Stiletto
stih-LET-oh
/stɪˈlɛtoʊ/
A high-heeled shoe featuring a long, extremely slender metal or synthetic heel structure, or a narrow dagger.
Implies dramatic height and a pin-thin heel structure, often associated with formal evening wear or high fashion.
The story behind the word. Originally an Italian word for a small dagger with a narrow, needle-like blade used during the Renaissance. In the early 1950s, Italian footwear designers like André Perugia and Roger Vivier used solid metal cores to craft extraordinarily thin heels, adopting the dagger's name because of the heel's sharp, piercing profile.
Word relationships
- high-heel: High-heel is a general term, whereas stiletto specifically denotes an exceptionally thin, needle-like heel structure.
- flat: A flat shoe has no elevated heel whatsoever.
Commonly confused with
- wedge: A wedge has a continuous solid heel extending under the entire foot, unlike a narrow stiletto column.
Collocations
- stiletto heels
- black stilettos
- sharp stilettos
- towering stilettos
Example sentences
- "She strode across the marble floor, her red stilettos echoing through the gallery." Fashion journalism
Memory hook
A stiletto heel is sharp and pointed just like a steel DAGGER. Dagger thin, deadly sharp heel.
When not to use
Do not use to describe chunky heels, wedge shoes, or low kitten heels.
Fun facts
- In the 1950s, many public buildings banned stiletto heels because the localized pressure destroyed wooden and linoleum floors.
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