Can Flats Be Fabulous?

I used to be totally addicted to high heeled shoes - the higher the better - but since moving to Edinburgh and finding myself confronted with street after street of cobbles I've found it nigh-on impossible to continue subjecting myself to such shoes. My balance isn't good enough when I'm sober nevermind after a couple of cocktails (or pints, depending on how ladylike I'm feeling).

Now my adoration of beautiful footwear is confined solely to daydreams. On the plus side this means that I'm no longer subjecting my feet to unmeasurable pain, but as someone who is somewhat on the short side I am still nostalgic for the days when I could just slip on a pair of stilettoes and lengthen my short legs and enable me to look people in the eye!

Although it's in vogue to wear flats at the moment, a footwear movement being championed by everyone from the ultra stylish Carla Bruni to, one of my personal favourites, Lily Allen, I'm still wary that it isn't really a night-time style for someone who is lacking in stature such as myself.

I concede that it's far easier to bust some groovy moves on the dance floor when not wearing sky-high heels but I still worry that perhaps my outfits would look better with some added height and leg length.

For daytime wear I've resigned myself that I just don't have the grace or balance to manage rushing about in heels. No matter how much sexier and more feminine they make me feel, I just can't stand the pain - which gives me a lot of respect for Victoria Beckham and her sky-high heels!

Perhaps one day when I'm a super successful well travelled city slicker journalist I'll somehow have gained the power to spend all day every day in a different pair of fabulous towering heels, but while I'm still a poor-yet-aspirational student my feet will remain adorned with slightly less fabulous flats...except on special occasions maybe, because one day I will conquer those cobbles!

Flats: Black Miu Miu, Gold Tory Burch
Heels: Pink Alexander McQueen, White Jimmy Choo