A stiletto heel is a long, thin heel  found on some boots  and shoes, usually for women. It is named after the stiletto  dagger, the phrase being first recorded in the early 1930s. Stiletto heels may vary in length from 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) to 25 cm (10 inches) or more if a platform sole is used, and are sometimes defined as having a diameter at the ground of less than 1 cm (slightly less than half an inch). Stiletto-style heels 5 cm or shorter are called kitten heels. Not all high slim heels merit the description stiletto. The extremely slender original Italian-style stiletto heels of the late 1950s and very early 1960s were no more than 5mm in diameter for much of their length, although the heel sometimes flared out a little at the top-piece (tip). After their demise in the mid-late 1960s, such slender heels were difficult to find until recently due to changes in the way heels were mass-produced. A real stiletto heel has a stem of solid steel or alloy. The more usual method of mass-producing high shoe heels, i.e. moulded plastic with an internal metal tube for reinforcement, does not achieve the true stiletto shape.

All high heels counter the natural functionality of the foot, which can create skeleton/muscular problems if they are worn excessively. Stiletto heels are no exception, but some people assume that because they are thinner they must be worse for you. In fact, they are safer to wear than the other extreme of high heel fashion, the platform shoe.[citation needed] Despite their impracticality, their popularity remains undiminished – as Terry DeHavilland (UK shoe designer) has said, “people say they’re bad for the feet but they’re good for the mind. What’s more important?”

Stiletto heels undoubtedly concentrate a large amount of force into a small area. The great pressure transmitted through such a heel (allegedly greater than that exerted by an elephant standing on one foot) can cause damage to carpets and floors. The stiletto heel will also sink into soft ground, making it impractical for outdoor wear on grass.

That said, Stilettos give the optical illusion of a longer, slimmer leg, a smaller foot, and a greater overall height. They also alter the wearer’s posture and gait, flexing the calf muscles, and making the bust and buttocks more prominent. Probably the reason mosy women put up with the impracticalities!