Choosing the perfect pair of heels for every occasion
High heels come in many different interesting shapes and sizes and can be tailored to suit a huge variety of occasions and situations! From demure kitten heels to sexy platform high heels, choosing the correct high heel for your outfit and occasion doesn’t have to be hard! No matter where you want to wear them, this helpful list of the most popular types of high heel styles will make sure you never put a wring foot forward!
Pumps for elegance
Pumps are a classic and timeless style, always elegant and perfect for not only everyday wear but also for formal occasions. Whether you are looking for a stunning work shoe or something sensible but sexy to wear between day and night, a pump is a women’s high heel style that transcends trends and is always popular!
Pumps Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in low, medium, and high heels
- Features: Classic design for versatility and elegance
- Styles: Closed-toe, stiletto, round toe
- Seasonal Use: Suitable for all seasons, especially spring and fall
- Ideal For: Formal events, work (office), evening wear
- Comfort Level: Moderate – comfortable for short to medium wear
Platform high heels add height and style!
For short women looking for extra height or tall women wanting to exaggerate their statuesque stature, a platform high heel is the perfect shoe for your wedding, formal, or modelling job! As a pump with a thick sole and a heel at least 4-inches high, platform high heels can be classy, sexy, and fun! Learn how to walk in platform heels!
Platform Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in medium and high heels
- Features: Elevated platforms for added height
- Styles: Chunky heel, closed-toe, sexy ankle, peep-toe
- Seasonal Use: Perfect for spring, fall, and summer festivals
- Ideal For: Weddings, music festivals, clubbing, and photo shoots
- Comfort Level: Moderate to High – the platform adds stability, making them easier to walk in than stilettos
Cone heels for sensible fun!
A cone heel is exactly as you expect; a high heel pump with a heel shaped like a thick ice-cream cone! Easier to walk in than a stiletto but less thick than a chunky heel, cone heels are typical of classic styles and are ideal for office environments and serious occasions! Usually paired with a closed toe, this style is timeless and perfect for all ages!
Cone Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in low, medium and high heels
- Features: Thick ice-cream cone-shaped heel for stability
- Styles: Closed-toe, office-ready, sandals
- Seasonal Use: Best suited for spring and fall
- Ideal For: Work, office environments, serious occasions
- Comfort Level: High – offers stability and comfort for extended wear, great for work settings
Mary Jane heels for every occasion!
Mary Jane style shoes are a staple for shoe collections at every age, and as a high heel are always a beautiful choice! A close toe, low-cut shoe with at least one strap across the top, a Mary Jane high heel is classically beautiful and playfully sexy! From classic gloss black to more creative colours, this high heel is your next favourite day shoe that pairs perfectly with jeans, a dress, or a pleated skirt!
Mary Jane Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in flat, low, and medium heels
- Features: Signature strap across the top for a secure fit
- Styles: Round-toe, playful
- Seasonal Use: Ideal for spring and fall, but can be worn year-round
- Ideal For: Cosplay, everyday wear, themed parties
- Comfort Level: High – secure fit and lower heel options make them easy for all-day wear
Subtle sexy in the form of a peep toe!
Often found in many heel heights, a peep toe high heel is a versatile style that matches well with your jeans, trousers, skirts, and dresses in formal and relaxed environments! With an opening at the toe to let your pedicure shine, a peep toe high heel can fit any event!
Peep Toe Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in low, medium, and high heels
- Features: Open toe design to show off your pedicure
- Styles: Stiletto, platform
- Seasonal Use: Best for summer and spring
- Ideal For: Weddings, evening events, and casual parties
- Comfort Level: Moderate to High – depends on the heel height and style; platform versions are more comfortable for long wear
Stiletto high heels are sky-high fun!
Never one to shy away from attention, a stiletto high heel draws the eye and adds extra height to your frame in the best way! Perfect for your wedding, hens night, date night, and more, a stiletto high heel is classically gorgeous no matter how you style it!
Stiletto High Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in high heels
- Features: Slim, sharp heels for a dramatic look
- Styles: Pointed-toe, platform
- Seasonal Use: Great for all seasons, especially summer and fall
- Ideal For: Weddings, formal events, clubbing
- Comfort Level: Low – requires practice to walk in; best for shorter events or experienced wearers
A slingback style makes everything better!
For a touch of something different, a slingback high heel is a fun take on the high heel bootie that you can wear everywhere! A backless high heel that fastens at the ankle, a slingback is a shoe that comes in many different colours, designs, and textures to ensure it fits in to any occasion.
Pair with your favourite outfit for a day look that easily transitions to evening and be ready for anything!
Slingback Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in low, medium, and high heels
- Features: Backless design with ankle straps for support
- Styles: Peep-toe, stiletto, closed-toe
- Seasonal Use: Perfect for spring, summer, and fall
- Ideal For: Day-to-night transitions, casual parties, and work
- Comfort Level: Moderate – secure ankle straps provide comfort, though the backless design may require adjustment
Kitten high heels are comfort and style combined!
A short heel, the kitten heel is comfortable and classy for all types of women! Whether you are new to high heels or an old hand at high heel styles, a kitten high heel adds subtle height and a gorgeous, retro feel to your alternative wedding style, work uniform, or party!
Kitten Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in low and medium heels
- Features: Short heel for subtle elevation
- Styles: Retro, closed-toe
- Seasonal Use: Ideal for spring, fall, and office environments year-round
- Ideal For: Weddings, work, parties
- Comfort Level: High – the short heel makes them one of the most comfortable options for all-day wear
Chunky heels are comfortable and stylish!
While you could be forgiven for thinking a chunky heel is best for standing out, they are also perfect for those not confident in a stiletto or other thin style! With a thick, rectangular shape, a chunky heel style is perfect for wearing all night at a party, or all day at the races!
