As younger generations favor flat shoes and sneakers for going out, it has left them wondering how millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996) ever used to cope wearing high heels in the club all night. Fortunately for them, Andrea Farrington has the answer they have been searching for.
Whenever Farrington, 39, used to go out with friends, there was never any doubt over what sort of shoe they were going to wear: heels. It could be a stiletto, a wedge, or maybe a platform if they felt particularly vibrant, and they would always return home with blisters and aching feet. It was just the way the world worked.
Indeed, Farrington, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, told Newsweek that going out in heels was basically part of the dress code and millennials "didn't have much of a choice." Back then, it was the norm to go out in some sort of business casual attire, so a chunky sneaker really wouldn't fit the aesthetic.
"Between the dress codes and the style at the time, you wouldn't be caught dead in athleisure, tennis shoes, or any disheveled look," Farrington said. "A dress and heels made you feel powerful, svelte, and like you could command a room. If you know, you know."
Farrington said: "You would find me in mostly platform pumps, slingbacks, pointed-toe stilettos, strappy wedges. If you had to wear a flat, it was a ballet flat or short strappy sandal that was likely embellished in some way."
The idea of standing in heels all night is seemingly beyond comprehension for many Generation Zers (people born between 1997 and 2012). Why and how did millennials put themselves through pain and discomfort when there are far more comfortable options?
"The short answer: copious amounts of alcohol. The long answer: Band-Aids, lidocaine spray, and sheer willpower," Farrington said.
The years of telling herself that beauty is pain often leaves Farrington wondering how much nerve damage she may have done to her feet in the long-term. Nonetheless, back then, it was just viewed as "the best leg workout in town."
After seeing a video online of a Gen Zer asking the age-old question about what millennials used to put themselves through, Farrington couldn't resist sharing a TikTok clip (@naynayitsdre) in response. During the clip, she said that it was practically "the lore" to wear heels, dance chaotically, and have zero regrets (well, maybe just a few).
The TikTok video has gone viral with over 3 million views and more than 214,400 likes at the time of writing.
"To little surprise, millennials showed up in the comments with similar experiences," Farrington said. "A few Gen Xers (people born between 1965 and 1980) wanted to make sure we knew they were doing it long before us, and Gen Zers either wished they could do the same or explained the reason they don't dance."
If Gen Zers are too embarrassed to dance because of smartphones and social media, Farrington said she dreads to imagine what they would think of her Facebook photos from back in the day. "We did it differently; you just had to be there," she added.
In many ways, Farrington said she appreciates and admires Gen Z style for putting comfort first. But in her—completely biased—view, millennials had "more originality" and made everything an event.
She added: "Part of me envies them, in the sense that I would have loved to dance the night away in a pair of sneakers; to walk around the city without falling over, rolling an ankle, or damaging my feet. Ironically, we had the best music and danced in terrible shoes, while Gen Z has the most-comfortable shoes and doesn't dance."
With over 15,700 comments on the viral TikTok video so far, plenty of millennials have taken to the comments to share their personal experiences.
One comment reads: "In my day, if you wore kitten heels to the club you brought shame upon your family."
Another TikTok user wrote: "the foot and knee problems we have now are worth the memories."
A third person joked: "Gen Z could never be us."
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