Are high heels becoming obsolete?

[SlipperOrchid]

I rarely wear anything except flats anymore. It wasn't intentional, simply practical footwear for chasing young children around.

However, more often than not, if I was going out for the evening, I wore mid heels as I felt more 'dressed up' in them. My heels were neither comfortable nor uncomfortable although if I had to choose, I will say the latter as when I got home I kicked them off

My social life has changed from late nigh bars to restaurants and putting on heels to go and sit down with my feet under a table seems bordering on insanity.

Trainers are now more popular than ever. I have over ten pairs and wear them daily apart wearing flat boots when it rains (like today!).

I follow En Brogue and she never wears heels and although I know this started for medical reasons, her choice of flat shoes makes perfect sense for everyone.

At the weekend, I had a great seat by an upstairs window in a coffee shop in a capital city where I spent over an hour people watching. Everyone was wearing flat shoes or trainers. I saw one woman who clumped around rather ungracefully in heeled boots and she stood out quite a lot.

Afterwards | went shoe shopping (for a pair of loafers in Aldo) and noticed for the first time that the section for 'high heels' was tiny.
Am I simply totally unstylish these days? Do many of you still wear heels? Or have heels had their day?

I should add that I under 5ft 3" and always liked feeling taller in heels :).

Bunnybod, yes I agree about the Stan Smith or Birkies, not sure about Hotter though

I've never felt an expectation to wear heels- I wear them for special occasions and nights out because they are fashionable and because I like the way they lengthen the legs and make me feel dressed up. Never for work/shopping etc. because they aren't comfy enough. It has never occurred to me that I could be looked at as being unfeminine or otherwise for wearing flat shoes- even for quite dressy occasions I've worn flats if I have felt that I would be walking far or standing for long periods.

You can't deny that a high heel is flattering though, and I know a few men who like the height a hell gives them!

Bunnybob, I don't know any men who wear heels! My life is so boring...

I remember reading articles in the 90s predicting the end of fashion because women would never again choose to wear anything but combats, DMs and a denim jacket.

Pendulum.

I’ve worn flats everywhere from job interviews to weddings and of course I welcome that employers can no longer enforce them. But this thread is also about women wearing flats socially. If this were truly being driven by liberation rather than fashion then I don’t think we’d have so many threads from posters anxious about whether their trainers and sandals are acceptable.

Absolutely agree with Floisme. In 20 years skyscraper heels will be back again, just like trainers are now like they were in the 90s. It's just fashion.

And Claudia and Tess would look way dumpier in flats than heels! Heels literally elongate the leg visually by making the distance from the ground to the hip longer. I don't know how anyone can dispute that?! (The ankle strap is a separate matter, not that I think Tess is particularly affected by it in this instance)

Tess’ legs look dumpy in that pic? You’re having a laugh

Heels literally elongate the leg visually by making the distance from the ground to the hip longer. I don't see how anyone can dispute that?
No one's really disputing it, it's just that more and more women don't give a single fuck.

If you're talking to me then of course I was having a laugh, I was trying to get Expletive to see what a ridiculous thing it was to say that Tess Daley looks to have dumpy legs in that picture! Her legs are so slim she can wear an ankle strap without looking in the least bit dumpy- it's not something she ever needs to think about!

Kylie showing how it’s done (in my opinion).

Hopefully attached this time!

Oh I give up. She looked great in her heels though 😂

They look stumpy because it looks as though she hasn't really got any feet rather than because her legs look short.

This is an interesting thread; I always assumed that because I’d moved to the country, had kids and got older in the last couple of decades that my move to loafers, pumps and trainers was a natural result of old age and creaky joints. Now I realise that I’ve been rocking it in my Air Force Ones and leopard print flats without even realising. Result 👊

Ps I never go out in heels anymore, and office wear is always flat too. Am thinking about women who do wear heels and they do look dated, not to mention somewhat ungainly!

Lol BunnyBob I totally didn't read your second post as a follow up to your first! Sorry!

If women don’t give a fuck any more how come these boards are overrun with threads about which trainers are cool enough / not too cool?

The levels of anxiety seem higher than ever. In some ways I think the modern dress code is even harder to navigate than the old one.

If you look at any website selling shoes you'll see they stock roughly 50/50 flats and heels so I don't think they are quite obsolete yet. I still think the trainer fad at the moment is just a fashion trend, and probably one that's here to stay for a long time, not anything to do with a feminist footwear revolution.

Back in the early 90's as a teen/20 something I never wore heels, ever. It was Doc Martens, Kickers or trainers. Towards the end of the 90's they went out of fashion and it was all chunky block heeled ankle boots and higher block heels for nights out- you never saw a stiletto in those days except on unfashionable middle aged women- how times change- fast forward to the 2000's and everyone was wearing Jimmy Choo style heels again and high wedges. Fashion is always being recycled-just with a twist.

When I said there's no going back I meant on a personal level, not that fashion will never go back. There will always be women who are prepared to suffer for the sake of fashion, thankfully I'm no longer one of them.

Apparently Claudia and Tess walk onto the set in their slippers and transfer into heels just for filming.

I am old. Fashion is cyclical.

No bunny I didn’t mean you, I realised you were being sarcastic.
Someone did say that her legs looked stumpy in the ankle straps though and I think they were being serious. Her legs are as far from stumpy as is possible!

I really hope so. So dated and the images of women in them that were/are forced down our throats by the media are always 🤮 to me.

On reflection I don’t think this is just about shoes. Most of fashion is more casual now but the rules are still there - just less transparent.

Ten years ago no-one wore jeans in my workplace. Now lots of people do but only a certain type of jean. This though is never explained and the dress code bottles it completely and just witters about looking appropriate. You have to figure it out for yourself.

I sometimes go to events where once I’d have just reached for a dress or even a suit. Now I have to find an outfit that conveys competence but also looks approachable and cool - and heaven forbid if it ends up too try-hard.

Now I happen to like thinking about this stuff and I still find it a pain in the arse sometimes. It must be an absolute nightmare if you don’t enjoy it. Not liberating at all.

I agree Floisme - see my latest post re Dress code: Lounge Suit! Cocktail/business/summer party - I am struggling and I know I’ll end up buying a dress I’ll never wear again! But why does an invite only refer to menswear, isn’t that s little dated? Googling for advice has left me very clear on requirements for men but for woman it’s all a little foggy.

I think it's all a bit ambiguous for women these days. You can't rely on dress codes to turn up dressed perfectly. From my wardrobe, I would probably choose a sheeny fitted cocktail dress, sling a sweater over it, and take it off if the room was warm, using the sweater as a scarf, with minimalist heels (which I'd have to buy for the event). In winter, I would wear boots.

I've just watched Melania sinking into the grass in stilettos. Mad.