Petite Heels

A decade ago, heels were on average, an inch and a half shorter than they are now. I've had my share of nights out up north in a place called Newcastle, and a night out in Newcastle means MASSIVE heels – maybe because the girls here are glutton for punishment, they also shun coats in the depths of winter. 

Heels are without a doubt glamorous, feminine and sexy, but they’re just not practical. How many of us have limped our way to the end of the 9-5 day, desperate to keep our dignity, or after trying to numb the pain with vodka, realised your feet were bleeding and walked barefoot in the snow to the taxi rank in tears? (The latter memory of THAT Boxing Day still makes me cringe.) 

So many people shun little heels, particularly kitten heels, and I can even remember someone telling me that they think they look like when your heels sink in grass. But statistics don’t lie, and with our heel fetish and desperate toleration of pain, A&E departments are seeing a huge increase in heel related injuries and some heel lovers are also resorting to having fillers injected into their feet to prevent that burning feeling caused by heels. 

This madness ends here. I only really wear heels for a night out and if I am wearing heels as casual wear, they will be around 3 inches or of the wedge variety for comfort. But for autumn, there is a whole host of gorgeous alternatives to heels for every occasion, and none of them look tacky or like they’re sinking in the grass. 

 

1 .       These are hit with the fashion magazines as I first spotted them in this week’s Look magazine, and have since discovered that they have been featured in Grazia as well. At £59.99, they are pricey, but stunning! The studs give them a fierce edge that will work well with gothic or grunge elements of your outfit, but the colour, sparkle and dainty shape mean they will work well with pretty dresses, skinny jeans or even office wear. Now those are what I call multi-taskers! 

  2.      £45 – Office.  Again, these are expensive, but versatile. The nude goes with just about everything, as well as making your legs look longer. The gold toes would give an edge to office wear and remind me of the western and cowboy styles we’re going to see in boots this autumn/winter and boyish, two tone brogues.

3.   £29.99 – H&M. Rich, on trend jewel tone with metallic toes. Perfect for a night on the town or for adding a hit of colour to an otherwise dark outfit. Mix and match with more gothic pieces for extra rock n roll.

4.       £59.99 Online Exclusive – New Look. These animal print pumps are cool and casual. I would personally wear them with everything from skinny jeans and a band t-shirt to a dark coloured dress. The block heel  and rounded toe means extra comfort, making them ideal for those marathon shopping trips.

5.    £14.99 - H&M.  Also available in dark blue and zebra print, I can vouch for these shoes as a friend of mine recently bought them for a job interview, but ended up wearing them with a vintage lace dress to the pub. I also tried them on and they are much more comfortable than I expected and a true wardrobe staple. Like mini stilettos really!

6.       £40 on sale – New Look. Personally, not my cup of tea. But I picked them out for a bit of variety and because I quite liked the nude and pink tones together, as well as the quirky, vintage look shape.

7.       £34.99 – Schuh. It doesn’t get much more indie cool than sparkly brogues. Style them with slouchy flannel shirts and Levi cut offs, vintage look tea dresses or skinny jeans and leathers, and always with a rock star attitude for that ‘I’m with the band’ look.

So, have I converted any heel fanatics? If so, which are you favourite and how would you style them?

Much love, 

Crimson xx