high Heel-Related Terminology
Sole-Related Terminology
Standard: of minimal thickness; extends from the front end of the shoe to the heel and is of approximately even thickness throughout.
Platform (standard): thickened under the ball of the foot to reduce effective heel height; the effective heel height of a shoe with a platform is the difference between the actual heel height and the thickness of the platform. The thick portion of the sole on a standard platform is visible when the shoe is viewed from the side.
Hidden Platform: like the standard platform, except the upper is attached such that the thickening of the sole is not apparent when viewed from the side (the material of the upper is used to cover the sides of the platform, and is then attached near the bottom of the sole where it contacts the ground).
Espadrille: flexible sole made entirely of jute rope or similar synthetic material; popular in spring & summer footwear.
Heel-Related Terminology
Flat: the easiest description to grasp, the flat is just that - no height-enhancing qualities.
Kitten: short but narrow; less than 2" with a diameter of no more than 0.4" (1cm) where it reaches the ground.
Stiletto: long and narrow; 2" and above with a diameter of no more than 0.4" where it reaches the ground; generally round or square in shape.
Prism: triangular, width and height may vary.
Wedge: the space under the foot is filled in, giving the appearance of a triangle "wedge" under the arch and heel of the foot when viewed from the side; not to be confused with the platform, which refers to a thickened sole under the ball of the foot, although the two often appear concurrently.
Espadrille: while the term technically refers to the sole of the shoe, it is worth noting that the espadrille sole is styled almost exclusively with a wedge heel given the flexible nature of the materials used.
Cone: wide where it connects to the sole, narrowing quite noticeably to a point where it reaches the ground; resembles the shape of an ice-cream cone held upright.
Spool: wide at both ends but narrower in the middle; resembles an hourglass shape when viewed from the back.
Chunky: wide at the top and the base; width remains uniform or decreases only slightly from top to bottom.
Louis /Pompadour: when viewed from the side, the front edge slopes slightly forwards toward the ball of the foot, while the rear edge exhibits an hourglass curve similar to the spool.
Cuban: chunky four-sided heel in which the front remains relatively uniform while the back tapers modestly from top to bottom.
Cowboy: when viewed from the side, the front face of the heel is perpendicular to the ground, while the back face of the heel is angled, beginning at the rear of the shoe and slanting forward (towards the front) from top to bottom.
Covered: any heel shape which is wrapped in the same material as the upper, or a complementary one; most high-end shoes have covered heels.
Painted: any heel shape which is painted to match or coordinate with the upper; generally found on lower-end brands as the paint tends to flake & chip easily, exposing the underlying colour.
Stacked: a wooden heel in which the "stacked" horizontal layers of wood are visible; popular for spring & summer styles.
See also High Heels Glossary
