Fashion Editor Says 'No Thanks' to High Heels
Lauren Sherman is a fashion writer, a contributor to Elle.com and a fashionista who has been to many a fashion show.
She is exactly the type of woman you would expect to see rocking a high heel on any day, in any weather, yet Sherman has said "no thanks" to the popular women's footwear.
Sherman's revelation came just before New York Fashion Week last September, months after she had twisted her ankle.
"I had 30 shows to go to, and I just realized I did not want to be uncomfortable," Sherman told ABC News' Deborah Roberts. "I decided to only wear flats. When I got to Fashion Week, there were a lot of other women, editors, buyers, socialites wearing flats as well.
"It was like, 'Oh, wow, the thing that I always have wanted to do is what everyone wants to do right now,'" she said.
Sherman documented her turn from heels to flats in an essay for Elle.com titled, "Why I'll Never Wear Heels Again."
"It was, of course, validating what others had said. At least for a season. Because like any trend, this one, too, will pass, and sky-high heels will become the ultimate statement once again," Sherman wrote. "But until then, I'm going to enjoy this little victory. With all the options out there, I really don't ever have to wear a pair of heels again. And I just might not."
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Sherman has held true to her no-heels rule, and says she has been pleasantly surprised to see how well her colleagues in the fashion industry have responded.
"Not once has anyone said, 'You know, you really should switch into heels for this meeting or this event,'" Sherman said. "So I think it really is about making yourself look good in a way that is truly you."
Podiatrists like Dr. Rock Positano, director of the Non-Surgical Foot and Ankle Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, say that Sherman's decision to not wear high heels is not just a fashion statement but a smart step for her body too.
"When someone wears a really high heel, the muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones of that foot and ankle have to work considerably harder," Positano said. "It's much more difficult for the foot to maintain stability and balance."
Sherman says she believes it's the reality of high heels - the difficulty of maneuvering around with your feet in an unnatural position - that is partly driving the trend from heels to flats.
"Women want to look great but women are also practical," Sherman said. "We are all running around, we all have eight jobs and the last thing that I want to think about is how I'm going to walk the next block in a pair of seven-inch heels."