Here, Kitten, Wear These.

Missoni's wee kitten heels. Purr.

Kitten heels help a fumbly fashionista put her best foot forward. With their slight, skinny heels, they are much easier to navigate than sky high stilettos. Since towering, toe torturing devices passing for shoes have been all the fashion rage for a solid season and a half, you know we are in for a complete switch to some flatter options.

Marni's mere mention of heels.

Kitten heels made a few appearances on the runways for the upcoming season, most notably at Marc Jacobs, Marni, and Missoni. I've always been curious at to why kitten heels are named that, and it turns out it's because before you became a full grown meower in the '60s you were a cute kitty in training. Kitten heels were developed for the teen set to wear as initiation at their debut balls or fancy events. While stilettos would have been unseemly for the young among us, a slight heel was considered good taste and good practice for the girls pre-womanhood. As the practiclity of unstable footware folded in the '70s and '80s, the kitten heel became popular with the above 15 crowd and became a work wardrobe staple. Now, because it wasn't cool last season, and you probably don't own any kitten heels, they are again poised to become the next must have.

Marc Jacob's minis for Louis Vuiton.

You know, I think you can actually take your higher heels to a skilled shoe repair man and have them cut down to size. There are limitations on how much they can be shortened, but it's worth a shot. That'll save you a few bucks now in shopping expenses and a few more bucks later in chiropractor bills. It's a win, win.

Images from Style.com.