Heels: It's Not a Choice?

By Kristina Gudgel

We are so excited, because it is now less than ONE month until Pashion Footwear’s official launch on July 1st –  The Pashion Team can’t wait to start providing women with the world’s first convertible heels! 

In today’s workplace, women are commonly required to wear heels as a part of their professional dress code.  Professions that have these policies in place include certain companies within the industries of airlines, law firms, and even education. These women are being forced to suffer the pain of heels to perform their jobs, and Pashion Footwear can’t wait to make their lives easier by providing them with heels that convert into flats for both commute and break hours.

This unfortunate dress code makes many women feel targeted and uncomfortable.  For example, in 2016, Frontier Airlines and other airlines made it a requirement for women to wear heels until all passengers had entered and then exited the plane.  Many of these dress code requirements have resulted in lawsuits by women forced to abide by them, especially those who are pregnant, as the terms do not change. “It was a hassle to change your shoes once you were up in the air and constantly change them back. You had to make sure you had both pairs of shoes and that they were in good condition” Dorice Hershfield, who was a flight attendant for nine years said.

In the law industry, there are firms that require heels and firms that do not.  Deborah Mallgrave, a fellow pashionista and lawyer in Orange County, said “In my profession, women have the option to wear heels or flats.  However, heels are said to be more professional.” Deborah went on to describe the pain of heels and how she is looking forward to having a more versatile option, such as the Pashion shoes.

In addition, at many college campuses professors are encouraged to dress business-casual for their class periods, seminars, and meetings. While this isn’t a requirement for these working women, many opt to wear heels in order to feel more professional and confident. Recently, Pashion Footwear spoke to a few professors at Cal Poly regarding this issue.  These professors said that walking the hilly Cal Poly campus is a challenge in heels, but that they want to wear them to look professional. These professors said that they are looking forward to Pashion Footwear’s launch as well, and have been looking for a more convenient and comfortable work shoe.