Vertiginous heels look great, but aren’t practical for the day-to-day. Time to embrace a more sensible shoe – and don’t let that name put you off

The thing about high heels is that they lift you up, but at the same time they drag you down. They lift you up, literally. You stand taller and, because balancing in heels requires you to correct your posture, you are eyeball to eyeball with people you are normally gazing up at. Plus, your shoulders are back rather than hunched, which makes you look and feel powerful. You see, heels don’t just make you taller, they elevate you. Look at you, standing on your very own Olympic medallist podium! Heels make you feel as if you can achieve anything.

But they can also hobble you as you go about your day. You miss the train because you can’t run down the station steps, or the bus gets stuck in traffic and you can’t get out and walk because … heels. Heels are a time-suck, and take up valuable headspace. When you cross the road, you have to think about the divot that might pull the heel tip off, as well as oncoming traffic.