Loving the Kitten Heel — The Slender, Curved Shoes are Hot Again

Oh, the sheer number of one-liners I could throw at you to begin my ode to the kitten heel. Purrfectly poised. Tempestuous tigress. Meow-worthy mules. Frisky footwear.

In case you need to be schooled, a kitten heel is a short, generally slender heel usually from 3.5 centimeters (1.5 inches) to 4.75 centimeters (1.75 inches) high. The heel normally begins slightly curved from the back of the shoe. I relish that in describing this amazing piece of footwear that I get to use two words that many women adore when describing their figures: “slender” and “curved.”

One of the early adopters who put it in on the fashion map was the gamine icon, Audrey Hepburn. Unfortunately, as I’ve read up on the history of the shoe many point to politicians as current advocates of the style: Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Michelle Obama and Theresa May.

Who wants to emulate a government official when attempting to look stylish? (Yes, I’ll give you that Barack’s wife was one of the two best dressed first ladies of the last 50 years — alongside Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan.)

If the Spice Girls had a sixth member named Demure Spice, she would likely always be found in some navy Givenchy slingback kitten heels. She would be kittenish and coy, kinda like a cross between Baby and Posh. And definitely the smartest of the set having been educated at Benenden (the storied all-girls boarding school in the United Kingdom).

The kitten heel was originally introduced in the late 1950s, primarily for young women, to serve two purposes. First, higher heels seemed too mature for young girls and might send the wrong message in terms of their values or social mores (modern-day translation: make them look trashy).

Secondly, they were meant to serve as instructional for higher versions. (Call them the equivalent of training wheels on a bicycle.) However, they soon became adopted by women of all ages as an intelligent way to look fashionable without suffering through the pain of walking and standing for hours.

I dream of images of starlets from that era like Doris Day and Donna Reed looking razor-sharp in silk shantung cigarette pants gliding throughout a room delivering grasshoppers (the classic dessert cocktail featuring green crème de menthe) to their guests post-dinner.

Crazy Heights

From the early aughts on to honestly until about three to four years ago, were all about height. Five-inch-plus heels sometimes reinforced by a platform at the front of the shoe were on every red carpet and gin joint in town.

I’ll admit, I bought into the concept but really grew weary of them by 2010. It seemed as if I saw way too many women teetering around like baby giraffes, barely able to walk. Add in a glass or two of wine or one stiff martini and tragic falls were destined to happen. Post-2010 I truly felt like pointing to the nearest stripper pole when I saw someone walking around in precarious heels.

Thus I was overjoyed to see the slow return of the classic diminutive height. The last few seasons have seen a bevy of options featuring the kitten heel. Mules are everywhere. Timeless slingbacks as well. Day or evening and most definitely appropriate for any occasion.

Prada was one of the first out of the gate. Then it seemed like Blahnik, Choo and even McQueen soon followed. One needn’t worry about them falling out of favor soon as they should always keep a spot in your wardrobe as a trusted standby.

Perhaps a haiku is the best way to end my homage.

Day to evening

Girl on the go incarnate

Simply chic footwear