The Heel Deal

"You put on high heels and you change." –Manolo Blahnik

Many a fashionista would claim that a girl’s transition into womanhood starts the moment she slips into her first pair of heels. Our footwear preferences may have gotten more defined as we’ve grown older, but most girls way before that stage must have tried on heels at least once—as a kid, while mom was out, as a young teenager on her first date or as a fresh graduate out for her first job interview. Every female’s got a heel story, just as every occasion in her life calls for a different kind of pair.

Here's a rundown on the different kinds of heels to match every woman for every event; what to look for and where to shop for it.

The Kitten Heel

Once seen as training shoes for young teenagers to prepare them for wearing high heels, the kitten heels have come a long way. This kind of heels is characterized by their shorter height, usually not more than five centimeters, thus making them more manageable than skyscraping heels. They can be used for everyday wear, from casual to formal events, depending on the shoe design. They are considered short stilettos because of their thinness, and are particularly common on sandals and open-backed shoes.

American Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour claims to hate the kitten heel, but Michelle Obama, a fashion plate of a first lady, seems set to be seen in wearing nothing else. Audrey Hepburn made it popular along with ballet flats back in the day, making it not just shoes for girls, but for women of all ages. Manolo Blahnik, known for his signature dangerously high stilettos, was actually responsible for getting it back in the spotlight by including it in his collections since 2003.

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Salve Php 2,495 and Mara Php 2,895 both from Sapato Manila

The Platform

The platforms were quite ubiquitous in the '70s and then once again in the '90s when The Spice Girls and retro chic were still in vogue. Shoes of this kind are generally considered to be sturdier than stiletto heels as they are actually flat. Nonetheless, platforms give added height with their thick soles, thus providing women the illusion of longer legs without the usual pain of balancing on regular heels.

The elevated appearance was in high demand in the '40s when the platform first became popular, but it was in the years of disco that these heels reached their "peak”—the platforms were available in the wildest colors imaginable and none of them were lower than four inches in height. Some were even as tall as to allow actual goldfish to reside inside the heels. They were so popular that both men and women wore them at the time!

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These outrageous, 70s-inspired shoes are actually available for online shopping here and here.

Nowadays, platform heels mostly refer to shoes where only the sole covering the toes to the middle of the instep is elevated and the other half of the shoe arches to the shape of a thin, high heel. Platforms can also be in the form of platform wedges, platform cones and platform stilettos. They can definitely be worn for work and even fancy dinners.

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From left to right: Impress in white Php 1,480 and black Php 1,380 from High Style Fancy and Gold and black platform heels Php 2,210 from VNC.

The Wedge

Wedges are usually as high or thick as platforms, but the difference lies in their incline. Platforms are considered thick-soled shoes that are evenly flat, while wedges start the incline of their heels from the middle or waist of the shoe to the end of the foot where the height is highest. The result is a triangular heel with a flat base for the shoe.

Salvatore Ferragamo is credited as the creator of the wedge heel in the mid-1930s, which was then considered to be "orthopedic" because it was a more comfortable alternative to the classic high heels. Its form and structure added support to the arch of the foot, reducing ankle problems.

Wedges were made with cork and wood because leather and rubber were in high demand then, due to their necessity in war supplies. They provide the illusion of not just height to their wearer, but also slimmer ankles because of the heel's mass. Like their brethren the platforms, wedges are normally no lower than three to four inches in height, although low wedges are now also more common than they used to appear. They are usually for casual wear, paired with light dresses or skirts and shorts, even jeans.

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From left to right: Beige wedge heels Php 2,210 from VNC, Orchid in Navy Blue from So! Fab, Lena in Fuchsia Php 1,480 from High Style Fancy and Donna Php 3,295 from Sapato Manila.

The Cone Heel

Cones refer to the shape of the heels that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Like the wedge, the cone also forms a triangle, but with the pointed tip at its base instead of the flat side. It may seem tricky to manage, but a wider top actually allows more support for the heel of the foot.

The highest cone heels are considered by many to be one of the sexiest heels there is, providing both height and an attractive view of the foot's arch. There is usually a wide variety to choose from, and one can wear these heels everywhere, depending on the heel's height.

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From left to right: Trinity and Bliss Php 1,299 from So! Fab, Marissa Php 1,788 from Sapato Manila and Kazan Shoe in Magenta $179.99 from Betsey Johnson.

The Wide and Chunky

Wide or chunky heels are usually viewed as old-fashioned, and with nothing more than height as their saving grace. However, such heels are not only limited to old school Mary Janes or plain boots; they also appear in the most colorful pairs of shoes and in trendy forms of peep-toes and strappy sandals. Even Chanel's Spring RTW 2010 featured wooden clogs in all their chunky glory! These heels are usually quite easy to balance and walk with unless they are very high, because the shape is proportioned from top to bottom.

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From left to right: Sasha Php 2,695 and Shelly Php 2,495 from Sapato Manila and Black Setra Ruffled $39.95 from Madden Girl.

The High Stilettos

Lastly, we've come to the classic and most enduring of all heel styles: the high stilettos. It was named after the weapon for its similar characteristics--thin, sharp, and dangerous. As if to provide further proof that they are aptly named, stilettos are usually made with metal shafts inside their heels so they can support the weight of their wearer. One would often hear people commenting on "painful-looking spiked heels" and usually the experience is as painful as it looks—and not just on people who are wary of being stepped upon by these.

High stilettos, because of their height and thinness, provide the most precarious and difficult balance for heels. Yet as mentioned, they never go out of style. Women wear them not only for the added height but also because, plainly put, high stiletto heels are sexy (no small thanks to media and their reputation in popular culture).

The most flattering shapes of the foot and leg are almost always emphasized with these high heels. When worn correctly, it also displays a longer and leaner frame, and the flexing of the calf muscles required to walk in it firms up the bust and the buttocks. It's a status symbol as much as it is a fashion statement because mastery of the stilettos usually goes hand in hand with confidence (to walk in these, anyone would need it!), a powerful aura, and a predilection for anything that is elegant and chic.

Big parties and classy black-tie events almost always require women to slip into their high stilettos, unless the occasion is a garden wedding. Those spikes will dig in the soft ground in no time flat! Thanks to Patricia Field, though, high heels can add the sexy even to casual wear ever since her styling for Sex and the City made them acceptable with jeans and shorts.

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