Will we ever wear heels again?

[FieldOverFence]

Scrolling through some online shopping outlets at the minute, looking for some cozy winter jumpers, and i saw a photo of a model in nice jeans, said cozy jumper, and a pair of high heeled pumps ...and it just struck me as weird

I've been working from home since covid kicked in, and used to wear block heeled boots to the office, or wedge sandals, or t-bar pumps, but now obvisouly haven't worn anything like that since March .... and even (before current lockdown) when going out for dinner or whatever, i've pretty much only been wearing flats.

Something has kind of "clicked" with me, and I now look at heels and think "why on earth would wear I those" ..... comfort has now become my number 1 priority, and i can't imagine going back to heels, even if we return to the office at some point next year !

Anyone else feel the same ? Has working from home (for those who are doing it) permantly changed how you view footwear ? Is the high heel industry now doomed because of Covid ?

I can’t see myself wearing them everyday as I used to. I wear Stan Smiths, Superga, brogues and biker boots for work now. It doesn’t stop me being able to teach or care for 32 children!
I threw lots of shoes out during the first lockdown, keeping a few heeled pairs that are definitely only for special occasions (when we get round to celebrating those again).

I was just looking at long brown boots as I usually get a pair for winter, and also saw a pair of smart black knee high boots, I wear these all the time at work during the winter, so put those in my basket too. I sat and thought 'why would I buy either' it's highly unlikely I'll wear the smart black boots as I'll be working from home for the foreseeable and I hardly go out so no need for new boots. I live in trainers and jeans at the moment

I don’t know anyone who would be seen dead in a pair these days.

Heels are passé since the 80s imho

There you go, OP. You’ve brought out all the heel haters.

Ask yourself this: is the particular style you’re debating flattering and attractive? If yes, and not just in your humble opinion but in the opinion of the people who buy clothes, design clothes and edit fashion magazines, then the style will come back into fashion. Ditto tailoring. I suspect that in ten years’ time we’ll be looking back at 2020 and wondering why everyone wanted to wear the sartorial equivalent of a baby gro and bootees.

Threads like this always go on a particular way. Anybody who disapproves of make up, attractive sexy clothes, heels etc. sticks the boot into women who wear those things. Why won’t they just wear Birkenstocks and beige tents to make you feel better about yourself?

Since lockdown I’ve embraced barefoot and started wearing barefoot shoes. Just given away all my heels as my feet have settled and wouldn’t fit in them anymore.
Most young women I see haven’t been wearing heels for quite some time, only ever in the media.

God no. I haven't worn them since my mid 40's when I eventually realised I can't walk in the bloody things. I've got a gorgeous collection including Christian louboutin amd Jimmy choos that I'm going to symbolically hand over to my teenage daughter on her 16th birthday who am I kidding? She's wearing them now at14.

As soon as ankle boots with everything came into fashion I embraced it and apart from when I'm wearing knee length boots, loafers, ballet pumps and sketchers...I'm in ankle boots.

My legs look so untoned since I stopped wearing heels frequently! Makes me sad

I did wear heeled sandals occasionally in summer. Sometimes heeled boots or platform dr martens, but it does feel like a faff compared to trainers.

I'm never wearing heels again.

Any work dress code that required be to would be a deal breaker for me. I'll go and work for someone else.

I can’t be bothered with heels since wfh but being 5ft I feel I’ll need to wear them when in the office and if I ever get a night out again.

@Cathytotters

I love my heels! Love the delicacy a lovely pair of heels brings to the way I carry myself when wearing them. Don’t get the passe comments at all, never retro always classic!

this is a classic example of when we should ask ourselves, 'are the men worrying about this?' ...and the answer of course, is no. No man would ever sacrifice his comfort or mobility in order to carry themselves in a more delicate way. Our bodies are not for decoration ffs. Colour, pattern, texture, shape...all fun to play with, all artistic/aesthetic, no problem. But please let's not cripple ourselves.

