Most Impractical Superhero Footwear

Bruce Wayne gives his young ward, Dick Grayson, the costume in 1940’s style.Detective Comics#38 has major issues; the footwear is one of them. Batman sends Robin on nighttime missions in pixie booties. These fit loose and offer no protection or support.

The Boy Wonder fights villains in slippers for hundreds of issues and decades. This lasts through his time with the Teen Titans. Robin wears the silly shoes until he leaves for Nightwing. Then Jason Todd wears his own booties. Only with the third Robin, Tim Drake, does the Dark Knight's sidekick start wearing better footwear.

Tyroc’s footwear is maybe the least strange part of his costume. Tyroc's loose, oddly pointed workout booties are very bizarre. He debuted in 1976'sSuperboy#216. Tyroc is a problem from the start. The uncomfortable design fits Troy Stewart of Marzal Island perfectly.

Tyroc's booties suit only deep squats. No part of his outfit helps with physical activity. He dresses for an '80s workout video, not for saving the world with the Legion of Super-Heroes. Later, Tyroc gets a less revealing costume. Still, he remains in the pile of bad comic book ideas.

WatchmenSilk Spectre II is a classic comic. Its heroes' costumes do not always match the story's time period. Silk Spectre II fights with Doctor Manhattan and Nite Owl in stylish but unsupportive stilettos.

Stilettos have long been femme fatale trademarks. They fail for running, leaping, or spin-kicks. These actions are standard for non-powered crimefighters. Laurie Jupiter bolts into a fire while wearing footwear that gets her booted from any job site. Fire marshals object.

Black Canary’s iconic high-heeled leather boots appeared in her look since her 1969 debut.Justice League of America#74 includes fishnets that match perfectly. Dinah Lance's style is a fashion win. However, these heels are a bad choice for a Justice League member who uses martial arts. Six-inch heels might cause problems for roundhouse kicks.

Black Canary tested practical outfits over time. She always returns to the thigh-high look quickly. She can punt villains in the face in high heels. She can do this with any footwear. Her sonic scream backs her up if the heels fail.

Tony Stark created many world-changing inventions for the Marvel Universe. His rocket-powered roller skates do not count among them. The skates first appeared in 1963.Tales of Suspense#40 shows Stark developing them for a confused military. Stark soon finds a way to put them into his Iron Man armor.Iron Man armor.

Stark rocked around on his skates into the '70s and '80s in various Avengers comics.AvengersComics showed Stark using rocket power. He had no reason to add roller skates. Still, Tony Stark never stopped.

Barbara Gordon wears exaggerated heels in Detective Comics.Detective Comics#359 debuted because DC Comics wanted to show Batgirl's femininity. DC wanted Batgirl to stand apart from Batman and Robin. She kept those bright yellow boots into the new millennium, though, which caused many raised eyebrows.

Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and the Bat-Family fight Gotham's thugs in custom combat boots. Gordon still adds heel inches. This doesn't stop Barbara. She swaps her original kicks for steel-toes in Burnside in 2013.

Walt Simonson’s run onThe Mighty ThorThe run from 1983-1987 marks a formative period for the God of Thunder. Simonson's fashion cues did not all last. Thor started wearing armored leggings wrapped in too much gold bandaging. This led to kneepads that caused chafing and obstruction.

Thor's kneecap protectors are so big he almosthasThor must show a powerful stance with spread legs. If he moves, his legs will clash. This gear is not practical for an Asgardian, nor would a Viking use it.

Emma Frost takes the skimpy, male-gaze-intended superhero garb and owns it. As a mutant psychic powerhouse, Frost wears underwear and corset-heavy outfits. Her love for thigh-high boots makes this choice even bigger.

Grant Morrison presents this.New X-Men.Around the time Emma switched to daring platform heels, Frost revealed a secondary mutation. This mutation lets her turn her skin to diamond at will. This lets her fight more on the martial side than before. She still has not switched to easier footwear.

Alison Blaire, as a disco superhero, gets away with fashion choices others would avoid. Dazzler sometimes takes things too far. This happens when Dazzler fights villains on roller skates.

Dazzler's wheeled wonders appear soon after her 1980s debut.X-Men.In #130, Dazzler rides into battle using her sonic abilities. Blaire usually saves her roller skates for stage shows. She fights for the X-Men and A-Force in practical shoes.

Wonder Woman wore many costumes, but boots stayed consistent. She switched to strappy sandals in the Silver Age. These sandals offered no ankle support. That support is important for mortal combat.

Diana of Themyscira wears the complicated 1949 shoes until the mid-'60s. Then, she returned to boots better for kicking.

Attention focuses on Zatanna's fishnets and her lack of pants. Black pumps also became part of her look since her DC Comics debut.Hawkman.#4. Zatanna keeps her costume mostly the same. She fought as a crimefighting magician for years. Zatanna proves she can spit spells in short heels.

The shoes Zatanna wears lack comfort for running, kicking, or jumping. She only uses these skills in emergencies. Most of the time, Zatanna repels evil while standing still. She prefers using her words over her fists, so she wears whatever she wants on her feet.

Jay Garrick, the original Flash from the Golden Age of DC Comics, can keep his look if it doesn't match today. The winged colander he wears on his head might be mid-20th century, but the soft boots he wears are always impractical, especially for a hero constantly running.

High-performance runners use high-tech shoes for support, grip, and protection on pavement. Garrick flies at superhuman speeds in what looks like Uggs. The tiny ankle wings suggest speed, but they are anti-aerodynamic. These wings stick out in modern comic books.

DC Comics' New 52 reboot in 2011 set new standards—new costumes—for all heroes and villains in its catalog. While most changes pleased readers, some disappointed. Kara Zor-El saw a notable drop in fashion.DC Comics' New 52 reboot in 2011 set new standards—new costumes—for all heroes and villains in its catalog.The New 52 changes brought new standards for heroes and villains. Many changes worked well, but others failed. Kara Zor-El took a hit in the fashion department.

To ditch her skirted look, New 52 Supergirl paired a bikini bottom with thigh-high boots that fail to cover her knees. Mobility suggests the cutouts make sense for flight, but leaving knees exposed seems unnecessary. Kara's closet now stores these boots.

Hawkeye's costume uses a heavy purple theme, vague Robin Hood hints, and sometimes a skirt. Hawkeye's footwear always raises questions. Clint Barton’s boots are floppy, reaching their peak in Mark Gruenwald's mid-'80s.Hawkeye is listed in the 'Most Impractical Superhero Footwear'.The solo comic features the Arching Avenger wearing boots he appears to have borrowed from an exotic dancer.

Hawkeye’s boots fold over, nearly tripping him in action scenes. Barton often finds himself in action. As a non-powered Avenger, Hawkeye needs every advantage; he does not need impractical footwear.

Since Wolverine debuted in Marvel Comics, his costume has been needlessly pointy. His mask exaggerates his strange hair. Logan's boots often show a motif like his 'do, and some artists push this fabric to the extreme.

Wolverine follows 1993's "Fatal Attractions". Magneto rips the adamantium from Wolverine's bones in a crossover. Logan spends time as a feral mutant. During this time, Logan swaps his mask for a bandana. He starts speaking in grunts and growls. Also, his knee extensions grow to ridiculous proportions. Feral Wolverine constantly trips over himself.