What went into SIA's new Pazzion cabin crew shoes after 31 months of development

Developed through multiple rounds of fittings, wear-testing and onboard trials, the new batik-inspired shoes incorporate feedback from female cabin crew to improve comfort, fit and durability.

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09 Oct 2026 10:26AM

Singapore Airlines (SIA) will progressively introduce new closed-toe shoes for its female cabin crew from January 2027, replacing the open-toe sandals that have long been part of the airline's signature uniform.

Developed over 31 months in collaboration with Singapore footwear brand Pazzion, the new wedge shoes feature SIA's signature batik motif and colour variations corresponding to different cabin crew ranks.

The change follows a review aimed at improving safety, comfort and support while meeting the practical demands of working onboard, an SIA spokesperson told CNA Lifestyle.

Currently, female cabin crew alternate between open-toe sandals and closed-toe slingbacks during different phases of a flight. The new design will allow them to wear the same pair throughout their duties.

Made from genuine leather with thicker lambskin insoles, the shoes are designed to provide greater cushioning and support, while the closed-toe design offers additional protection against spills and falling objects.

The airline did not announce a specific date when all female cabin crew will have transitioned to the new footwear.

DESIGNED WITH COMFORT AND SAFETY IN MIND

Pazzion founder Tom Ng told CNA Lifestyle that the 31-month development process involved multiple rounds of fittings and wear-testing with female cabin crew, whose feedback helped refine the shoes' fit, comfort and durability.

Several prototypes were also tested on flights before the final design was selected.

The finished product, which Ng described as a leather ballerina wedge, features a widened toe box, padded back, cushioned insole and supportive wedge heel.

"The iconic SIA batik fabric was a key source of inspiration," Ng said. "As an enduring element of the SIA uniform, we wanted to give batik a new expression within the shoe, pairing it with genuine calf leather in SIA's signature colourways."

A CHANGE TO THE SINGAPORE GIRL UNIFORM

The Singapore Girl's distinctive sarong kebaya dates back to 1963, when stewardesses of SIA's predecessor, Malayan Airways, began wearing it.

Before that, female cabin crew wore more conventional uniforms consisting of collared blouses, jackets and pleated skirts.

French couturier Pierre Balmain subsequently redesigned the sarong kebaya, with his version debuting in 1968, before Singapore Airlines became an independent carrier.

According to Kebaya Societe, a Singapore-based cultural archive documenting local fashion heritage, Balmain also designed the original white sandals worn with the uniform, which have since undergone several updates.

In 2001, SIA introduced closed-toe slingbacks to improve cabin crew safety, several months after the SQ006 crash in Taiwan in October 2000.

Some flight attendants involved in the crash had reported losing their sandals during the evacuation and having to walk barefoot through debris. However, SIA said at the time that its footwear review had begun two years before the accident.

Female cabin crew subsequently alternated between the slingbacks and traditional sandals during different flight phases.

The latest change will replace that arrangement with a single closed-toe design.