https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:10:46 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1388094 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 20:46:45 +0000 thimblelina 1388094@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>PS: I count anything up to about 1.5/2" as flat or low heeled. Be sure there's adequate room in your toe boxes!</p> <p><a href="http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/mar08/clinical2.asp" rel="nofollow">http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosn.....nical2.asp</a> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1388091 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 20:41:06 +0000 thimblelina 1388091@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've always liked flats. I love to walk &amp; really stride. But I've kept heels for dress up &amp; know how polished that can feel.<br /> Now that I'm over 50, however, I'm appalled to see what the feet of so many lifelong high heel wearers really look like! Many women around my age in my yoga and Pilates classes have bunions and hammer toes and all sorts of horrors developing. It's barbaric, really... akin to foot binding. Conversely, a former business partner who never wore heels a day in her life has the feet of a 20-year old girl at age 65.<br /> So I'm pretty firmly on team flats for lifelong optimal foot health and mechanics. I really think high heel wearing should be confined to 4-5 hour stretches without much actual walking, and only on occasion.<br /> Sorry to be such a debbiedowner...lol<br /> High heels remind me of cigarettes. When you're young you can't imagine the net effect really happening to you! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1388007 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 18:33:26 +0000 unfrumped 1388007@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>In some cases I've been&nbsp;wearing <u>higher</u> heels than I used to, because I can wear a chunky heel in boots. But now that I've been there, done that, I may say "why?" and aim for 1" heel tops.</p> <p>I just went to town on the flats as oxfords and loafers, including loafers with skirts. Not sure if I'm ahead of the style curve in my parts or seen as frumpy. Anyways!</p> <p>For really dressy occasions I still like to try to wear something that <u>looks</u> like a girlie-heel, rather than a ballet flat, mostly due to the type of dress I would usually wear. I've noticed that for me it's a particular combination of height and balancing. Kitten heels are just awful for me because they're too teensy, even though low, and also because they're undercut. I do better when the heel comes down more straight from the back of the shoe.</p> <p>I lucked into some pumps this weekend, just in time for gala, that have this particular style of heel that's a flattened wide heel--meaning narrow in the front-to back dimension but wider side-to-side as a chunky heel would be. Don't know what to call that. But amazingly it provides what I call "lateral stability" and they are very stable to walk in (not distance walking, but party-walking). </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1388000 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 18:19:26 +0000 Janet 1388000@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Una, the gunmetal Newburys are right on the edge for me. I can wear them for a long day, but I feel it halfway through. I adore them though. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387999 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 18:17:12 +0000 catgirl 1387999@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Another supporter here! I find 2 - 2.5" to be the most comfortable, and since I was never a fancy heels gal, it hasn't been that hard to find comfy footwear. My only "too high for comfort" shoes are the Rag &amp; Bone Newburys, for which I have an irrational love. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387989 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 17:58:54 +0000 always trying 1387989@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I attended a function last weekend-a semi formal affair, and much to my surprise there were several college age girls in their pretty cocktail dresses with heel heights around 3 inches.&nbsp;&nbsp; Only a couple in the very high heels, and they were more like 40 sh.&nbsp; I felt very stylish in my 3 inch heels. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387938 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 16:47:04 +0000 tulle 1387938@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>&nbsp;Amen chorus here.&nbsp; I love the look of higher heels (and at 5'2" always crave extra inches) but just can't do it anymore.&nbsp; I have 3" heels, but won't walk far in them.&nbsp; I wish low hidden platforms weren't so hard to find;&nbsp; a&nbsp; 2" heel with a discrete 1/2"&nbsp; platform makes for comfortable walking and a still-dressy look.&nbsp; Shoe designers who thought to incorporate elements like these would, I'm convinced, make a fortune. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387806 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 11:52:47 +0000 Jjsloane 1387806@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm in the club for under 3" heels! Pretty much what Shiny said applies to me.&nbsp;<br />Janet - you should check if you can get the heels shortened if you really love the boots. It can be done for some shoes. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387714 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 03:04:16 +0000 Jaime 1387714@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I never got into the habit of wearing heels and I think my foot twin Angie summed it up perfectly - by 2 inches the balls of my feet are burning after a bit of walking. There are a few exceptions to this rule - my Anyi Lu Melanie shoes, which were a big splurge at the time, are extremely walkable and I have wore them to the ground.