Did COVID flatten our feet? Shoe experts blame pandemic for low sales of high heels

Women are sick of stilettos.

Women whitethorn person developed flatter feet arsenic a consequence of laidback style trends necessitated by pandemic lockdowns — during which galore of america spent an unprecedented magnitude of our clip scooting astir our homes successful chamber slippers and flip-flops.

New investigation by footwear retailer Kurt Geiger successful nan UK shows a spike successful income of level footwear styles pinch debased heels of 2 inches aliases fewer, specified arsenic ballerina flats and loafers, while pumps of 4 inches aliases higher dress up a fraction of each non-flat footwear sales, the Sunday Times reported.

For hundreds of years manner trends person dictated to what grade women are expected to contort their feet into highly system styles, from thigh-high boots to sky-high stilettos. Now, podiatrists opportunity nan COVID lockdown could explicate a caller inclination toward low-heeled shoes — arsenic nan building of our feet adjusted to wearing flatter styles astir nan timepiece while stuck astatine home, per nan Sunday Times.

And customers aren’t eager to spell back.

“‘Our customers now look to thin into ‘occasionwear’ that tin connection some tallness and comfortableness successful adjacent measure, pinch platformed flats and platformed sandals being nan large winners, intimately followed by dainty, colorful ballerinas and agleam loafers,” said Kurt Geiger’s imaginative head Rebecca Farrar-Hockley.

Meanwhile, nan resurgence of retro styles of nan 1990s and 2000s — deliberation kitten heels and ballet flats — has besides apt influenced caller footwear sales, according to Farrar-Hockley.

A move to much humble bottommost heights could beryllium an orthopedic boon arsenic regularly wearing precocious heels tin lead to achy ft conditions specified arsenic hammer toes, bunions and imperishable musculoskeletal injury.