If the term "sensible shoes" makes you shudder as images of Metamucil and Life Alert ads float in your head, then you're probably wearing some four-inch Louboutins right about now. Flats are rarely thought of as being as alluring as, say, a towering pair of Pierre Hardys (they're cute, but not hot). But for anyone whose occupation and/or day entails long hours of standing up and running back and forth, the sky-high heels we'll be seeing for fall are a deal-breaker. Still, some women in the U.K., particularly those in occupations like flight attendant, bank teller, and retail associate, feel pressured to spend the day prancing (achingly) in stilettos. Donatella would be so proud. According to The Daily Mail, "The report 'Working feet and footwear' found that a number of big companies insist female staff who deal with the public wear slip-on shoes or high heels." Britain's Trades Union Congress, who issued the report, has asked employers to stop forcing women to wear shoes taller than 4 centimeters (or 1.5 inches), and also declared that these shoe mandates are sexist and unhealthy in the long term. Sexist? You think? But we're sticking fingers in our ears about the unhealthy bit. As long as Marc, Christian, Manolo, and Prada keep making them, we'll keep wearing them. —Sarah Fones

'Sexist' airlines, City banks and shops force women to wear high heels to work [Daily Mail]