Minimum height for a high heel

[benthere]

Anything over 3.5 inches feels high. Anything less feels medium. So I went with 3.5 inches.

[thedesigner]

Hang on, height depends on yr size. I'm size 6uk so 5" is ok round the house but a bit slow to walk around in outside, but 4" i can do all day. We're getting into ballerina heels if i do bigger - for me !!

[Michel]

Anything under 10 cm / 4 inch is not considered to be a high heel, for me.

[CassieJ]

Anything under 10 cm / 4 inch is not considered to be a high heel, for me.

I agree but will add, that a heel difference of less than 3.5" is not a high heel. A 4" heel with a 1" platform doesn't give me the 'lift' I like.

CJ

[Dr. Shoe]

In the industry a 4" heel is considered high, anything higher than a 2" heel is considered "mid-height".

[Bubba136]

Dr Shoe's "splain" is the way I've always heard it.

[Titou27]

For me ... High heels start @ 4". Below is just shoes with heels

[Guest]

whatever i can get away with!

[amxfan]

I voted for 3" heels. This is the height that you can start getting the thin spike / stiletto heels that really define high heels and also changes them from just high heels to sexy high heels. For platforms I would have to say a 6" heel with 2" platform. Yes that makes it one inch higher but they look so sexy and a higher platform really takes away from the look and feel of them.

[carla]

High heels start at 4 inches

[Guy N. Heels]

High heels start at 4 inches

Hi there Carla , and allow me to say welcome to the forum . Unfortunately, I've only been able to pop-in on this forum a few times this year, so I missed some of your early posts.

Speaking of which, I'm altogether astonished that this poll is still running strong after a year and a half. I suppose we really ought to thank Ritchie for not allowing it to go to the old forum thread's graveyard. Thanx Ritchie!

[Tech]

Speaking of which, I'm altogether astonished that this poll is still running strong after a year and a half. I suppose we really ought to thank Ritchie for not allowing it to go to the old forum thread's graveyard. Thanx Ritchie!

Dont thank me matey, I've not done anything

[roniheels]

I voted for 4 inch heels. Three inch heels should be the bare minimum to call them high heels. When I wear 3 inch heels, even though they are extremely comfortable, it almost doesn't feel like wearing high heels. I wear 4 and 5 inch heels daily.

[Histiletto]

Hey Guy N Heels,

Maybe the poll should have considered the angle or slope of the sole between the ball joints of the toes and the back end of the footed heel as to what is considered the minimum height for the label of a high heel.

Without taking measurements but using examples, I will illustrate my point.

A size 6 US Womens has a considerable shorter sole than the size 11 US Womens. So the slope of the size 6 sole to be considered a high heel would be acheived in a relatively shorter distance than the slope of the size 11 sole. Therefore, a 3" heel in a size 6 would feel like a 6" heel in a size 11 with the same slope (not an accurate calibration). Like wise a size 11 with a 3" heel would feel like a 1.5" in a size 6 (again, not accurate).

Of course some people have greater flexibility in their foot adjustments which causes a variation to this model, but like you have stated, you want to know what is the minimum height to be consider a high heel. Depending on the size increase, the minimum height will also increase. Therefore, a particular slope has to be the common usage here for that minimum label.

[thedesigner]

agreed, i have thought than size 10 4" heels must be almost boring, compared to the size 6 heels i wear - 4" +. Taller heels, 7" plus would be like ballet heels on me, conversely for those size 10+ they will be right and proper. Anyhow, so long as we're all on the same side, no big deal.....

[IBL70]

i HAVE VOTED 10CM FOR MINIMUM . UNDER 9 CM IT IS NOT HIGH HEELS FOR ME , IT IS ONLY HEELS . UNDER 8CM I JUST LET THE LADY PASS AWAY WITHOUT HAVING A LOOK AT HER SHOES .

[HappyFeat]

I love this discussion and many of you have made some great points. However, I still say 2" qualifies as a high heel. I am not really that into height...if I like a flat, I wear a flat...if I like tall shoes, I wear tall shoes... My logic is that is you are wearing a shoe with a 2" heel, the average person on the street would say they were "high heels." Further, a shoe with a 2" heel may be harder to wear than a shoe with a 4" or 5" heel, depending on the cut. Also, I think many shoe advertisements simply say "heels" as opposed to high, low, etc. Many dress codes (an an archaic law in the state of Utah) forbid wearing heels higher than 2 inches. Therefore somebody decided that less than 2" of acceptable, while over 2" is, well, naughty. The one caveat I will add is e-Bay considers 3" and over a high heel. They also have measurements for flats (under .5"), low (.5" through 1 3/4"), and medium (1 3/4" to 3"). I may not have these exact, but you get the gist. But who believes anything e-bay says!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In the end, since there is no official government standard, I am going with 2".

