Vocabulary / Shoes / Heels
Ankle Strap – Shoes with a strap at your ankle. The strap is usually at the front of your ankle with a counter and elongated strap at the back.
Block – The heel is either square or rectangular. Wide base makes them more comfortable and easy to walk in.
Comma – Heels where the shape of the heel post is a , comma shape
Cone – The heel post of the shoe is a cone shaped piece
D’Orsay – Heels with a circular vamp and counters that curve downward and expose the bridge of your foot and ankle. In simpler terms, shoes the middle of your foot but not your toes or heel.
Flared – The heel post flares out towards the bottom. Can vary in severity, most flared heels are rather minor to provide for stability while still being small.
Kitten – Short heels with pointed closed toes. The heel post is located at the center of your heel with a curve leading to the back, rather than located directly at the back of the shoe.
Mary Jane – Dress shoes with a strap where the bridge of your foot and ankle meet. Usually made of leather with a low to mid heel height.
Mules – Shoes with no backing for your heels. Is held onto your foot with a strap or enclosure at the bridge of your foot.
Peep toe – Shoes with a cutout of the toes to be visible.
Platform – Shoes with an elevated sole height. For heels this can often just mean the front part of the sole
Pumps – Catchall term for heels of any height but usually block heels (just not stilettos).
Slingbacks – Shoes with straps at the heels instead of a traditional ‘counter heel’, leaving the backs of your heels exposed.
Square – Like a block heel, where the heel post is usually larger in size
Stacked – Shoes with a heel stack. A heelstack is a heel made up of different layers that often give a striped appearance. Wood and leather heel stacks are often found in more premium shoes.
Stilettos – High heels with a thin heel post. Hard to walk in without practice and bad for your feet.
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