Kate Middleton certainly started something when she was pictured wearing nude heels at numerous events, and soon many women wanted a pair. However, just what is it about the nude heel, is it just because Kate and other celebrities have chosen it or is there another underlying factor? Well, Debenhams have done a survey on the nude heel and have revealed that it could potentially be making women look an entire dress size smaller!

Shortly after Kate's famous appearance in her nude heels, her sister Pippa Middleton soon followed in her stylish footsteps as well as Victoria Beckham. Hence, the nude heel was born as a fashionable must for many women up and down the country. As the nude heel trend continues Debenhams began to wonder if there was more to the nude heel than meets the eye.

Thus, they conducted a survey, asking people to look at two different images of the same woman wearing different styles of footwear and to guess her dress size. The results? On average, people guessed the dress size of the woman wearing the 'slimming shoes' to be an entire size smaller than the other picture.

Speaking about these amazing results, Debenhams' head of accessories, Natelle Baddeley commented: “If followed to the letter, this formula gives women the chance to walk in the shoes of the famous tricksters of our time – creating a slimmer silhouette in an instant.”

Debenhams suggest that there is a magical formula in achieving these slimming results, which is: (C + P + H + HW) – AS = S. Which translates as (Colour + Platform + Height + Heel Width) – Ankle Strap = Slimming. This formula is then supposed to give you tighter thighs, longer legs, push your torso outwards and create a flatter looking stomach.

“This is a diet shoe. Once you have found the perfect pair all you need to do is slip on your shoes to instantly transform your silhouette. It's the perfect party cheat,” continued Ms Baddeley.

However, some aren't so convinced that the nude heel is the answer to many women's dieting problems as Tessa Hartman, the Scottish Fashion Week's founder commented to The Scotsman; “Christian Louboutin was among the first designers to feature them in his collection and now every designer has them.

“Although the fact Kate Middleton has worn them is definitely a factor in the high street, as she is a real fashion icon for that market, people have been wearing them for a lot longer than she has.

“There is no science in this. Nude is a popular colour because it goes with everything, but the colour palettes which will be popular are being worked on by fashion designers long before they find themselves in our wardrobes.

“The reason this trend has been so enduring is that it is versatile and flattering – nude tones go very well with skin tone and they have been very popular in Scotland as well as elsewhere in the UK.”

In fact, the nude heel trend could be argued to have been around since 2009, but regardless of it's potential slimming properties, if it makes you feel more confident in your outfit then long live the nude heels!

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