Heels reach new highs
March 28th, 2007Exaggerated heel height continues to make a trendy impact. It seems that 4- to 5-inch stacked-heeled platforms and wedges are destined to remain fashionable for a good deal longer. These new highs are a low point for me. While I’m an enthusiastic promoter of “leg-flattering elevation” (because a pair of heels slims down your curves by adding height), many of the heeled shoes in stores at the moment are frightening.
I adore flat shoes, but enjoy a stable 2 inch heel when I feel it enhances my outfit. These days I’m often attracted to a fabulous shoe, but then inhibited by the heel height. This is especially a challenge because it’s a dress season, and dresses look nicer with some sort of heel. Shoes for Spring are for the most part either really low or ultra high with very little in-between. I draw the line at comfortable 3 inch heels that I can wear for half a day to dressier occasions which involve me being seated for some of the time.
Do these new highs actually increase your style quotient? I don’t think so. How can anything uncomfortable, impractical and bad for your back and feet be stylish. Towering platforms and soaring wedges are one trend I’ll be forced to bypass season after season. I sincerely hope that trusty 2-inch heeled shoes make a strong comeback soon. For the meantime I’ll be spending my shoe budget on something else!
If you can walk comfortably in any of these 4-inch-plus heels from Zappos.com, it’s a skill that you can put in your resume.
March 28th, 2007 at 8:41 am
For me it depends on the shoe. I’ll go a little higher in a boot, when my foot is solidly in the shoe. But sandals need to be a bit lower, since I feel they’re less stable. Generally speaking, I draw the line at about 4″ for special events and 2-3″ for every day. I don’t like platforms at all, though, and avoid them. I need to be able to feel the ground beneath my feet. Otherwise, I’m so clumsy that I’m always tripping! One thought (maybe for a future post): is there a heel that looks best with a certain leg? Do wedges overwhelm skinny ankles? Are skinny heels too little for thick calves?
March 28th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Agree. While it breaks my heart to reallocate my shoe budget, I will be bypassing 4 inch heels as well. My reasoning is being a tall girl, I can’t find a pair of pants that will skim the ground with these heel heights. If heels are high then pants need to be available in longer lengths. Drives me batty!
March 28th, 2007 at 8:49 am
I so love your opinion here and agree totally. Are the majority of women out there buying these very high heels? I personally am with you besides the fact that nothing looks sexy if you can’t walk in them!! Wish more women wouldn’t buy these and maybe the market would change. Thanks for the post.
March 28th, 2007 at 8:50 am
It’s like modern-day foot-binding. What we’ll do for fashion, eh? Personally (as you know Angie), I’m a flats girl because I walk as my primary mode of transportation. I can walk a mile or two in up to 2.5 or 3 inch heels, but I’m in pain for the next day (I reserve those walks for when I know i don’t want to be driving home). I just can’t imagine wearing those shoes at all–even if I drove everywhere. They look painful, and, well, frightening. Might I say, ugly? How will those shoes pretty up the dainty dresses of the day?
March 28th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Ha! This is my rule number 3:
Never wear anything that takes alot of effort to be functional (or makes you walk stupid).
I’m afraid I just can’t see doing these monster shoes. Even though some of them are look good.
March 28th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
I don’t know who is actually wearing shoes like that (ok, I have some idea, but I don’t want to be censored). Maybe if you live in a large metropolitan area, shoes like that could be worn without looking trashy. I live in a semi-rural area about an hour outside of Boston, and I have never even seen shoes like that in stores, nevermind on someone’s foot. Even if I could walk in them gracefully, I wouldn’t want people to remember my shoes before they remembered my name.
March 28th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
In fact the latest fashion look is to actually contrast wearing ugly painful sky scraping shoes with pretty feminine frocks. I can’t see this trend becoming mainstream. But then, “fashion is an adaptation to the eye”. Who knows how we’ll feel if the look takes off (and if the heels are lower).
March 28th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
I feel the same way about platforms - my feet don’t like them either. I feel very unstable in them.
March 28th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
First off, thanks for replying to my email! I am going shopping for some cute v-necks tomorrow! (I didn’t reply because I didn’t want to add to your inbox)
Second, I have never worn heels above 2″ in my life and I have developed moderate bunions. Life is so fair, isn’t it? I’m more or less resigned to a life of kitten heels and flats. My feet actually cringe just looking at those shoes. I do think, however, that the last pair you have are a type of novelty shoe, for a certain novelty purpose, rather than an actual “going out” shoe…
March 29th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I would sprain an ankle-probably in the first 5 minutes.
April 2nd, 2007 at 2:36 pm
The last pair remind me of something Gene Simmons from KISS would have worn in the 80’s.
April 3rd, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I posted a pic of the shoes Beyonce and the girls were wearing in the GreenLight video she released on my blog. I hope these CRAZY shoes are not becoming a style… I can only imagine the problems they will cause….
May 21st, 2007 at 7:36 am
[…] I had given up on all ultra-trendy shoes this season because soaring heels and wobbly wedges don’t make my feet happy. And then I found a shoe that stepped up to the plate. It’s a Franco Sarto patent, sling-back, peek-toed, cork wedge sandal. I’d bypassed this pretty shoe several times, assuming that it would be uncomfortable and impossible to walk in. […]
June 1st, 2007 at 11:25 am
i have some 5” heels to wear this summer from pleaser , they are black mary-jane style with a stiletto . Im very supprised at how comfy they are they look great with black trousers , skirts etc. an my height is increased from 5ft to 5ft5 ish
August 14th, 2007 at 8:01 am
[…] Hectic high heels that soared at 3½ inches or more were the order of the day. Many of them were beautiful, but most were impossible to walk in. While ballet flats were also in abundance, there was virtually nothing fabulous in-between. I’d have enjoyed seeing a wider selection of 1½ to 2 inch heels. […]
October 1st, 2007 at 7:30 am
[…] and comfortable 2-inch heeled shoes and boots was a breath of fresh air. While there were plenty of 3-inch plus peds around, stable heel heights were the order of the […]