Louis heel

English

Etymology

After Louis XIV of France.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈluː.iˈhiːl/

Noun

Louis heel (plural Louis heels)

1. A shoe heel with a concave curve and outward taper at the bottom.
   • 1916, American Shoemaking‎^[1], volume 61, Mcleish Communications, page 49:

     The fashion of Louis heels for street shoes brought out the leather Louis heel, to compete with the Louis heel of wood, and it also led to the development of important machines for breasting and finishing this heel.

   • 1957, Gypsy Rose Lee, chapter 8, in Gypsy‎^[2], Berkeley, CA: Frog, Ltd, published 1999, page 72:

     "See if you can squeeze into these." She handed me a pair of gold brocade shoes with high Louis heels.

Synonyms

• Pompadour heel

Derived terms

• Louis-heeled