Histiletto Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 You see a pair of substantially high heels and you order them because you really fall in love with the total styling design. When you get them, the heel height looks shorter and the length of the shoe seems longer than the modeled shoe, in fact, it really doesn't look like the model you ordered. Should the heel height control the style of the shoe or should the integrity of the arched slope define the total look and height of the heel? Should you be able to specify your preference? Since the norm is to guage the slope by its heel height, there would probably be an increase cost to change to a slope defining the heel height standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShockQueen Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 When you see shoes modeled in a catalog, or on a website, you are most likely seeing a size 6. The retailers do this to get the most "visual pop" for the buck, but as sizes get larger, sometimes the heel looks shorter, even though most times the heel is actually HIGHER on the larger size to still make the visual appeal. A 3 1/2" heel on a size 6 may be a little over 4" on a size 14 for instance. If the heel increased with the size of the foot to retain the SHAPE of the arch on a size 6, you'd see those heel heights shoot up quite a bit more dramatically. SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Shoe Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Correct. Shoes are usually sampled in a size 4 or 5 UK for this very reason. Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Histiletto Posted October 18, 2007 Author Share Posted October 18, 2007 I know the sellers are using a size they determine looks the best and that is the look that sold me. Why should I have to settle for a different shape than the one that was used to sell me the heels in the first place? To me it is a misrepresentation of the product. I'm not sure of the ratio of the rise to the length in each size, but if a size 6 has a really tall heel, then the size 14 should also have that really tall heel in the same proportions, as far as I'm concerned. Let's say you are at least 5' 7" tall (170cm). Would you care about the height of the heel if you got the proportionately exact style of high heels you fell in love with? Now supposively, the heels depicted were a size 5US with an advertised stiletto height of 5 inches (12.5cm). Let's say your shoe size is a 10US, which would make the height of your stiletto about 5.875 inches (14.9cm) tall, so that the style of the shoe wouldn't be changed. Even though the stiletto heights differ .875 inches, your total body height would only differ about .375 inches or 1cm between the two stiletto heel heights. These measurements are not exact, but they are close enough to give you an idea of what we are losing by staying with the standard of the stiletto heel defining the height instead of the slope and design defining the height. The other day I got to wondering what the difference was in body height as the heels got higher. As I measured my height as I wore various heights of heels, I found that once the heel of your foot rises above the measured height of your ankle when your foot is flat on the floor, then the height of your body doesn't rise as fast as it did when the heel of the foot was lower than the ankle. In fact, at the greater heights, the ankle starts positioning more forward over the toe area than rising to the height of the stiletto. I concluded my height changed about three inches over all, going from barefoot to six inch heels. My ankles are approximately three and a half inches above the floor when barefooted. So, when the stiletto heel height was as tall as my barefooted ankle, I had only risen about two inches. Raising my foot heel from barefooted ankle height to the six inch stiletto height (approximately two and a half inches), it only raised my body height about another inch. Those who have a larger size foot than I, will most likely have a greater increase for their total height when wearing high heels because of the physics involved. However, once the ankle starts a more forwarding movement with respect to the toes, the rise of the body will dramatically decrease. Therefore, using the slope or exact design of the shoe, doesn't change the total body height significantly, but the maintance of the look that you bought the pair of high heels for, has been preserved for your adornment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 When I wear my 6" heels with no platform, I am 6" taller.... Just checked. 6 foot tall barefoot on tile floor. 6 foot 6 inches tall when wearing my 6" single-sole stilettos. Not quite clear on your math. Men's 13W : Women's 15/16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorriette Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 I too did a test similar to Histiletto, and agree that the height gain diminishes from 8cm. heels onwards, based on uk size 8 (42). totter along into history Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Histiletto Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Hey JL, Thanks you for trying the experiment. Your results are different than mine. I presented the process in getting my answers, but if you did the same process and got another outcome then what can I say. The size of your foot is the only factor that I can perceive would make this difference. If your feet are long enough to where you can wear a 6" heel like others can wear a 4" or 5" heel, that could be a factor. However, after you reach the maximum barefoot height of your ankles and the ankle starts moving forward more than up, the amount your body height increasing will lessen the more you lift the heel of your foot. The physical lengths being rotated and positioned with respect to the base of the toe joints and the function of the ankle movement, won't let the body height increase any more than that distance. Thanks, Lorriette for doing the measurement process and I am happy your conclusion agrees with mine. As I did this experiment, I too wanted my height to increase the same as the height of the stiletto heels I was wearing, but was disappointed. I did find out the maximum length my jeans had to be when wearing heels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shyguy Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 Interesting experiment, and results HiStiletto. This might explain why some people don't get noticed wearing their heels when they meet friends as the lift isn't as high as you'd expect from the heel. Quite a few posts on this board have it included that someone the wearer knew didn't notice they were x inches taller, maybe because they actually weren't. He was so narrow minded he could see through a keyhole with both eyes. Brown's Law: If the shoe fits, it's ugly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary0618 Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 The discussion on this topic got me thinking about something I often do. When I see a woman I know, and I notice her wearing heels, I will say, ummm you seem a bit taller today. Almost always, they will respond by showing me their shoes, giving me the opportunity to give them a nice comment on the heels or how they walk, etc. Might work for those who want to comment on a womans heels, but perhaps a little unsure about saying something directly about their shoes. FLAT SHOES, LIKE FLAT DRINKS, ARE FOR FLAT PEOPLE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Histiletto Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 Many of today's pumps have a 1 to 1.6cm platform. This doesn't seem like much to effect a person's altitude, especially when the heel height determines the slope. In fact, a person would be wearing a lower heel as far as the posturing of one's feet would be concerned. However, if the modeled picture of a smaller sized high heeled pump is the desired portrait we want to be projected, the slope must determine the height of the stiletto heel. This would extend the stiletto heel the height of the platforms with the rise of the slope in your size and support the illusion of being much taller. In reality the height of the person is effected a little by the slope's posturing of the foot, but the initial height gained is from the platform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyFeat Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 The discussion on this topic got me thinking about something I often do. When I see a woman I know, and I notice her wearing heels, I will say, ummm you seem a bit taller today. Almost always, they will respond by showing me their shoes, giving me the opportunity to give them a nice comment on the heels or how they walk, etc. Might work for those who want to comment on a womans heels, but perhaps a little unsure about saying something directly about their shoes. I complement women on their shoes all the time. I am very good at using the brands, which really seems to impress them. anyway, I think I will try the "you look taller" thing just to add a little variation to my repertoire. Style is built from the ground up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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