Latest news with #postPandemic
Fast Company
7 days ago
- Health
- Fast Company
The 5 most comfortable heels to wear this summer
Antonia Saint Dunbar, cofounder of the period underwear brand Thinx, loves the way she feels when she's wearing heels. 'It has a divine geometry,' she says. 'It creates a perfect pitch for your body, elongating your leg, creating an anatomical architectural balance.' Saint Dunbar isn't alone: Even as society has become more casual, making sneakers and Birkenstocks acceptable to wear in more situations, many women still love the way they look and feel while wearing heels. But sometimes this means compromising comfort for style. While running Thinx in heels, Saint Dunbar says she often had to scan the room for a place to sit because her feet hurt so much, and took cabs so she wouldn't have to walk. Part of the reason that heels are so uncomfortable is that many early shoe designers were men. They designed heels they believed would make women look attractive, but had no idea how the shoes would feel on the wearers' feet. Today, women aren't willing to compromise on comfort. This is particularly true after the pandemic, Saint Dunbar says. Stuck at home, women stopped wearing heels and turned to more comfortable footwear. Now painful heels feel even more unacceptable. The good news is that there's a new generation of shoe brands focused on designs that make them more comfortable, including Sneex, Nomasei, and Marion Parke. Saint Dunbar herself is among these founders. In 2016, while still running Thinx, she launched Antonia Saint NY, which creates more comfortable heels. She's taken the silhouette of a classic stiletto and added a layer of padding inside to provide better arch support and toe cushioning. She's just relaunched all of her shoes with a slimmer version of the padding to offer the same level of comfort with less bulk. As we head into summer, we've been testing out the most comfortable shoes for everything from weddings to company outings. Here are five we love. Antonia Saint NY This shoe has a 2-inch heel that gives you just enough lift. It's outfitted with an updated padding system called SoftSurround. There is a layer of cushioning within the entire upper, with a special focus on the toes and the back of the heels. There is also a rubberized outsole for better traction. The outer is made of a soft Nappa leather. It's designed to help you get through a full day without any pain. Sézane Gloria Sandals, $215 These strappy sandals offer the vintage aesthetic that Sézane is known for, featuring an elegant circle design. They're versatile, since they can be dressed up or down, looking just as nice with jeans as with more formal summer dresses. With a 2.75-inch heel, they offer height without leaving you with achey legs or calves. Margaux City Sandal, $375 As their name implies, these shoes are designed for pounding the pavement. They feature a 2.5-inch block heel that is very walkable, and crisscross straps that are placed to make your feet feel supported. The insole features foam padding for cushioning. They come in a wide range of colors to match your outfits. Nomasei Baghera, $450 Founded by former shoe designers at Chloe, Nomasei wants to bring comfort to the luxury shoe experience. The brand's Baghera sandals are meant to provide all the leg-lengthening effects of a high heel, but in a much more comfortable silhouette. They feature a 2.3-inch wide block heel, with an insole made of memory foam, lining made of goat leather, and an outsole made of calf leather. Rothy's Knot Sandal, $189 If you're concerned about the environment, Rothy's is a good option. The brand was first known for its flats, but it has expanded into new silhouettes, including heels. These sandals are made of eight ocean-bound plastic bottles that have been recycled into a knot material. With a 2-inch block heel and a plush footbed, they're designed to be worn all day. And as a bonus, they're machine washable, which extends their life.
Tahawul Tech
15-05-2025
- Health
- Tahawul Tech
Bernard Montel Archives
Bernard Montel, EMEA Technical director and Cybersecurity Strategist at Tenable, throws light on the different types of cybersecurity threats faced by organisations post pandemic and the reason it has affected healthcare the most.
Telegraph
11-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
The Midults: I want to escape my increasingly toxic book group
Dear A&E, My book club has stopped being fun. We set it up after the pandemic and at the beginning it was full of laughter and interesting chat but, increasingly, the book choices are heavy and, dare I say worthy. People get angry when others haven't had time to read the books – and are starting to talk about each other behind their backs. Basically it feels like a chore. What can I do? – Over It Dear Over It, Isn't it depressing that nothing seems immune from the toxicity of today's pressures? Even your lovely book club has been compromised; the book club which perhaps began life as a vehicle for a little light literary curiosity, but mostly (probably) to validate a regular gathering of like-minded-enough friends. A device for connection, which Bonus Ball might stave off the atrophy of the little grey cells. Post-pandemic we all swore we'd never over-isolate again and would, instead, actively seek each other out and share and talk and feel free. Your book club must have seemed like the perfect thing. What was once a safe space (if we can even bear to write those words) has now, dear Over It, been invaded. You feel that it is riven with divisions and politics. It has ceased to fulfil the needs of all the people who signed up for it. It's frustrating when things evolve away from their intended purpose and become platforms for dissent and disagreement. To be fair to your book club, it feels very much like it is just mirroring everything else in the world right now. Fun and funds are scarce. Everyone is arguing about what the right course of action might be. All the time. The volume, to borrow from Spinal Tap, is turned up to 11. Aren't we all exhausted? Aren't we automatically triggered into a stress spiral when we reflexively open our bank account or pension apps? When we open the newspaper, or our emails? And all this tension breeds polarisation. And the intensity ratchets up. And… where is the fun? Have you noticed that people seem to fall into several camps these days? There are those who have decided to lean out of big discussions, metaphorically donning noise-cancelling headphones and stopping with ALL THE NEWS for mental health purposes. They just want to keep things light and cheery as best they can, and don't want to ping pong about tariffs or Taiwan. On the other side, there are those leaning in so dramatically that they have aged 10 years, but, at least, they know where the