I run into my co-worker in the hall. She's talking about her next vacation, but all I can focus on are her sneakers. They're flat, after all. Flat and blissfully comfortable.
I'm wearing heels. More specifically, the "first truly comfortable stiletto high heels" that are five times more comfortable than the market's leading pumps. At least, they're billed that way.
The self-described "holy grail" of footwear, ANYI LU's Signature Collection was developed over 10 years. Designer Lu traveled to Italy to learn old-world shoemaking techniques; she studied high-performance materials typically used in sport shoes. Even a NASA-designed shock absorption polymer lines the insole of every pair to make it all the more comfortable. Coupled with Lu's background in chemical engineering, the brand released a heel women can purportedly wear all day long, regardless of the event.
"We believe the common practice of bringing two pairs of shoes to an event, one for style and one for comfort, is absurd," the site reads.
It's a tempting objective for someone who wore flats under her wedding dress.
So, when our fashion reporter David Yi suggested I test out the latest in high heel technology, I jumped at the chance. (Well, not "jumped." Jumping in or around heels is dangerous, you see.)
ANYI LU sent its flagship heel, called The Angel, which retails for a pretty steep $525. The product description calls it "the first truly comfortable four-inch stiletto heel."
They're basic-looking black pumps (basic in a good way, as in "Every woman should have a good basic black heel in her closet"). The toe has a half-inch platform where all the space age cushioning and memory foam goodies hang out. However, the shoe vamp covers slightly more of the toes than I would typically wear. Let's chalk it up to comfort. Secondly, the sole of the shoe has a more rugged, athletic appearance. It looks more like a cross-trainer than a flat heel. This was admittedly my least favorite part of the look of the shoe, but OK, I'll bite.
I slipped the heel on at my desk late in the morning. So far, so good. Very lightweight. Snug, the way a heel is supposed to fit grown-ups. I stood. Easy to balance and in general pretty charming to look at.
Things went downhill around lunch, when I walked an avenue (that's like three city blocks in New York City measurements) to lunch. I noticed the first pitfall: The four-inch heels are much too tall to be called the most comfortable stiletto in the world. I don't care what cushion technology you have, when your foot is at a 45-degree angle to the ground, that's a lot of weight on your ankles and balls (of your feet), especially when walking.
But hey, I'm 5'8" and have small feet for my frame, so that's more weight per square inch, or something related to physics.
The rest of my day was typical rushing between meetings. I actually forgot I was wearing new shoes for a bit. Good sign.
The real test was the event I had that night. It was Mashable's fashion launch party and I had four hours worth of networking and drinking to accomplish. Carry me through it, magic heels!
Here's me posing in front of a giant picture of me, in the ANYI LU heels:
I'll be honest, I didn't have a ton of time to think about how comfortable my feet were until I was sitting on a toilet seat after my second beer. That's when I realized, "These heels don't hurt as much as some of my other pairs...but they still hurt."
After my four hours was up and the last guest had left, I walked to my desk and changed into my flats. While my arches were fairly pain-free, the skin around my toes was red and pinched, and the balls of my feet were sore.
For a shoe that says you won't need a backup, I expected to walk home in them at the end of the day. Sadly, I did not want to do that with the ANYI LU heels.
Now, before you start saying things like "You need time to break in your shoes!" or "Why do you stand so much? Why don't you sit down more like a normal American?" To that I answer: "I know" and "I wish," respectively.
I slipped on The Angels for an hour here and there over the proceeding month. In fact, I'm wearing them now, writing this review at a trendy standing desk. It's been an hour and I'm eyeing that chair, as much out of laziness as discomfort. Again, the ball of my foot is sore; I find myself shifting my weight to relieve the pressure. But the arch is feeling pretty great, actually. And they fit beautifully, albeit not exactly my style.
If you can afford the price tag, the shoe is worth a shot, if for no other reason than its the lesser of heel evils.
The Angel heel is available for purchase at the ANYI LU website and will be available in Nordstrom stores nationwide in August.