5 Reasons to Travel in High Heels

As an avid hiker and adventurer, I’m not afraid to get outside and get dirty. Sweat? No problem. Mud? No problem. No electricity? No problem. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like to dress up and get a little classy sometimes. Now, the information you are about to read may go against everything you have ever read or been told about in regards to traveling, but I’m here to tell you that, YES, wearing high heels in airports and while traveling CAN BE DONE.

But you’ll get blisters, they said.

Leave them at home, they said.

Wear something comfortable, they said.

That advice is perfectly logical and actually quite good, but if you’re like me and are totally okay with wearing heels for long periods of time, then the airport shouldn’t magically become some sort of “off limits” place for them. If you are not someone who really cares for high heels in the first place, then read no further, my friend.

When I travel, I know I’m normally going to end up going somewhere that calls for wearing fancy footwear. And let’s be real – high heels take up a lot of space in a suitcase or carry-on. Why not just wear them on the plane? The only real walking you’re going to do is from your car when you park at the airport to the gate before you board. Then you sit at the gate. And then you sit on the plane.

I’ve worn high heels on more than half my flights this past year. Did I have good experiences with them? Certainly! Did I have bad ones? Naturally. But I don’t let it deter me from wearing the footwear I want and feeling fabulous about it. My one true horror story, though, is as follows: I was flying cross-country Halloween weekend and decided to wear the high heels that went with my costume rather than packing them (since they would’ve taken up so much room and I only fly with carry-ons). I had a connecting flight on my route so I knew I’d have to walk in the heels quite a bit that day around different airports. As luck would have it, my first flight was delayed taking off, leaving me literally fifteen minutes to full-out sprint to my connection. Not the best time to be wearing heels, but I made it work. I was able to keep up with the other people running to make the same flight and yes, we made it without a minute to spare! My feet did hurt afterward but I did manage to successfully run through an entire airport in some fabulous footwear. All in all, I considered it a win.

The shoes that I sprinted in through the airport.

When it comes to footwear, common sense should serve as a guide in all scenarios. If you know high heels might not be best for you, then don’t wear them. If you don’t mind them, though, go for it! I wear high heels most days when I work, so I feel used to them and comfortable in them. In fact, here is a brief list of reasons why high heels can actually be quite good in airports:

1. High heels on your feet take up less room and weight in your bag
2. They’re super easy to take off and put back on during the security check
3. They have superpowers that can really make you feel great (if you’re familiar with the confidence-boosting powers of high heels, then you know what I’m talking about!)
4. They’re easy to slip off during the flight (if you’re someone who takes off their shoes)
5. They make it easier to reach the overhead bins (#shortgirlproblems)

So don’t be afraid of wearing your fabulous footwear in the airport! High heels have such a stereotype of being uncomfortable that people automatically tend to rule them out as footwear you can actually travel in. Of course, they’re not for everyone and I by no means believe that everyone who ever travels via airplane should wear them, but my message is to simply not be afraid to do so if you’re someone who wants to and that it is possible to travel in them successfully!

Send me a tweet or instagram with #HeelsOnAPlane to share your fabulous traveling footwear!