Airline to let flight attendants lace up

It’s wheels up, heels off for a budget airline in the Ukraine that’s concerned about chronic foot pain among female flight attendants. 

SkyUp Airlines recently told its female staff they can now choose to wear sneakers instead of high heels, according to BBC News, which says it could be a sign of the times, marking a step away from century-old traditions that are overly focused on women's inflight appearances. (In addition to sneakers, the attendants will also be allowed to wear pants instead of skirts.)

This shift in cabin-appearance pressure followed complaints from several flight attendants about the uncomfortable uniform in a company survey and feedback on chronic foot pain.

“Twelve hours on your feet, flying (from) Kyiv to Zanzibar and back. If you wear high heels, you are hardly able to walk afterwards,” one SkyUp flight attendant told The BBC.

“Many of my colleagues are permanent clients of podologists; their toes and toenails are constantly damaged by high heels,” she added.