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There are some fashion styles that will always be in, no matter what the season or year. A little black dress is a girl's best friend, a classic trench coat is a look for all ages, and there's always room for one more perfectly fitted white T-shirt.

One style though that may be dying a slow death — high heels.

According to a report by CBS News, sales of high heels were down by 12 percent in 2017, while sneakers saw a huge spike in sales, with increases of more than 35 percent.

So what happened to women's love of heels?

Well, for starters, things have just gotten a lot more casual. You don't have to look much further than your workplace to see that the majority of women prefer flats, wedges or stylish sneakers over high heels. As offices have gotten more casual, women have opted for more comfortable footwear.

A Robert Half Finance & Accounting survey conducted last year finds that getting dressed up for work is passé. The survey asked more than 2,200 U.S. CFOs to describe the dress codes for their accounting and finance employees, and more than 60 percent of them said their employees abide by somewhat casual dress codes. Only 4 percent said their office dress codes are formal, and another 21 percent said they were somewhat formal.

It's not just in the office, though, where women are opting to skip the 5- to 6-inch stilettos. Women are also choosing to dress more comfortably while on date nights, embracing the ease a pair of cute flats offers over a pair of 4-inch red heels that you know will have your feet aching within an hour or two. And while it's true many women still break out the heels for formal occasions like weddings or galas, it might not be too long before flats are more the norm at these events too.

And unlike decades ago when the image of a powerful woman brought to mind a female in a black suit with black heels, today's woman feels perfectly empowered in a pair of flats or sneaks. So we don't know about you, but our tootsies are pretty happy with the latest trend in footwear.

Also from this week's Forever 39 podcast — Caring for an elderly loved one. PLUS: Our top annoyances in 2018. Click on the podcast player above to hear the entire episode. Share your thoughts on all of them below, on Twitter, on Facebook or at forever39@nj1015.com.

— Annette and Megan, Forever 39

Join us for next week's podcast when we reveal some of New Jersey's hidden gems, why we think promposals are a big don't, and how to become better friends with someone.

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