The perfect shoes for an all-night party.
I think anyone who has ever worn high heels has a love/hate relationship with them.
They’re gorgeous and can (literally) elevate your outfit, but boy, can they be uncomfortable. Of course, no one has to wear heels, but as someone who stands at just 5’2” I have always loved the idea of giving myself a little extra height. In fact, I was once so committed to wearing heels, I walked around New York City in a pair of heeled boots for so long, I got bone spurs in my foot. That’s about the time I realized there must be a more comfortable way to add a few extra inches.
Like a lot of people in their late twenties, my life has recently been filled with countless reasons to dress up — milestones, showers and soirees. You name it, I have about 10 occasions per month that beckon me to don a pair of high heels. My feet were so worn out after my last stay in stilettos that I knew I had to do something about it, so I went to a source who knows footwear like the back of their hand (or foot?) — the Free People shoe team.
I needed recommendations for a high heel to wear to an event. It was going to be a long day so I needed something at least semi-comfortable, but I was a little shocked when they suggested the five-and-a-half inch Lenne Platform Heels. I needed something high to go with my long dress, but these were intimidating, though my friends on the shoe team assured me they’re more comfortable than they looked.
They’re gorgeous and can (literally) elevate your outfit, but boy, can they be uncomfortable. Of course, no one has to wear heels, but as someone who stands at just 5’2” I have always loved the idea of giving myself a little extra height. In fact, I was once so committed to wearing heels, I walked around New York City in a pair of heeled boots for so long, I got bone spurs in my foot. That’s about the time I realized there must be a more comfortable way to add a few extra inches.
Like a lot of people in their late twenties, my life has recently been filled with countless reasons to dress up — milestones, showers and soirees. You name it, I have about 10 occasions per month that beckon me to don a pair of high heels. My feet were so worn out after my last stay in stilettos that I knew I had to do something about it, so I went to a source who knows footwear like the back of their hand (or foot?) — the Free People shoe team.
I needed recommendations for a high heel to wear to an event. It was going to be a long day so I needed something at least semi-comfortable, but I was a little shocked when they suggested the five-and-a-half inch Lenne Platform Heels. I needed something high to go with my long dress, but these were intimidating, though my friends on the shoe team assured me they’re more comfortable than they looked.
"
And that’s how I ended up wearing these sky high heels for about 16 hours."
I was going to a wedding that started at 1pm, but because it was kind of far away I had to be ready by 11am. I was dressed with my shoes strapped up before noon. So far, so good — they felt comfortable and were pretty easy to walk in. We got to the ceremony space a little early so we mingled in the lobby for a bit until we could take our seats. It was a long ceremony with a gap in between that and cocktail hour, so we went to a bar from about 3pm to 5pm when the rest of the festivities started. It was a lot of standing around, but after four hours I was still feeling good.
The cocktail hour saw me standing even more, and it was partially in grass so a lot of people’s heels were sinking into the soft ground. But not mine. The Lenne Heel has a thicker block heel that makes it sturdier than a thin stiletto. I was moving around with ease and had no trouble staying in place the whole time which was good, because there were no tables. When we sat down for dinner my feet weren’t aching like they typically would be at this point.
When it came time to dance I was ready. Now, the thing about me is that I will never take my shoes off during an event no matter how uncomfortable I am. If my feet hurt I’ll sit out the dancing. I hate changing my shoes and shudder at the idea of going barefoot. With these heels, though, I was on the dancefloor all night without any pain or mishaps. I was worried that I might fall over since they’re so high, but they held me up pretty well, and I felt stable while moving.
The party wrapped up around 11pm, so my shoes had already clocked in over 12 hours, with the after-party yet to come. It was a standing room-only type of shindig, with people clamoring to sit at tables that were few and far between. I was feeling so grateful for my heels while I heard several other people complaining about how bad their feet hurt. I even had a few people ask me how on earth I was still wearing my super high shoes, and I sang their praises and sent them the link.
After almost 16 hours wearing the Lenne Platform Heel, I finally took them off when we got home in the early hours of the morning. My feet weren’t achey or swollen, they just had that floaty feeling (like when you get off of a treadmill). I had a tiny bit of discomfort in my back and hips, but I’ll credit that to the super long day, and not as shoe-specific pain. I’ve worn heels this long before and my feet were screaming by day’s end.
I think the thing that made these shoes so comfortable despite their towering height was that they had a platform under the toes and a thicker heel. They distribute your weight throughout your foot so you’re not getting pain points on one specific part of your sole. They have a slightly cushioned insole for comfortable yet firm support, and an adjustable ankle strap so your heel doesn’t rub against the back and blister. Plus, they’re open toe so your feet aren’t crammed in. All of that combined made them super easy to wear. I actually found them to be much more comfortable than my typical lower heels.
This was definitely an extreme high heel wear-test, but the Lenne Platform will definitely be my go-to next time I have a long day of dressing up.
The cocktail hour saw me standing even more, and it was partially in grass so a lot of people’s heels were sinking into the soft ground. But not mine. The Lenne Heel has a thicker block heel that makes it sturdier than a thin stiletto. I was moving around with ease and had no trouble staying in place the whole time which was good, because there were no tables. When we sat down for dinner my feet weren’t aching like they typically would be at this point.
When it came time to dance I was ready. Now, the thing about me is that I will never take my shoes off during an event no matter how uncomfortable I am. If my feet hurt I’ll sit out the dancing. I hate changing my shoes and shudder at the idea of going barefoot. With these heels, though, I was on the dancefloor all night without any pain or mishaps. I was worried that I might fall over since they’re so high, but they held me up pretty well, and I felt stable while moving.
The party wrapped up around 11pm, so my shoes had already clocked in over 12 hours, with the after-party yet to come. It was a standing room-only type of shindig, with people clamoring to sit at tables that were few and far between. I was feeling so grateful for my heels while I heard several other people complaining about how bad their feet hurt. I even had a few people ask me how on earth I was still wearing my super high shoes, and I sang their praises and sent them the link.
After almost 16 hours wearing the Lenne Platform Heel, I finally took them off when we got home in the early hours of the morning. My feet weren’t achey or swollen, they just had that floaty feeling (like when you get off of a treadmill). I had a tiny bit of discomfort in my back and hips, but I’ll credit that to the super long day, and not as shoe-specific pain. I’ve worn heels this long before and my feet were screaming by day’s end.
I think the thing that made these shoes so comfortable despite their towering height was that they had a platform under the toes and a thicker heel. They distribute your weight throughout your foot so you’re not getting pain points on one specific part of your sole. They have a slightly cushioned insole for comfortable yet firm support, and an adjustable ankle strap so your heel doesn’t rub against the back and blister. Plus, they’re open toe so your feet aren’t crammed in. All of that combined made them super easy to wear. I actually found them to be much more comfortable than my typical lower heels.
This was definitely an extreme high heel wear-test, but the Lenne Platform will definitely be my go-to next time I have a long day of dressing up.
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