In contrast to the 1950s high heel stiletto, early 1960s fashion welcomed the shorter kitten heel. This demure shoe had a slender 1.5 to 2 inch heel. The kitten heel was originally worn by preteen girls as sort of a training heel, because they were less provocative and shorter than the "skyscraper" 3 inch stiletto, according to "The Berg Companion to Fashion." However, due to the increase in podiatric problems associated with high heels, mature generations adopted the lower pointy toe pump. The kitten heel was also glamorized on the silver screen by the actress Audrey Hepburn, which further fueled its popularity.

The mod fashion movement hit its height in the mid 1960s, bringing with it a clean and modern aesthetic. Though the original mod trend was a rebellion of the 1950s working class style, by the 1960s the look was made mainstream by celebrities including the supermodel Twiggy and Sonny and Cher. The mod shoe look was a tall platform with a chunky, sometimes wedge heel. Bright colors or white shoes were the rage, and square or rounded toes replaced their pointy predecessors. Moreover, a 1 inch or higher platform made this shoe vastly different from the demure kitten heel that started the decade.