's resident psychic powerhouses, Frost can get away with her underwear- and corset-heavy wardrobe - and that goes double for her love of thigh-high boots.

  However, in Grant Morrison’s New X-Men - right around the time that Emma switches to a more daring platform heel - it's revealed that Frost has a secondary mutation that can turn her skin to diamond at will. This leads to her actually engaging in the martial side of superheroics a lot more than she did in the past. But she still hasn't made the switch to a more comfortable choice of footwear.
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  (#6) Batgirl

  • Batman, The Batman, Fight Batman Fight!, Batman & Robin, DC Universe

  The fact that Barbara Gordon wears overly exaggerated heels in her Detective Comics #359 debut is no surprise. After all, DC Comics wanted to emphasize the femininity that set their new Batgirl apart from the already established Batman and Robin. That she keeps those same bright yellow boots well into the modern era of the new millennium, however, is reason for more than a few raised eyebrows.

  Whereas Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and the rest of the Bat-Family do battle with the ne'er-do-wells of Gotham City in custom-made combat boots, Gordon apparently insists on adding a few inches of heel to the equation. While this might seem like an issue for one who spends so much time leaping from building to building, it hasn't tripped her up yet. Barbara has to wait until she moves to Burnside in 2013 to swap out her original kicks for a more contemporary set of steel-toes.
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  (#12) Supergirl

  • Supergirl, Movie 43, DC Universe

  DC Comics' New 52 reboot in 2011 brought about new status quos - and new costumes - for all of the heroes and villains in its catalogue. While most of these changes were well-received, others were not - and Kara Zor-El takes a notable loss in the fashion department.

  In an effort to get away from her traditional skirted look, the New 52 Supergirl combines a bikini bottom with thigh-high boots that inexplicably fail to cover her knees. Though mobility is the presumptive reason for the cutout section, that doesn’t seem like it should be an issue for someone who spends much of her time flying through the air - nor does it seem like it should necessitate leaving her knees completely exposed. These days, the boots have been quietly retired to the back of Kara's closet.
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  (#15) Wolverine

  • X-Men: First Class, Superhero Movie, Hulk Vs, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Wolverine, X-Men, X-Men: The Last Stand, X2, Marvel Universe

  Ever since Wolverine's Marvel Comics debut, his costume has been needlessly pointy - most prominently in the case of his mask, which inexplicably exaggerates his already preposterous hairstyle. For an equally inane reason, Logan's boots often feature a motif similar to his iconic 'do - and some artists choose to take this extraneous fabric to the extreme.

  Following 1993's "Fatal Attractions" crossover - in which Magneto rips the adamantium right from Wolverine's bones - the character spends a portion of time as a feral mutant. During this period, Logan swaps out his mask for a bandana and starts to speak in grunts and growls - and, rather illogically, his knee extensions also grow to ridiculous proportions. It’s hard to imagine Feral Wolverine not constantly tripping over himself.
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  (#10) Wonder Woman

  • Justice League Unlimited, Wonder Woman, Batman vs. Superman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Justice League: Doom, Wonder Woman, Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics, Movie 43, Wonder Woman, Justice League: New Frontier, DC Universe

  Wonder Woman has gone through her fair share of costumes over the years, but the presence of boots has been relatively consistent - except for a brief period in the Silver Age when she switches to a pair of strappy sandals that appear to offer absolutely no ankle support. Traditionally, that's important to have when engaging in mortal combat.

  Despite the obvious flaw in their design - and the fact that they often appear more as flats than sandals - Diana of Themyscira wears the needlessly complicated shoes from 1949 until the mid-'60s, when she finally returns to boots that are far more suitable for butt-kicking.
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  (#5) Iron Man

  • Iron Man: Armored Adventures, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, The Super Hero Squad Show, The Incredible Hulk, Ultimate Avengers, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, Iron Man 3, Iron Man, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Avengers, Iron Man 2, Planet Hulk, The Invincible Iron Man, Ultimate Avengers 2, Marvel Universe

  Tony Stark has contributed plenty of world-changing inventions to the Marvel Universe, but his rocket-powered roller skates are definitely not among them. The skates first show up way back in 1963's Tales of Suspense #40 - in which Stark develops them for a presumably confused military - but he soon finds an excuse to incorporate them into his Iron Man armor.

  Stark can be seen rocketing around on his skates well into the '70s and '80s in various Avengers comics - well past the date at which such accessories would be socially acceptable. That's to say nothing of the fact that a man who regularly flies around via rocket power has absolutely no need to then apply that technology to roller skates. Then again, inexplicability has never stopped Tony Stark before.

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