“Three Inches Never Felt So Good!”

Grace Coddington, the legendary Vogue editor, once remarked, “It’s all about hair and shoes.” If a photographer cropped either one out of her shot, Grace felt the image could never be impactful. There is no question that shoes have the power to make or break an outfit. Sometimes, it’s all about the shoes.

As someone who literally gets dressed from the ground up, I’m always obsessed with finding the perfect pair(s). That’s why my ears perked up when, a few weekends ago, I was watching the evening news, and there was a segment about a new shoe company, F.Major, that promises to make a genuinely comfortable high heeled pump; “a killer heel that won’t kill.”

We really wanted the look and feel of 3 inches, and we wanted luxurious leather with elegant design. We wanted it in black for versatility purposes. It was impossible fo us to find. So we create our solution.

Jen Fessler & Shari Friedman, founders of F.Major

F.Major is a direct-to-consumer shoe company founded by two college friends, Jen Fessler and Shari Friedman. It is “solely” dedicated to just one shoe: a sleek and comfortable three-inch heel in black leather or black patent, priced at $300.

I’m told more colors and styles will follow in the future. “Our mission at F.Major is not only to sell heels but also to bring awareness to the lack of possibilities for older women who still want to wear them,” Fessler emphasizes. Moreover, the shoe is available in expanded sizes and widths.

In an email, the woman told me that F.Major was created because there are occasions in which they wanted to wear a heel and couldn’t find a single pair that didn’t leave them writhing in pain at the end of the evening. According to Fessler, a revolutionary technology allows foam to be infused into their shoes without adding extra padding.

The women say that at 52, they feel sexier and bolder than ever. They don’t want to “surrender to kitten heels,” and they don’t want to “settle for clunky comfort pumps,” as they put it. The idea of being ‘sexy’ is at the heart of the line, and the website is laced with sexual double entendre, hence the motto “Three Inches Never Felt So Good.”

I have a different take. My gosh, this is 2021. I would hope that we’ve come a long way from those days when looking attractive or being seen as sexy is predicated on wearing a high-heeled pump only. I personally think sneakers, flats, kitten heels, block heels, clunky shoes, and combat boots can all be potentially ‘sexy’ (I prefer the word “alluring”) depending on who is wearing them and how they are worn. I think it’s sexier when you don’t look as though you’re trying too hard to look that way.

When Alessandro Michele presented Gucci Spring 2020 Ready-to-Wear, arguably his sexiest collection to date, the designer introduced an undeniably sexy pointy-toed ballet flat with horse-bit detail and silver chain trim which was shown with many of the outfits. Priced at $890, the shoe remains a popular item on the line.

Miuccia Prada proves time and time again that kitten heels can be alluring. And let’s face it, nothing can be sexier than Azzedine Alaia, with or without a comely high heeled pump. Alaia’s beautifully made, form-fitting, and ultra-feminine designs look great, if not better, insouciantly offset with clogs, flat mannish oxfords, ballerina flats, or rugged ankle boots.

I believe the watershed moment came when Karl Lagerfeld sent all his models down the runway for Spring 2014 Couture, wearing a clunky trainer, albeit a pricey couture one. Karl staged his following collection, Fall 2014 Ready-to-Wear, in a faux supermarket, and he again accessorized with only a sneaker or a sneaker boot. I think this gave women the go-ahead to embrace sporty, flat, comfortable footwear for all occasions.

The great thing about fashion is its ability to help us tap into our different sides. A high-heeled pump is perfect for certain occasions but not for everything and certainly not for pounding the pavement during the daytime. Aesthetics and attitudes have changed markedly in the past decade or so.

Ugly is the new pretty, and health and comfort are the new sexy, especially since the pandemic. The good news is that there are no rules, and the footwear market is inundated with dizzying choices. The downside is that it can become confusing, especially to those not immersed in the world of fashion, unlike us. Many women need guidance.

In Vanessa Friedman’s most recent “Ask Vanessa” column, “I Traded In My Stilettos for Sneakers, Now What?” a reader seeks Vanessa’s advice in finding comfortable, walkable, and chic footwear I Traded In My Stilettos for Sneakers, Now What?

Vanessa suggests a chunky heeled loafer perched on a thick rubber sole which offers insulation and height. She mentions several specific styles and brands at different price points. Unsurprisingly, this elicited over 110 comments. To be sure, there are far more pressing issues in the world, but women and their shoes are always a hot-button topic.

A male reader accused women of being slaves to fashion. Another equated shoes and women with misogyny. One woman thought the chunky, clunky footwear proposed by Vanessa and others was “hideous,” and she only liked Princess Diana’s chic Tod loafers shown in the picture that accompanies the article. Another was surprised at Friedman’s ‘poorly made’ selections (Sarto, Madden Girl among them). You can’t please them all!

One reader thought $300 for shoes was astronomical (“they should last a lifetime at that price,” she notes), and several had their own recommendations (orthopedic flip flops, clogs, Birkenstocks, Hush Puppies Loafers). The bottom line is that you can’t please them all. What’s chic or comfortable for one, may not be for another. It’s all so personal. That being said, when it comes to distinctive, walkable footwear, I know what works for me and I’m happy to share.

If it’s three inches you’re after, look no further than Stella McCartney’s “Sneak Elyse,” which the designer first introduced for her Fall 2014 Ready-to-Wear collection. It’s a cross between a mannish oxford and a sneaker on a three-inch platform. Every season, they offer the style in a variety of colors and leather-free materials. While the shoes are admittedly pricey ($695- $975), I can attest to the fact that they are well made, comfortable, sleek, and statement-making. I always get compliments from men and women, especially when I wear white ones.

For outright chicness, and if the price is not an object, you can never go wrong with the iconic label, Roger Vivier. Due to popular demand, the company is constantly adding to its diverse range of casual shoes featuring a light rubber platform sole. One of my favorites is the ‘Viv’ Rangers Metal Buckle Loafer, $1200. Finely handcrafted in black or off-white patent leather, these loafers sit on a 2.5-inch heel.

If you love the idea of a statement-making buckle in metal or crystal but don’t want to spend into the 4 figures, you can’t beat Jeffrey Campbell’s comfortable lug sole Recess-O Loafer. Priced at $175, it is available in gold leather, ivory patent, and black patent at Nordstrom.com and at JeffreyCampbell.com.

Nine West’s Garren Loafer is available in silver metallic leather, bone leather, and black embossed crocodile leather and will only set you back $89. By the way, Nine West’s high-heeled pumps (approximately 3 – 3.75 inches) are very inexpensive (under $89 – $129) and very comfortable. I’ve worn them and can attest to that fact.

I cannot live without my sneakers. And yes, I have many and some don’t even look like sneakers at all. But, perhaps my favorite are the unisex Commes des Garcons PLAY x Converse Chuck Taylor High Top Sneakers. With their thick off-white rubber sole, they are comfortable. The playful red heart always makes me smile. Priced at $150, they are available in black or off white canvas at Nordstrom.com

And finally, I will leave you with my favorite quote about flats vs. high heels, courtesy Ines de la Fressange from her book, “Parisien Chic: “Many women think they look better in heels but this is quite wrong. Just ask any man. No man would ever say “I’d love you more if you were four inches taller!” Nothing looks worse than a girl tottering about on unmanageable heels! The key to sex appeal is a feline walk, not a precarious wobble.”