Barbie arrived in 1959, courtesy of Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler. Her first look, designed by Mattel's Charlotte Johnson, was a black and white striped swimsuit and backless heels. Her feet stayed shaped for heels until 2015, when Mattel finally gave her adjustable ankles so she could wear flats. Somewhere in those decades, pink heels became shorthand for a certain kind of fun.

I like that the story is a little silly and a little serious at once. Pink heels have never been shy, and I think that is the whole appeal. The stiletto itself needed a metal shaft hidden inside the heel instead of wood, and once that engineering existed, designers started playing with color. Pink is the easiest color to play with.

Here is how I would read the pumps first. The Titanique from Jeffrey Campbell is dusty pink suede with a ruched vamp and an ankle strap, and it is the one I would wear with straight-leg jeans and a gray sweater. The Barbara from Lucasheva is bubblegum leather on a stiletto, so it needs a quiet outfit around it. The Dune London croc-embossed pump is hot pink and loud, while the Franco Sarto Julissa is a soft pink leather pump on a stacked kitten-style heel that I would walk in all day. The Naot Margot sits on a low sculpted heel, which makes it the friendliest pair of the eight.

My tip: hold each pair next to the clothes you already own before you commit. Dusty pinks go with navy and camel. Hot pinks go with black, denim and white, and that is about all they need.

Not every pair of pink heels has to be a pump. Satin sandals are where the party shoes live, and this group is full of them. They are the pairs I reach for when the dress is simple and the shoes should do the talking.

The ROTATE satin sandal in begonia pink has a knotted rosette and an ankle strap, and it looks best with a plain black slip dress. The Sam Edelman Ginny is a rose pink stiletto with crossing straps, which is a little more grown up. Badgley Mischka has three here: the Fiji with a crystal-covered vamp in pale pink, the Nanette with a braided vamp in hot pink, and the Pretty, a knotted block-heel sandal that is the easiest to stand in. The Betsey Johnson Kasie covers the vamp in beaded flowers with pearls on the heel, and I would let it be the whole outfit. The Jimmy Choo Jenn is an 85mm hot pink satin slingback with a crystal strap, and the superdown Anika is a mauve kitten-heel thong sandal with a studded strap.

Roger Vivier, who gave us the modern stiletto in 1954, also decorated shoes with silk, pearls, beads, lace and jewels. These sandals follow that old idea. Before you buy, buckle the ankle strap on the middle hole and walk across the room. Satin shows every snag, so check the knots and the crystals with your thumb.

What I would skip: a crystal sandal with a crystal dress. Pick one sparkle and let it stand alone.

Vivier is also the reason this group exists. He introduced a lowered heel in 1956, first to go with the longer skirts in Dior's fall 1956 Aimant collection. That is the ancestor of the kitten heel, and I find it a relief that a shoe this friendly has such a serious start.

Slingbacks are the grown-up pink heel, and the pointed toe does most of the work. The Sam Edelman Finch is pink suede on a low kitten heel, and the Anne Klein Itzy is hot pink on a slim one. Nine West's Siskp is a light pink leather kitten pump, probably the one I would wear to the office with gray trousers. For more drama, the retrofete Cindy is bright pink patent on a stiletto, and the Jeffrey Campbell You Wish is fuchsia suede. Bernardo has two textured options: the Madinah brocade slingback and the Miami 55, a quilted thong sandal on a 55mm kitten heel. The Christian Louboutin Miss Z is metallic pink with the red sole, and it is the one I would save for dinners.

Try the slingback strap before you buy. It should sit snug at the back of the heel and not slip down when you walk, and you should be able to slide one finger under it. Suede marks in the rain, so patent and metallic leather are easier to live with.

What I would skip: a pair with a slim stiletto if most of your day is on cobblestones. The kitten heel exists for exactly that.

The stiletto mule has a loaded history. Barbie wore backless heels from the start, and Bata Shoe Museum's Elizabeth Semmelhack says the stiletto mule was instantly linked to ideas of feminine desirability. Marilyn Monroe, Barbara Eden and Jayne Mansfield all wore high-heeled, open-toe mules in the 1950s and 1960s. Today the mule is just the fastest way to finish an outfit.

Here the options run from sweet to sharp. The Duha mule in candy pink has twisted satin straps and a slim heel, and the Coconuts by Matisse Goldie is a pale pink satin kitten mule with a bow. The Jeffrey Campbell Fresa-Bow is mauve suede with a bow on a sculpted heel, which I would wear with wide cream trousers. The Chloé Jelly is a peep-toe kitten heel in hot pink with a soft knot, and the kneetoes Orlina is a croc-embossed kitten slide. For a taller heel, the Prologue Mirena is hot pink patent on a stiletto, the Tiannia Barnes Tiffany is a hot pink suede block-heel mule sandal, and the Jimmy Choo Brigitte is blush leather with a peep toe.

Test a mule by walking down a flight of stairs in it. Your heel should stay close to the back of the shoe, and your toes should not grip. Blush and mauve go with nearly everything, while hot pink is better as the one bright note.

What I would skip: a high mule if you walk far. With nothing holding the back, a lower heel is kinder.

The big idea here is that pink can be very loud. These are the pairs for a night when you want everyone to look down, and they work best with a plain outfit, such as a black dress or white jeans and a fitted tee.

Sequins first. The Madison Maison Sequence is a hot pink sequined snip-toe slingback on a kitten heel, which makes sparkle feel manageable. The GIA BORGHINI Perni04 is a rose heeled mule covered in shimmering discs, and it moves under light like a disco ball. For platforms, the Philipp Plein patent sandal is hot pink with a crystal-trimmed sole and an ankle strap, and the Plein satin slingback has a crystal hexagon buckle. The Charlotte Stone Libby is a hot pink satin platform pump with a chunky heel, and the Prologue Heas is a metallic block-heel platform. The Kurt Geiger Triple Buckle is dusty pink with buckled straps, the quietest of the group. The Christian Louboutin Jane is a metallic laminated slide on a block heel with the red sole.

A platform raises the front of the foot too, so a high heel can feel less steep than it looks. Stand in them for five minutes before deciding, and check that sequins and crystals are sewn down tight. Run a hand over them and see if anything catches your sleeve.

What I would skip: wearing a statement pair with a statement bag. Let the shoes lead and keep everything else quiet.

Think about how you actually walk first. If your days are long, pick a kitten heel or a low sculpted heel and let the color do the work. If it is one night out, go loud, with sequins or a platform.

Then check the shade against what is already in your closet. Dusty pink with neutrals, hot pink with black, and blush with everything. One pair in the right shade will get more wear than three that clash.

Barbie spent decades in heels before she got her flats. You can have both, and a pink pair is a good place to start. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Looking for the Most Comfortable Heels Start With the Block, Not the Stiletto and Black Loafers.