Shoes You Can Choose: Emirates Cabin Crew Select Their Perfect Pair

Step in Style: The Evolution of Emirates Cabin Crew Shoes

The iconic uniform of Emirates cabin crew is instantly recognised as a symbol of the world’s largest international airline and the Emirates fly better experience. As part of the continued evolution of the uniform, Emirates female cabin crew are now invited to choose their footwear preferences from a range of 15 shoe styles so that their comfort and taste are catered to while working.

The expansive range of Spanish-manufactured, 100% leather male and female shoes offer a variety of heights, widths, shapes, and styles, ensuring comfort, style and fit for every foot. The latest edition of the female shoes and matching leather handbag are a brighter red colour than before, which complements the skirt's pleat and the uniform's trim. During the historic establishment of Emirates Airline in 1985, the very first shoes to be worn by Emirates cabin crew were red, which changed to brown for a while and then back to the signature red. Now, the female crew receive two pairs of red leather shoes yearly– flat cabin shoes and a choice of medium or high heels. The male crew receive new leather shoes every nine months.

The Emirates uniform has had many iterations over the years. The current design was unveiled on 28 July 2008 during the ceremonial handover of Emirates' first A380 aircraft at the Airbus factory in Hamburg, Germany. The Emirates in-house team designed the uniform in collaboration with Simon Jersey, a leading UK manufacturer of uniforms.

 Designed in the shade of warm sand, the Emirates cabin crew uniform symbolises the desert dunes of the region, while the iconic red hat sports a gold pin showcasing the Emirates logo. Gold is an integral part of the look of the Emirates brand, featuring on the very first Emirates livery and chosen because of its association with Dubai. The pin logo is designed in elaborate Arabic calligraphy and the defining feature of the cabin crew hat is an elegantly draped cream chiffon scarf, symbolising the local culture. The veil itself has seven pleats, and legend has it these pleats represent the seven Emirates of the UAE. The male version of the uniform includes a brown suit with red trim, complemented by a cream shirt and striped tie.

Comfort, stain and crease resistance are priorities for uniforms to ensure they stay immaculate and impeccable even after long-haul flights. Emirates’ uniforms are also designed to adapt to different climates, which is vital for cabin crew who may work anywhere in the world, potentially switching between the hot temperatures of Sao Paulo in Brazil and the winter cold in Moscow.

Emirates also provides a female cabin crew with a scrunchie in the signature red shade for the range of elegant hair up-styles crew they may choose. To complement the uniform, the female cabin crew wear a signature make-up look synonymous with the brand, featuring flawless skin, perfect red lipstick and naturally defined eyes. Emirates male cabin crew are required to be clean-shaven and have neat hair.

As part of continued investment into the world-class cabin crew experience, Emirates launched ‘The Emirates Beauty Hub’ in Dubai to help crew maintain their health, wellbeing, and uniform standards. The immersive beauty experience offers an in-house team of consultants with whom cabin crew can book personalised appointments to learn about make-up applications, nutrition, fitness, skincare, and haircare tips or attend the complimentary group events and masterclass series.

In addition to empowering all recruits to represent the iconic Emirates brand best, the world’s largest international airline offers cabin crew the opportunity to travel to over 130 cities across 76 countries. Emirates cabin crew enjoy a wide array of world-class benefits, including a tax-free salary, hotel stays, free accommodation, transportation to and from work, medical, life and dental insurance coverage, and discounted flights for the cabin crew and their family and friends, amongst many others.