Singapore Airlines plans new Pazzion shoes for female cabin crew from January

Singapore Airlines will progressively introduce new closed-toe Pazzion shoes for its female cabin crew from January 2027, CNA Lifestyle reported on October 9. The planned change aboard the airline’s flights is intended to let crew wear one pair throughout their duties, replacing the current practice of switching between open-toe sandals and closed-toe slingbacks.

The footwear was developed over 31 months with Singapore brand Pazzion. An airline spokesperson told CNA Lifestyle that the change followed a review aimed at improving safety, comfort and support while meeting the practical demands of working onboard.

The rollout has not yet begun, and Singapore Airlines has not announced when every female cabin-crew member will have moved to the new shoes. The report describes the design and its development, but provides no numerical results establishing how much it improves comfort or reduces injuries.

How the Pazzion shoes will change flight duties

Female cabin crew currently alternate between two types of footwear during different phases of a flight. The new design is intended to remove that changeover, while replacing the open-toe sandals that have long formed part of the airline’s signature uniform.

CNA’s report says the closed-toe design offers additional protection against spills and falling objects. It does not provide comparative injury figures or test measurements showing the extent of that protection, so the reported design benefits cannot be expressed as a measured safety improvement.

Crew fittings and onboard trials shaped the design

Ng told CNA Lifestyle that the development process involved multiple rounds of fittings and wear-testing with female cabin crew. Their feedback helped refine fit, comfort and durability, he said. Several prototypes were also tested on flights before the final design was selected.

That account establishes that crew participated in development and that testing took place onboard. The report does not disclose participant numbers, testing protocols or numerical comfort results. It also contains no direct, named cabin-crew or union reaction; the description of crew feedback comes from Pazzion’s founder.

The shoes retain visual links to the existing uniform through Singapore Airlines’ signature batik motif and colour variations corresponding to different cabin-crew ranks. The redesign therefore carries familiar uniform details into a different footwear shape.

“The iconic SIA batik fabric was a key source of inspiration,” Ng told CNA Lifestyle. He said the design paired that inspiration with genuine calf leather in the airline’s signature colourways. CNA Lifestyle’s report contains the airline’s explanation and Ng’s account of the development process.

What aviation guidance says about crew footwear

Separate safety guidance illustrates why footwear matters beyond appearance. Transport Canada’s crew-uniform advisory circular, effective April 1, 2021, encourages enclosed, low-heeled footwear for protection during evacuations and discourages high heels or sandals that may be unsuitable in those conditions.

The circular recommends avoiding high-heeled or open-toed shoes during taxi, take-off, landing and abnormal or emergency situations. It also encourages laces, straps or functional buckles because unsecured shoes can be lost during impacts or movement through debris or soft terrain.

Enclosing the toes is consequently only one consideration in that guidance. CNA’s report does not establish the new shoes’ heel height or fastening specifications. The Canadian circular is older background from another jurisdiction, not an assessment or certification of Pazzion’s design or evidence of a regulatory obligation on Singapore Airlines.

Transport Canada explicitly describes the circular as information and guidance. It does not itself establish minimum standards or change regulatory requirements, and recommends that operators consider its advice when updating, modifying or replacing crew uniforms.

What remains unknown before the January rollout

January 2027 is the announced starting point for a progressive introduction, rather than a deadline for completing it. The retained CNA report does not establish the number of employees affected, procurement cost or replacement schedule. Independently evaluated performance results are also not established, leaving the scale of the intended comfort and protection benefits unquantified.