S’pore Airlines to roll out new closed-toe shoes for female cabin crew from January 2027

From January 2027, Singapore Airlines (SIA) will be progressively retiring the iconic open-toe sandals of the female cabin crew, and replacing them with new closed-toe wedges designed by local brand Pazzion.

An SIA spokesperson told Mothership the move follows a review to enhance the safety, comfort, and support of their cabin crew while meeting operational requirements.

The final design was decided on after testing several prototypes on actual flights.

Standardisation

Currently, SIA's female cabin crew switch between two types of footwear for different flight phases.

They would first wear the open-toe sandals to greet passengers boarding the plane, then swap them for a pair of closed-toe slingbacks for take-off.

After landing, they would change back into the sandals to see passengers off.

The slingbacks were first introduced in 2001, a year after the deadly SQ006 crash in Taiwan that sparked questions whether the open-toe sandals could have impeded the female cabin crew's movement in helping passengers evacuate the plane.

However, SIA denied the link at the time, clarifying that they were already looking for a replacement earlier in September 1999.

From 2027, the new shoes will replace both footwear, so that the flight attendants can wear one pair throughout for better practicality, the SIA spokesperson told Mothership.

They will feature thicker lambskin insoles for support, and SIA's signature batik motif with colour variants matched to each crew rank's uniform.

According to an image shared on Xiaohongshu, the wedge heel will be the same height as the current slingbacks.

A pity but practical

A former SIA female flight attendant told Zaobao that she found it a pity that the airline will be phasing out the open-toe sandals.

She said the sandals were not only comfortable but also an iconic part of the cabin crew's uniform.

Nonetheless, she felt that today's flight attendants would welcome the move as it means they no longer need to alternate between shoes while working.