[Griez]

just 2 weeks ago my godfather gave me gift, his old motocycle costume- and there was also boots with really nice heel(big heel) i think to 2" or 2,5" but thats for man shoes are really hgih nice right? i'm going with that boots a lot around and nobody saying anything about heel existence would like to get that type shoes with more higher heel

[Jen J]

In my opinion based on my shoe size, 7.5, 5 inches is just about the perfect ratio of height to size. It is also for me the highest heel I can wear and still get around quickly. I would say that any heel over 3.5 is high and below is just a heel. I suppose that 1 inch may be daunting if it is the wearers first time out in public. Anyway I like 4 to 5. Jen

[Kittyinboots]

My high heel range is from 2.5" to 4". So I voted for 2.5 inches as a minimum high heel. After walking around all day in my cowboy boots (2.5"), I start to feel sore and I think to myself, "These boots ain't flats." On a side note my wife and I went to a honky tonk saloon for concert night. She had her ankle boots, and I wore my cowboy boots. The next day, she told her mother about the concert and overheard her say, "We both had our high heel boots on." Last year I met up with my mother for lunch and finally wore my cowboy boots in front of her, which she immediately noticed. She said, "Oh those boots, such high heels!" So I consider my only pair of black cowboy boots to be high heels.

[roniheels]

I love this discussion and many of you have made some great points. However, I still say 2" qualifies as a high heel. I am not really that into height...if I like a flat, I wear a flat...if I like tall shoes, I wear tall shoes...

My logic is that is you are wearing a shoe with a 2" heel, the average person on the street would say they were "high heels." Further, a shoe with a 2" heel may be harder to wear than a shoe with a 4" or 5" heel, depending on the cut. Also, I think many shoe advertisements simply say "heels" as opposed to high, low, etc.

Many dress codes (an an archaic law in the state of Utah) forbid wearing heels higher than 2 inches. Therefore somebody decided that less than 2" of acceptable, while over 2" is, well, naughty.

The one caveat I will add is e-Bay considers 3" and over a high heel. They also have measurements for flats (under .5"), low (.5" through 1 3/4"), and medium (1 3/4" to 3"). I may not have these exact, but you get the gist. But who believes anything e-bay says!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the end, since there is no official government standard, I am going with 2".

HappyFeat....

Good points. It is relative to the eye of the beholder and wearer of the heels. Women at work have come in saying that they wore high heels today, and the heels are 2-3 inches. And some struggle to walk in heels that height. It just depends on what the individual considers to be high heels.

[jwhite44]

...Women at work have come in saying that they wore high heels today, and the heels are 2-3 inches. And some struggle to walk in heels that height...

By chance are they older women, or perhaps less fashionable women? With 4"+ heels an easy find in almost any shoe store now a days, it's difficult to think of younger women, or those who follow fashion trends, thinking a 2" heel is 'high'.

What's disappointing about categories on many shoe websites is they haven't been updated to reflected the new higher heights. '3" and above" doesn't cut it anymore as a category to help filter out your selections.

[Puffer]

By chance are they older women, or perhaps less fashionable women? With 4"+ heels an easy find in almost any shoe store now a days, it's difficult to think of younger women, or those who follow fashion trends, thinking a 2" heel is 'high'.

What's disappointing about categories on many shoe websites is they haven't been updated to reflected the new higher heights. '3" and above" doesn't cut it anymore as a category to help filter out your selections.

It seems to me from comments and conversations I have overheard that most women, regardless of age, do consider any heel above about 2" as being 'high', on the logical grounds that it is an intentionally heightened heel as distinct from a nearly flat heel (as on a man's shoe) which is essentially functional. Even if they wear 4"+ heels, women seem to regard their high heels as starting at around 2". It is only when describing or buying particular shoes that a woman really needs to qualify the heel height, either by stating the actual height or in general terms, e.g. kitten, mid-high or very high (or, often incorrectly, by describing any heel of reasonable height as being a 'stiletto', regardless of shape/style - see the rather disappointing comments at http://www.hhplace.org/discuss/girls/12101-where_real_stiletto_heels.html, to which we men are not allowed to respond! It is perfectly possible to have a 1.5" (kitten) stiletto heel, or a 4.5" slim straight heel which is not a true stiletto.)

I entirely agree that, even allowing for variations in height across the range of sizes, it is very unhelpful to see heels merely classified in groups such a 'very high' or '3" - 4"'. I do wonder how many women either refrain from ordering or hesitate to order or have to send something back because the height was not as expected and is unacceptable.

