There was an audible sigh and slight guffaw as my husband inspected my “date night” outfit. This was not the reaction I was expecting. I’d taken great care to put on a bright strappy sun dress that I thought communicated my fun, flirty intentions. I was wrong. Never one to mince words he demurred, “Do you think you can wear heels tonight?” At first, I was slightly angry but then realized that throughout our 10 years of marriage he’d rarely commented on my attire. This mattered to him. He felt like I wasn’t putting in the effort towards our quality time together.

High heels were once a date night staple of mine, but 10 years and two kids later, my feet just can’t socialize like they used to. The last time I tried stilettos for a two-hour event, my toes curled up in a claw position for the next 24 hours. But alas, over the last few years, the moderate height block and kitten heel styles have taken over the runway. They feel sexy and flirty without necessitating an ice bath the next day. Even though my husband may occasionally pine for the 3” numbers of our early courtship, we’ve come to an unspoken compromise that bigger is not always better. And now everyone wins.