Are High Heels Over? Women Are Officially Buying More Sneakers Than Heels

When avid high-heel wearer Victoria Beckham ditched her skyscraper Louboutin’s for a pair of Stan Smiths, we wondered if the days of the stiletto were over. And it seems that celebrities like Kate Middleton, Gigi Hadid, and Kim Kardashian are seen in sneakers as often as high heels lately.

A new report from market-intelligence firm Mintel seems to confirm this, showing that more British women have bought sneakers than high-heeled shoes over the past year.

According to the report, 37 percent of U.K. women who have bought footwear in the last year purchased a pair of sneakers, while 33 percent bought shoes with a heel.

In 2015 there was a tie, with 35 percent of U.K. women buying sneakers and 35 percent buying high heels.

And the popularity of heels is falling flat in general, as 59 percent of female footwear buyers prefer to wear flat shoes, compared to just 12 percent preferring high heels, the data showed.

What’s driving this trend? Women aged 35 to 44 (like Victoria Beckham). Almost half (48 percent) of the women in this age group bought sneakers in the past year, compared to 30 percent of the same group who bought heels.

Do you think ditching heels for sneakers is taking off in the U.S.? Let us know your preference in the comments.

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