Bye bye heels: It's the era of easy footwear

Remember heels? Yes those extra bit on the sole of your shoes to make you look (and feel) a few inches taller. Now in the last few months, how often did you take your heels out for a stroll? Chances are, not a lot. If footwear designers are to be believed, the days of comfortable footwear are here. Laksheeta Govil, founder and designer, Fizzy Goblet (known for its juttis) says, “At the moment, people are very attracted to comfortable shoes that they can wear around the house and for everyday chores.”

Victoria Beckham had famously said, “I can’t think without heels.” And now she has been wearing and designing sneakers! According to market research data in the US, women sneakers showed a surge of 37% in sales while sales of heels fell by 17%.Similar trends are evinced in India. Especially now, as our lower halves are not visible to the world – courtesy video calls.
Shirin Mann, founder and creative head of Needledust (a jutti and flats specialist) says, “The entire industry from the waist below, whether that’s trousers or shoes, has seen a massive slow down and the trends are looking at a constant slowdown for the next year. But we have seen an upward trend, as we’ve gone back to pre-Corona sales.” The reason is simple: the lockdown life has changed the way we dress. Jeans are almost alien, comfort fits are on a high and fabrics are easy care. If easy-give waists are in, flip-flops are its footwear equivalent.
In India, while the humble hawaai is a household staple, the flat shoe curve is climbing higher. Govil shares that while their sliders have always been popular, this year they are noticing a surge in demand. Agrees Shilpa Agarwalla, founder of ShilpSutra who says that their slippers and sliders model are flying off the online shelves. “Earlier this year we moved into this category and fortunately the timing was just perfect. With the lockdown, this category is seeing strong traction for us since people are at home,” she says.

From Birks (Birkenstock) to Crocs, easy footwear brands are doing well internationally. According to online fashion search business Lyst, searches for flip-flops have increased 53% since June, with demand for Havaianas up 89% month-on-month. Experts note that it’s the office shoes that added heels to the women’s footwear arsenal. In India, it’s also festive wear. Mann notes that festive season and weddings (even though small) have brought in positivity and they have seen a rise in sales.
Agarwalla says that comfortable footwear will only get accelerated with corporates choosing remote working. In weddings too comfortable shoes are popular. As Govil says, “Comfortable and easy to wear footwear can easily be the bright spot of happiness that your day needs. The idea being that even when you look down (at your feet), you feel happy.” And we all need little happiness now.