Goodbye, Singapore Girl sandals: SIA cabin crew to get new closed-toe wedge shoes

SINGAPORE: The iconic Singapore Girl will soon don a new pair of shoes from January 2027, as Singapore Airlines (SIA) prepares to phase out its classic, open-toed sandals.

SIA, in response to queries from The Straits Times, confirmed on Oct 8 that the new footwear for female cabin crew will be introduced progressively.

“This follows a review to enhance safety, comfort and support, while meeting operational requirements,” an SIA spokesperson said.

Photos of the new shoes first surfaced online last week, according to Chinese-language news publication Lianhe Zaobao.

Designed in collaboration with local footwear brand PAZZION, the new shoes feature a closed-toe wedge design. They are made from genuine leather with thick lambskin insoles for enhanced cushioning, said the SIA spokesperson.

SIA’s signature batik print is incorporated into the new design, with colour variants matched to the sarong kebayas of each crew member’s rank – for example, burgundy for Inflight Managers.

The closed-toe wedge design further enhances safety by protecting flight attendants from spills and falling objects while working in the cabin, said the SIA spokesperson, adding that the airline worked closely with female flight attendants and PAZZION throughout the design process.

“Multiple prototypes were tested on flights before the design was finalised,” the spokesperson said.

The original open-toed sandals, which feature batik accents on the straps and heels, have been an integral part of SIA’s Singapore Girl brand and identity.

Designed by Parisian couturier Pierre Balmain, they are famous for letting the painted red toenails of female flight attendants peek out.

Over the years, few changes have been made to SIA’s sarong kebaya uniform, which was adapted by Balmain for the airline in 1974.

Balmain had designed the sarong kebaya for Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA) in 1968, before SIA’s split from MSA.

In 2001, SIA introduced new shoes for female flight attendants to enhance flight safety. This came a few months after the SQ006 crash in Taiwan in October 2000, which claimed 83 lives.

Also designed by Balmain, the closed-toe slingbacks come with a chrome buckle fixed to the strap at the ankle. The front toecap, made of polyurethane, protects the toes and feet.

At the time, flight attendants involved in the crash had said that the open-toed sandals flew off their feet, leaving them to tread barefoot through the fiery debris on the tarmac.

An SIA spokesperson denied then that the new shoes were linked to the crash, saying that the review process for the new footwear began two years prior.

Since then, female flight attendants have been wearing the closed-toe slingbacks during take-off and landing, changing into their usual open-toed sandals during the rest of the flight.

With the latest footwear, they will no longer be required to switch between the two types of shoes. From January 2027, they will wear the new closed-toe wedge shoes for all flight phases.

SIA said that this shift helps with “improving practicality and consistency”.

The airline added that there will be no changes to the footwear for male cabin crew, who will continue to don black leather shoes in accordance with its existing uniform guidelines. - The Straits Times/ANN