High Heel Size Difference

[sscotty727]

Hi All,

There has been alot of discussion about how the size of heels increase with the size of the foot. I know it is obvious, but I took a few pictures of my 5 inch (US size 11) and my wife's 6 inch (US size 6.5) to illustrate just how drastic the difference is.

First of all, here is my 5 inch heel (US Size 11)

Next is my wife's 6 inch heel (US Size 6.5)

Ok, here is the real "kicker". Side by side here are BOTH shoes.

As you can see, my heel is exactly the same "height" as my wife's heel even though her's is a 6 inch and mine is a 5 inch. You will also notice that her's has a MUCH higher incline than mine. To reach her incline, I would need a much higher heel.

Scotty

[Heelfan]

Thanks Scotty - that illustrates your point about the same heel-height but far steeper in the smaller size magnificently. Having got that settled, how about treating us all to a a shot of you both wearing those lovely shoes? That really would be terrific! Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

[Arno]

Your observation shows that the actual physical heel height is uninformative unless shoe size is also specified. I have previously suggested that the best way to compare heel heights is to refer all heel heights to what they would be on a size 9 (US ladies) shoe. You can get the conversioin factors from the length to size tables on Payless Web site. But there is also a rough and ready method for determining this equivalent height that depends on the fact that for size nine the heel-to-toe foot length is exactly ten inches. On a piece of paper, measure the distance between the front of your big toe and the back of your heel in inches. Divide the measured height of the heels you wear by that number and multiply it by ten. The result is what your heel height corresponds to on a size nine shoe.

Arno

[genebujold]

I would have to say that if your 5 inch and her 6 inch are the "same height," then you're using advertised heel height, not actual heel height. The advertised heel height is what's listed in the catalog, online and/or paper. The actual heel height is what's measured from the surface of a hard floor to the top, back of the heel, commensurate with the edge of the wearer's own heel. The best way to find the edge is to stand flat-footed on a hard surface. The edge is where the skin covering your heel leaves the floor at the back of your foot to rise around the back of your heel. While wearing a pair of heels, that edge is generally at the same height as the back edge of a measured heel. The only valid alternative I've seen for listing heel heights is to measure the individual's overall height while flat-footed and while wearing the heels. The difference is the "effective" heel height. For those of us with larger feet who cannot easily wear higher heels, we have to be very careful when buying! I bought two pairs of "four inch" heels only to find they were over five inches! The problem is that the stated heel height is measured on an average height shoe, which is usually a size 8 or 8.5, US Woman's. Thus, if you wear a size 11 US Woman's, as I do, a stated "four inch heel" will probably be around 4.75 inches, if not more, depending on the construction of the shoe. The only exception I've found is when ordering custom shoes, which deliver a "four inch" heel that's truly four inches high, regardless of whether it's on a size 5, size 8, or size 11.

[sscotty727]

Actually I was thinking more the following: 1) As Gene says, the marketing heel height (5 inch vs 6 inch, etc) has more to do with the incline vs the actual length of the heel. This is not necessarily a bad thing since a 5" heel for me would be alot different than a 5" heel for my wife. This way we can buy shoes based on how hard they are to walk in vs the actual length. 2) As you can see from the pictures, even though we do have the same length of heel, my shoes would be alot easier to walk in than my wife walking in hers. For me to get the same incline effect I would have to have alot higher heel. 3) As various women have pointed out here (and this supports it) when men see a woman (with a small foot) walking in a 3 or 3.5 inch heel this would be about the same as a a man with a bigger foot walking in a 4 or 4.5 inch heel! I know for walking on a daily bases, a 4" heel is pretty good. So if my wife would only want a 3" heel, that would be as challanging to her as a 4" is to me! Again, I know we all know the arguments and logically it makes sense, but actually seeing it makes it all hit home. Scotty

[Dr. Shoe]

Have you actually measured the heels Sscotty? You could well find that both shoes have 5.5" heels. The reason I say that is because the heel height is advertised for a particular size if it happens to be a manufacturer that varies height with size (some don't). Obviously your wife's 6" heels are lower because of the smaller foot size and if your shoes were the same style yours would probably be 7".

[sscotty727]

You are 100% correct, it is 5.5 inches. Still, there is a 1 inch difference in the marketing size (5" heels for me, 6" heels for my wife) that are the same measured length of 5.5". So again, if I am wearing a measured 4" heel and my wife was wearing a measured 4" heel, she would have a much steeper incline than me which would make it much more difficult for her to walk vs me. Either she would have to wear a 3" heel to get the same incline as me, OR I would have to wear a 5" heel to get the incline she has. Scotty

[Firefox]

They often quote heel sizes in the catalogue as measured on a size 39 shoe (that's womens sizes US . 39 is the most common size. So, her heel is a true 6" one whereas your heel is also a 6", but it would be a 5 3/8" heel on a size 8 so you were quoted 5" As a general rule, shoe sizes go up in 1/3 of an inch or 8mm. (A "high heel" is 100mm on a typical 250mm long foot. Therefore the difference in heel height between sizes to maintain the look, slope and proportions is approx 100/250 x 8 = 3mm or 1/8 inch.) Hence a 4 inch heel in a size 13 would be a 4 - (13-5)x1/8 = 3 inch heel in a size 5 Conversly some these 2 to 3 inch heels on small sizes for young girls are equivelant to 4 inch heel slopes in normal sizes.

[asdf174]

Thats interesting.

[tightlevisandhhboots]

I know when ordering custom boots, the bootmaker said that he measures the heel at the back of the heel. So when I told him I wanted a 3" heel, they came as 3 1/2" due to the front of the heel is at 3" and the back is at 3 1/2"... Just a little bit more info to muddie the waters... tightlevisandhhboots