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. Long vocally anti-heel, those born between 1997 and 2012 have famously shunned millennials’ obsession with Jimmy Choos in favor of pancake-flat shoes, from the Adidas Sambas to Margiela Tabi and French girl ballet flats. But they now appear to be embracing a potential gateway heel: the kitten heel flip-flop, typically measuring around 1.5 inches or the height of a triple-A battery.

The trend has been spotted on trendsetters Hailey Bieber and model Kaia Gerber, and featured in countless TikTok 'fit-checks'. It has become a street-style favorite, channeling the slinky style of the 90s this summer. Spectators at Wimbledon and contestants in the Love Island villa have also adopted them. Lily Collins, star of Emily in Paris, wore black Manolo Blahnik kitten heel flip-flops to the men's final last week.

Sales data underscores the trend's momentum. John Lewis reports a 300% increase in sales of kitten heel toe-post shoes compared to last year, with the £109 thong sandals from its collection with Rejina Pyo selling out quickly. Luxury labels such as Chloé, Bottega Veneta, and Max Mara have featured them on runways. Searches on Depop jumped 260% since April, on Vinted 209% year on year, and on Lyst 202% quarter on quarter.

Why is this humble flip-flop revamp persuading Gen Z to finally step into heels? Natalie Munro, a news writer at Who What Wear, says the appeal lies in the fact that it's a heel that doesn't feel like one: “It’s still got that casual energy … so it’s not a very intimidating heel to wear.” Part of that is its diminutive height—popular versions from Toteme, Miu Miu, Zara, and Vivaia range from 1.5 to 2.1 inches, offering minimal lifts perfect for a generation more used to “touching grass” than wearing stilettos.

Kitten heel flip-flops can endure the mileage of a morning commute while not looking out of place on nights out. “In a lot of instances, it’s an appropriate shoe to wear to work and then into the evening as well,” says Munro, adding that they are “obviously very heatwave appropriate.” Sky-high heels were far more common in the noughties. “Millennials were always out in heels,” says Munro. For Gen Z, whose coming of age coincided with the rise of comfort-first dressing during the pandemic, “flats have been the starting base for a lot of [their] relationship with shoe trends.”

Caroline Young, author of fashion books including Style Tribes, believes 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. Rebecca Shawcross, senior shoe curator at Northampton Museum and author of Shoes: An Illustrated History, notes that “stilettos have for many years been worn as a power shoe, but I think the power these days rests with those women who chose comfort over discomfort and activity over an inability to run.”

The trend is also a reaction to an era dominated by footwear meant for mountain climbing: “Orthopedic, gorpcore-coded shoes have dominated since the pandemic,” says Joy Montgomery, British Vogue’s shopping editor, adding that “there’s a renewed craving for glamour in our wardrobes.” Munro ties the trend to the broader flip-flop revival, sparked by The Row’s $750 rubber sandals.

The question now is whether kitten heel flip-flops could become a gateway to higher heels for Gen Z. Shawcross points out that kitten heels, popular in the 1780s-90s, have historically been transitional. “They were known as Italian heels and marked the transition from women’s buckle latchet shoes with reasonably high heels to the flat-soled shoes of the early 1800s.” Munro thinks a shift is possible, with wedges already making a comeback. It could, she says, “be an indication that we’re starting to move back into a high heel era again.”