High heels in the workplace
Published: 14 January, 2010
When the organisers of last year’s Trade Unions Congress set the conference agenda for Liverpool they could never have envisaged the media attention generated by the debate which was designed to discuss the merits, ethics and consequences to their physical well being of women who are expected to wear high heels in the workplace.
The debate not only gained a massive number of column inches with accompanying images in both the broad sheets and tabloids but also received saturation coverage on national TV and radio. Who said that the footwear industry was at the bottom of the pile when it comes to the media spotlight?
The debate opened up a whole range of issues from which the footwear industry could learn and benefit – primarily in the foot care and “below the ankle accessories” market.
Essentially the member proposing the motion, Lorraine Jones from the Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists, claimed that some women, including shop workers and air stewardesses, were required to wear high heels as part of their professional dress code.
She said that two million working days were lost every year through lower limb and foot-related problems and that women who wore high heels risked long term health problems such as knee damage, corns, bunions and deformity. Those supporting the motion were at pains to point out that men were not subjected to the same demands in the workplace.
Below the ankle solutions
Given that no two person’s feet are exactly the same, individuals are always likely to experience different “pressure points” from wearing any kind of footwear – and high heels are only likely to exaggerate the situation. This could range from the toes, ball of the foot, the arch, the heel itself and the back of the heel.
Whilst it is fair to say that a number of foot-related brands have introduced products designed to address these problems, this sector of the market in the UK has not experienced the same level of growth as other countries.
One of the most successful exponents of this market has been IMPLUS. Based in the USA, they have developed the “below the ankle accessories” market to an extent that their portfolio of brands, which includes Apara, Airplus, Sof Sole and Sof Comfort, nets them an annual turnover of $130 Million. They supply over 50,000 outlets in North America and 65 countries world wide.
They work hard on producing attractive and informative merchandising units and point of sale material to make an impact on the huge hitherto untapped market.
They would like to see retail footwear outlets here in the UK make a strong commitment to attack this sector of the market as it offers “new business” and will add to the appeal of the store.
Dave Watkins, Sales Director of Cherry Blossom, is confident that the UK market is ready for this and both their “Original” and new “Premium” ranges have a number of these products on offer.
Watkins quotes recent research to underline his enthusiasm:
“Women in particular are continuing to spend on fashion orientated footwear, despite the recession. According to Mintel market research sales of shoes (53.1% growth) easily exceed those for general clothing (39.7%) in the period 1998 to 2008 and recent figures confirm this trend.
“With the vast majority of these fashion lines incorporating a sizable heel the opportunity is there for products to assist comfort and protect pressure points. This summer’s trendy gladiator sandal is likely to re-appear this winter in a heeled version, so there is plenty of scope here” he concludes.
