Americans are swapping out their high heels for comfort shoes like Birkenstock and Crocs at record rates, as the pandemic continues to obliterate fashion as we knew it

• Consumer demand for high heels has plummeted during the pandemic, as Americans trade in their dress shoes for comfortable footwear like sneakers, slippers, and slides.
• According to data from market research firm NPD Group, dress shoe sales fell by a whopping 71% year-over-year during the second quarter of 2020.
• The pandemic is exacerbating the decline of dress shoes and formal wear in recent years due to the "casualization of the office and of society," according to NPD Group's Beth Goldstein.

As the pandemic slowly kills high fashion, it's making sure to take high heels along with it.

With nowhere to go out and no reason to get gussied up, consumer demand and sales of high heels have plummeted in recent months, as Americans turn instead to sneakers, slippers, and house shoes.

According to data from market research firm NPD Group, dress shoe sales dropped by a whopping 71% year-over-year during the second quarter of 2020. That's compared to a decline of 26% for all footwear sales.

Beth Goldstein, footwear industry analyst at NPD Group, told Business Insider that consumers have already been gravitating toward "comfort-oriented silhouettes" long before the pandemic. Stay-at-home mandates only served to further push them away from dress styles like heels.

"The dress market has been challenged for quite some time," Goldstein told Business Insider. "Before the pandemic, we were already seeing a couple of years of the fashion business overall losing out to athletic and athleisure. Even within fashion, when you break it down, the dress market has been losing shares to casual."

The industry trend has also impacted the secondhand shoe marketplace.

At ThredUp, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based online thrift store, inventory of heels has been on the rise as consumers look to rid their closets of the dress shoes. According to data provided to Business Insider, ThredUp has seen a 52% increase in heels arrivals in July compared to February – weeks before the global outbreak of the coronavirus.

ThredUp also reported a 36% decline in sneakers submissions compared to pre-pandemic rates, as consumers have become more "likely to hold on to their comfiest footwear styles," a ThredUp spokesperson said.

"At ThredUp, we've seen customers purging items that no longer serve them during covid, particularly uncomfortable workwear like high heels."

As a result, athletic wear companies and brands like Crocs and Birkenstock known for their comfortable – or ugly to some – footwear styles are thriving.

This week, in a preview of its second quarter earnings, Foot Locker disclosed stronger-than-anticipated comparable sales, including year-over-year sales growth at physical locations of 18% as consumers flocked back to reopened stores to spend their stimulus checks.

Crocs similarly has continued to outpace analyst expectations even in the throes of an economic recession, causing shares to climb at the end of July. Meanwhile, searches for Birkenstock online have increased by 225%, according to data from fashion search engine Lyst also reported by NPR.

Ultimately, Goldstein says that while heels are certainly not dead, the pandemic will continue to further deteriorate the already languishing dress and formal wear category.

"There will still be consumers, both on the men's and women's side, that need to dress up or like to dress a certain way," Goldstein said. "But we've already been seeing a casualization of the office and of society, and so we've moved to wanting much more comfortable options."

Avery Faigen, analyst at retail analytics firm Edited, has a more optimistic prognosis for heels. She anticipates that as stay-at-home mandates continue to lift, consumers will be keen to return to their pre-pandemic wardrobes. Faigen also noted that retailers have started experimenting with less "trendy styles" and more practical, utilitarian designs when it comes to heels, which may be more of a draw for consumers.

"As lockdown measures continue to ease up and with the warmer weather, consumers are still interested in purchasing heels even if it's just to look good for casual outdoor dining or other activities," she said.