What happened to the high heeled shoe?
Summary
Journalist Lise Hand joins Moncrieff on Newstalk to discuss the decline of high heels in everyday fashion. She attributes this shift to women recognizing the discomfort of stilettos, the rise of remote work, and a broader rejection of footwear as a symbol of inequality. Hand shares her personal experience of abandoning heels after a workplace accident and notes that even fashion editors now favor flats. While acknowledging fashion cycles, she believes the era of mandatory high heels is likely over.
Topics discussed
Introduction: The decline of high heels on weekend nights
Reasons for the shift: Comfort and the WFH era
Parallel trends: Wire-free bras and rejecting discomfort
Cultural history: High heels as symbols of sexiness and power
Sex and the City and the era of conspicuous consumption
Personal anecdote: A workplace injury that changed habits
The difficulty of walking in heels and their anachronistic feel
High heels as a political and social symbol
Will high heels make a fashion comeback?
Conclusion: Health benefits and sign-off
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