Why Catherine Deneuve is a fan of sensible shoes: Actress blames 'twisted' designers for five-inch heels that are impossible to walk in

PUBLISHED: 13:52 EST, 14 April 2013 | UPDATED: 18:41 EST, 14 April 2013

If the fashion world is to be believed, no woman has a chance of being sexy without a towering pair of high heels.

Catherine Deneuve, however, begs to differ – and as one of film’s all-time sex symbols, she is fairly well qualified to advise.

The French actress said mid-heels are much more alluring, and blamed ‘twisted’ designers for the modern obsession with five-inch heels that are impossible to walk in.

Legendary role: Catherine Deneuve in Belle De Jour from 1967, in which she decided to avoid stilettos in her sensual role

Low heel: Catherine Deneuve went for a surprisingly demure-looking shoe in Belle De Jour

Their most famous devotees include Victoria Beckham and Sarah Jessica Parker, whose Sex And The City character, Carrie, is almost never seen in flat shoes.

Miss Deneuve, 69, described the trend as an ‘aberration’, and said simple shoes helped women feel ‘emancipated’.

She said she deliberately chose heels ‘that weren’t too high’ for her portrayal of Séverine Serizy, a bourgeois housewife who turns to prostitution in Luis Buñuel’s 1967 film Belle de Jour. She opted for mid-height, block-heeled, Roger Vivier courts, which initially received a frosty reception from audiences and fashion experts.

But they eventually became a huge hit. Vivier sold 200,000 pairs in one year alone to customers including Jackie Onassis and the Duchess of Windsor.

In a new book on Vivier, Miss Deneuve explained why she decided to forgo high heels.

Shoes she can walk in: Catherine Deneuve is a strong advocate of wearing comfortable shoes while still looking feminine and attractive

She said: ‘One cannot walk properly in very high heels. But also, we believed in an idea that no longer means anything for people today: that having a natural allure was the most important thing. That’s what counted most for all of us.’ She added that the trend for such shoes has nothing to do with what women actually want.

Favourite: Deneuve wrote a tribute to shoe designer Roger Vivier in a new book about his wonderful flat and low-heeled shoes

Miss Deneuve said: ‘It’s something that comes out of a slightly twisted desire, which, for that matter, makes for a rather twisted way of walking. I suspect that it has its origins in the minds of the designers, designers who have pushed the limits, who were imagining an extreme woman.

‘Everyone has fallen for it, women’s magazines first and foremost. Nowadays, a silhouette must be strong; it must create an effect, make an impact – all these powerful words.’ She added that demure heels, which feature in the spring/summer 2013 collections of Lanvin and Prada, can be far more alluring.

Miss Deneuve said: ‘A simple, well-made shoe with the perfect arch is such a pleasure.

‘It makes us walk differently; we feel free, emancipated, as if we can deal with life’s challenges. You must remember that in the 1960s, high-heeled shoes were for women of ill repute. They were reserved for those who were obliged by their profession to live up to a caricature.

‘Do women today really want to make caricatures of themselves?’

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I've wondered if Lady Gaga's crazy high shoes were responsible for her hip injury. There are many pictures of her tripping and falling onthose platforms. One good twist of the hip is all it would take....

- mariebattis , Syracuse USA, 15/4/2013 06:03

Click to rate Rating 1

All the young women wearing 5-inch heels today won't feel very sexy in 20 years when they're wearing those hideous flat wrap-over shoes that follow foot surgery!

- Just my opinion , Happy Valley, United States, 15/4/2013 04:53

Click to rate Rating 22

She's right. Women who wear these ridiculously high-heeled shoes think that they're "empowering" themselves, but the reality is that they are conforming to the male fantasy. A truly strong woman wouldn't destroy her feet and her back to appeal to a man. - reality, NJ USA, 14/04/2013 20:50 Sorry but that it BS, women dress to impress each other. Straight men couldn't care less what designer label your wearing. Fashion is all about one upwomanship among females.

- Bull O'Really? , badger news, 15/4/2013 04:52

Click to rate Rating 11

Always loved this fine actress. Beautiful and brainy. Unfortunately a lot of women who wear these absurdly high heeled shoes can't walk properly in them. C'est la vie.

- Pavlos Andreas , Nicosia, 15/4/2013 04:39

Click to rate Rating 19

I wore 3 inch stilettos in the 60's, 70's and 80's most of time.....As I am now older and troubled with arthritis, I can no longer wear the higher heel. There are plenty of designs with a more stable heel for those of us who find it uncomfortable to wear 'skyscraper heels'......Must admit I would have loved to try them even so......Catherine D. is such a beautiful woman and I agree with her about lower heels being as attractive as higher ones. Try them out yourselves girls.

- Nell , In the North, 15/4/2013 04:36

Click to rate Rating 10

I don't understand the fashion for these super high heels with wedges under the toe section...it reminds me of using baked bean tins as stilts when we were kids.

- justmyopinion , Cardiff, 15/4/2013 04:19

Click to rate Rating 21

High heels are uncomfortable and can be painful, but for us men they are so sexy!

- Jacob , London, 15/4/2013 04:13

Click to rate Rating 29

High heels are akin to Japanese foot binding.

- Southerner , Nashville, TN US, 15/4/2013 03:52

Click to rate Rating 27

Catherine D. is one of the most gorgeous women in the world. She is still breath taking.

- CutieButCranky , Chicago, United States, 15/4/2013 03:50

Click to rate Rating 36

Mayerling. No words can ever adequately describe Deneuve.