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Heels

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

So ever since one of my favorite fashion bloggers, Queen Michelle of Kingdom of Style has said she's over heels I've been thinking about them. Susie Bubble of Style Bubble wears some amazing looks with flats.
I think this has been a cummulation of my back injury, my commuting style and some style shifting. My social life has changed a bit too, I need outfits that are more flexible. For example on Saturday I took a bus to a food truck festival, walked several blocks, and ended up walking even more to meet a group for a party at restaurant. I was very glad to be wearing flat sandals.
I have some freaking amazing heels in my collection, but I have also been selling some of them.
I'm intrigued by the idea of coming up with interesting, edgy fashion forward looks but with flats. I think for dress up events like the opera I would still wear heels though.
What do you think?

Dressing

27 replies

Latest reply was from Day Vies

ironkurtin

Veteran

I think the right flats can be just as edgy as heels. Go for it!

Anonymous

I can't wear high heels, so I commiserate. I am sure you'll be able to come up with some looks you like!

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Anna, I wouldn't even BEGIN to compare my style with your amazing style but I'm in the same boat when it comes to heels. My screwed up knee and ever growing bunion now demand more comfortable footwear with nothing more than 2 inches and in fact, I find a small .5 - 1 inch heel the most comfortable nowadays.

I found it sad to realize that I simply can't wear my heels anymore as they were part of my style, as yours have been. But I think we're really lucky that flats and lower heeled oxfords, etc. have become extremely fashionable and that there are choices from classic all the way to edgy.

I have absolute faith that you can and will come up with some amazing looks with interesting and edgy low heeled shoes and boots. And we need our backs, knees and feet for fun for the rest of our days and those heels just aren't worth it.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I have been slowly edging heels out of my 'go out' looks for a while now. I realize that I, too, lead a more on-the-go active life than just getting dressed up for dinner to step out of a car, walk to the restaurant, and then walk back to the car. I end up dancing, or walking on unpaved surfaces, etc. I am loving my metal plate sandals and feel they spice up a look just as much as any heel could. I mean, who deemed heels 'dressy' besides ourselves? It's just a group consensus we all came to really
I think there are lots of edgy flats right now, with spike details being in, and metal capped toes and on and on. Go for it.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Yes, I'd definitely wear heels to an opera too (although I've never been to one; it's on my to-do list!).

And yes, I absolutely think you can be edgy and fashion-forward in flats. And some days, flats are far more practical.

I'm not "over" heels myself, but I wear both flats and heels, depending on what I'm doing that day.

Irene

Veteran

I wish I had a car (and a driving license, for that matter). I wish I could park anywhere in my city, right in front of whenever I wanted to go. I also wish my feet didn't hurt in high-heels. But they do, and the sad truth is I commute everywhere on public transport. 10 minutes of steep walking separate the tube entrance from my house, too. So. I wear flats or wedges 24/7. And I feel perfectly good like that.

And, walking so much helps me stay healthy and toned, since that's the only type of exercising I'm doing these days. I know if I had a car I would be at least 10 pounds heavier and even more flabbier.

DonnaF

Veteran

Oh, Anna;
You always show us the most AMAZING shoes. I would love for you to show me/us how to dress in low heels and flats! And then maybe I could hope for them to trickle down to my price point in a couple of years. Plus, the mama in me worries about your back every time you show a pic of yourself in heels.

Lead the way!!! I know you can do it.

Sara L.

Veteran

I'm sure you'll come up with some great looks with flats. I still like to wear heels occasionally if I know I'm not going to be doing much walking - dinner and a movie, for example. I make sure I wear flats or smaller heels when I know I'll be walking a lot. Personally, I think it's a little trickier to come up with interesting outfits with flats, but I'm sure that's just a function of the flats I currently own.

Scarlet

Veteran

I enjoy heels for very special occasions, like weddings or opera, but most of the time I walk so much, they just aren't practical. I think the levels of heel fetishism in fashion images is too much. I don't read the blogs that you mention regularly, but I am interested that they are going in that direction. Maybe the winds are changing. Having said all that, there is middle ground between flats and high-heels. The middle-ground is my personal favorite.

Anonymous

I'm positive you can come up with some fab flats to wear.
I would still have a few pairs of heels for the odd occasions when you aren't going to need to walk far though. How low would you need to go though? Personally if I have dead flat shoes I can feel strain in my calves and so I like a mid height.

rachylou

Veteran

That sounds like a plan! Personally, I'm off ballet flats; but all other kinds are game IMHO.

Eliza

Veteran

Anna- Your aversion to being in the wrong shoes for the situation, especially with comfort at stake makes sense. Fussy aging feet have forced me into an ongoing search for footwear that really works (beyond the in-store honeymoon) and looks great. Shoes matter!

I look forward to seeing where this question takes you and learning more along the way. Wonder if the aging demographics of the country will facilitate more fashion-forward options with lower heels or sink our higher aspirations in a sea of frump. You know what I'm hoping happens...

MovingFashionForward

Like you, Anna, I prefer to wear heels to the opera, and otherwise am building an interesting collection of fashion-forward/cool/interesting flats, exactly like you say. However, if I have to walk a long way to get to the particular opera house, I have been known to wear flats to the opera too. But when I do, I am not just wearing any old pair of flats, I choose them carefully. I love the fact that it is now possible to find really fabulous flats that look really fashion-forward and cool. It makes everything so much easier. There are some superb flats out there, including many suitable for very smart events.

