Do women's heels move with hemlines?

Kitten heels are returning but will Hong Kong women take the step back in time?

"We definitely are seeing more kitten- and mid-heels presented this season. Sky high styles have been the trend for a while now so we are now looking to update our look with something totally different to keep things fresh and interesting," says Christine Park, senior buyer of ladies shoes and handbags at Harvey Nichols.

"I don't think the trend ever went away," says Peter Nichols, senior shoe buyer for Lane Crawford. "Over the past few seasons we have seen our customers requesting more lower and mid-heel options. I think that many women are ready to come down off their platforms."

It sounds like the heels drop with social mood:

For buyers like Paddy Wong-Schupp, the lure of the kitten heel is not just in its practicality, but also in its glamorous allure.

"I love kitten heels. I see them as feminine to look at on and off feet. I see glamour in them - the 1950s type Mad Men glamour - just wear them with a below-the-knee pencil skirt."

She's just a single "woman on the street" quote in the article, but she mentions below the knee skirts to go with the shorter heel. However, according to the Wikipedia, the shoes went out of fashion in the late 1960s and reemerged in the 1980s.

Finally, here's a very long article on high heels, if you're interested. Sex, Power, and High Heels: An Interview with Shoe Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack