Are women still expected to wear heels to work in FTSE 100 companies?

[A1Sharon]

I work in a totally different field to office based work so have no idea. But a friend of mine is returning ‘in house’ to a FTSE 100 company and she feels she will definitely be expected to wear heels.
There is no way I could do this! For a night out where there are seats fine, but all day??
I suggested brogues, smart patent loafers, and block heeled versions, so she can be smart but still adhere to the very conservative code she feels these companies have.
If you workhigh up in a top company what do you wear on your feet? Would love to know. Thanks!

Not in my experience. Some do - often who are a bit older, say fifties upwards. Not all do and senior women in forties often in brogues etc. Where heels worn, they are rarely very high I would say. More kitten or low court, block heel ankle boot. That’s my experience in the City at least. Perhaps more likely in client facing situ.

Flat shoes are very common here. I think the key is that they are smart and well looked after. I see all the styles that you've mentioned.

Most women I know will keep a pair of heels under their desk that they can slip on for an important meeting. Not that it's necessary to wear heels for a meeting, but something that may look business- casual with ballerinas can often look "smart" when heels are substituted.

I do think that something like a structured dress + jacket combination worn for an important meeting does work best with at least a low heel. However it's easy to think of outfits that don't call for a heel.

Definitely not. Anything goes, provided smart. I wear heels (in house, FTSE 100 company) because I’m short. I tend to be in the minority though.

I have good flat shoes that i often wear with trousers, and wear most days for the commute and put on heels when i get to the office. (Although i do wear some heels all day long). If you're in an office, you aren't on your feet all day anyway.

Lots of heels are comfortable - get a lower heel (not a 6 inch - a 3 or 4 inch is perfect for offices), a wider heel can be good for lots of standing and walking. And some brands are better than others - I have a baby and a black pair from the same Italian brand that are really great and very smart at the same time - I can wear them literally all day long and continue to an evening event. Whereas others I need to take off after a meeting of 1 hour that I'm sitting down for the whole thing. ...

(Not quite FTSE 100 - but senior civil servant meeting lots of stakeholders and going to lots of EU meetings).

No.
I don't work client facing though. Our office (city financial services head office) is pretty casual in terms of dress & I only wear flats. I do have heels in my locker just in case but they haven't been worn for over a year. I reckon an interview is the only time they might come out.

FTSE30 here and no restrictions on what people wear. Generally most places are much more business casual than they used to be, so smart and presentable is fine but doesn't have to be suited and booted. Like a lot of posters, I keep some smart but low heels in the office to slip into if we have visitors or clients.

no, just smart shoes these days.
Although I am pissed off about dress codes and heels - I got refused entry to a big standard bar in the city after work yesterday because I didn't have heels on. I was more than a little pissed off

FTSE100 and there’s quite an age divide with heels here.

Those over about 35-40 wear heels daily, whereas under that (and definitely under 30) will wear flats, regardless of height.

10 years in banking here, I don’t usually wear heels to work and those that do are definitely in the minority. Most of us do keep a pair under the desk though but they only go on for serious formal meetings. Without wanting to sound too rude, the daily high heel wearers usually fall into two camps- older as they’re following the dress codes of a bygone era or young single admin assistants hoping to bag an investment banker. As for alternative shoes, ballet pumps or brogues are the most popular.

TheHodgeoftheHedge seriously? Wow!

TheHodgeoftheHedge can you name so I can boycott please?

I'm in the office today in a hoodie and trainers as we recently introduced a 'dress for your day' policy.

I often wear killer heels at work because
a) I’m short and like to be able to be within earshot of conversations held standing up
b) it’s easier than finding appropriate flats
C) I couldn’t possibly wear ballet flats without crippling myself with pain.

The amount of actual walking you do in an office working day once you’ve got your morning coffee from the kitchen and changed into your heels is usually minimal: fifty yards down the carpeted corridor to a meeting room, ten yards across to the photocopier, down in the lifts and dash out to Pret for lunch (change back into commuting shoes if you have further to walk), out to the loo once or twice, and otherwise sat on your arse. Much less time on your feet than an average night out.

In my office women aged 18-60 are all equally likely to wear heels I think.

It was the Madison rooftop terrace bar in One New Change, London.
I checked and Their dress code says smart casual, no trainers. But then bouncer minding the q, said they were "under extra pressure due to the popularity of the bar that evening and wouldn't allow less than heels for women". I may have been a little blunt in my language. I was wearing a smart dress and jacket and these shoes because I actually had been in my heels all day and don't expect to cripple myself when I then go for a glass of wine.
www.next.co.uk/xo58118s3#166708

Hope you Tweeted the management about them, Hodge.

I worked in big city firms and wore anything from DMs to high heels. I was in the creative side but I don't refer it being mandatory to wear heels.

When I visit city firms now I see lot more crazy sky high heels with eensy weensy short skirts - which definitely would have had the old boys choking on their tea back in my day.

I’m in a finance atm, and there’s no expectation of heels whatsoever.

FTSE100 and anything from heels to trainers is fine. Non customer facing though.

I’m client facing in a FTSE 30 and I own one pair of work heels for special occasions. I wear usually nice pointy flats or loafers, I quite often meet clients in slim trousers, a nice contrasting jacket and blouse.

I can’t keep up with my male colleagues when walking to meetings in the City in heels so I refuse to hobble myself.

TheHodge Madison is a shite bar, everyone goes to The Ned these days. What a tossed!

Hahahaha yes @rubybleu I was only going as it's where my colleague wanted to go ;)

Oh no I didn’t mean your choice of bar was bad - just that they’re acting very high and mighty for a place that was cool 5 years ago!

Oh I agree 100% with that too! Twats ;)

I didn’t :) flat shoes all the way. I think a couple of the really short women wore high heels, but everybody else was in flats.

Court heels are a bit less common these days and agree with the poster that said a particular demographic tends to wear them.
Smart casual seems to the style choice now and high courts seems to be a bit naff.
Am no fashion expert though.

I think it’s really got a lot better in the last half-decade. Much less of a ‘must’ these days. I think most women keep a pair of heels at the office for smart occasions but even then, a pair of courts will do.