Sarah

Thistle

Veteran

I can't wear heels, but I don;t have your fab edgy style. However, I could live more vicarioulsy through you!!

I think it is totally doable. And, I do really beleive shoes should be super comfortable. Form follows function in everything but women's fashion, and I think we should all rebel!

Carla

Veteran

Heck! I wore over the knee flat boots and a black pencil skirt to the opera (in January, there was a snowstorm). A ruffled shirt and velvet scarf. It was 'The Magic Flute'.

I say mix it up! You need not totally abandon one thing when moving on to the next.

Nicole D

Veteran

A lot of styles of shoe look way better flat. Like gladiators. ALthough, I read a bit comparing Princess Diana and Kate Middleton's footwear, and it looks like Kate loves the 4" heels. DIana favoured demure 0.5 - 1" pumps. Could start a heels craze. I also heard that lug soles are back in a big way.

unfrumped

Veteran

I'm in for watching you do it and taking lessons.

I can't do narrow heels of any sort, even kitten; can do chunky 2" max, and that's with a chunky style. Otherwise I need 1/2-1' tops, as Shannon is finding. And for me it's not just the comfort standing, it's more of a freedom-feeling. That is different person to person, I realize, as some people can just fly down the halls in heels, and look very active and purposeful, but I can't. I need more stable feet.

Further, for me it's not just heel height, but shape and ease of the toe box. So not all "flats" are good, and not all 1.5" heels are bad. It's a combination.

I'm really ready to embrace that and measure outfits by whether they look good--to my eye, at least--with lower-heeled shoes and boots. I DO have criteria, though they may be different from others', and it's various combinations of vamp, refinement, color contrast, and so on. So there's flats, and there's flats, and even within a category, I find some acceptable, and some not.

I'm also finding that I do want to wear more modern and stylish versions if at all possible, and also use footwear for some of the "pop" in an outfit, since I may not have a bag or jacket to do that. So that means careful selection for versatility, since too shoes just hanging around means less budget for updating.

I think this IS going to inform my wardrobe choices more and more, because I had been wearing certain bottoms that really are made to rely on heels, maybe even pumps, for a certain "look", and of course I wasn't wearing that. I don't have to give all of those up, exactly, but I realized that small differences in pants and skirt styles and lengths can work better with the lower heels.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Personally I prefer a minimum 1.5" heel. I spend a lot of time looking for shoes in the 1.5-3" range. I find that height comfortable and flattering.

The 3-4" plus shoes look great but I agree they are not walkable, they are sitting shoes. I have been know to carry two pairs of shoes with me, thank goodness there are so many cute tote bags out there right now that serve this purpose.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What Denise said. I like the middle ground.

For comfort and flattery both. But it's not always easy to find non-frumpy shoes in that middle range.

But I know you can rock flats because you have been doing that in your commuter looks and I have LOVED the footwear you've shown (golf shoes and elf boots, FTW!) And I also think you should keep some heels for the opera and out to dinner and such.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Strangely enough after years (decades perhaps) of unquestionably wearing flats I have lately been wearing some shorter heels (2.5 inch maximum). But I can hardly wait to road test these Tibi flats:
http://piperlime.gap.com/brows.....=929718002
Bought absolutely brand spanking new for $60 at the Buffalo Exchange near Penn Station. Not sure if they are edgy enough for your style though. I do love your Lanvin flats on you if that helps. I think the ability to move gracefully over all sorts of terrain is part of being stylish.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I'm thinking of a refined skater sneaker like these

http://www.barneys.com/Givench.....=womens-sh

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/vi.....;contextua

http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/381978

Marley

Veteran

I think it sounds like a great idea and a fun style challenge for you!

Lantana

Veteran

I thought of Lyst's plimsolls when I opened up your first link.

Hmm, I'm on L plates with this hyperlinking business so my first attempt failed

Nice site to check out anyway = lyst.com

Echo

Veteran

I recently came to the realization that while I love heels and own lots, I am really more of a boot kind of person. I wore combat boots all through college, and while I cannot get away with that now probably, there are options I can wear and still be true to myself. Indeed, I just ordered 3 pairs of boots from Zappos (none with a heel per se, although one has a lug sole).

I will be watching your posts to see your shoes because if anyone can combine practical AND stylish footwear, it is you.

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

This is exactly where I'm at with heels as well. I'm just over the torture that wearing heels can bring most of my life, but I still absolutely must wear them to feel truly dressed up.

Hil

(website)

Veteran

Heels went out the window when I had kids. My feet just got so much fussier and I needed the stability and comfort. I will wear a high heeled wedge now or a boot with a chunky heel but the real slim heels are no go unless they're for a special occasion.

Day Vies

Veteran

I'm a BIG fan of heels -- the reason is I have high arches and shoes that are too flat actually hurt. So provided that the shoe is wide enough I can be very comfy in 1-3 inch heels all day.

However -- I love a sleek flat (pointed toe please) and provided it has a little rise to it I am all over it. I think you should do what works. I haven't read the other comments but I am sure someone has said that Angie is a font of wisdom and ideas on low-heel and no heel shoes.