British brand Jimmy Choo is known for its high-end stilettos and contemporary classics, but are Jimmy Choo high heels actually comfortable to wear?
Jimmy Choos do have a good reputation for comfort, or at least for being as comfy as a pair of heels can be. Like other designer brands, Choos limit the use of padding and cushioning in their spikiest stilettos to avoid the shape of the shoe being compromised.
However many women say that their Choos are comfortable despite this. In fact, Choos are consistently rated as some of the most comfortable heels in the expensive designer market.
The main reasons that Choos are said to be comfortable are the materials and the design employed in their manufacturer. Jimmy Choo tends to use top quality materials (matching the high-end prices), meaning that the leather and other shoe-materials are as comfortable as can be found.
Hence you may see vero cuoio (meaning real leather) written on the sole of your Choos. But even if these words are not there, it is widely accepted that Jimmy Choo uses top grade leather as do all luxury shoe designers.
A second reason is the attention to detail in the finishing of the product. Jimmy Choos are manufactured in Italy with first-class craftsmanship. For example, each pair of the brand’s Azia sandals (pictured above) is hand-finished by a master artisan.
What does Jimmy Choo say about comfort?
Of course, comfort is in the eye – or the foot – of the beholder somewhat. Not all women will find the same shoes comfortable, and no extremely high heels could ever be truly considered as comfortable as a cosy pair of flats.
But what does Jimmy Choo say?
Mr Jimmy Choo’s own attitude to comfortable shoes seems unequivocal. Back in 2013 he was asked what shoes he would take travelling if he could only take one pair. “It would have to be a comfortable pair,” Jimmy told the Telegraph‘s Travel section.
“When we walk we need comfortable shoes to hold our feet. I also like to wear slippers. I’m always reminding my family, ‘Slippers, slippers, slippers!’. Feet are very important.”
However Jimmy Choo hasn’t been a part of the brand that bears his own name since selling out in 2001 after his relationship with Tamara Mellon broke down.
Worse still, as Tamara asserted when promoting her autobiography in 2013 (affiliate link), Jimmy never actually designed any of the shoes sold by the Jimmy Choo brand even when he was part of it.
In 2013, when asked by interviewer Jenna Bush Hager on America’s Today show whether Jimmy designed any of the heels, Tamara answered: “Not one. Not one sketch did I get from him. Not one.”
In truth, the Jimmy Choo range was always designed by Sandra Choi, Jimmy’s niece. Sandra is now the sole creative director at the label and, like her uncle, she also seems to take comfort seriously.
“Talking about comfort is not very sexy,” Sandra told The Cut in 2013, “but our shoes do fit well, and that makes a difference when you need to stride around and look confident.”
Speaking to the Fix, Sandra elaborated and explained her role as unofficial shoe-tester-in-chief:
First of all, I’ve been trying the shoes on for years. Since you put your entire body weight into your shoes, they should be comfortable! Maybe not for 24 hours a day, but if I can do something to make them a bit more comfortable without sacrificing style, I will. It’s not very sexy to talk about comfort, so we don’t talk about it. But people do mention it, and it’s a nice, proud factor of what we do.
The quality of leather helps the shoe shape to the foot. When we try on certain shoes for fittings, I don’t just try it on one person; I try it on several people! I like to have everyone try them on so I get an average fit. It doesn’t matter how beautiful a shoe is—if it’s uncomfortable, sometimes it’ll get left behind in your wardrobe.
Through it all is a commitment to getting the design right to start. “Designing a shoe is an architectural feat and even being a millimetre off can ruin the pitch and design of a shoe,” Sandra explained exclusively to A&E World in 2018. “I am always finding new ways to give women beautiful and comfortable shoes.”
Sandra gave an example of her re-working the classic Choo pump to create the Romy which has been worn by the likes of Kristen Stewart and Kate Middleton. “We have given it a rounder toe and wider heel base for added comfort, while still retaining the sleek, classic aesthetic,” Sandra Choi told A&E World.
Sandra’s obsession with comfort was confirmed in an interview with Tina Loves in 2012: “I actually try them all on and all the samples are made in my size and the girls in the office actually trade them around to make sure that they’re okay,” she said.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, here’s what Sandra Choi told New York Magazine in 2013 about whether she tried on all the Jimmy Choos herself:
I do! I’m a little obsessed with how they look. We have a joke that everyone who works for the team must have a size 37 foot so that they can try on the shoes for me. My right foot is a size 37, my left foot is a little smaller.
The Jimmy Choo brand has been through many changes in the last few years. In August 2023, Tapestry, the parent company of Coach, announced it was purchasing Capri Holdings, the owner of Jimmy Choo and other fashion brands for $8.5bn.
However through all the changes to date, and hopefully this one, Sandra Choi has remained at the helm of the label designing her shoes with comfort in mind and testing them with her own two feet.