Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different types of heels?

More than most people realize. Shoe Zone's guide to the types of heels lists the stiletto, with a thin heel that tapers toward the floor, the chunkier block heel, the kitten heel as the lowest of the lot, plus stacked heels, cone heels, wedges and platforms. On this page, the stiletto lane belongs to the fur peep-toe sandals and the Don't Put The Fire Out pointed toe, the wedge lane to the glitter platform wedge, and the platform lane to the chunky open-toe sandals and See You Soon. The guide also calls wedges and platforms easier to walk in than a stiletto, which is worth knowing before a long night.

What is a stiletto heel?

Skinny, tall and dangerous in the best way. Ask Shoe Zone what is a stiletto heel and the answer is a thin heel that gets thinner as it reaches the floor, ranging from one inch to seven or eight inches. The guide adds that anything above three inches can feel harder to walk in at first. Ours sit at the dressier end: the iridescent Don't Put The Fire Out pair stands on 10cm, the Lil Pop fringe sandals on 12.7cm and the Lady Chick sequin boots on a 5-inch stiletto.

How do you walk in high heels?

Practice first, party second. InStyle's guide on how to walk in high heels, with advice from Bella Belle Shoes co-founder Veronyca Kwan and Chinese Laundry's Sarah Zurell, says to start lower and work up, notes that platforms can be easier to walk in than stilettos of the same height, and recommends a heel, ball, then toe rolling motion, with shorter, controlled steps in stilettos. It also suggests practicing at home, then on carpet, hardwood and pavement, and says an ankle strap helps the shoe feel like part of you. Starting out? The chunky platform sandals have a cushioned platform and adjustable cross straps, and See You Soon wraps the ankle on a 3-inch platform.

How can I make high heels more comfortable?

Fit comes first. LiveAbout's guide on how to make heels more comfortable says to walk around in a pair before you buy and check the arch, toe, heel and ball of the foot separately, then use inserts or pads, choose straps or laces that hold the foot in place, and break new pairs in around the house before a big event. That's also the answer if you're hunting the most comfortable high heels or comfortable heels for standing all day: pick a shape that spreads the load. The glitter platform wedge spreads your weight across the whole foot, and the chunky platform sandals keep you comfortable all night on a cushioned platform.

Who invented high heels?

Not the French, and not women. The Bata Shoe Museum says the heel was not a European invention: it began in Western Asia centuries ago for horseback riding, and Europeans adopted it at the end of the 16th century. So when you ask who invented high heels, the answer is riders in Western Asia, and the museum's own example is a pair of Persian men's riding shoes. These days the heel does its best work on a dance floor, so take the Lil Pop fringe stilettos or the Ruby metallic croc boots and carry on the tradition.

What is a mule heel?

Shoe with no back, that's it. Merriam-Webster defines a mule as a shoe or slipper that is open at the heel, so a mule heel is that backless shape on a raised heel. If you're asking what is a mule shoe in heel form, our Textured Twist Strap pairs answer it with knotted vegan-leather straps, a square open toe and a 3.5 inch heel, and the gold feather mule does it on a pointed-toe stiletto.

What color shoes go with a navy dress?

More than you'd think. Jovani's guide on what color shoes with navy dress outfits need says nude or beige is the safe, leg-lengthening choice, gold or silver metallics win for evening (match your jewelry), black works when it's clearly black with shine, and red or blush adds personality. For a nude finish, try the nude glitter fur sandals; for metallic, the gold feather mule or the iridescent pointed toe in silver; for shine in black, the glossy black fur sandals with the gold chain.

What color shoes go with a green dress?

Pink, gold, neutrals or black. Gabor's guide on what color shoes with green dress looks work says pink creates a bold, vibrant look, gold is the match for a dark green dress at formal and evening events, beige and cream keep the dress in focus, and black reads sleek. Going bold? Grab the chunky platform sandals in hot pink. Going glam? The gold feather mule or the gold-chain fur sandals do the job.

Can you wear white heels to a wedding?

Depends whose wedding it is. Jovani's styling guide says guests should skip white shoes unless the couple's dress code invites them, so white heels for wedding guests need the couple's green light first. When white is welcome, the white Diamond slides were made for weddings and parties, with a rhinestone strap on an 8cm-plus stiletto, and the white gold-chain fur sandals are described for a wedding when the dress code allows it.

High Heels

Flats are for errands. When the plan involves a door, a dance floor or a camera, you want heels, and every pair on this page was picked to make the walk in matter: skinny stilettos, chunky platforms, fur, feathers, fringe and boots with a heel that means it. Height is the point, attitude is the bonus.

Shopping high heels for women who refuse to blend in? Start here, because these are heels for women who want the outfit to answer to the shoe, not the other way round. Some are cute heels for brunch, some are sexy high heels for after dark, and plenty manage both. Need high heels to finish a look before the car gets here? Pick a height, pick a color, go.

Stilettos that mean business

Thin heel, big statement. On this rail, stilettos run from party-ready to proper skyscraper, and the Don't Put The Fire Out pair is the place to start: clear pointed-toe stiletto heels with a flame shimmer that shifts color in the light, a clear T-strap and a 10cm heel. Want more pointed toe heels? The transparent-heel sandals pair a pointed toe with a clear heel, made for a long dress and statement jewelry.

