I’m 5ft 2 and have been picked on for being ‘short’ – I found a trick to make my legs look longer

WE frown when babies don’t reach the 19th percentile.

We coax kids into eating by telling them how big and strong they’ll grow, while warning teens that cigarettes stunt growth.

At 5ft 2in, I have faced subtle prejudice because of my height my entire life

After years of suffering from ‘heightism’, I’ll try anything

I really believe the world hates a shorty.

At 5ft 2in, I have faced subtle prejudice because of my height my entire life.

I have to stand on tiptoes to see in a public bathroom mirror, any trousers I buy mean I also pay a seamstress “tax”, and my car seat is pulled as far forward as it will go so my ickle-bickle leggies reach the pedals.

No one takes a “little girl” seriously at work, either. How can someone the size of a child be trusted with business decisions?

The amount of times I’ve heard, “Are you OK down there?” Of course, I laugh, but it stings a little — just like when a wedding photographer plucks the shorty from the middle row of the group shot and moves them to the front with the children.

Yes, women can wear heels, but at 5ft 2in, a three-inch heel doesn’t cut the mustard — especially when your 5ft 8in friends don stilettos.

Last week, I noticed 5ft 7in Hollywood star Tom Cruise had stacked his shoes as he flirted with a glam 5ft 9in Kate Middleton at the recent Top Gun premiere, oozing with confidence as he stood with royalty.

You had to look closely to see he was wearing man heels. But despite his success, handsome looks, charisma and money, the 59-year-old clearly feels he needs to fake his height — it’s one thing money cannot buy.

And hyping height is not just something men do. TikTok is awash with women trying height-boosting insoles, using the hashtags #heightincrease, #heightproblems and #insoles. A quick Google gives you umpteen options of slip-ins to make you taller.

BUSINESS MEETING

If it’s good enough for Tom, and the rest of them, it’s got to be worth a try. After years of suffering from “heightism”, I’ll try anything.

For just £9.99 on Amazon, I clicked to buy. The insoles are actually five detachable layers of gel pads for each foot, each adding 0.24in to your height, so promising an overall boost of 1.18in when piled on top of one another.

So, will I suddenly be able to wear jeans without the hems dragging on the floor? Will people notice me more, now I’m a bit taller? Will they stop treating me like a child?

For my first trial, I head off with the dog, in sensible walking shoes. The pads stay in place, and when I get back I switch the pads over to some nicer trainers.

I spend some time getting used to how they feel as I mooch around the house — until I look more closely at the box and realise I have them upside down.

I restack the layers and begin again. Much better. They are soft and springy. I’m as tall as I am in heels but don’t feel like a trapeze artist trying to walk in them.

I try the look with some roll-up, “ankle-grazing” jeans which, on me, graze the floor — jeans are always an issue for petite people.

The difference is immediately noticeable. My ankles finally see sunlight. For the first time ever, I feel I have long legs, and it improves my outfit.

Later, I head out in the car for a business meeting. I’m wearing a maxi dress, which usually pairs better with heels, but the lifts mean I get the casual look of trainers without stepping on the dress hem.

I definitely feel taller. My colleague doesn’t notice my growth spurt, but I’m mostly sitting down.

Once I’m home, I hug my husband to demonstrate my reachability. He reassures me I’m not that short, anyway. I’ve bewitched him, poor chap. He has no idea about the boost in my shoes.

Next, I head to the super-market. If you’re small, you’ll know shops stack stuff high and deep to save aisle space. If you’re tall, you’ve probably never noticed.

As I walk there, I decide to see if my extra height makes me more attractive.

I smile inanely as men walk by. The first guy beams in return, but I’m not surprised — he’d totally be punching. The next guy looks terrified.

Whether it’s my new height or my crazed smiles that have caused it, I’m certainly being noticed.

Once I get to the shop, it’s mostly OAPs so I give up trying to entice the opposite sex. Instead, I test out the shelves and, hurrah, I can finally reach the bagels.

That evening, I plan to head out for a drink to see if I can finally catch a busy barman’s attention — as opposed to getting, literally, overlooked. I switch the insoles into my high heels, delighted at the thought of reaching the dizzy height of 5ft 6in.

It’s wonderful adding those extra inches — I feel like my whole posture changes as my confidence is lifted.

But there is one problem — the insoles lift my feet out of my shoes, and the backs of the shoes won’t stay on. I try a few other heels but it simply doesn’t work.

The insoles fit fine in trainers but when it comes to dainty shoes there isn’t enough room for both foot and insole. I feel like one of Cinderella’s ugly sisters.

MORE CONFIDENT

Disheartened, I abandon my mission. I must accept that the new additions best suit a trainer, marking them out for day wear.

But casual chic is in, and the insoles do make me feel taller and more confident. 

They are not something you can wear all day, though — after a while, my toes feel bruised from being pushed down my shoes.

And if you want to wear them in heels, you’d have to buy a bigger size of shoe.

For now, I’ll stick to wearing them for my supermarket shop — it’s life-changing being able to reach those higher shelves.

The insoles do make me feel taller and more confident

insoles are actually five detachable layers of gel pads for each foot, each adding 0.24in to your heightFashion – The Sun