Last week, Wall Street Journal reporter Christina Binkley dropped a bombshell: After decades in which high-powered women wouldn’t be caught dead at work without their high heels, flats are making inroads in the boardroom. Calling them “power flats,” Binkley declared that their appearance “may be a sign of our times, which are faster, busier and more demanding than ever. A flat shoe offers speed, better balance and comfort.” Designers including Christian Louboutin and Akris are offering polished, structured, corner-office-worthy flat shoes, and models for Giorgio Armani and Marc Jacobs have recently sported them on the runway. Flats have always been comfortable, and now they’re stylish, too. But that doesn’t mean everyone’s ready to give up their high heels.
By Ruth Graham – The Grindstone