A Guide To Heel Styles

From cute kitten heels to sexy stiletto heel shoes, there are so many different styles of heels these days that it can all be quite confusing. Many are fashion fads that might be around for too long, while others are wardrobe staples that seem to keep their place in the footwear trends.

Here is a useful guide to the different types of heels and how you can wear them.

Kitten heels

A short, slender heel, a kitten heel is actually a style of a stiletto with a similar shape but is much shorter and usually has a heel height of 2in at most. Kitten heel shoes tend to be more formal styles of high heels shoes, typically with a court shoe design with a pointed toe or a sandal. Kitten heels have recently made a big comeback with the love for everything retro inspired and a comfortable style of shoes. Although most people can wear kitten heel shoes, they are typically more flattering to taller women or those with longer legs, as they can often make petite women look shorter when worn with skirts or dresses.

Cone heel shoes

One of the most recent footwear fashions, cone heeled shoes are a quirky style of heel that is chunky at the top and thins towards the bottom of the fashion heels. They're so comfortable because the heel stays relatively thick and most of them tend to have mid-height heels too; although you will find some cone heeled shoes with taller heels.

Stacked heels

An unusual style of heel that uses thin layers to created a heel that appears to be stacked. They are typically made from wood and with the latest bohemian trend, stacked wooden heels have become very popular as wedges, although you'll also find high heels and lower heels with stacked heels too.

Wedges

As above with the recent love of everything bohemian and hippy chic, wedges made a big comeback last year and look set to continue right through to this year and beyond. Wedges have a thick chunky design that is unbroken from the heel to the sole and as they usually have a thick platform sole, they are so comfortable to wear and walk in despite having a tall heel. Anyone can wear wedges because they're so flattering and have the appearance of longer legs; team with skinny jeans, leggings, skirts or dresses. The great thing about wedges is that they also come in lots of different styles from popular peep toes and sandals to unusual wedged shoes and shoe boots.

Stiletto heels

Probably the most classic and popular style of heel, stiletto heels are tall, slender and sexy heels that have long been the heel of choice for women everywhere. Perfect for the office, a night on the town or a special occasion, pop on a pair of stilettos and you'll instantly look and feel great. Wear with skirts and dresses or jeans and leggings, the beauty about stilettos is that they go with almost anything and anyone can wear them.

Platform heels

Although not technically a heel, people often refer to shoes as being platform shoes, while the term ‘platform' actually relates to the sole of the shoe. A platform shoe will have a thicker sole than one that isn't a platform, usually of approximately 1in and is usually found on stilettos and wedges to make them more comfortable to wear and to give extra height.