Fashion seems to finally be catching up with real life; sales of trainers have overtaken high heels for the first time. Market research company, Mintel, have found that 37% of women who bought shoes in the last year chose trainers, whereas only 35% went for heels.
The news might signal a shift in the way women are choosing to invest their money, with more of a focus on comfort than glamour. Indeed, the trend is great news for our health; wearing high heels not only make your feet feel like they’re on fire when you’re wearing them, but can cause back, neck and shoulder painwith continual use and even damage your spine. Yikes.
The findings correlate to the rise in sportswear fashion, with trainers becoming a fashionable everyday staple rather than relegated to the gym. However it’s unclear whether our new taste for trainers is because of new fashion trends or whether cause and effect is the other way around.
There is still, unfortunately, immense pressure on women to wear heels. Corporate finance company PwC sent a receptionist home for refusing to wear their specified 2-4 inch heel on her first day of work (because wearing heels definitely impacts your work performance, but only for women apparently). Women were also turned away from the Cannes red carpet last year because they were wearing flats, sparking actress and all-around babe Emily Blunt to criticise the festival harshly.
Swap your toe-murderers for these comfy picks:
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.