Who knew that the fashion industry could take a cue from the financial sector? In these economically troubled times, investments are either going down or becoming more conservative – and your shoes may soon follow suit.

Freakishly tall heels and towering stilettos have been dominating the runways for the past few years. And while that’s not exactly bad, coming up with taller and even thinner heels isn’t just unimaginative; it’s dangerous (to see why, watch the latest Hervé Léger show). Enter Prada, shoes with sensible heels and that unmistakable Italian chic.

“What goes up must come down,” the saying goes, and Italian fashion tastemaker Prada is heeding the adage. That’s probably why their newest shoe collections feature heels that are either thicker, lower or both. Gone are the towering needles, which were replaced by thicker and chunkier heels, such as in these peep-toe slingbacks .

Now, the popular view is that heels must be as tall and thin in order to be glamorous. This season, that kind of stereotype is exclusively for runway models again; Prada’s new and generously proportioned heels come with some new touches that don’t involve heights.

You don’t need to be tall to command attention, especially if you’re wearing something like these jeweled slides  from Prada’s new Resort collection. The 3” heels should be comfy enough to let you work these all summer long, while all the bling in front will make people forget that you’re not as tall as usual.

It’s not just Prada that’s losing the tall-and-thin image this season. Other big shoe brands like Gucci and Fendi have been churning out similarly thick-heeled styles and, in some cases, have even gone with the ultimate anti-heel statement – flats. Will this become the new vogue? Perhaps. But enjoy the more comfortable styles while they last.

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