A low, slender shoe heel.
A kitten heel combines a low profile with a slender, tapering shape. Its identity depends on both proportions, so heel height alone does not establish the category. Christian Louboutin describes the Miss Z Sling Back as having a 60 mm kitten heel, providing a named example rather than a universal height limit. The V&A also records Rayne’s Dubarry slingback from the 1960s with a kitten heel. The narrow shape helps distinguish this style from a broad low heel. It describes the heel itself and can appear on different shoe uppers.
In job listings
Style names like this one belong to design and buying notes and to the sales floor. In women’s footwear, a kitten heel is a useful point of comparison when a client wants some height but not a stiletto. Search local jobs for “footwear”.