Chunky Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in medium and high heels
- Features: Thick, rectangular heel for balance
- Styles: Platform, closed-toe, round-toe
- Seasonal Use: Suitable for all seasons, especially fall and winter
- Ideal For: Music festivals, parties, and everyday wear
- Comfort Level: High – the thick heel provides excellent support for long-term wear
Spool heels never go out of style
Wide at the ends and thin in the middle; spool high heels are typically found in retro, classic styles and are a popular choice for Victorian inspired events and as an alternative wedding shoe! Popular in black, cream, and white, spool heel boots are a Steampunk shoe dream!
Spool Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in low and medium heels
- Features: Wide ends with a thin middle for a Victorian look
- Styles: Vintage, bootie
- Seasonal Use: Great for fall and winter, especially at themed events
- Ideal For: Steampunk events, Victorian parties, alternative weddings
- Comfort Level: Moderate – the wide ends offer decent stability, but thin midsection may take some getting used to
T-Strap heels to dance the night away in!
Classic and chic, a t-strap high heel is the perfect dancer’s shoe! With a strap running to the ankle of the shoe, this style is a favourite for dancers, actors, and a whole manner of stage performers who need a secure, beautiful shoe!
T-Strap Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in low and medium heels
- Features: Strap running from toe to ankle for extra support
- Styles: Closed-toe, platform, sexy ankle
- Seasonal Use: Ideal for all seasons, particularly spring and fall
- Ideal For: Dancing, stage performances, themed parties
- Comfort Level: High – secure strap offers support, making them comfortable for extended dancing or performances
D’Orsay high heels are a timeless classic!
Featuring cut-aways on the vamp and the side of the shoe, D’Orsay high heels reveal the arch of your foot in a sexy, classy way! Popular as a wedding high heel, this style is most loved in formal situations and events where you are looking to elevate your style!
D'Orsay Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in medium and high heels
- Features: Cutaway sides to reveal the arch of the foot
- Styles: Closed-toe, stiletto
- Seasonal Use: Best for formal spring, summer, and fall events
- Ideal For: Weddings, formal occasions, evening parties
- Comfort Level: Moderate – while stylish, the cutaway design may reduce stability, but platform options provide more comfort
Wedges are for everyone!
As a high heel style, the wedge is perfect for anyone not confident in a stiletto or a pump as its full arch and heel makes it easier to balance on a variety of surfaces! Whether as a bootie, an open toe style, or a low wedge, this type of women’s high heel can be found in a huge range of styles to suit your party, formal event, or casual day look!
Wedge Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in low, medium, and high heels
- Features: Full arch support for easy walking
- Styles: Platform, open-toe, bootie
- Seasonal Use: Great for spring, summer, and fall
- Ideal For: Music festivals, outdoor parties, casual day looks
- Comfort Level: High – the wedge design offers full support, making them one of the most comfortable high-heel options
Scarpin style is always beautiful!
A classic shoe, the scarpin is a thin heeled women’s shoe that pairs well with a pencil skirt, a wedding gown, or any formal look! Whether you want an office shoe that sets you apart from the rest or a cute style that isn’t too high for comfort, a women’s scarpin heel is always in style!
Scarpin Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in low, medium, and high heels
- Features: Thin heel for a sleek look
- Styles: Closed-toe, pointed-toe
- Seasonal Use: Perfect for all seasons, especially spring and fall
- Ideal For: Weddings, office wear, formal events
- Comfort Level: Moderate – stylish but less forgiving on comfort over long periods due to the thin heel
Are ankle straps ever a bad idea?
With a strap of varied thickness secured at the ankle, the ankle strap high heel offers a comforting sense of security with your high heel that means you’ll be ready to dance the night away carefree!
Often found on a platform pump, the ankle strap high heel is a style favoured among short brides, girls at the club, and young women looking to add height to their formal style!
Ankle Strap Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in low, medium, and high heels
- Features: Strap secured at the ankle for added support
- Styles: Platform, peep-toe, sexy ankle
- Seasonal Use: Suitable for all seasons, particularly spring and summer
- Ideal For: Weddings, clubbing, formal events
- Comfort Level: Moderate – the ankle strap adds security, making them easier to wear, though heel height affects comfort
Ruby slipper style is classic and fun!
Most known as the style Dorothy wore in Oz, the ruby slipper is also a Disney classic style that will make you feel like a princess! Wear under your dress as a wedding shoe that you’ll keep on all night long, or as a cute chunky low high heel at your next brunch; this style of shoe has been popular for decades for a reason!
Ruby Slippers Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in low and medium heels
- Features: Glittering finish for a magical look
- Styles: Chunky heel, rounded-toe
- Seasonal Use: Great for all seasons, especially for themed events
- Ideal For: Cosplay, themed parties, brunch
- Comfort Level: High – the chunky heel provides stability, and the lower height is ideal for longer wear
Dramatically showstopping lobster claw heels
The brainchild of designer Alexander McQueen, this style of women’s high heel is an artistic shoe that dares to be different! Shaped like the titular lobster claw, this women’s alternative style shoe is destined to make your next photoshoot one to remember!
Lobster Claw Heels Characteristics and Best Uses
- Heel Heights: Available in high heels
- Features: Unique, avant-garde design for bold statements
- Styles: Platform, chunky heel
- Seasonal Use: Best for spring, summer, and fall photo-shoots
- Ideal For: Fashion events, photo shoots, avant-garde styling
- Comfort Level: Low – these are more about aesthetics than comfort, best for short-term wear or photo-shoots
Also learn about boot types and where to wear them!
No matter which style you choose, high heels can be extremely expressive! From low heels to platform heels and everything in between, a high heel can make or break your outfit no matter what the occasion. Find the perfect heel to match your style and watch your confidence soar with every step!
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