JULY '08 issue
NO.40 / JULY '08

Platform Shoes Platform shoes have a wide, high sole that elevates the feet by several inches. Normally, both the toe and heel are elevated. This style comes with a variety of different heel types, including wedge heels, stiletto heels, chunky heels, etc.     While platform soles are often combined with wedge heels, they aren't always. When the two features are combined, they make what is called a "platform wedge." Platform shoes are currently very popular with women, but in the past, have had great popularity with men especially during the 1970s, when platform shoes adorned the feet of both men and women at discos.     Stack Hell   A stack heel is a specific type of women's shoe. Usually brown or beige, stacked heels are designed to give the illusion of thin layers of wood that have been stacked up to create a flat, wedge or high heel.   Stacked heels are seen on both men's and women's casual footwear. Kitten Heels   Kitten heels are low, curved heels on women shoes. Most kitten heels are 1.5 inches (3.81cm) or lower, providing comfort for women who detest wearing higher heels.Kitten heels are called because it soften compared with the claws of a kitten.     Like a kitten claw, the heel curves inward from the back of the shoe. Kitten Heel has a slightly wider point than the typical stiletto point. • Early kitten heels, with that “feminine curve” were often higher than 2 inches (5.08 cm). • Kitten Heel was first popularized by Audrey Hepburn in the 1950s. • Lower heeled kitten heels were also made and considered “trainer” heels for pre-teens and young teenagers learning to balance on high heels.     Peep Toe   A peep toe shoe is recognized by a small opening at the front that shows part of the toes, but not the whole toe line, as other open-toed shoes do.The opening of a peep toe shoe is usually a rounded or triangular (wedge) shape that gives a peep only part of some of the toes.     Mary Jane   A mary jane shoe usually refers to a girly shoe that is styled after shoes children used to wear. Mary janes can have varying heel heights and come in a variety of styles,but the trademark is the strap that crosses the   middle top of the foot – sometimes also have multiple straps crossing the top of the foot. Traditionally, a mary jane shoe has a short, rounded toe box, and very flat heel, although now nearly any style or height of shoe can have mary jane styling.     Stilettos   Stilettos as its namesake. is a pointy – sharp looking end of a very high-heeled shoes, usually at least three inches (7.62 cm) high (but the sky is the limit, especially when a toe platform is added) Stilettos gives a sexy impression because they tend to elongate women legs     and some also think they (the heel) are as powerful in their own way as their namesake weapon. Stilettos is a heel and can be in a pumps, slings or sandals. Actresses such as Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield quickly discovered that these mile-high heels were 100 proof sexy, and their movies of the 50s and 60s show them tripping about in stilettos.   Ankle Strap Shoe   An ankle strap shoe has a single strap or multiple straps that wraps around the ankle in variety of buckled or elasticized strap. Ankle straps mostly available on sandals or pumps.   When a shoe features ribbons, string, or other material that can be wrapped around the ankle multiple times and tied, it is often called an ankle "wrap" shoe.     Ballerina Flats   Ballerina flats are typically low-cut, show a lot of the top of the foot and having a flat heel, closed toe, and a slipper-style construction. Ballerina flats are available in a wide variety of materials and can be dressy or casual.     They sometimes called "skimmers" or "ballet flats."   Clogs       Clogs most often also referred as mules, with the main difference being the soles and heels. While a mule can have any kind of heel (stiletto, kitten, etc.), the heel of a clog is a platform-type heel, and the soles are thick and sturdy. Clogs are worn by men and women.     d'Orsay Style           A d'Orsay style is a woman's shoe in which the vamp and most often also the sides of the shoe is cut away to reveal the arch of the foot.   Mule   A mule is a backless shoe. Popular choice for men as well as women, mules can be sporty, like mule sneakers or elegant Mules for female often comes in variety of heels;high heels, low heels, or chunky heels, but as long as the back is open, they are considered mules.     Sling-Backs   Instead of having a full, closed back, a sling-back has a strap that connects from the sides or the vamp of the shoe, and wraps around the back part of the foot.           Sling-backs can have open toes, or closed; they can be casual or dressy. It is the back strap that makes them a sling-back.     Sandals   Sandals are shoes with open toes and back, provide the wearer easy to slip it on and off. Across the center-top of the shoe, a slide will have a single or multiple straps;   be it thin, wide, woven, braided, twisted, knotted, or configured in a multitude of ways. However, n order to be a true "slide" there should be no toe or ankle straps.