If you think Hollywood and New York are the places where you would find the highest heel wearers in America, you’re in for a surprise. Beating out the home of glamorous celebrities and shoe-obsessed Carrie Bradshaw is Puerto Rico, where heels are the highest at 2.87 inches.
Maybe it’s because of their beach-side location and party atmosphere? Puerto Rico, after all, is dubbed the “nightlife capital of the Caribbean.” Coming in at second on the list is fellow club-central Nevada, where Las Vegas ladies like to wear at least 2.72-inch stilettos with their freakum dresses.
Interestingly, the third to fifth places also go to warm-weather states Florida, Arkansas, and Texas. So, does it follow that the hotter the temperatures, the higher the heels?
Compare those states to Maine and Vermont, where records have been set for not only having the lowest winter temperatures but also the lowest heels. Unsurprisingly, conservative Midwestern states Kansas and Nebraska also like to keep their sensible shoes to modest heights of 1.80–1.97 inches.
Models wearing shoes of varying heel heights at the HOEGL designed by Guido Maria Kretschmer fashion presentation held during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin Spring/Summer 2014 in Germany on July 3, 2013
To sum it up: New Yorkers (who walk everywhere) are stylish yet practical, California-based celebrities don’t really like to wear high heels off the red carpet, and nobody wants to risk slipping and sliding in snowy weather. Where do you fall on the map?
The research on average heel heights by state was done by Gilt using data collected from shoe purchases on their site. You can see the mapped-out methodology on their blog and the results in the infographic below.
Gilt’s infographic showing the average heights of shoes purchased by state in the US
The top 10 states with the highest heels:
1. Puerto Rico – 2.87 inches
2. Nevada – 2.72 inches
3. Florida – 2.46 inches
4. Arkansas – 2.37 inches
5. Texas – 2.35 inches
6. Connecticut – 2.3 inches
7. Georgia – 2.28 inches
8. North Dakota – 2.28 inches
9. Michigan – 2.26 inches
10. California – 2.25 inches
Credit: Gilt / WENN