Forget painful stilettos – this season’s stylish shoes are all about comfort

We slopped around in slippers during lockdown then teetered about in the highest heels as part of the trend for revenge shopping and event-dressing post-pandemic. But now? It seems shoppers have settled into a more comfortable middle ground as research from Kurt Geiger has revealed mid-heels are now the nation’s favourite shoe style.

Sales of mid-heels have risen 127 per cent at the retailer over the past 12 months and while super high heels accounted for almost 50 per cent of Kurt Geiger’s sales in 2014, they now make up just 17 per cent – this has well and truly been the decade in which the high heel slumped. Stilettos and platforms have been relegated to special occasion-only shoes. In 2024 it seems these “taxi shoes” rarely make it out of the wardrobe.

Clocking in at a manageable two inches, it’s clear that mid-heels hit the sweet spot between comfort and elegance. Flat shoes are excellent everyday options, with the Mary-Jane jostling with the mesh flat for the crown of 2024’s trendiest style, but when an occasion arises, it seems women are far less likely to sacrifice their soles for style anymore. Comfort is queen.

Net-a-Porter has described our preference for comfort dressing as part of a wider trend dubbed the “casualisation of fashion” evident in the spring/summer 2024 collections. We no longer want to suffer to be stylish and actually have physiological reasons for this choice of footwear.

Many people’s feet got wider over lockdown. After being able to pad around barefoot, our bones spread out as they weren’t restricted in shoes all day. Now, squeezing wider feet into narrower heels and stilettos is a stretch too far. Instead, mid-heels offer a flattering element of elevation while still allowing us to swerve the burning sensation on the balls of our feet that came as standard with most stiletto heels.

Stylist Jemma Cotterrell is a fan of the mid-heel. “I especially love a block mid-heel because the surface area of the heel is larger, making you more balanced and able to walk without tottering,” she reflects. Likewise, Cotterrell’s personal styling clients also appreciate the comfort of a lower heel. “Certainly my clients opt for a mid-heel over a stiletto. No one actually wants to walk in stilettos and they do no favours for our shin muscles, adding excessive strain.”

If you are also looking to get the most cost-per-wear from a new shoe purchase, the mid-heel could offer the best value for money. While ostentatious stilettos are perhaps less suitable for the school run and supermarket shopping, and practical flats sometimes miss the mark for after dark, mid-heels are a wiser buy. Cotterrell advises that “mid-heels work for day and evening so are much more versatile”.

At Kurt Geiger, Rebecca Farrar-Hockley, creative director and chief operating officer, believes that it’s the multiple styling options that have made their Belgravia mid-heel (just 2.5in) a bestseller. “A continued hero style, Belgravia drives the most business in our heels category. Incredibly versatile and wearable, it’s understandable why it continues to dominate,” she explains.

It’s clear that being pain-free is a reason for the mid-heel’s resurgence but high fashion has also echoed our predilection for more practical footwear. For the spring/summer collections, Christian Dior, Fendi and Valentino all showed mid-heels on the catwalk (which were probably received with much relief from the models, after seasons of super-high heels). The trend has continued through to autumn with further runway appearances at Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Chloe.

Even the labels most synonymous with stilettos are diversifying. Tina Lamb, buying manager for shoes and accessories at Harvey Nichols, says: “We have significantly grown our offering of mid-heels across a number of brands and at a variety of price points, in response to customer demand. Brands such as Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin, which are all known for their fabulous high heels, have all delivered their own interpretations of the mid-heel trend, which we’re seeing a great response to.”

As part of Gen Z’s obsession with all things millennial, kitten heels, in particular, haven’t had this much of a moment since the late 1990s and early 2000s. The petite heel style is having a resurgence, particularly when worn with pedal pushers. However be warned – even a tiny one-inch kitten heel with narrow straps or a perilous pointed toe can make these tiny heels as painful as their higher cousins.

Instead, look for a block heel and either a square or almond-shaped toe. These details will give you more stability and wiggle room for your feet to spread. Super high heels often necessitate a pair of flats in your bag to change into, too, however mid-heels can be worn all day long, leaving you the bliss of being able to travel light (and relieving your back as well as your feet!).

Finding a pair of mid-heels with extra padding under the ball of your foot will also be a balm. Marks & Spencer have aced the trend with their glossy burgundy loafer-style slingbacks, but combined with foam padding and their patented Insolia technology, which is designed to stabilise the ankle and redistribute weight away from the ball of the foot, they are positively heavenly.

Patent leather block heels, £55, Marks & Spencer; Heel height: 1.7in

Lamb predicts that “leopard, silver, patent and warm tones are set to be popular” for mid-heels as we move into the new season. “For autumn/winter, we are confident that we will see the popularity continue for mid-heels, particularly given the recent trend for them and the fact they’re once again regarded as wardrobe staples.”

Mid block Mary-Jane shoes, £32, Asos; Heel height: 1.9in

Patent leather Babies, £160, Sezane; Heel height: 2in

And as staples, they suit every occasion. Try them with wide-leg, high-waisted jeans and a cropped, collarless tweed blazer for a leg-lengthening casual look or with pinstriped pleat-front trousers that just clear the floor, for office-wear. Mid-heels can look a little prissy with floral dresses or anything too girly, so try to bring a little edge to their natural elegance with tomboy-inspired tailoring or cargo pants. Both elements will bring an unexpected twist that will see your mid-heels proving their versatility, comfort and stylishness for seasons ahead.

The chicest and most comfortable mid-heels to try now:

Belgravia bow sling heels, £189, Kurt Geiger; Heel height: 2.5in

Tweed Mary-Jane pumps, £730, Gianvito Rossi at Net-a-Porter; Heel height: 2in

Medium heel pumps, £65, Geox; Heel height: 2.6in

Patent leather pumps, £290, Aeyde at Harvey Nichols: Heel height: 1in

Mesh and patent leather Mary Jane pumps, £675, Jimmy Choo at Harvey Nichols; Heel height: 1.5in