Shyheels

A perceived small market

True - an actual measured 4” heel in a size 5 would be considerably steeper than an actual measured 4” heel is a size 12, but then you’d be buying and talking about completely different style of shoes, with differed billed heel heights. The variations in heel heights according to size can be surprising. I was surprised to see that according to the chart on the Italian Heels website my 120mm stilettos (official billed height) were actually 147mm in my size. That’s a full inch variation. But it keeps the styling and proportions consistent with the 120mm in size 38 on which the design is based

Shoe size doesn’t make any difference in terms of the angle of your foot - at least not with the better makes of shoes and boots. When they market a model of shoe as having, say, 4” heels, that will be the base line height for a base line size, say, a size 6. As the sizes go up or down the physical height of the heel will vary so that the lines and proportions are identical right across the range of heights. A size 7 would have a 4.2” heel and a size 8 maybe 4.4” but they would still be sold as 4” heels as that is the standard for that particular line. A size 5 might have a 3.8” heel but would be sold as a 4” heel. It’s all about consistency and keeping the same proportions. Italian heels even has a chart on their website giving the exact heel heights for 100mm and 120mm heels each shoe size. I have a pair of their 120mm stiletto boots. In my size the heels are actually 147mm to keep the correct proportions. I think in their case the heel heights are based in a size 38 as standard. Other makers do the same. So having a bigger size does not change anything. Neither does having a smaller size. They keep all the proportions and angles the same

I thought I'd start this thread as a bit of a finger on the pulse of what is being worn. I was thinking of this the other night when I was in a busy pub having dinner and noticing the boots and heels being worn by my fellow patrons. I was wearing low-heeled OTK boots myself - bluish-grey suede over skinny jeans. I was not the only one in OTK boots. There was a young lady in black shorts (this in winter) with some very tall black leather boors - actually more like thigh boots than OTK. I'd never seen anything quite like them. The shafts looked to be made of very nice leather and fit her well; that part was elegant. The boot part though was like a pair of exceptionally heavy Doc Martens with very thick clod-hopper soles. I don't know if contrast and aesthetic tension was the point of this, but it looked like hell. My other outing this week was to go to Leeds, an old city in the north of England. I saw a lot of people (all women) wearing heels - typically chunky heeled knee and and ankle boots with 3" heels. It was almost the norm. I was wearing black leather knee boots myself, again with low heels (my circumstances at the moment do not lend themselves to wearing heels - not because of the fear of censure but risky footing and the ruination of nice suede high-heeled boots) Again, my black leather knee bots, for over skinny jeans, passed without notice.