The Best Shoe Styles to Wear if You Are Petite

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes. Yes, please. I am a shoe lover through and through. High heels, low heels, loafers, mules, sandals, boots, tennis shoes…..I love them all equally. As a petite woman (I am 5’1/2″ and wear a size 5 shoe), not all shoes look great on my small feet. So I thought it would be great to round up the best shoe styles for petite women and why they work on our body type.

Shoes with some short of heel are usually a good choice for petites. They give us a little extra height so that our legs look longer and we are a little taller. Who doesn’t want to appear to be a little taller and leaner.

What we do have to be careful about is that the shoes are not too high. Not only will you feel off balance, but it just isn’t right proportionally with our smaller frames.

Styles That Flatter

So when I look for shoes I always want to make sure that they look good on my feet. They can make or break and outfit after all. Here are a couple of questions that I ask myself when I am trying on a new pair of shoes.

• Do they elongate my foot?
• Does the shoe look too “heavy” on my foot?

Once I look at my feet in the mirror and walk around in the shoes in my house for a while, then I make the decision on whether they stay or go back. We always want to have the best shoe styles on our feet to make sure that our ensembles look great from head to toe.

Classic Pumps

Classic pumps will always make the legs look longer, leaner and more shapely. The pointy toe pump is the best style choice because it will elongate the foot and make your legs appear even longer. If you can find one with a V shape at the toes that fits your foot so that you are showing a little toe cleavage, then you have found the ultimate pump for a petite woman. Buy it in every color that works with your wardrobe.

For my foot that is the Perfect Pump by Sarah Flint. These pumps are pump perfection for my feet. You can use my Brand Ambassador code SARAHFLINT-BABETHF for $50 off any of her shoes.

Now just a note about heel height. A 2-3.5 inch heel usually looks best on petite women. Taller than that and you may look like one of the weebles that wobble and hope that you don’t fall down. Aslo, if you are a petite plus size woman you will want to make sure that the heels don’t look too delicate or thin. You don’t want them to be too chunky either. This slingback pump is a good heel shape example.

Remember that a nude or tan pump is a petite woman’s best friend. They not only go with everything, but they also don’t blare out from your ensemble.

Peep Toes

Peep toes are another variation of the classic pump that elongates the foot. They will also give the illusion of making a petite woman taller. Peep toes are great for warmer weather when you want to show off a manicure, but sandals are not appropriate. They also come in the form of slides and wedges which are a great “sandal” option in the summer.

Peep toes are totally acceptable in the workplace unless you are in a business/formal atmosphere. They work great with dresses, skirts or pants.

Slingbacks

Slingbacks are another great option for elongating petite feet. They can come in the form of sandals or pumps. A slingback pump is the perfect summer work shoe. Business on the toes, but open in the back for warm weather when our feet tend to swell a bit.

Slingback sandals are the perfect summer sandals for petites. The straps on the sandals shouldn’t be too wide or “heavy”. Narrow straps tend to look better on petites as a general rule for all types of sandals. Another style of slingback sandals that are great on petite feet will be made up of many straps that form a V shape like these. The inverted V will give the illusion of length.

Pointed toe flats/Ballet flats/LOafers

Flats are a must have in every woman’s shoe wardrobe, including petite women. They may not give us extra added height, but by choosing the right flats they can still elongate our legs. So when you are shopping for shoes for the days that you want comfort just remember to look for pointy toes, V-shapes, or narrow rounded toes like in the photo above. All of those features will work to visually extend the length of your legs and feet.

Kitten heel slides/mules

Kitten heels are another great option for petites when you are looking for comfort, but want it combined with a little height. Kitten heels are usually two inches in height or under. They usually have a nice curved shape to them.

The last couple of years they have become more popular even though they have been around since the 1950. They come as pumps, sandals, and slingbacks. Try a couple of different styles and you will be glad you found one that worked for you. I promise.

THANKS

Thanks for stopping by and reading about the best shoe styles for petites. Like I said earlier, I am a shoe girl through and through. I have shared my favorite places to shop for small feet and I have also shared the best boots for petites. I hope that you find these posts helpful and full of resources for your shoe wardrobe.