When we look at this March 2019 picture of former First Lady Melania Trump boarding a plane at 7am in a pair of Manolo Blahnik stiletto heels, comfort is not the first thing that comes to mind.
Of course, most shoe designers will tell you the opposite.
Since comfort is the number one thing that wearers want in a pair of heels, it is not surprising that designers all say their shoes are comfortable.
So how about Manolo Blahnik, a shoe designer who has been making high heels for over 50 years?
Are Manolo Blahnik’s high heels comfortable? The answer is yes, and no.
The truth is that no extremely high heels are comfortable, particularly heels of 5 inches or even higher. Added to this, when making luxury shoes to look fabulous, it is not possible to pad or cushion them too much at all without compromising on shape.
Indeed Manolo doesn’t promise that his heels have any particular cushioning technology built in that would sooth the weary foot.
But there are some reasons why Manolos are considered to be more comfortable than other heels particularly in less extreme heel heights.
The first reason is the quality of the materials used. Manolo Blahnik is famous for using expensive and luxury materials to make his heels, never skimping on quality.
This is particularly important when it comes to shoe leather. It is often said that leather heels are more comfortable than synthetic or faux leather shoes, but this is an over simplification.
The truth is that there are an enormous variety of grades of leather available to shoemakers. Many leather shoes are made from very poor and cheap leather indeed.
The leather used in Manolo Blahniks however is genuine, top-grade leather – as soft and luxurious on your foot as the money the shoes cost would suggest. You will sometimes see Manolos stamped “vero cuoio” meaning “real leather” on the soles but, with or without the stamp, the leather used is always superior.
.jpg){kind=link}
A second reason why Manolo Blahniks might be thought to be more comfortable than other shoes is the production process. Manolos are made in small factories in Italy by expert craftspeople.
It is generally thought that this specialised attention to detail results in a superior product, one where the consumer is taken into consideration rather than just profit. In 2012, Manolo Blahnik told an interviewer that he thought making shoes in China was “awful” and said that Manolos would never be made there.
If you ask consumers, more women will swear by the comfort of their Manolos than just about any other shoe.
But how much does the man himself care about comfort?
Manolo Blanhik talks about how comfort matters
Manolo is known as a great student of history and culture, but he has also lived a lot too.
In an interview with the Telegraph, Manolo recalled the Roger Vivier stilettos of the 1950s. They were “very pointy and very uncomfortable” he noted, while expressing his love for the 18th century shoes that inspired them.
In 2012 Manolo told the Telegraph that comfort was “of paramount importance” to him as a shoe designer.
He continued: “Some people say you have to suffer, to have high heels that hurt. But being miserable is unnatural. There is a trick that you master over years and years, so you know exactly where the pressure on the foot will be, and that’s where you place the heel. If it’s a minute millimetre out of the way, it will be a flop.”
In March 2014 Manolo confirmed to the Observer that “Women’s comfort is of great importance to me.”
So what is the secret to designing comfortable stilettos? “The key to making a high shoe comfortable is symmetry and balance,” Manolo told the paper. “Everyone in my factories tries on the shoes until we have it just right. I have learned over the years that there are many little tricks, like making sure the ball of the foot is comfortable first.”
Does Manolo try on his high heels?
That just leaves the question of whether Manolo Blahnik tries on the shoes he designs. Well, again the answer is yes… and no.
Back in 2011, Manolo told Hemispheres “Oh goodness, immediately, yes! If it’s wrong, I can detect it in seconds!” However, in 2014 the designer confessed to the Observer that his body was no longer up to it: “Sadly, I can’t do that any more since I broke my tendon,” he said.
Not to worry, as workers in Manolo’s factory in Milan still road test his shoes. “One, she is huge, with big, Mediterranean feet, but I know 100 per cent that if she can walk in my shoes properly, the shoe is good,” he quipped to the Telegraph just after turning 70.
Feature image credit: Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks (public domain)