"Glamour Grans" say yes to high heels

A recent survey of 4,400 ladies, commissioned by Saga Magazine, found that almost three quarters of women over 50 still say a resounding yes to high heels. Gone are the days, apparently, when women reached a “certain age” and plopped into sensible shoes.

An article in the Mail Online suggests that part of the reason for this could be the image of fabulous ladies such as Helen Mirren and Jane Fonda, both well over 50, has created a generation of glamour grannies.

Emma Soames from Saga Magazine explained the phenomenon like this: “The boundaries of ageing have changed beyond all recognition. The sensible flat shoe is no longer the footwear of choice by older women who still like to dress fashionably and smartly until well into their seventies.”

Another fabulous older lady, Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall, has helped to promote the worship of shoes among her fans from the over-50 age group. As Ms. Soames suggests, high-heeled shoes are a symbol of the classy, stylish image that many older women like to portray these days.

Of course the article is careful to mention that this is not everybody’s preference. Most older women who like to step out in their stylish footwear are those who favoured high heels during their youth as well.

Older ladies also tend to be careful to avoid the highest of stilettos. The most popular heeled shoe among the older generations of women is the comfortable court shoe, which 73 per cent of the polled women reported wearing on a regular basis. This is followed by kitten heels, preferred by 30 per cent.

Those brave souls who find it difficult to say goodbye to their stilettos and super-high heels number a respective ten and two per cent.

Another interesting statistic is the suggestion that not only celebrity ladies encourage high heels in older women. Finding that perfect pair of stilettos or styles boots can cause an increase in a woman’s heart rate.

According to the article, the heart so affected can reach a racing 120 beats per minute; the equivalent of the effect usually obtained by a vigorous workout. This was found by researchers who monitored the heart rates of 35 women shopping for shoes.

Significantly, the result was somewhat less spectacular for other retail items such as a skirt or top. The researchers suggested that this effect could explain the legendary weakness that so many women have for shoes, even when they reach highly advanced years.

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