French heel

English thumb|Shoes with French heels Noun A curved heel on a woman's shoe that is pitched forward so that the weight of the heel falls on the plantar arch. en 1882 The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal 324 The French heel displaces the posterior support, and both piers of the double arch strike at once, which is fatal to grace of motion. en 2006 Shoes and Boots through History Fiona Macdonald This embroidered and beaded silk shoe sports a sloping French heel. en 2009 Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard Joseph Conrad 298 I think it was the eldest Miss Lopez; I couldn't see her face, but I remember looking at the high French heel of her little shoe. A shaped heel with narrow reinforcement on a sock or stocking. en 1908 Textile World Record - Volume 35 696 The reason the French heel has not been entirely adopted is owing to the fact that while the making of the French foot requires an entirely new machine, it being such a radical change from the English foot, the leg can be made on the very machine which formerly made legs for English feet. en 2010 Blacklands Belinda Bauer 105 Grey marl and ribbed, with a cleverly turned foot she called a French heel that made them hold their own shape, like cartoon socks. en 2012 The Sock Knitter's Handbook: Expert Advice, Tips, and Tricks Beth Parrott; Charlene Schurch The reverse French heel (page 64) is worked in the reverse order of the topdown French heel. The gusset is worked first, and then the heel turn, followed by the heel flap. en Footwear