I miss my heels. I'm a lockdown sahm, I bought a chunky pair of military boots, which I love, to chase after my toddler. I just wear those, trainers and flat walking boots at the moment. I might wear a nice pair of heels when I next have to go to the supermarket!

My husband is exactly my height - haven't worn heels since I married him!!!

StillWeRise:

“this is a classic example of when we should ask ourselves,
'are the men worrying about this?'
...and the answer of course, is no. No man would ever sacrifice his comfort or mobility in order to carry themselves in a more delicate way. Our bodies are not for decoration ffs. Colour, pattern, texture, shape...all fun to play with, all artistic/aesthetic, no problem. But please let's not cripple ourselves.”

My love of heels is nothing to do with men, I don’t mention them in my post. Colour, pattern, texture and shape are ok....but our bodies are not for decoration? I wear heels because I want to wear heels, is there a more liberated or feminist expression of liberation or feminism than a woman doing what she wants regardless of stereotyping or imposed expectations from whatever gender? Believe it or not I’m smart enough not to cause myself physical harm from any form of clothing, not bad for dizzy heels wearer.

Nicely done, @Cathytotters

@StillWeRise what an odd post. What has how a woman feels about a pair of heels got to do with men? Why even mention them?

Women telling other women what they should and should not do/feel about their body/clothes/how they carry themselves is no better than a man doing the same imo.

Heels have never made sense to me, nor pointy shoes. Why would I pay to give myself bunions? I wear barefoot shoes now and they are sooo much more comfortable and it just seems to make more sense to wear shoes that are the natural shape of feet rather than making your feet shoe-shaped

I don’t care what anyone else wears but I think heels look really dated now. Doubtless they’ll come back into fashion again at some point but they definitely look odd right now.

I'm really actually missing wearing my heels. I took them out and tried them on yesterday, and I looked instantly better, stopped slouching. They do have a place in my life, just not had the opportunity to wear them. I have taken out my heeled boots though.

I don’t think heels look dated at all. I’m in my early 20s and we definitely still wear them. Just scrolled down my Instagram timeline and found many recent posts of people wearing heels (inc influencers). I guess it depends on what your idea of “heels” are though, as I probably wouldn’t buy the same styles as someone older

Absolutely agree @throwaway10000 I'm not sure where people are getting 'dated' from. If someone is talking about a pair of stilettos from 1984 then yes, they will look dated. But a pair of high heels that someone of your age may buy now will be a completely different shape and style and will look pretty different. DD mostly wears trainers but will sometimes wear heels in a night out (remember them? 🙄) but they are very different from the shoes I have in my wardrobe which probably look dated to her. Shoes are like everything else aren't they - styles go in and out but there's a place for most.

I love heels. However, I haven’t worn heels since March and therefore, I am probably out of practice.

I’m 25 and think heels in the office/for everyday are dated. I was watching Peep Show and Gavin & Stacey recently and all of their clothes look so dated, it’s like that. Early 2000s vibe.

I don’t think they’re dated for clubbing/formal events but still wouldn’t wear them myself.

Haven’t worn heels in more than 30 years but, alas, I have slight bunions which are all about heredity. I love my collection of flat boots and shoes but on the rare occasion I’m invited to a formal ‘do’ like a wedding, it’s a headache. Formal clothes make me look like a maiden aunt anyway, but what flat shoes ever invented actually work with cocktail dresses etc?

I think the current trend for flat shoes and hiking boots is a direct reaction against the mega-high 5 inch platform stilettos of the 2010s. When I was at uni in the early noughties, heels were about 3 inches and I could walk in them with ease. Then they got higher and higher and less and less comfortable. Lockdown is a freak occurrence in modern terms (yes, I know, Spanish flu etc etc) and has thrown fashion cycles off, but we’re basically back at early 90s grunge and DMs. I would have expected heels to start sneaking back in - mid-90s kitten heels, maybe! However, I have no idea what effect the pandemic will have on fashion - maybe we’ll see true change and innovation.

I still wear heels when I go in to work.

I wouldn't be seen dead in DMs, at work, home, or anywhere else.