A stack heel is a specific type of women's shoe. Like many women's shoes, this type has a protruding design element at the back of the shoe which causes the wearer to look taller. In addition to increasing height, heels also change the way that the wearer moves and walks, sometimes in an aesthetically pleasing way. Stack heels are distinguished by their typically more chunky look, and their greater degree of comfort when compared to some other heeled shoes. Like other heeled shoes, learning to walk on a stack heel takes time and patience.
Heeled shoes have been around for centuries. A moderate heel tends to make a shoe more comfortable to wear, offering ankle support and making walking long distances much easier. The idea of increasing the heel dramatically was adopted by both men and women as long ago as Ancient Egypt. Heeled shoes can make the wearer look more distinguished, forcing him or her to move gracefully and also adding height. Most modern heeled shoes are designed for women only, and they have come to be associated with women's formal wear.
Modern heeled shoes run a gamut from wedges to stilettos. Wedges are made with extremely large, very chunky heels which sometimes take up almost the whole shoe. These shoes are also sometimes known as platform heels, and they may feature elevating wedges under the toe area as well. Stilettos, on the other hand, have very slender heels, making them difficult to balance on and walk with.
The stack heel strikes a happy medium between the two styles. It is a chunky shoe when compared to stilettos, often with a flared base which makes the heel even more supportive. However, the stack-style heel is not nearly as chunky as a pair of wedges. The shoe has curvy lines and elegance, while also offering support to the feet and ankles of the wearer. As a result, a stack heel is reasonably comfortable to wear, even for prolonged periods of time.
The height of the stack heel can vary quite widely. Unlike stilettos, which are usually associated with very tall heels, stack heels can provide relatively little lift. They can also feature extraordinarily long heels, although the longer the heel, the more potential discomfort. Unlike platform heels, stacked ones do not have elevating platforms under the frontal region of the foot. The stack heel design can be found on boots as well as typical dress shoes.