Prefer them dark? Among the black stiletto heels, the glossy fur peep-toe sandals bring a gold chain at the ankle, and the black rhinestone booties lift a pointed toe on a 6 to 8cm stiletto. Counting inches? That Don't Put The Fire Out pair makes the 4 inch heels cut, and so do the black ankle boots with the gold buckle. Go higher with 5 inch heels: the Lady Chick sequin boots and the Ruby metallic croc boots both sit on a 5-inch stiletto.

Light catchers next. Those flame-shimmer pointed toes are our iridescent heels, while clear heels come three ways: the Lucite open toe, the transparent pointed toe and the pink fur sandals on a see-through stiletto. And the Lil Pop sandals are our fringe heels, with a blue tassel, a pink T-strap and a gold buckle on a 12.7cm stiletto.

Platforms, wedges and extra height

Height without the wobble? That's what platform heels are for. Our chunky platform sandals pair a 4.5 inch heel with cross straps at the ankle and a cushioned platform, which makes them the chunky platform heels to grab when the night runs long. Hunting platform heels for women in color? See You Soon wraps the ankle in tri-color straps on a 3-inch platform, in blue or purple.

Darker mood? The Winged You In style in black, gold studs and spiky wings included, is our pick of the black platform heels. Summer plans? Open-toe and easy with shorts, dresses or jeans, the same chunky sandals make the platform sandals edit, and in black they are your black platform sandals for every outfit. Go white for white platform heels that look loud from across the room, and if chunky heels are your comfort zone, those sandals sit on one.

Wedge fans, we see you. The glitter wedge spreads your weight across the whole foot instead of balancing it on a heel tip, which is why it stays walkable even this tall, so it leads the wedge heels line-up in rainbow with rose gold straps or silver with silver straps. The rainbow chunky style joins it among the wedge heels for women, and for heeled sandals with a softer step, both buckle at the ankle.

Fur, feathers and full sparkle

Soft on top, sharp underneath. A fluffy faux-fur front on a glossy stiletto is how we do fur heels, in black, pink, beige, wine red, yellow, hot pink and khaki, and the black pair is the black fur heels moment you didn't know you needed. Want a softer pouf? The gold mule with a feather front is what feather heels look like when they mean it.

Sparkle is a personality. The nude glitter fur sandals bring sparkly heels with a buckle at the ankle, and the pink pair turns the same idea into glitter heels with a fur band over the toes. Want rhinestone heels? The Diamond slides line the strap with rhinestones on an 8cm-plus stiletto. Toes out? Those slides are our peep toe heels, and nearly every sandal here doubles as open toe heels.

Slip on, step out

No straps to fight with. Open at the heel and easy to kick off, our mule heels come in the Textured Twist Strap style: knotted vegan-leather straps, a plissé texture, a square open toe and a 3.5 inch heel, in beige, black, light pink, light blue and orange. The black pair gives you black mules high heels with zero effort, and the gold feather mule makes the dressier pick.

Pick a color, any color

Start with the classics. Here, black heels run from fur sandals to rhinestone slides, which makes them the black heels for women who want one pair to cover everything. Shine more your thing? You'll find gold heels in the feather mule, the gold-chain fur sandals and the Lady Chick sequin boots, while white heels come with a chunky gold chain, a rhinestone slide or a chunky platform.

Want legs for days? Shoe Zone's guide to heels says nude shoes create the illusion of longer legs, so the nude heels here pair a nude glitter finish with fluffy faux fur. For silver heels, pick the iridescent pointed toe in silver, the silver glitter wedge or the silver Ruby croc boots.

Turn the color up. For red heels, the gold mule also comes in red, and the fluffy fur sandals come in wine red. Here, pink heels range from the light pink twist strap mule to the chunky platform in hot pink, so hot pink heels and light pink heels are both sorted. On the blue heels front, the braided Diamond slide, the twist strap and the Lil Pop fringe all qualify, and for brown heels the Diamond slide comes in brown.

Bolder still? Here, green heels mean the chunky platform and the camo platform, the Winged style is the yellow heels pick in neon yellow, See You Soon covers purple heels, and the twist strap in orange heels territory makes every summer outfit louder.

Weddings and big nights

Got an invite? For wedding heels, the white Diamond slides were made for weddings and parties, the Lil Pop fringe pair lists weddings too, and the iridescent pointed toe goes from dinners to weddings. Want comfortable heels for a long night? Pick a platform: the chunky platform sandals have a cushioned platform that keeps you comfortable all night.

Boots with a heel

Cold snap? Height doesn't stop when the weather turns, and our heeled boots start with the black ankle boots with a gold buckle and a 4-inch stiletto, the go-to among black heeled boots. Love high heel boots with shine? The Ruby croc boots come in black, silver and gold on a 5-inch heel. Shopping heel boots for women with an edge? The handmade camo lace-ups sit on an 11cm stiletto.

Shorter shaft, same height. Among the ankle heel boots, the lace-up pair rides a 4.5 inch stiletto and the faux-suede buckle style sits on 10.5cm in sizes 32 to 46. For brown heeled boots, the lace-up biker comes in brown on a chunky 12cm heel, and for stiletto boots, the snake print mid-calf pair stands on 11.1cm.

Want more? Strappy styles live in strappy heels, tall boots in boots and the full shoe wall in shoes. Then find the dress: mini dresses, little black dresses and gold dresses.