The kitten heel was invented as training footwear for teenagers in the 1950s, which is an origin story that haunted it for decades and made it read as tentative. Its rehabilitation came from the same shift that killed the stiletto as a default: people started choosing shoes they could get through a day in, and a fifty millimetre heel does almost everything a hundred does to the line of a leg. The current versions have also improved structurally, with wider bases and better weight distribution than the originals. That is why the height stopped being a compromise.

The Margot family covers most of the coach kitten heels range, appearing as a plain sandal, a leather sandal, a crystal sandal and a version with an oversized buckle in Loved Leather. Margot slingbacks come plain and in signature sateen jacquard, and the slingback is the more secure of the two constructions. The signature jacquard slide sandal removes the back strap entirely, which suits a lower heel better than a high one. The jelly kitten heel sandal is the outlier and the most casual thing here. Lower down the page there is also a runway mule, a thong kitten heel and a bootie if you want the height without a sandal.

This is the longer shelf: Margot slides and slingbacks in black leather and jacquard, a cream pair, a thong, a runway mule and a kitten heel bootie. The newer finishes are the crystal Signature slingback, an olive Loved Leather slingback, a red trim jacquard slide and the Margot boot. The lower the heel the more the footbed matters, so I would pick by comfort first and colour second.

A low heel exposes the quality of the footbed because there is nowhere for a bad one to hide, so the pieces with real padding are worth seeking out. Slides with a heel are harder to walk in than their height suggests, because your foot has to hold the shoe on with every step.

Jelly uppers are waterproof and will rub in hot weather, which is the trade. The oversized buckle version is the most distinctive and the least neutral. The plain Margot slingback is the one that will go with the most and annoy you the least. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together White Kitten Heels Are The Low Heel For A Loud Season and Kitten-Heel Boots.