Why High Heels Are Over, According to Ashley Olsen

Ask your mother or grandmother about her relationship with high heels, and chances are she’ll say that she’s spent a lot of time in them. In the past, women were expected to do just about everything in their pumps, no matter how badly their feet ached. Now, times have changed, and there’s buzz that the era of heels has ended. As comfort trumps all in fashion (hello, athleisure), sky-high stilettos have found themselves out of popularity.

Earlier this year, Ashley Olsen shared definitive proof that the era of high heels is at an end. “It’s interesting talking to [buyers],” she told Footwear News. “They say that in the past several years, business has shifted to 70% flats.” Ashley herself often chooses low-heeled shoes, opting for everything from Chanel flats to Birkenstock sandals. As customers’ demand for flat shoes grows, it seems that stilettos may be headed the way of the dodo.

Read on for a look at some of Olsen’s best style moments sans heels, and then shop our favorite flat footwear!

On Ashley Olsen: The Row bag.

On Ashley Olsen: Céline sandals.

On Ashley Olsen: Oliver Peoples O'Malley Sunglasses ($450); The Row Two for One Pouch ($1995); Birkenstock Amsterdam Shoes ($100).

Related: 15 Flats That Prove Powerful Women Don't Always Need Heels

On Ashley Olsen: Birkenstock sandals.

On Ashley Olsen: The Row clothing; Chanel flats.