Kitten Heels - Back on the Prowl?

The kitten heel, defined as being a heel between one-and-a-half and two inches, was first seen throughout the Fifties - originally developed as a "training heel" for teenage girls requiring more formal attire, with higher heels being considered inappropriate for adolescents. It wasnt until screen goddess Audrey Hepburn deemed them worthy to grace her elfin feet by championing them in her most iconic film Breakfast at Tiffanys, the women in their masses hurried to follow suit and thus the trend was born.


By the Swinging Sixties and Seventies the style was outdated, severely overshadowed when compared to the zany fashions and chunky platforms and deemed far too prim and proper. The kitten heel seemed out of the race untill in 2003, King of the Stiletto Shoe - Manolo Blahnik, tried his hand at injecting life back into the old cat by adding kitten heeled shoes to his collection, stating that his famous high stilettos have been so often copied that he was inspired to create a heel at a new, shorter height. Regardless of this, the kitten heels still didnt have it easy and were frequently scorned and looked down on by the younger generation in favour of ankle shattering platforms and 6 inch heels.

Perhaps the most recent champion of the kitten heel is First Lady Michelle Obama herself, who has become some what of a style icon in her own right, bringing back sophisticated and convential dressing whilst looking glamourously chic and timeless. A fierce lover of the shorter heel, Obama is rarely photographed in anything else; a dedication from her that seems to have put kitten heels back on the map and dare we say it - firmly this time.


Love them or hate them, it seems kitten heels are slowly but surely making a comeback into the realms of what is considered "fashionably hot". Forget clutching onto your partner, friends or innocent passers-by for support to keep from toppling over in ridiculous sky scraper heels and embrace the kitten in you. Afterall, are they not infact the perfect combination between style and comfort? I for one am glad they have finally clawed their way to the top to find a firm resting place in the fashionable womans daily wardrobe.

And just incase you need any further encouragement, we bring you our 5 of the best kitten heels:

1.) L K Bennett Court Shoe, £140

2.) Alexon Bead Cluster Shoe (Available from House of Fraser) £72

3.) Dune Peep Toe Court, £65

4.) Hobbs Suede Court, £119

5.) Dune Leopard Court, £75


Post by Anna J. Westerman