Standard Method to Measure Heel Height?

[lauren]

Pardon me if this question has been asked and answered before. Does anyone know if there is an industry standard method of measuring the height of a shoe heel? For example, I was looking at a pair of pumps the other day that were advertised as having 4" heels. There was no way I could find to measure these heels that gave 4" as a result. How do manufacturers measure their heels? At the front surface to the sole, at the back of the heel to where it joins the body of the shoe, or some other way?? Does every manufacturer do it the same way? It really bothers me that I don't know the answer to this. :x Lauren

[chris100575]

Hi Lauren I'm sure Dr Shoe will correct me if I'm wrong, as he knows far more about this than I do, but I don't think there's one standard way of measuring heel height. I usually just measure up the back of the heel with a ruler as it's convenient. What might have happened in your case is that heel height often varies according to size. For example a shoe with a four inch heel in a UK size 6 will have a higher heel in a size 8 and a lower one in a size 4 to maintain the proportions, but will still be advertised as being four inches. Chris

[luxxyheels]

From the inside of the heel to the sole is the "proper" way.

[Thighboots2]

Hi Lauren,

According to NEXT they say:-

Heel heights are taken from centre back of heel (see diagram) and are only intended as an approximate guideline to assist you in choosing a suitable height of shoe.

Hope this helps (and this is the way I thought heel heights were measured anyway.

TB2

[Shafted]

Actually, the preferred method of measureing heel height is measuring from the highest point of the heel plumb to the floor. And then subtracting sole thickness to get true rise. This is the only method which will get consistant results regardless of heel style.

[micha]

Hi to all, unfortunately no international standards exist ... 1. The most common measuring method is to determine the vertical distance between the highest point of the heel at the rear side of the shoe and the floor. Just as TB2 decribed it. 2. Another method is measuring the vertical height above the heels tip. With low heels this method doesn't make big differences compared to method 1. But applied to extreme stiletto heels the difference could be nearly a whole inch. 3. Putting simply a ruler on the backside of the heels isn't the best choice. Because applied to skew heels it's resulting in artifical big heights - especially for cowboy boots. Mathematically the following relation holds: Method 3 > Method 1 > Method 2 The only common consense is to measure the heels height vertically. And nobody is subtracting the thickness of the sole, like Shafted proposed. A 6'' platform sandal has a 6 INCH HEEL even if it has a 2'' sole and the felt height is only 4''. Btw, it doesn't make any sense to subtract the sole thickness at classical pumps or high heeled boots because the inner sole above the heel is usually very thick. High quality shoes are containing a thick metal plate with holes at which the heels are fastened by screws. My own idea for measuring the felt wearing height: take a pencil and raise it vertically in the foot ball area. Next take a ruler and put it horizontally on the highest part of the insole. You need no level tool, compare it simply optically with the edge of a table or a sideboard. Then mark or remember the position at the pencil, where the ruler and the pencil are crossing in a rectangular angle. The distance beetween the tip of the pencil and the mark is your real felt heel height. Still some comments on the dependence heel height versus foot size: high grade manufactureres are raising always the heel height on bigger sized models. Or they reduce the steepness of the shoe and use the same heel. It's really annoying if a manufacturer is using the same heel for all sizes without reducing the steepness of the shoes. The result is an ugly inclined heel for higher sizes (to the front of the shoe). I've experienced this already many times by my own Heel heights and shoe sizes are really a very complicated matter micha

[Dawn HH]

Like Micha says..heel heights and shoe sizes are difficult to work with. I have seen illustrations in catalogs that suggested to measure down the front of the heel to the floor, down the center of the heel to the floor, and down the back of the heel to the floor. Even the industy doesn't know what it is doing and can't standardize anything. I just measure down the back of the heel to the floor as it appears that that is the highest part of the heel to me. If I think that they are within my heel height limits, I buy. If I feel that they are outside my heel height limits, I don't buy. Simple as that. Now, foot sizes are another thing altogether, and heel shapes is something else to consider. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[Shafted]

The method that I stated earlier in this thread is still probably the most important, because it would provide tha only meaningful measure of heel height based on ones personal capabilities of instep angle. Notice in my post I stated true rise. This is the most useful measure for anyone buying shoes that know what they are capable of wearing. Is is intended to be separate of heel height. For example a person who knows they can wear a pair of shoes with a 5" rise wouldn't want to go buy a pair a 2" plats with 8" heels, when they know they can't wear a 6 inch rise.

[tightlevisandhhboots]

WOW micha, That's a mouth-full. TLAHHB

[Dawn HH]

Shafted:-) The rise isn't so critical for me as I don't use the extreme heel heights. Cheers--- Dawn HH