Kittens Grow Up To Be Cats

When I first came across them, kitten heels were a short version of stilettos*. They were a narrow curving heel, around (or up to) 2 inches high. While they came in handy for looking polished when also needing to cover a bit of ground as well as having a certain ladylike charm, they often accented overly large feet. They also, depending on the proportions of both heel and wearer, could give the unfortunate appearance of stilettos which had been compressed to a lower height.

Those little kittens appear, lately, to be growing up to new and far more cat-like heights. A recent update from none other than Net-A-Porter showed this

Maybe it’s just me, but some of those look a little more – well, if not exactly towering, certainly not so kitten-like. A search of “kitten heels” on the website uncovered, amidst so much covetousness, a number of kittens who are all grown up.

Like these Isabel Marant pumps. So wonderful on so many levels. Four and a half inches of levels, to be exact...

They make these Giuseppe Zanotti lace heels seems positively flat at a mere 3.5 inches...

Can they still be called kitten heels if they’re only higher because of a platform sole? Left to myself, I think any sort of platform is at odds with the light and dainty connotations of a kitten heel. Even if they are silver. And Oscar de la Renta...

Does this mean the original kitten heels are now called flats? After all, 30 is the new 20...

* According to Wikipedia, they still are, too...