Women's Pumps

What is left out defines this shape: no straps, no laces, nothing across the foot but the vamp. That leaves heel height and toe shape to carry the whole character. Kitten heels sit around an inch to two and stay low and fine, mid heels run two to three, and anything above three reads as high. The heel itself comes as a stiletto, a block, a cone or a flare, or as a curved sculptural shape; toes come pointed, almond, round and square.

Slingbacks and d'Orsay cutouts open the shape at the sides and back without adding a fastening across the top. Smooth calf and patent read cleanest, suede warms it, and satin and metallic leathers take it toward evening. Look for a leather-lined footbed and a heel set under the centre of the heel bone — that is what keeps a high pair steady.