How to Walk in Platform Heels Without Wobbling
Most people judge a heel by one number: how tall it is. That number is almost never the one that decides whether you can walk in the shoe.
The number that actually matters
What your foot feels is the pitch — the drop between your heel and the ball of your foot. A platform under the toe lifts the front of the shoe as well as the back, so it cancels out part of the heel height.
Take one of our tallest styles, the Debbie platform sandal. On paper it is a 16 cm (6.3 in) heel, which sounds extreme. But it sits on a 5.5 cm (2.2 in) platform:
16 cm heel − 5.5 cm platform = 10.5 cm of actual pitch.
Your foot is at roughly the angle of a 10.5 cm pump, not a 16 cm one — while you gain the full 16 cm of height. That is the entire point of a platform, and it is why a tall platform is usually easier to wear than a mid-height stiletto.
Every product page on this site lists both numbers, in centimeters and inches, under Product Details. Subtract one from the other before you decide a shoe is too tall.
Reading our heel heights
We group heels into three bands, and you can filter by them:
| Mid | up to 9.9 cm (about 3.9 in) |
| High | 10 – 13.9 cm (about 4 to 5.4 in) |
| Very high | 14 cm (5.5 in) and above |
If you are new to platforms, a High style on a thick platform is a friendlier starting point than a Mid stiletto with no platform at all.
Five habits that stop the wobble
1. Heel first, then toe
The instinct in a tall shoe is to walk on the ball of the foot, which is exactly what produces the teetering look. Land on the heel and roll forward onto the toe, the same sequence you use barefoot. It feels slower for the first hour and then it disappears.
2. Shorten your stride
A platform does not bend the way a flat does. Take steps about two thirds of your usual length and let your hips do the work instead of reaching with your leg.
3. Look ahead, not down
Your balance follows your eyes. Watching your feet pulls your weight forward onto the toes. Pick a point across the room and let your feet find the floor on their own.
4. Break them in at home
Wear a new pair for twenty or thirty minutes indoors, on carpet, before you wear them out. Leather softens around your foot, and you will find out on your own floor whether the fit is right — not on a sidewalk two hours from home.
5. Take stairs sideways at first
Going down, put the whole foot on each step and keep a hand on the rail. Turning slightly sideways gives the platform somewhere to sit. This becomes unnecessary quickly, but it is worth the first few flights.
Get the size right and half the problem goes away
A shoe that slides at the heel will feel unstable no matter how good the platform is. Ours run true to size in US 5 through 10, half sizes included, on an average width, and every product page carries a full size chart in centimeters and inches.
Two things worth knowing:
- Measure your foot at the end of the day, when it is at its largest.
- If you are between sizes in an ankle-strap style, the strap will take up some slack — in a slide or a mule, it will not.
And if the fit is wrong, it costs you nothing to fix: you have 30 days to return or exchange with a free prepaid UPS label, and exchanges are unlimited. Swap the size, or swap the style entirely. See the full return policy.
Where to start
If you want the height: browse Platforms.
If you want to start lower: browse Flats.
If you want something you can walk all day in: The Cloud.
Not sure which height suits you? Write to us at info@coccomiami.com — tell us where you plan to wear them and we will point you at two or three styles. We answer within one business day.