High heels have dominated the shoe closet for years, but it seems that the high heel is now on the decline. New research shows that 37% of British women who bought shoes in the last year chose sneakers, compared to 33% who chose heels. Nearly half (48%) of women aged 35 to 44 bought sneakers in the past year, compared to 30% of the same group who bought heels. Overall, flats are still the most popular form of footwear at 51%, with flat boots (30%) and flat sandals (25%), following in fourth and fifth place after sneakers and heels. And it seems that the popularity of heels in general is declining, as 59% of women prefer to wear flats, compared to just 12% who prefer high-heeled shoes.
For shoe buyers, comfort level is king, with three quarters (74%) who bought shoes in the past year agree that comfort is more important to them than fashion. In contrast, only 28% prefer shoes that follow the latest fashion trends. In addition, two in five (39%) of this group prefer sporty or casual styles of shoes, compared to only one in five (21%) who prefer formal styles of shoes.
Finally, it seems that "if the shoe fits" does not apply to many female shoe buyers, more than two-fifths (43%) want to find shoes that fit well. To address this issue, nearly half (54%) of women would like a better choice of size options, such as half sizes or wide and narrow fit options, and 43% would like to see better size standardization across retailers and brands.
