A stiletto heel (AmE: spike heel) is a long, thin heel found on some boots and shoes for women. It is named after the stiletto dagger, the phrase being first recorded in the early 1950s. Stiletto heels may vary in length from only a few centimetres up to 15 cm (6 inches), and are sometimes defined as having a circumference at the ground of less than 1 cm.
Stiletto heels transmit a large amount of force in a small area, and are therefore often stengthened by a metal rod, and a metal or hard plastic tip. The great pressure transmitted through such a heel (greater than than exerted by an elephant standing on one foot) can cause damage to carpets and floors.
Shoe fetishism frequently involves stiletto heels.
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