Emma Thompson Used The 2014 Awards Show Circuit To Protest Heels In The Silliest Ways

Emma Thompson declared in 2014 that she was absolutely done with wearing high heels. During that year's awards show circuit, the British actor took every opportunity to get her message across — and in some of the silliest ways.

The bold decision to abandon what's considered many girl's most loved accessory apparently first took center stage at the National Board of Review gala on January 7, 2014. After winning the Best Actress award for her performance as P.L. Travers in the film "Saving Mr. Banks," a bare-foot Thompson took to the stage and, in her whacky acceptance speech, said, "I've taken my heels off as a feminist statement really. Because why do we wear them? They're so painful." She further protested, "You know, I really would like to urge everyone to stop it. Just stop it. Don't wear them anymore. You just can't walk in them, and I'm so comfortable now."

The self-proclaimed "radical feminist" pulled off a similar act just days later at the Golden Globes on January 12, appearing shoeless on stage with a martini in one hand and her red-soled Christian Louboutin heels in the other. "I just want you to know, this red, it's my blood," she joked, before comically tossing the designer heels over her shoulder. The following week at the January 18 Screen Actors Guild awards, Thompson didn't even bother subjecting her feet to another night of glamorous torture. She instead opted for a pair of Christian Louboutin flats on the red carpet. "They're so beautiful and I'm so happy," she told E! News. "They just happen to be gorgeous."

Since Emma Thompson's high heel-wearing protests in 2014, many female actors, intentionally or not, have followed her lead. Hollywood A-listers such as Kristen Stewart, Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, and Julia Roberts all made statements of their own in the subsequent years by kicking off their heels at red carpet events.

Thompson would continue just the same, even when she showed up at Buckingham Palace in 2018 for her prestigious damehood investiture ceremony. The Academy Award–winning actor was honored as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Prince William for her services to drama. One would think an elegant gown paired with high heels would have been the attire of choice for such a royal occasion, but Thompson instead decided on a navy-blue pantsuit accented with black lapels and matching front buttons (seen above). Then to complete her anti-femme ensemble, the actor donned a pair of crisp white lace-up trainers, proving you can wear white sneakers with literally everything.

Thompson hasn't swayed from her stance on boycotting high heels. Throughout the years, whether at a movie premiere or award show, the actor can regularly be seen wearing a variation of flats; from sandals and loafers to sneakers, she makes them all look so chic. Afterall, the must-have stiletto and similar styles often worn at red carpet events are now regarded as some of the outdated heel trends to step away from.

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