Is The High Heel Dying A Slow Death?

In 2024, we’ve seen plenty of shoe trends. The boat shoe, jelly sandals and even the humble thong have been front of mind. But there’s one classic shoe that seems to have performed a disappearing act: the stiletto.

Since Christian Dior and designer Roger Vivier (or Salvatore Ferragamo or André Perugia, it’s history remains disputed) released “the needle” in the 1950s, the stiletto has been synonymous with chic. Anne Hathaway’s Andie Athens hobbling to work in Devil Wears Prada—the shoe itself announced her entry into the terrifying world of fashion. And, the Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choos glued to Carry Bradshaw’s feet marked her as an avidly style-conscious journalist.

Daisy Edgar-Jones attends the Gucci Women's Spring Summer 2025 Fashion Show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2025 at Triennale di Milano on September 20, 2024 in Milan, Italy. — *(Credit: Getty/Christian Vierig)*

Powerful female heroines are (sometimes inexplicably) hooved in stilettos, and we, the humble public, have always associated “going out” with throwing on a pair of arch-defining heels. But, a recent conversation in the ELLE office revealed it’s been a long time between stilettos for most of us. Nor have we spotted them out and about. Now, Friday nights are packed with cool girls wearing Margiela Tabis, Mary Janes, tasselled brogues and slip-on loafers. Suddenly, the stiletto seems… uncomfortable to a degree that borders on naff.

The Death Of The High Heel

Perhaps we saw the heels slow retreat, with the pivot to the kitten heel in recent years, a relic of the 2000’s that’s experienced a sudden resurgence in popularity.

Now, as fashion month has rolled around and as we’ve documented front rows and street style moments, we’ve noted the skyscraper heel missing from some of fashion’s chicest feet.

Giorgia Tordini wears black shiny leather ballerinas, silver hoop earrings, black sunglasses, a black belt, a black oversized leather jacket, a white oversized t-shirt and blue low waist straight jeans outside Andreadamo show during the Milan Fashion Week Menswear Spring/Summer 2025 on September 22, 2024 in Milan, Italy. — Giorgia Tordini at Milan Fashion Week

When we spotted cool girl Daisy Edgar Jones front row at Gucci, we realised just how ubiquitous the flat shoe had become.

What’s driving the trend?

Unsurprisingly, during the pandemic sales of high heels dropped by 65 percent year-on-year according market research firm NPD. And, when we emerged, we were used to life with our feet planted firmly on the ground in running shoes and slides. The aesthetic but unintimidating to the arches ballet flat started to make its way into our shopping carts.

Finally, in 2023 the Margiela Tabi, a version of a 15th-century Japanese shoe released in the 1980s, went viral on TikTok. Suddenly the flat shoe wasn’t just about comfort; it was part of the zeitgeist. As Business of Fashion noted in 2023, “the Tabi became a shorthand for a certain level of subcultural, internet-literate fashionability.”

Since then, other trend-focused brands have jumped on board with Miu Miu’s boat suede loafers, the patent black Bally boat shoe, Alaïa embellished flats and, of course, the Gucci suede horse bit ballet flats Jones was spotted in.

Has the Tabi cast a flat-shoe shadow over the market?
We can’t say, all we know is this summer all we know is we’re parking stilettos at the door for an array of more comfortable, far cooler, shoes.