Walking in heels was not only bad on my shoes, but also bad on my feet. I keep three pair of pumps in my office and change into my 'work' shoes when I arrive in the morning and out of them when I go home. I would have thought the health benefits were obvious. Traditional office shoes are notoriously bad for the feet and back. I would also like to point out that it is becoming more common in the United Kingdom, too.
Sneakers are some of the very few flat and comfortable shoes that are fashionable to wear.
And the modern styles go very well with suit trousers. About 20 years ago, there was a strike by New York City's mass transit workers. Many of the millions who work in Manhattan had to find alternate means to reach their places of employment. This happened in the spring during a period of beautiful weather, so a substantial number of those workers chose to walk. In many cases, this involved walks of five to 10 miles - in some cases, no doubt, even longer.