Sarah Jessica Parker Wants You To Wear Heels Again
Millions of women (and some men) may be giving up on wearing heels during the pandemic.
But not Sarah Jessica Parker.
While reports have shown that dress shoe sales have plummeted, especially earlier this year during the peak months of the pandemic’s lockdowns, the actress and SJP Collection founder is finding plenty of reasons to keep wearing the elegant and elevated footwear.
“Heels still rule,” Parker told FN during her September cover shoot at her midtown Manhattan boutique. “I think part of it is planning for a future, which I think we’re all hoping for, which is the opportunity for us to be together again with one another, have a reason to dress up or feel like you’re allowing yourself something special.”
And Parker has the sales figures to prove it. The actress and entrepreneur said that while the brand has had some customers requesting flats recently, the two most popular styles are both a high-heeled pump, the Fawn and the Rampling.
To buy: SJP Collection Rampling Heel, $355.
“I must confess, women and some men are buying heels still. That is our number one shoe. Sales are good, I’m so scared to say that,” she added (knocking on a nearby display table in her shop).
The actress has been using her own street style moments this summer to prove that the footwear can still feel relevant, even while wearing a mask. In August, Parker wore her own high heeled mules, an iridescent two-strap style, with fashion’s most important pandemic trend: sweatpants.
“Sweatpants with heels!” Parker exclaimed upon revisiting the look, which included a $120 pair from “It” brand Pangaia, in a basic white cotton style that has recently sold out multiple times. “Someone sent me those gorgeous sweatpants. I think they’re as good as a pair of cream, wool-blend tuxedo pants.”
To buy: Pangaia recycled cotton track pants, $120.
To buy: SJP Collection Fling heel, $213 (was $355).
Though Parker insists that she is not a fashion expert (“I think I never try to offer solutions, I don’t think I’m an expert”), she does coach her customers on taking risks when it comes to shoes.
“We always tell women when they come in the shop, when they ask what can you wear this with, we say — you can wear it with anything. In the winter you can wear it with tube socks. Or black tights or black woolen tights, or leggings, or jeans, or sweatpants. Or a kilt. Or a dance skirt,” she said. “I think the thing that we always try to tell people is there shouldn’t be rules. When they reach for the black shoe I say, ‘How many black shoes do you own?'”
For herself, high heels seem to play an important role for Parker both on and off screen.
It’s sort of this indescribable thing. Shoes are a funny thing,” said the actress. “I describe them as the punctuation at the end of a sentence. They complete it. I still think it makes you stand differently. You walk differently. It reminds me of when you’re on a set and you’re playing an architect and someone finally puts a draft table in front of you and gives you all of the materials, you’re like ‘Aha! Now I am an architect.’ It makes you feel complete, like that’s the final part of this story I’m telling you today, about myself.”
Shop SJP’s newest heels
To buy: SJP Collection Depart mules, $425.
To buy: SJP Collection Fawn pump in Newspaper Print, $395.
To buy: SJP Collection Single ankle-strap heel, $385.
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