Heels

Heel Height Versus the Slope Your Foot Feels

Heel height is the number every listing leads with, and on its own it says less than you might think. Height is measured at the back of the shoe; what your foot actually stands on is the slope from heel to forefoot, and a platform under the toes flattens it. A 4.25 inch block heel on a 1.5 inch platform, for example, leaves a slope underfoot closer to 2.75 inches. A stiletto with no platform gives you every inch it lists. When heels are close in height, compare what is under the toes before you compare the numbers, because that is where an evening gets longer or shorter.

What Holds the Shoe to Your Foot

Straps are engineering before they are decoration. A buckled ankle strap locks your heel into the back of the shoe; a slingback only steadies it from behind and leaves the toe band to do the holding; a T-strap adds a line down the middle that stops the foot sliding forward into a pointed toe. A mule has nothing behind the heel at all, so your toes do the gripping, which makes it the easiest pair to step into and best kept for shorter distances. The more of the foot a heel holds, the less your toes have to work, which is why a strapped 4 inch heel can feel steadier than a backless one a quarter inch lower. A caged style closed by a back zipper, or a bootie with a wide adjustable ankle strap, holds the most of all.

Choosing a Nude Heel That Matches You

Nude is a range, not a single color, running from pale beige to deep brown depending on who is wearing it. A nude heel works by disappearing, so match it to your skin, not to the dress, and the line from hem to floor reads as one length. Finish changes the match too: patent reflects the room and reads a shade lighter than the same color in a matte surface. A glitter or coral heel makes the opposite choice. A colored heel is an accent, and it only has to agree with one other thing you are wearing, a bag, a belt or a print in the dress.

Strap first, slope second, color last is the order that gets a heel right. In a closed pointed toe take the longer size if you fall between sizes, and in an open sandal stay with your true length. For the same height wrapped in a shaft, the heeled ankle booties sit in Boots, and the hems these heels are usually bought for are in Dresses.