Feline good: why kitten heel flip-flops are winning over flats-only gen Z
Gen Z, the flats-only generation, has finally succumbed to the heel – albeit a tiny one. The kitten heel flip-flop has been seen on the feet of trendsetters Hailey Bieber and the model Kaia Gerber, and has featured in countless TikTok “fit-checks”.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Gen Z, the flats-only generation, has finally succumbed to the heel – albeit a tiny one. The kitten heel flip-flop has been seen on the feet of trendsetters Hailey Bieber and the model Kaia Gerber, and has featured in countless TikTok “fit-checks”.
Gen Z, the group of people born between 1997 and 2012, used to prefer flat shoes. But now, they're starting to wear a type of shoe called kitten heel flip-flops. These shoes have a small heel, like the height of a battery, and are comfortable to wear. They're like a mix between flat shoes and high heels.
Analysis
A Heel of a Different Kind
The kitten heel flip-flop has been a staple in the fashion world for a while now, but it's only recently that it's gained popularity among Gen Z. This tiny heel, measuring in the region of 1.5in or the height of a triple-A battery, has been seen on the feet of trendsetters Hailey Bieber and the model Kaia Gerber, and has featured in countless TikTok “fit-checks”. The shoe has become a way to channel the slinky style of the 90s this summer.
Why Gen Z is Embracing Kitten Heels
Gen Z, the flats-only generation, has finally succumbed to the heel – albeit a tiny one. For a generation that has championed comfort-first dressing, the kitten heel flip-flop offers a compromise between heels and flats. It's a shoe that can endure the mileage of a morning commute, while not looking out of place on nights out.
A Gateway to Higher Heels?
The question now is whether the kitten heel flip-flop could become a gateway to higher heels for Gen Z. Caroline Young, the author of fashion and pop culture books, thinks young people have a different understanding of heel height and femininity. “Kitten heels sit comfortably between heels and flats, and while they were once dismissed as a little dated and [not] conveying the sexual power of a stiletto”, the focus now is on being able to “move easily”, she says. “For gen Z, comfort has always been [more] important.”
Key points
- Gen Z, the flats-only generation, has finally succumbed to the heel – albeit a tiny one.
- The kitten heel flip-flop has been seen on the feet of trendsetters Hailey Bieber and the model Kaia Gerber, and has featured in countless TikTok “fit-checks”.
- The shoe has become a way to channel the slinky style of the 90s this summer.
- Gen Z's shift in shoe preferences reflects a changing understanding of comfort and femininity.
- The kitten heel flip-flop offers a compromise between heels and flats.
The kitten heel flip-flop trend could lead to a renewed interest in glamour in Gen Z's wardrobes, potentially paving the way for higher heels in the future.
The trend may be short-lived, as Gen Z's focus on comfort and practicality may lead them to revert back to flat shoes once the novelty of kitten heels wears off.