coking coal is coming from. So it's not really surprising that you are saying, 'Et tu Book Club?' Smooth sailing is hard to come by. Against this backdrop, even reading feels like an un-fun job. The chosen book has become homework and you are perpetually worried that if you don't like the book or want to recommend something else (something about hot fairies for example), you are going to be patronised or gossiped about. No wonder you want to step away. So dear Over It, you can either extract yourself elegantly, saying something along the lines of 'You know I love you all, but I am finding it increasingly hard to stay on top of the reading, and I feel as though I am letting you down, so it's best if I have a break.' Or before you close the book completely, you could ask everyone how they feel. We could suggest opening with something like: 'Does anyone else feel that we could talk about a reset? It may be just me, but it seems that we have gone from wanting to connect through something we love trying to prove something. Is there a way we can make it lovely again? Because life is really heavy at the moment, and I am not sure this particular corner of our lives was designed to be.' Chuck it out to the floor. You might find that all the back biting and snarking and one-upmanship was this weird, escalating tension and given a little air, a little space, it all calms down and you get a happy ending. Or you might find that your club has just run its course and it's time to close the chapter. And that is OK. Change is hard but sometimes staying is harder, and takes too much from you in the end. You could find an alternative. There's an online community platform called Fable that caters to every book club taste you could imagine, and you can dip in and out as you will. There are podcasters and Substackers and independent booksellers queuing up to give you their recommendations. You could even go minimalist to the extreme: Emilie is part of a book club with her friend Kate where they just WhatsApp each other one-word reviews. They've just read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Dream Count. Thoughts? Excellent.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Midults: I want to escape my increasingly toxic book group
My book club has stopped being fun. We set it up after the pandemic and at the beginning it was full of laughter and interesting chat but, increasingly, the book choices are heavy and, dare I say worthy. People get angry when others haven't had time to read the books – and are starting to talk about each other behind their backs. Basically it feels like a chore. What can I do? – Over It Isn't it depressing that nothing seems immune from the toxicity of today's pressures? Even your lovely book club has been compromised; the book club which perhaps began life as a vehicle for a little light literary curiosity, but mostly (probably) to validate a regular gathering of like-minded-enough friends. A device for connection, which Bonus Ball might stave off the atrophy of the little grey cells. Post-pandemic we all swore we'd never over-isolate again and would, instead, actively seek each other out and share and talk and feel free. Your book club must have seemed like the perfect thing. What was once a safe space (if we can even bear to write those words) has now, dear Over It, been invaded. You feel that it is riven with divisions and politics. It has ceased to fulfil the needs of all the people who signed up for it. It's frustrating when things evolve away from their intended purpose and become platforms for dissent and disagreement. To be fair to your book club, it feels very much like it is just mirroring everything else in the world right now. Fun and funds are scarce. Everyone is arguing about what the right course of action might be. All the time. The volume, to borrow from Spinal Tap, is turned up to 11. Aren't we all exhausted? Aren't we automatically triggered into a stress spiral when we reflexively open our bank account or pension apps? When we open the newspaper, or our emails? And all this tension breeds polarisation. And the intensity ratchets up. And… where is the fun? Have you noticed that people seem to fall into several camps these days? There are those who have decided to lean out of big discussions, metaphorically donning noise-cancelling headphones and stopping with ALL THE NEWS for mental health purposes. They just want to keep things light and cheery as best they can, and don't want to ping pong about tariffs or Taiwan. On the other side, there are those leaning in so dramatically that they have aged 10 years, but, at least, they know where the coking coal is coming from. So it's not really surprising that you are saying, 'Et tu Book Club?' Smooth sailing is hard to come by. Against this backdrop, even reading feels like an un-fun job. The chosen book has become homework and you are perpetually worried that if you don't like the book or want to recommend something else (something about hot fairies for example), you are going to be patronised or gossiped about. No wonder you want to step away. So dear Over It, you can either extract yourself elegantly, saying something along the lines of 'You know I love you all, but I am finding it increasingly hard to stay on top of the reading, and I feel as though I am letting you down, so it's best if I have a break.' Or before you close the book completely, you could ask everyone how they feel. We could suggest opening with something like: 'Does anyone else feel that we could talk about a reset? It may be just me, but it seems that we have gone from wanting to connect through something we love trying to prove something. Is there a way we can make it lovely again? Because life is really heavy at the moment, and I am not sure this particular corner of our lives was designed to be.' Chuck it out to the floor. You might find that all the back biting and snarking and one-upmanship was this weird, escalating tension and given a little air, a little space, it all calms down and you get a happy ending. Or you might find that your club has just run its course and it's time to close the chapter. And that is OK. Change is hard but sometimes staying is harder, and takes too much from you in the end. You could find an alternative. There's an online community platform called Fable that caters to every book club taste you could imagine, and you can dip in and out as you will. There are podcasters and Substackers and independent booksellers queuing up to give you their recommendations. You could even go minimalist to the extreme: Emilie is part of a book club with her friend Kate where they just WhatsApp each other one-word reviews. They've just read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Dream Count. Thoughts? Excellent. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