&nbsp;I have developed a mid-life taste for a bit of a heel, but most of the time I wear flats - my feet just like them better. Long live fashionable flats! (But I do not believe for one second that heels are going to go away.) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387698 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 01:59:54 +0000 abc 1387698@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I guess I am struggling because though my day to day lifestyle is one with tons of urban walking and a need for flat comfy walkable shoes, I have to be ready to go to a client site for face to face meetings at any time. And that usually means business casual or dressier - and usually heels. So though they're sitting unworn right now I can't purge them all. </p> <p>Janet, I've been doing the same - working items into outfits to road test them again. Some shoes and also some lesser worn items from the closet. It's really helping make the keep or purge decisions easier. </p> <p>Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and putting mine into words! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387611 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 00:36:56 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1387611@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm glad to see a wider variety of lower shoes also. I was never a big high heel person, style wise, but a few years ago I set my cut off at 2.5". More recently, like Janet says, I've been noticing that anything over about an inch and a half, depending on the heel style, I just don't want to wear all day, even if they are comfortable per se. It depends a bit on the style - boots with chunky heels and wedges are fine up to 2.5 but anything more teetery, or otherwise not as walkable, are less ideal. </p> <p>I think it's the blogger at Amid Privilege that talks about the style type of the Sturdy Gal - there is a certain charm in being the person who can help out with things or go for a walk without having to worry about what you're wearing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387367 Sat, 01 Nov 2014 17:56:20 +0000 gryffin 1387367@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>1.5" is my sweetspot.&nbsp; I will go up to 3" for a dressy evening shoe, but now that I have the rockstud which are 2.5" well that's my dressy for the rest of my life shoe!!&nbsp; Thank god there are so many boots and booties that are just awesome at this height.&nbsp; Just slowing picking them up.&nbsp; Of course I also have the EF coax booties, although I don't have any other platforms when I need height I have it with total comfort.&nbsp; But I am firmly on team low heels!!&nbsp; I stride, not walk, comfort is key!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387360 Sat, 01 Nov 2014 17:20:57 +0000 Anonymous 1387360@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree with everything Angie wrote in her response. &nbsp;</p> <p>Three years ago we moved buildings and I started walking from the parking deck to the office building. &nbsp;This made a huge difference in terms of shoes, outer wear, and totes. &nbsp;I needed to revamp everything to suit the change. &nbsp;No regrets. &nbsp;I found I loved being able to walk long distances without having to think about it. &nbsp;</p> <p>I boxed up the shoes that didn't work for me anymore. &nbsp;I always assumed I would find other reasons to wear them, but I never really did. &nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387242 Sat, 01 Nov 2014 11:24:57 +0000 Janet 1387242@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>ABC, thanks! The good thing is, I'm not heavily invested in high heels. I have a couple of special occasion wear pairs of shoes that qualify, but they're already sitting shoes. </p> <p>When it comes right down to it, there are really only four pairs -- two booties and two tall boots -- that are that high. I am going to work each one into outfits soon to see how they feel for a day of moderate wear, and go from there. Since we're now getting into full-fledged boot season here, I should have opportunity, although I just realized my wearing season for any non-rugged footwear has gotten shorter because I spend a month or so in the cooler months at the ranch. No wonder my dresses went unworn last winter! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387195 Sat, 01 Nov 2014 04:15:34 +0000 abc 1387195@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Janet, I haven't put my feelings into words but if I did, they would be nearly exactly what you wrote in this post. I may be moving to a smaller place and have really been struggling with purging my pretty heels that don't get much wear anymore. Plus I am realizing I have a hole to fill - flat(ish) dark shoes or booties. </p> <p>I am with you on this journey. Please let us know how you progress. Will you be getting rid of some shoes to make room for more practical options like you mentioned? Will they go in a holding zone? I'm curious to see what your next step is as I probably need to do something similar if not the same thing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387142 Sat, 01 Nov 2014 02:05:01 +0000 Caro in Oz 1387142@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Apart from&nbsp;the Okalas &amp; some boots that are 21/2 inches but I've let all my other heels go. I walk a lot too &amp; I can't stand sore feet </p> <p>I did read somewhere that the fleshy pads on the soles of our feet get thinner as we age&nbsp;so maybe that is a factor. