Chinyere Okorocha 
When I started my career 34 years ago, I thought power lived in three things: a sharp suit, a firm handshake, and a very high heel. The higher the heel, the stronger I felt. I loved that confident click-click-click across marble floors… it sounded like ambition, like “Make way, I’ve arrived.”
Back then, I could glide through long corridors, sit through endless meetings, and stand at events all evening, all while balancing on stilettos that could double as architectural structures. Comfort was optional. Style was mandatory. Sensible shoes were for “later in life”… a distant future me would deal with those.
Then my career got busier, bolder… and a lot more demanding.
There were international conferences with venues so large they felt like airports, panel sessions that ran back-to-back, meetings on opposite ends of a convention centre, and networking cocktails that started after a full day of serious brainwork. I went from one keynote to another, one breakout room to another, one “Can I have a quick word?” to ten.
Somewhere between the fourth corridor and the fifteenth “quick chat,” reality tapped me on the shoulder, right around the time my feet were on fire.
That’s when I learned a quiet, life-changing lesson:
Never underestimate the power of sensible shoes.
It didn’t arrive as a dramatic movie moment. It arrived as small, very human scenes:
The night I slipped out of a networking dinner early, not because I was tired of people, but because I was tired of pretending my feet weren’t screaming.
The afternoon I stood on stage to moderate a high-profile session, smiling gracefully on the outside, while on the inside I was praying, “Lord, please don’t let me trip in these heels.”
The conference where I skipped an important breakout session simply because the thought of walking one more wing in painful shoes felt like a personal attack.
Slowly, I started to notice a pattern:
On the days my shoes were comfortable, I stayed longer, I listened better, and I contributed more. I was fully present.
It turns out, sensible shoes are not just about comfort. They’re about stamina, presence, and power.
As women, we’re often sold the idea that we must constantly juggle style, professionalism, and performance; looking like we stepped out of a magazine while handling the workload of three people and holding meaningful conversations along the way.
But here’s the truth:
When you are in a room full of decision-makers…
When you are standing for hours, facilitating conversations, asking smart questions, and responding on your feet…
When you are walking from session to session at a global conference, trying to absorb information, connect with people, and represent yourself well…
…the last thing you should be worrying about is whether your shoes are slowly plotting your downfall.
Sensible shoes don’t mean “boring.” They mean back-up dancers to your brilliance; supporting you quietly while you take centre stage.
They mean:
• You stay at the networking event long enough to meet the person who might change your career.
• You walk confidently towards the very table you once felt intimidated by.
• You stand to speak without rehearsing how you’ll get back to your seat without wobbling.
Sensible shoes are a love letter to your future self.
They say: “I want you to still be standing, smiling, and shining three hours from now.”
And this is where the metaphor gets interesting.
Because the same rule applies to your career acceleration.
For years, many of us have been trying to “look the part” professionally: collecting titles, chasing visibility, ticking all the boxes, without always building the inner support structures we need to thrive.
High, painful heels are the perfect symbol of this: they look powerful from the outside, but if they slow you down, distract you, or keep you from moving freely, are they really serving you?
In your career, your “sensible shoes” are the things that quietly hold you up:
• The mindset that says, “I belong in this room.”
• The skills that give you the confidence to speak up, not just show up.
• The strategies that help you navigate office politics without losing yourself.
• The network that opens doors you didn’t even know existed.
These are not always glamorous. They don’t always show up on Instagram. But they are the reason you’re still standing when others have burnt out, bowed out, or settled.
That’s why I created my signature course, the Career Acceleration Mentorship (CAM) Course—a 6-week transformational program for women who are tired of just “wearing” success on the outside and are ready to actually live it from the inside out.
So as you step into your next season, try this little reflection:
Where in your career are you still choosing “painful but pretty”?
Where are you enduring what you could simply change?
What would your professional life look like if you chose support, strength, and sustainability instead?
Yes, keep the lipstick. Keep the sharp blazer. Keep the heels you truly love.
But don’t sacrifice your comfort, your clarity, or your calling just to look the part.
Your power is not in how high your heel is.
It’s in how grounded you feel when you walk into the room.
So here’s my gentle, slightly playful, but very serious encouragement:
Choose the shoes that support you.
Choose the habits that protect you.
Choose the skills that prepare you.
Choose the strategies that sustain you.
And then, step forward; comfortable, confident, and completely in control of your climb.
With over three decades of experience as a trailblazer in the legal profession, Chinyere Okorocha has established herself as a leading voice in law, leadership, and career growth for women. As a partner in one of the most prestigious law firms in the country, she has not only navigated the complexities of a competitive industry but has consistently broken barriers to become a sought-after leader, mentor, and advocate for women in the workplace.
A devoted wife and proud mother of three, her career development platform, Heels & Ladders, is dedicated to mentoring and guiding women who aspire to redefine success, achieve career mastery, and lead with purpose.