Hi-tech heels transform into f lats at touch of a button

FOR many women who wear high heels, packing a pair of flats has long been the tiresome compromise between looking good and being comfortable.

But now one company has come up with a solution – a convertible shoe that means you only ever need to carry one pair.

Runway Heels, which were created by Silicon Valley engineers, switch between heels and flats at the touch of a small button on the side.

The heel is stored in the underside of the hi-tech shoe and flips down and locks into place in a few seconds.

It means that women can travel to work in flats before wearing heels at work, or celebrate at a wedding in stilettos before heading home in comfortable footwear.

The shoes, pictured, are an attempt to shake up the £29billion high heel industry which, critics say, causes women to endure painful foot conditions for the sake of looking good.

Among those who have suffered due to their love of high heels have been Victoria Beckham, whose stiletto obsession has left her with severe bunions.

Whether to wear heels at work at all is a contentious issue. Last year, receptionist Nicola Thorp complained after being ordered to wear heels of between two and four inches high at accountancy giant PwC.

The firm Runway Heels, which is based in the US, was created by Melody Avecilla, a flight attendant who got the idea when she was pregnant and came home with aching feet.

She said: ‘Initially, I went to master shoe craftsmen and I got resistance – it’s hard for them to think outside the box. So I went to engineers who knew nothing about shoes.’

The heels, which are in the prototype stage, will cost between £150 and £188 a pair and come in six different styles.