I’m sure by now you may have heard about the recent controversy at Cannes about a handful of women in their 50’s being turned away from the film festival ‘black tie’ festivities for wearing flats instead of heels. It turns out that most of these women were wearing them because of medical conditions on their feet.
One of those women, Danish film producer Valeria Richter, is an amputee.
The red carpet security pointed to her shoes and said, ” No, no, this won’t work. You can’t go in like this.”
That is just wrong. It’s not like she was in flip flops or beach attire.
William Hanson, an etiquette expert, says Cannes was RIGHT to ban flat shoes on the red carpet because a host of a party has the right to ask and enforce a dress code. Well, William, have you ever worn high heels??
Actress Emily Blunt says: “That’s very disappointing. You kind of think there are these new waves of equality. Everyone should wear flats to be honest. We shouldn’t be wearing high heels anyway. That’s my point of view. I just prefer wearing Converse sneakers.” And yet she played the game and wore heels on the red carpet. I get it. She wanted to look her best.
The festival officials have denied heels were part of the official dress code. And why should they be?
A woman can be glamorous in flats as much as heels. You can’t tell me that this $895 Jimmy Choo flat isn’t red carpet ready, right?
The reality is that off-the-rack heels aren’t comfortable to most women. Some are downright painful and cause all sorts of damage to the body. Podiatrists will confirm that high heels above a certain height cause back pain. And what about bunions? I remember seeing celebrities in droves with their high heels kicked off under the table during the last Oscars. Is that ‘black tie’ behavior? We all know why it happens. Because the shoes are painful.
Some women like heels. Some don’t.
We should have the power to choose what works for us.
We wouldn’t have this problem if our feet weren’t scrunched into uncomfortable positions that come with wearing heels.
In my 14 years as a stylist I’ve heard more about feet problems due to shoes than any other issue. One client ruined her feet from pounding the pavement without proper support. She now suffers daily foot pain. A couple of clients had ankle issues that prevented them from wearing heels. Another had a closet full of high heels but they never left the house. Instead, she wore the same flat shoes every day.
Most women love the look of heels but hate or can’t deal with the reality that comes with wearing them.
Heels would be more comfortable if they fit properly.
Thankfully, there is a solution to this conundrum.
Custom made, custom fit shoes. They used to be price prohibitive, but now a new startup is set to change the shoe industry forever. True Gault scans your foot and makes you a custom fit shoe. You get to choose the heel height, the style, the fabric. All this for a price of $450 a shoe. They guarantee fit.
Can’t wait to see the world and Hollywood embrace this company.
She helped me create not just outfits but a style statement for how I go out in the world in the morning. She’s given me a new sense of confidence, especially when I go to professional meetings