The kitten heels that were once in the back of our closets are now the comfortable shoes featured on magazine covers and runways everywhere. The shoes are making the ultimate comeback from their original peak in the 1950s.
According to a blog post from Clark Shoes, a retailer based in England, the shoes are called “Kitten Heels” in reference to young teenage girls. The heels were originally designed for teenage girls to learn how to properly walk in high heels, by starting them off in shoes with shorter heels.
Once young girls matured, they transitioned into wearing stilettos, which were viewed as a more mature style. Women began to favor the kitten heel over high heels after certain influencers began to favor them as well, like Audrey Hepburn in the 1960s.
Demand has since fluctuated, but kitten heels have remained a staple in people’s closets.
Kitten heels lost their popularity in the 1980s, but quickly regained it in the 1990s, as the shoes were heavily featured in high fashion runway shows such as the Chanel Haute Couture Fall 1995, Comme Des Garcons Spring 1997 and Miu Miu Fall 1998.
Since then, kitten heels have consistently appeared on the runways and in the storefronts. This past year, kitten heels were named a “key silhouette for fall 2022” in the fall Vogue edition.
High-end designer brands such as Dior, Gucci and Valentino have designed different kitten heel styles ranging from bedazzled patterns, to funky prints, to more classic, solid colors like black, navy blue and dark red. More affordable brands, such as Mango, J. Crew and Zara, are also putting out their own kitten heel designs today.
Designers of both high-end and inexpensive brands are playing with the shoe silhouette shape, as some heels feature a more square shape, while others have the classic pointy tip. Newer brands including J.W. Anderson and Mansur Gavriel have created modern designs of the shoe as well.
These heels are not only ideal for their comfort, but embody elegance and class in any outfit.
They can be dressed up with a fun mini dress, or worn casually with jeans or a long skirt. Kitten heels were back in full swing since last year and are proving that they are here to stay. Many celebrities from Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner to Sofia Richie Grainge have been spotted in these comfortable shoes.
It’s safe to say that with kitten heels’ consistent return, they are a timeless piece that belongs in everyone’s closet.
This article was edited by Eliza DuBose, Sara Winick and Abigail Pritchard. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks and Charlie Mennuti.
