8 comfortable heels for women who go to Christmas parties and want to dance the night away – and one of the wearable shoes from Kate Middleton’s favorite designer made the cut

Festive footwear has always required sacrifice – specifically sacrificing comfort, balance and ultimately the bone structure of your feet.

We want to shine with sparkling, sky-high stilettos, but we know we’ll have to pay a high price for that. Until now.

Yes, it’s a Christmas miracle. This season, the most stylish party shoes are actually wearable.

You can say goodbye to crippling pumps and you don’t have to master walking on mules. Staggering at the office party is a thing of the past thanks to cleverly placed heels and cushioning technology.

So, what should you go for? We welcomed the return of platforms with open arms for spring/summer, and they’ve had a fantastic makeover this season.

Left: Top, £118, and skirt, £160, lkbennett.com; shoes, £85, monsoon.co.uk; ring, £9.99, hm.com. Right: Dress, £209, lkbennett.com; shoes, £130, boden.com; bag, £55, monsoon.co.uk

Go for big details like Monsoon’s oversized gold bow design, €85, which also comes with a matching clutch, €55.

And let’s hear it for the unparalleled elegance of a kitten heel, which has made a comeback just in time for Christmas.

Look for a slingback: Me+Em’s chic black pair, £295, is the perfect complement to a cocktail dress and goes equally well with tailoring.

Heels from Esska Shoes look ultra-glam and come in every shade, including the pink velvet pair.

The emerging brand from London is run by a husband-and-wife team: Dan works on the business side, while Souraya is the genius designer who cleverly concealed the padded insoles.

The heel heights range from 5.5cm to 9cm, but all are block-shaped and each as comfortable as the other. Oh, and they are available up to size 9. These are a real treat for your feet.

For statement low heels, look no further than Penelope Chilvers’ eponymous label, a favorite of the Princess of Wales and Alexa Chung.

All her shoes are super wearable, with a low heel height ranging from 1 to 2 inches, but where previously we had to shelve pretty things for practical use, her collection of party styles comes in sparkling silver, shimmering gold and rich velvet. The gold Mary-Janes are at the top of my festive wish list.

Left: Dress, £140, and bracelet, £38, boden.com; shoes, £199, penelopechilvers.com; bag, £31.50, accessorize.com; ring, £22, orelia.co.uk. Right: Dress, £425, meandem.com; shoes, £160, esska.com; bag, £395, luluguinness.com; bracelet, £18.99, hm.com

Left: Dress, £175, shoes, £75, and matching clutch, £40, monsoon.co.uk. Right: Dress, £340, cefinn.com; shoes, £165, esska.com; bag, £20, accessorize.com

Some of the styles featured here will set you back on price, but these comfortable shoes are for life, not just for Christmas.

If you buy wisely, they won’t be ignored at the bottom of the wardrobe – or discarded to the side of the dance floor.