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387114 Sat, 01 Nov 2014 00:52:45 +0000 Anonymous 1387114@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Janet - I'm right there with you, in fact , because I'm &nbsp;&nbsp;5 years older than you , I'm actually one step ahead of you - lol. &nbsp;Been there, done that, thought that, got sad over it, and somehow came out the other end. &nbsp;I can't with high heels anymore - and although I could stand in them for an hour at a cocktail party if I had to, I find I can't actually WALK properly in them anymore! &nbsp;I hate to invoke the name of our favourite EA again, but she wears kitten heel pumps now as often as she does stilettos. &nbsp;Lots of people seem to see kitten heels as frumpy or odd , but I think they are totally elegant and sexy. It's all in how you walk and move anyways, not in how high the heel is, right?</p> <p>It's been hard to find pumps and boots with a decently low heel, but they are out there. &nbsp;Now I look at the usual 3 inch heels on pumps and boots&nbsp;in stores and shake my head.</p> <p>I've turned into my mother. &nbsp;Oh my god.</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights/page/2#post-1387107 Sat, 01 Nov 2014 00:43:16 +0000 Laurinda 1387107@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you for posting that article Ummlila. <br />I'm doing a happy dance with Sarah. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1387058 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 23:29:17 +0000 Meow 1387058@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am doing the happy dance over the shorter heel movement!&nbsp; I seriously was in fashion hell with the super low rise jeans and the super sky high heels and short top trends.&nbsp; :)&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1387051 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 23:16:48 +0000 Echo 1387051@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've always been more about clunky, stompy shoes than delicate high heels, so it has been less of an issue for me. I can still do 3" heels with a lug sole, for example, and walk all day. But more delicate shoes with similar height heels are for special occasions. Not only do I not have occasion to wear them on an everyday basis, but they hurt much more than do boots with block heels.</p> <p>But I've never found heel height alone to be a good predictor of comfort. Of course, while flat or almost-flat shoes will usually&nbsp;be more comfortable, I still have wide feet, so sometimes even flats are narrow and pinchy. I can more easily wear a 3" block heel on boots than a flat pair of zero cushioning, toe pinching torture!</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1387043 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 23:07:22 +0000 Angie 1387043@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>High five, Janet. I walk around more than most - and like being active that way -&nbsp;so the balls of my feet get more sore in less time. If I sat at a desk all day, I'd be able to wear 2.5 to 3 inch&nbsp;inch heels more frequently.&nbsp;Plus you're right about the cushioning of our feet diminishing as we get older.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1387033 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 22:59:16 +0000 Style Fan 1387033@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have very fussy feet.&nbsp; I can no longer wear high heels even if I am sitting down.&nbsp; My feet scream in agony.&nbsp; I have some booties with chunky, stacked heels that are about 1.5 to 2 inches high that are tolerable for short periods of time.&nbsp; I also have some sandals with wedge type heels that I can wear for sitting at weddings.&nbsp; I change when dancing.</p> <p>Completely flat shoes are also not comfortable.&nbsp; They hurt my back.&nbsp; I need a small heel.&nbsp; Walking shoes are good.</p> <p>I realized that the limits on my footwear also limits my clothing.&nbsp; If I am going to a wedding I have to think about what my outfit will look like with wedges.&nbsp; It makes a difference.&nbsp; :(&nbsp; Same with bootcut and flared jeans.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1387032 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 22:58:22 +0000 DonnaF 1387032@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Baby Boomers are a huge demographic; the question is whether they will continue to exercise their enormous buying power on the purchase of footwear.&nbsp; If yes, heel heights will remain on the low end due to Baby Boomers' increasingly fussy feet.&nbsp; If BBs opt out of being huge consumers, I suppose future styles are anyone's guess.&nbsp; </p> <p>My fussy feet fantasy is for clogs to be the next In Thing. . . . </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1387019 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 22:38:04 +0000 UmmLila (Lisa) 1387019@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/with-flats-in-fashion-are-high-heels-dead-1414006887" rel="nofollow">http://online.wsj.com/articles.....1414006887</a></p> <p>A funny thing has happened in fashion lately: Unfashionable footwear is suddenly à la mode.</p> <p>Running shoes, Birkenstocks, Teva-type hiking sandals and Adidas-style slides were among the low shoes with a high profile during the recent spring fashion shows on the runway—and in the audience. Wide, flat footbeds, toe room, cushiony soles. Slaves to fashion have never been so comfortable.</p> <p>This is a golden opportunity for the likes of Dr. Scholl’s: After Marc Jacobs sent a crushed velvet version for spring down the runway, Vogue named it “best accessory” of the day. But it presents an essential dilemma to consumers and other designers who must decide whether to adopt the look that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and Heidi Klum wear so adroitly: Are the orthopedic shoe and other clunky flats here to stay?