Do you wear high heels for work?

[grumpyoldmareneedstea]

Partly inspired by the school uniform thread and partly by my binge watching of The Apprentice over the last week.

The female Apprentice candidates all still seem to wear high heels for each challenge (in my straw poll of the last three series). I’m not sure why. It I was quite surprised as I though business wear for women had moved on from this. I’m an HCP so trainers are the show of choice at my work, obviously!

So I’m curious: How many of you still wear heels to work, and those that do, is it a choice or expectation?

(this is not a judgemental thread at all, BTW)

I usually live in my Doc Martins in winter but sometimes wear platform boots. I have never worn stilettos.

Summer I wear flat or block heeled sandals

I haven't owned a pair of high heels since I was 17 when my one and only ever time wearing them left me unable to the bus stop from where I'd been out. I've lived in flats every since.

Yes and I don't even own a pair of flats to be honest. I like a bit of a heel on things.

No, I wear safety boots at work - H&S would want to have a word if I wore high heels on the factory floor

I think I've only worn heels about 3 times in my life anyway (prom, when I was a bridesmaid, and at my 18th birthday though I took them off after a while), I like my feet too to do them harm.

Id love to wear high heels at work. Im a shoeholic.
Sadly I work in the NHS and I have to wear sad sensible black lace up flats. They crush my soul.

Kitten heels are extremely fashionable and on trend, but I suspect the trainers all the way gang are not quite the fashionistas like us 💁🏼‍♀️

Does it not bother you that the people you’re meeting think you look old-fashioned, and is if you’re cosplaying Nineties Ideas of Female CEO Wear?

I keep mine at the office, and wear them most days with trousers, ankle grazers or paper bag usually. I’m short and like the boost and shoes are my absolute favourite thing and guilty pleasure. I couldn’t care less if ppl think I’m old fashioned or the high of fashion, my collection of very expensive stilettos will be prized out of my cold dead hands

did you mean to be quite so rude?

Not 'heels' (I didn't wear heels to work 20 years ago either though, mostly knee-boots with a knee-length dress and a jacket) - but I'm quite short so I do have office footwear with either a small platform or a wedge heel.

Never worn them in my 14 year office career so far. I now go into the office once a month and no one wears heals. I wear boots or converse.

Even back in the late 90s with a job that required very nice suits, I wouldn’t subject myself to the sexist, impractical of high heels. I need to work and function not worry about my clothing or my shoes.

Never wore heels in my workplace. Not really practical in infant classrooms.

Agree with PPS that heels are a dated look.

Clearly you have some serious issues (apart from the rudeness). I can assure you that most of the people I meet with are similarly smartly dressed, and I've never been in any meeting with someone wearing trainers. I regularly present at conferences where other female leaders are dressed the same, and am often spoken of as elegant and intimidating, which suits me just fine.

No never worn heels at work for desk days or ‘practical’ days . No one does in our sector (arts) though they might dress very fashionably / trendily / sophisticatedly or else casual. (And may need to wear steels more often than heels)

The last time I wore heels for the day (with no change of shoes) I had to run across Whitehall with my heels in my hand. Turning up with my heels in my hand, scrambling outside the main doors to put them on, was the most mortifying experience of my life and I shall never recover.

I have heels under my desk for if I have to meet a Minister. Otherwise I spend the day in trainers. Easier to run in. 😂

Not in the slightest. My legs look marvellous in high heels 😂

Highly corporate city office. I wear flat loafers or very low block heels. No one is in proper heels.

No. I am in my sixties and regard heels as incredibly dated and old fashioned.

I was utterly devoted to heels till I was in my late 30’s. I barely wore flats. Fortunately they started to fade from fashion at exactly the same time as I had a major bunion operation and swore off them for good ( not that they cause bunions but they’re uncomfortable after the correction). I do sometimes wear kitten sling backs now but mostly flats.

For us (central London, multinational), herls a clear indicator of age and grade in the organisation. Heels are generally 40+ and below senior level. Woman at senior level hardly ever wear heels, neither do younger women.
Suit + heels: likely reception staff
oxfords or nice trainers: generally senior management

I do! I’m 39, one step down from ExCo in a big financial services company. I don’t wear pointy patent court shoes, more of a chunky round toe Mary Jane style. Most of the women do including our CEO. No official dress code but no one is wearing trainers in the senior levels.

I used to love heels and had so many pairs, some ridiculously high.

Stopped wearing them about a decade ago and since lockdown I don’t own shoes. I live and die in Adidas

I wear heels every day for work. I’m too short to reach the top of the whiteboard without them and I’m considerably shorter than many of my students!

High heels are not dated and old fashioned. They are elegant and classic, but obviously not for many of the British women on MN who jump on complaining about feeling frumpy.