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But the closer to the Valley I got, the more I noticed an unusual fashion choice. Women were not wearing high heels but white sneakers.
I had the same confused facial expression I usually reserve for maths. Why on earth were they wearing short dresses or skirts with sneakers? How mismatched!
Confusion quickly turned to admiration for their choice of comfort over torture – until I was overcome with anger.
Hang on a minute, the aches and pains of wearing heels on a night out is a rite of passage!
In my pursuit for answers – and perhaps validation for my outrage – I spoke with leading stylist Kimberly Gardner.
“You’re not crazy,” she says. “It’s the fashion cycle.
“In the ’50s and 1960s, heels were in, before flats were the thing in the 1960s. Platforms were the trend in the 1970s, then biker boots and Docs took over in the 1980s. Then in the late ’80s, it was cowboy boots.
“The ’90s brought a bit more punk-grunge back into fashion, and the 2000s were known for the ridiculous 12-inch heels. Everyone who wore those is now crippled. I am one of those.
“Now, sneakers are in.”
Fashion from couture runway shows is usually three years ahead of the curve. It takes a year for a style to hit mainstream runways, and even longer to hit the streets.
Gardner doesn’t think sneakers are a great look, but she says it “saves the barefoot image”, adding: “It will be interesting to see how long it will hang around.”
Comfort is one consideration, but fashion is another.Credit: Shutterstock
In fashion shoots she’s doing now, she sees white sneakers are on the way out.
“It looks like we will go back to the ludicrous high heels,” she says, “but whether it will translate to the street, only time will tell.”
QUT senior fashion lecturer Kathleen Horton has a different perspective, noting that women’s fashion has been steadily evolving towards comfort.
“Runners have had a big fashion moment for quite a few years, but it’s not just for places like nightclubs – women are wearing runners for anything,” she says.
“When you think back to the mid-19th century, women wore corsets and long dresses and were super uncomfortable, so there’s a long history of women being dressed uncomfortably.
“Fast-forward to now, no one is wearing those types of corsets, and fashion for women has become more comfortable.”
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The moral of the story is to enjoy the comfort while it lasts.
I, for one, have tried to wear sneakers with dressy clothes, weighing up their benefits while my heels beckon. But the battle is over in 15 minutes.
I can’t do it! I’ll bear the discomfort as long as the Insta pics look good, right?
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