kitten heel

1 6.1

A woman's shoe with a short thin heel that gives a small lift

noun
/ˈkɪtən hiːl/

: zapato de tacón bajo

So for this outfit, I actually paired the white denim with my totem boots, my pointed like kitten heel boots.
kitten heels sandals
wearing kitten heels

I got kitten heels, a beautiful holiday red.

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Examples

The bride wore delicate kitten heels that added just the right touch of sophistication to her wedding outfit.
I got kitten heels, a beautiful holiday red.

KathleenLights
So when you have a kitten heel, you want a very flat foot.
Had on a nice new outfit: green silk shirt, black pants, and kitten-heel shoes, both made of velvet.

Blog text (1)
First of all, I found this adorable pair of sling back kitten heels and they have a little bow on each.
For Tonya, do we think a kitten heel or a chunky wedge?

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)
She paired her elegant dress with a stylish pair of kitten heels for the evening party.
For a comfortable yet chic look, she chose a pair of kitten heels to wear to the office.

Antonyms

high heel

20 2.7

A woman's shoe that raises the back of the foot high

flats

17 2.6

Shoes for women with no or very low heel

How High

stiletto

19 4.8

high heel

20 2.7

kitten heel

1 6.1

flats

17 2.6

Surface Forms

kitten heel singular

kitten heels plural

Morphology

kitten + heel

The compound uses 'kitten' metaphorically to indicate smallness/delicacy combined with 'heel', so a learner who knows the words can infer it denotes a small, dainty shoe heel. However, the precise stylistic sense and conventional height/detail are conventionalized and not fully predictable from the parts alone.

Etymology

Kitten heel comes from a small shoe style made for young actresses learning to wear heels; the shoe had a very small, thin heel like a kitten's little paw. So, kitten heels now mean low, narrow heels that give a little height but stay comfortable.