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Women’s love of heels lasts longer than half a century

By Emma Sibbles on Thursday 19 February 2009

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Gwyneth Paltrow, celebrity news, Marie Claire

We’ve all seen the trend for higher and higher heels over the last year with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham leading the way.

Now a new report indicates that women get a taste for the high life around the age of 12, which continues until an average age of 63 when she might swap her stilettos for something a little bit comfier.

High Street fashion store Debenhams, who compiled the research, believe the psychological impact of swapping heels for flats can be as traumatic as retiring from work.

Women are wearing their highest heels – a whopping five inches – by the age of 23. The first real dip in height occurs in the late 40s and 50s, dropping to an average height of 1.7 inches.

From 63 onwards the majority of women are wearing heels of one inch in height.

Ed Watson, Debenhams spokesman, said, ‘We feel certain that there are still many elderly women who insist in stepping out in super high heels, defying age to trip them up.’