Block Heels Are Back

Reported by Harper's Bazaar.

The block heel is having its moment, and this time it's actually wearable. Yes, there's the Chanel factor—Matthieu Blazy's recent colorful takes on the house's classic slingbacks and pumps had editors scrambling. But the real reason we're here is simpler: people want shoes they can actually walk in without gambling with their ankles.

What's different now is the execution. The chunky, platform-heavy iterations of the late 2010s have evolved into something more refined. "Designers are playing with fabrication in ways that feel intentional and modern," says Shopbop's senior fashion director Caroline Maguire. "The shapes are streamlined rather than heavy-handed. There's a refreshed edge to them." That means Chanel's deer-spotted lambskin pumps work equally well with a V-neck tee and jeans as they do with a lace-trimmed slip dress—they exist in that rare category of shoes that don't announce themselves as either casual or formal.

Comfort Meets Statement

Let's be real: block heels are engineered for actual wear. The weight distributes evenly across the ball and heel, which means your feet don't stage a rebellion by hour three. "At walkable heights, they offer the stability and support you need for a full day," says Sarah Pierson, cofounder of Margaux. "And when you get the proportions right, they can be genuinely statement-making." The brand's bestselling Cleo sandal—available in nappa leather and satin pastels—proves the appetite for this silhouette goes deeper than trend chasing.

According to Harper's Bazaar, the current block heel moment is tapping into a larger cultural shift: we want our clothes to feel good, look considered, and not require suffering. Brands from Tory Burch to the Paris-based Nomasei are leaning into eye-catching colors (cool golds, electric pinks, crisp whites) and textures (snake emboss, silk satin) that make these heels worth keeping on past the office. Height, structure, practicality—they do the work without the pain. "There's a certain cool in being completely comfortable," Pierson notes, "and that's exactly what the block heel delivers."

The block heel isn't a trend you're forced to suffer through—it's one where comfort and style finally agreed to show up together.

Read the original at Harper's Bazaar.