[Dianne]

Anyone who wears high heels regularly would propably agree with me that High heels is 4" or higher. It may also slightly (1/2") differ depending on the size of the shoe. The real test is the point where your weight transfers from your heel to the ball of your foot. For me that generally happens at 4" heel height. (For a lady with a size 5 shoe that could already be at 3.5") I've experimented with this concept. I could very easily and naturally spend a whole day wearing 3-3.5" heels and have no pain or numbness under the ball of my foot that evening, which means you've carried your weight on the heel of your feet too. Wearing 4-5" heels a whole day definitely places more strain on the ball of my feet and I would feel some numbness/discomfort from the pressure at night.

Like most other things in life ones ability improves with practice.... However as I started wearing 4" heels virtually every day my feet got used to wearing them and I can lately wear 4-4.5" heels everyday for 12-18 hours without any discomfort. And I do wear them monday thru friday to work and very rarely take my shoes off at home. I would often wear 5" heels whenever going out which is ok, but still feel my feet getting sore whenever I've tried wearing 5" heels for a whole day. I do really think there is some variation in the definition based on the wearer too but in general it seems most agree on the 4"........

[5.5 Thrill]

I voted 3"(about a year ago). Now, after wearing for about an hour, my old 3" spike heeled boots feel like my Justin work boots with a .5" heel. Should have voted for 4" heel as a high heel!!!! Of course, now I wear 5" most of the time and 6" around the house. Take care Thrill

[Puffer]

It seems pretty clear that the original question has been lost sight of, namely that: 'The question is intended to establish the point at which a shoe ceases to be an "ordinary" shoe or boot and falls into the category that any manufacturer, advertiser, seller would call a High Heel.'

Nearly everyone is answering by reference to personal perception of what has the look or feel of a heel that is noticeably or desirably high. Nothing wrong with giving us that information but it is addressing a different issue!

If one accepts that a 'heel' of some type is a normal if not absolutely essential part of the construction of any item of footwear, the question becomes one of deciding at what point (height) the heel ceases to be purely functional (e.g. to support or cushion the foot, cope with wear when walking, provide grip etc) and reflects some extra cosmetic or aesthetic element. On the basis that 'normal' shoes (including most intended for males) can have heels ranging from the almost flat to 1.5" or thereabouts, I maintain my view above that anything of 2" or more must be a 'high heel' by definition, however modest that height may be regarded by an observer or wearer whose personal preference is for, say, 3"+ or 4"+ heels.

At a wedding yesterday, I observed two young teenage girls. One was in ballerina flats, the other in court shoes with a kitten heel of about 2". There is no doubt in my mind that the second was wearing 'high heels' (and will, I hope, aspire to greater heights in due course).

[Bubba136]

While the perception of what is a "high heel" and what is not, is totally in the mind of the watcher (wearer), etc. For years, my wife has used the definition that most manufacturers and retail departments have used. That is: low heel shoes are shoes with heels between 1" and 2" high. Medium heels are from 2" to 3" high. High heels are anything over 3". It works for me.

[secondtake20]

While the perception of what is a "high heel" and what is not, is totally in the mind of the watcher (wearer), etc. For years, my wife has used the definition that most manufacturers and retail departments have used. That is: low heel shoes are shoes with heels between 1" and 2" high. Medium heels are from 2" to 3" high. High heels are anything over 3". It works for me.

That is the same guide line I go by. What is a high heel is in the eye of the wearer/watcher.

[Puffer]

While the perception of what is a "high heel" and what is not, is totally in the mind of the watcher (wearer), etc. For years, my wife has used the definition that most manufacturers and retail departments have used. That is: low heel shoes are shoes with heels between 1" and 2" high. Medium heels are from 2" to 3" high. High heels are anything over 3". It works for me.

That is the same guide line I go by. What is a high heel is in the eye of the wearer/watcher.

Are we not saying the same thing? A 'high heel' description is both subjective and arbitrary unless it is an attempt to distinguish the purely functional nominally flat heel from one that has deliberate height added. That was what the original question addressed, and hence my answers! Perhaps the problem is that 'high' is not an exact opposite of 'flat'; 'raised' may be the better word. Mathematically, 'raised' heels start where 'flat' heels finish, but 'high' heels are whatever one determines them to be from one's own viewpoint.

[Bubba136]

Are we not saying the same thing? A 'high heel' description is both subjective and arbitrary unless it is an attempt to distinguish the purely functional nominally flat heel from one that has deliberate height added. That was what the original question addressed, and hence my answers! Perhaps the problem is that 'high' is not an exact opposite of 'flat'; 'raised' may be the better word. Mathematically, 'raised' heels start where 'flat' heels finish, but 'high' heels are whatever one determines them to be from one's own viewpoint.

This another one of those subjects that can be discussed until the cows come home. Who really gives a s#$%t anyway? :w00t2:It's not important....to me, at least......