+6.1 cm
99
1,588 shoes, two makers, one axis
How much taller, exactly?
Every height shoe on this site carries the maker's own stated lift, converted to the same centimetre and put on the same ruler. You can sort by what a centimetre costs. You can see why a shoe scored what it scored. Nothing here is a round number we liked the look of.
1,588Shoes measured
1–15cm of lift
$25Median per cm
1,404In stock today
Pick your number
cm of lift
1 cm ⅜"
7
3 cm 1⅛"
9
4 cm 1⅝"
9
5 cm 2"
113
6 cm 2⅜"
286
7 cm 2¾"
698
8 cm 3⅛"
358
9 cm 3½"
44
10 cm 3⅞"
43
11 cm 4⅜"
5
13 cm 5⅛"
7
Every figure is the maker's own stated lift, converted to one unit. What we do and do not measure
Read the data, not the marketing
Four things the catalogue says out loud
These are recomputed every time the site is built, straight from the 1,588 listings. If the catalogue changes, so does this paragraph.
Price of a centimetre
$0.79 to $2,163
The same centimetre, a hundred times the price
Divide price by lift across all 1,588 listings and the spread is enormous. Almost none of it is about height. It is about leather.
Where the catalogue lives
7 cm
698 shoes sit at one single height
The makers concentrate almost everything between 6 and 8 cm, which is exactly where an ordinary sole can still explain the extra height.
Shape against price
$21.13 vs $66.33
Sneakers are the cheap way and the subtle way
A centimetre costs $21.13 in a sneaker and $66.33 in a dress shoe, and the sneaker hides it better. That is not the usual trade.
The tall end
38 of 1,588
Above 10 cm there is barely anything
Only 38 shoes go past 10 cm, nearly all of them boots. Going very tall costs you choice rather than money.
Scored, with the working shown
See the full ranking
Best value in the database right now
+6.1 cm
99
+6.1 cm
99
+6.1 cm
99
+8.1 cm
99
+8.1 cm
99
+5.3 cm
98
+6.6 cm
98
+6.6 cm
98
In stock at the last check, ranked by our score. Open any shoe to see the four numbers that produced it.
Start from the shape
Every centimetre has to go somewhere
A boot has a shaft to hide behind. A sandal has nothing. That is most of what decides whether a lift reads as a lift.
432 shoes
Sneakers
5–10.2 cm · from $24.99
The easiest place to hide height. A thick midsole is normal on a trainer, so the lift reads as a shoe rather than a lift.
324 shoesBoots
5–14 cm · from $49
The most forgiving shape. A shaft covers the ankle, so the extra sole has somewhere to disappear into.
513 shoesDress shoes
5–15 cm · from $49.99
The hardest brief. A formal last has a thin sole by convention, so every extra centimetre has to go inside the shoe.
237 shoesCasual shoes
5–15 cm · from $34.99
Loafers, derbies and everyday leather. A middle ground between a trainer sole and a formal one.
46 shoesSandals
4–8.1 cm · from $59.99
An open shoe has nowhere to hide anything, so what you see is what it adds.
36 shoesInsoles and lifts
1–10 cm · from $2.99
Drop-in height for shoes you already own. Cheap, limited, and it costs you room inside the shoe.
The cheapest route to a number
Read the long version
What each centimetre actually costs
| You want | Shoes that do it | Cheapest | Median price | Median per cm | Best scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 cm 2" | 113 | $12.99 | $398 | $79.60 | Q121 (Grey) Ultra Feather Lightweight |
| 6 cm 2⅜" | 286 | $29.99 | $178 | $29.75 | Q212 (Black/Grey) Ultra Lightweight |
| 7 cm 2¾" | 698 | $29.99 | $269 | $38.43 | Q222 (Navy/Coral) Lightweight Sporty Sneakers |
| 8 cm 3⅛" | 358 | $24.99 | $160 | $21.02 | H71921 (Army Green) Super Lightweight |
| 9 cm 3½" | 44 | $47.50 | $150 | $16.48 | S25425 (Grey) Lightweight Work Style Casual Sneak-Boot |
| 10 cm 3⅞" | 43 | $47.49 | $125 | $12.25 | S33596 (Olive Green) Sneakers |
Before you buy anything
All guides
The four questions worth answering first
The first question
How much height is believable
There is a point where a shoe stops looking like a shoe. Where that point sits depends almost entirely on the shape you chose.
The three optionsElevator shoes vs insoles vs platforms
Three ways to buy height, and they are not competing for the same job. The prices give it away.
Before you orderHow elevator shoes fit, and what size to order
They do not fit like ordinary shoes, and returning a pair from overseas is slow and expensive. Get this right first.
The money questionWhat a centimetre actually costs
Height is not priced by the centimetre, even though it is sold that way. The catalogue shows exactly where the money goes.
The restock and price list
Tell me when the number I want gets cheaper
We rebuild this database from the merchants regularly. Say what lift you are after and we will write when something at that height drops in price or comes back into stock.
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