I love a kitten heel and apparently, all of my favorite fashion girls do too. From Blue Ivy Carter to Ariana Grande, an it girl knows the power she wields in a quaint, chic heel only a few inches off the ground.
Two days ago, Ariana Grande wore a $1,000 pair of kitten heels in Tokyo – prompting my coworker to use the term divisive when referring to the style.The wording led me to ruminate on my years of unresolved sartorial beef with the shoes. Why do people look down upon the kitten heel? Why is it a divisive fashion shoe? So many of today’s favorite brands have a galore of vintage kitten heels, and a percentage of fashion lovers on the internet are chasing them down on every reseller site.
Jun Sato
The kitten heel is a low, slender (or block) heel typically measuring 1.5 to 2 inches. It emerged in the late 1950s, regarded as a more modest and comfortable choice for younger women who weren’t ready to commit to a stiletto heel. The heel was popularized by Christian Dior, offering a more practical option for women seeking both elegance and ease of movement. (I have never felt more powerful than when I have on a good kitten heel, wistfully speed-walking through the NYC streets.) The style, of course, in its origins, appealed to younger women and teenagers, allowing them to explore the world of fashion without pre-decidedly ruining their growing feet. By the 1960s, the kitten heel became a symbol of sophisticated, everyday wear, continuing to influence fashion today with its retro appeal.
With the continued Y2K and nostalgia renaissance, I’m here to decree that the kitten heel is the optimal heel. All the others fall by the wayside. Take a screenshot, save it for a rainy day, I will never change my mind about this. As someone who brutalized my poor flat feet through high school to fit in and then endured snide remarks about my choice of kitten heels while in college, I will stand by these heels because of their timeless presence in the fashion space. Often underestimated, the kitten heel is beloved by the girlies who get it.
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Case in point: Blue Ivy Carter. She is the exact example of why the heel was created years ago. As a growing teenager in the limelight, a small heel will always be a solid choice when first getting started. We saw her lean into that heel during her first several award shows and red carpet appearances. In the last few, she may have upgraded to a platform boot, but she’ll always know her fashion shoe roots.
