I’m on my yearly rewatch of Sex and the City, and every time I watch it, I notice something new about the fashion.
Yes, the outfits are iconic. Carrie Bradshaw basically built an entire generation’s Pinterest boards. Charlotte York perfected polished femininity, Samantha Jones made confidence look effortless and Miranda Hobbes somehow made business casual interesting.
But the one thing I keep noticing is that they are always in heels.
Not red carpet heels either. Just normal day-to-day heels. Kitten heels, heeled boots, little strappy sandals, classic pumps. They wore them to lunch, shopping, work, dates, everywhere.
And honestly, I miss that.
Somewhere along the way, casual heels completely disappeared. Going out in a college town now is basically the same rotation of worn-down Nike Air Forces, Converse or Adidas Sambas. If someone actually wears heels to the bar, people either stare or immediately start talking about how bad their feet must hurt.
Which, to be fair, is probably true.
I have personally experienced the specific pain of wearing open-toed heels in a crowded college bar where people move like they are in a mosh pit. One accidental stomp and your entire night changes.
But I also think part of the problem is that heels genuinely are not made the same way anymore.
We live in an era where everything is built around comfort. People are used to soft soles, memory foam, cushioned sneakers and shoes that feel broken in immediately. Meanwhile, so many modern heels feel like they were designed to be looked at instead of actually worn.
The quality has gone downhill, especially with fast fashion. A lot of heels now are stiff, thin and weirdly hard. There is no support, no flexibility and barely any padding. They look cute online for one photo and then immediately start cutting into your ankles the second you leave your apartment.
Older luxury heels were not necessarily comfortable, but they were at least constructed better. Now a lot of trendy heels feel disposable. They are made for aesthetics first and actual wearability second.
So I do not think the answer is forcing people back into painful shoes for the sake of fashion. If casual heels are going to come back, brands need to figure out how to make them wearable again.
Because heels do something sneakers just do not.
Even the smallest heel changes the way clothes sit and how someone carries themselves. A simple outfit suddenly looks intentional. Jeans and a tank top with sneakers feels casual. Jeans and a tank top with a kitten heel feels styled.
And before anyone says it, no, I do not think we should all start wearing stilettos to class. Morgantown sidewalks alone would make that impossible. I just think fashion has become so centered around practicality that everything looks the same now.
There used to be more effort in everyday style. Not in an over-the-top way, but in a way that made getting dressed actually feel interesting. Casual heels added something. Outfits felt more complete instead of just convenient.
I also think social media changed the way people dress. Everyone wants to look effortless now. The ideal outfit is something comfortable, minimal and low-maintenance. Sneakers became the default because they are easy and safe.
But sometimes safe is boring.
The thing about Sex and the City is that the fashion was not always practical, but it was memorable. Nobody was worried about whether an outfit was “realistic.” They just wore things because they liked how they looked.
I miss that attitude toward fashion a little.
Not everything has to be optimized for comfort all the time, but fashion also should not feel physically painful just to look put together. There has to be a middle ground somewhere between orthopedic sneakers and shoes that leave you limping by the end of the night.
Bring back casual heels, just make them wearable this time.