</p> <p>It wouldn’t be the first time that a fad dovetailed so thoroughly with a cultural shift that it became a classic wardrobe staple. Bikinis were once considered a radical experiment in swimwear. Formerly relegated to the working classes, denim is now suitable for the president. The motorcycle jacket, once cult, is approaching classic status. And how many times has someone erroneously predicted the death of skinny jeans? As our eyes adjusted to them, these fashions took on important roles in shoppers’ wardrobes, sometimes pushing aside hallowed fashion rules. On “Miami Vice” in 1984, Don Johnson shocked the status quo by wearing T-shirts under his tailored jackets. The necktie never fully recovered.</p> <p>Only time will tell if this is more than a fad, but designers who built their repute on gravity-defying heels suddenly find themselves with showrooms full of heels that feel a little last-season. “I know this isn’t [the] fashion right now,” conceded Christopher Suarez, president of the Nicholas Kirkwood shoe label, last month in Paris. He was surveying Mr. Kirkwood’s spring 2015 collection—dozens of vividly colorful, artfully shaped high heels inspired by Japanese poster art..... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1387016 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 22:30:49 +0000 deb 1387016@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am loving&nbsp;the selection of lower heeled footwear. I want to get as many perfect pairs as I can before they disappear for ten years or so.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1387012 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 22:26:54 +0000 Janet 1387012@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Angie, I am getting the balls of my feet burning issue above approx. 3" now. Didn't used to be an issue, or maybe I wasn't walking as much back then, or maybe my already-low-volume feet are losing some of the little padding they had. Insoles only do so much.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ah well, I almost made it to 50 before this started to become an issue, and I'm still comfortable wearing a fairly significant heel. I guess it's not so bad to admit a little defeat and move on.&nbsp;</p> <p>Surely selling a couple of pairs of nice Fryes would fund a swell new -- lower-heeled --&nbsp;pair or two! :-)&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1387011 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 22:25:51 +0000 cheryle (Dianthus) 1387011@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh Angie, they are very pretty. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1387002 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 22:06:31 +0000 Angie 1387002@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have never been a high heels wearer. Just not my thing.&nbsp;</p> <p><b>I like a 0.5 to 1.5 inch heel best</b>. HANDS DOWN. </p> <p>Two inches&nbsp;is definitely less comfy because it's higher, APART from my Okalas which are somehow a magical fit for my feet.&nbsp;</p> <p>2 inches is<i> okay,</i> but I prefer a lower heel. The balls of my feet start to burn in 2 inches at a much higher frequency.&nbsp;</p> <p>I can do&nbsp;2.5&nbsp;inches for <i>much</i> shorter periods of time. Higher than 2.5 inches&nbsp;is a sitting shoe. I currently do not own anything higher than the three inch sitting shoes from CK below. They are VERY high for my poor feet.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1386995 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 21:53:41 +0000 texstyle 1386995@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've really never worn&nbsp; high heels. 2" was my usual "max" because I just couldn't justify a shoe I couldn't feel comfortable walking in. No matter what the style. I'm SO relieved that finally it's "okay" to wear sneakers, flats and 1" heels. I actually like a very slight heel as opposed to a true flat. I feel I need a little arch support so a 1/2" to 1" heel usually works pretty well for me. Or a slightly higher wedge is okay too.</p> <p>I've been wondering if I should invest in more sneakers while there are many styles available, but I have a feeling this is a trend that is going to keep going forward so "comfort" shoes may be "the" shoes of the future. I bought two pair of leather sneaks for this fall and have been enjoying the first pair immensely and the second pair have finally made it to the K (keep) place so now it's just a matter of choosing my taupe booties or oxfords. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/heel-heights#post-1386994 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 21:52:52 +0000 shiny 1386994@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I won't go over 3" anymore, and haven't in years. Most of mine are in the 2.5-2.75 inch range, with 2.75 being my ideal. Trouble is that these are often listed on zappos and elsewhere as 3 inch heels, based on say a size 8, but the heel is slightly shorter for my size 6.&nbsp;</p> <p>If a wedge, I find I can do 3 or 3.5 inch and it feels like a lot less.&nbsp;</p> <p>However I find 1.5 inch heels to be an awkward in-between height.&nbsp;I don't know why that is. Just doesn't feel right to me.&nbsp;</p> <p>And I basically consider a 0.5 or 1&nbsp;inch heel a flat. ;-)</p> <p>I've always always preferred a bit of a&nbsp;heel and felt much more comfortable with one, rather than a flat shoe, no matter how comfy the flat. However lately I am finding I am wearing flats a lot more!! It might be the summer sandal effect, but&nbsp;I took two pairs of flats (monk straps and loafers)&nbsp;on my recent travels, intending to wear them mostly for the traveling part (airports) and site seeing part (lots of walking). But I wound up wearing them almost exclusively, including for the business part. </p> <p>I think I wore my heels&nbsp;only three days in 3 weeks -- and they could have stayed at home.</p>