I'll admit that this phase of everyone trading in their heels for ballet flats, loafers, and retro, viral sneakers has been fun, especially for my feet, which are far too used to being squished, squeezed, and smushed into heels and then forced to walk on concrete for miles on end. While my feet and I have appreciated the break from elevated footwear, we've come to the mutual decision after studying fall's curation of heels that the time for all flats all the time is over.
From timeless styles like slingbacks and kitten-heel pumps to more experimental alternatives like fur-trimmed sandals and studded mules, the industry's top shoe designers simply provided one too many covetable choices for anyone to simply ignore in the name of comfort. For proof, scroll through the six heel trends below, all of which I'd gladly sacrifice a touch of flats-induced bliss for (emphasis on the word touch since even a heel lover like me won't put up with that much pain for fashion). My guess? After one swipe, your flats will be on a one-way trip to the storage unit.