Heel

The heel is the raised block under the rearfoot that lifts the back of the foot, alters pitch, and (in fashion) creates the silhouette of dress and fashion shoes. Stack height ranges from 2cm (flat, men's dress) to 10cm+ (stiletto, fashion). The heel is constructed as a stack of layers (the lift) capped by a top-piece (the toplift, the part that contacts the ground). Quality heel construction adds $1-5 per pair to FOB. Replaceable heels — screwed rather than nailed — are the premium benchmark and the single biggest determinant of a heel's service life.

Heel Heights by Category

Heights cluster into recognizable categories: Flat (0-2cm): men's dress Oxfords and Derbys, ballet flats, casual loafers. The "no heel" heel. Kitten (2-5cm): 2024-2026 fashion darling, low and stable. Block (4-7cm): women's dress and work, broad base. Stiletto (7-10cm): high fashion, narrow steel or aluminum core. Platform (5-10cm at the front, matching heel at the back): equal platform, lower perceived pitch, 2020-2026 trend. Cuban (3-6cm): wide, tapered, the heritage men's boot heel (Chelsea, combat, Western). Work (3-5cm): stack-raised, with a defined heel breast and replaceable top-piece.

Heel Core Materials

The heel lift is built from layers of material stacked and shaped: ABS plastic (mass-market): layers of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic, 3-6 layers stacked, shaped on a heated press. Cheap, light, allows complex shapes. The standard in 80% of women's fashion heels. Polycarbonate (mid-tier): stiffer, more durable than ABS, used in higher heels. Wood (heritage, fashion): layers of beech, maple, or birch, the traditional material. Used in Cuban heels, clog-style, and 2020s wooden-heeled mules. Leather-wrapped (premium): a stack of leather layers (often 4-7 layers of sole leather) wrapped with an outer leather cover, the heritage men's dress construction. Steel or aluminum core (stiletto, 7-10cm): a 3-4mm metal rod runs through the center of the heel to prevent the plastic layers from splitting under load.

Nailed + Glued (Mass) vs. Screwed (Premium, Replaceable)

The heel is attached to the shoe and the top-piece is attached to the heel by one of two methods. Nailed + glued (mass-market): the heel is glued to the sole and secured by 3-5 small nails driven from the inside of the shoe through the sole and into the heel; the top-piece is glued to the bottom of the heel. Not replaceable. Screwed (premium, replaceable): a single wood screw or machine screw runs vertically through the center of the heel and is anchored in the sole; the top-piece is attached by 1-3 small screws. The top-piece can be replaced 3-6 times as it wears, and the heel can be replaced if damaged. Premium dress shoes (Northampton, Italian) and most Western boots are screwed.

The 4 Sourcing Questions for Heels

  1. What is the heel stack height (cm) and core material (ABS, wood, leather-wrapped)?
  2. Is the heel attachment nailed+glued (mass) or screwed (premium, replaceable)?
  3. Is the top-piece replaceable (screwed) or glued (replaceable 0-1 times)?
  4. For stilettos: is there a steel or aluminum core, and what is its diameter (3-4mm)?

Regional Sourcing and 2026 Trends

ABS plastic heels are produced globally, with the largest concentration in China (Guangzhou, Wenzhou), Italy (Marche, Tuscany for premium), and Brazil. Wood and leather-wrapped heels are produced in Italy, Spain, and the US (Texas for Western). Top-pieces (the rubber or leather piece that contacts the ground) are sourced from the same suppliers as outsoles — China, Italy, Vietnam. The 2026 trend is the transparent heel (clear ABS or polycarbonate, the 2024-2026 fashion direction in stilettos and block heels) and the chunky block heel (5-8cm, broad base, replacing the stiletto as the dominant fashion heel).

Cross-references: Outsole · Last · Stiletto · Block Heel