High Heels to Low Heels: The Shift in Fashion Priorities

Heels—one of the many passageways to being a woman. The level of confidence a good pair of heels can give you. They add power to your walk, a rhythmic, unmistakable sound with each step. My love affair with heels began long ago, and to this day, I can’t fully explain the magic they hold. As the famous saying goes, you can never have too many shoes.

A Personal Love Story with Heels

My relationship with heels goes back a long time to when I was 13, sneaking my mum’s heels into my boarding school, pretending they were mine. Simply because I loved the attention they brought. I loved them, and lowkey, I wanted them to be mine.

That’s the thing with heels—they demand attention and bring confidence and power to anyone wearing them. Over time, the way we wear heels and how we see others wearing them has changed, which is expected.

The Evolution of Heels in Fashion

I remember when wearing heels meant you were a girl—a certain type of girl. As you get older, how you wear heels changes. You start to feel more obligated to wear them, such as when you go clubbing with your friends. Depending on the type of girl you were, you’d bring your heels—and a backup pair of flats—for when you got tired.

Recently, I’ve noticed that many girls see heels as too much effort and would rather wear something comfortable. It’s funny because, even though heels were always known to be uncomfortable, we still wore them because they were ingrained in fashion. Despite the discomfort, we saw everyone wearing big platform heels, and high heels were a staple in every woman’s day-to-day wardrobe.

The Rise of Low Heels: A Shift in Priorities

Compared to the past, we now look for functional and comfortable heels. The rise of low heels aligns with the broader trend of prioritizing practicality in our wardrobes.

It’s almost as if we’ve given up, and the only ones still pushing high heels are our fashion girls. It’s not that wearing low heels is bad, but when fashion starts prioritizing function over style, we must ask: Are we forgetting what fashion is?

Fashion vs. Comfort: Are We Redefining Beauty?

For decades, the ideal of beauty has often been tied to a certain level of discomfort. High heels were marketed as the ultimate tool for achieving power. But as conversations around body positivity and self-acceptance grow louder, we’re seeing a move toward more inclusive, realistic standards of beauty.

This cultural shift is helping to deconstruct the idea that beauty should require sacrifice. The demand for comfort and practicality is reshaping what’s considered stylish and attractive. Low heels give the wearer the freedom to move naturally, and they speak to a more grounded, authentic approach to femininity.

The Future of Fashion: Comfort or Creativity?

So, to answer my earlier question: embracing comfort doesn’t mean sacrificing style. It’s about redefining elegance in a way that honors our well-being.

Yet, we must be cautious. If we get too comfortable, we risk stopping ourselves from pushing boundaries. Fashion is about evolution—about challenging norms, breaking rules, and moving forward.

It’s time to ask: What does comfort mean for creativity? How can we balance ease with expression to keep fashion evolving?