High Heels Are Ready to Stomp Out Crocs and Birks

“I feel like a gazelle that’s just been born,” said one woman strapping back on the stilettos.

As she dressed for her 26th birthday recently, Cleo Pac Monrose focused on making a statement. Ms. Monrose, a podcast marketer for Spotify, flicked the dust off her party clothes and the high-heeled lavender pumps she had been hoarding since just before lockdown. Slipping the shoes on, she felt unsteady at first. “It was like a whole new role for my feet. We haven’t been here in a while,” she said. She soon regained her bearings. “It’s kind of riding a bike,” she said. “You get right back up.” Wait. Wasn’t it only a moment ago that shoppers were lamenting — or cheering, take your pick — the sorry demise of stilettos and skyscraper heels, ditching their party shoes during lockdown for the comfort of sneakers and clogs?