65 Best Stiletto Nails

When it comes to getting a manicure, stiletto nails are a trendy shape that show off your empowered feminine side with a bold look. These nail designs are sexy and fierce fashion statements, offering pointy nails that look great with all colors and art. Whether you want short black nails for a classy look in the fall, medium length nude claws for an edgy vibe in the summer or long pointy fingernails for a stunning style in the spring, there are many cute nail ideas to try this year. While black, red, ombre, pink, purple and nude nails seem to be the most popular trends, it can be a challenge choosing the right claw nails to match your personality and style. To inspire you with styles, we’ve compiled a guide on the best stiletto nails to get right now. From short to long and black to white, explore these amazing stiletto nail designs to find stylish ideas and art you’ll love.

What Are Stiletto Nails?

Stiletto nails are a type of nail shape made with false tips that lengthen your fingernail. Also known as pointy nails or claw nails, this nail style is named for its shape, which resembles a stiletto. With edges that taper into a filed point like an elongated triangle that looks like a claw, stiletto nail designs are usually long and look cute painted. Badass and pretty, celebrities and fashionable women everywhere have sustained the trend, keeping the stiletto nail shape fabulous and luxurious.

Stiletto Nail Designs

Short Stiletto Nails

To get the glam and style of this nail shape without compromising functionality, you’ll want to get short stiletto nails. Because they have a shorter length, short designs are more practical and classy but still insanely cute, allowing you to live your daily routine without having to make any adjustments for your nails. This is also a great idea if you are introducing yourself to the stiletto look and would like to slowly transition to the longer set. From black to red, white, nude or pink, your shorter pointy nails will look beautiful with all types of colors and give you the claws to fit your desired style.

Black Stiletto Nails

For a fierce and jaw-dropping set, you can’t go wrong with black stiletto nails. The darkness of your nails is sleek and cool, and especially compliment an edgier aesthetic – perfect for women with tattoos or gothic vibes. You can also add glitter, metallic or nail art to add more personality to your claws.

Stiletto Acrylic Nails

While stiletto is the shape of the nail, acrylic is the material. Acrylic is a popular style of artificial nail, which is created by applying both a liquid and powder polymer to your natural nail. Left to air dry, stiletto acrylic nails create a hard, protective layer with a blank canvas. With acrylic nails, you’ll need to add a top layer of nail polish or gel to get color. If desired, use nail art to decorate with cute designs.

Long Stiletto Nails

The long stiletto is a widely popular way to wear this nail type. For many women, the longer the better. This classic elongated style of nails looks incredible, stylish, and powerful. It’s important to note, however, that it’s more difficult to do everyday tasks with claws that get in the way and it’s important to make adjustments.

Press on Stiletto Nails

If you are more interested in the stiletto nails style than the salon process, you can always check out press-on options. These are more like single-use nails, where you can purchase a set either online or at a store, peel away the plastic liner, and stick the nails on top of your own like a sticker.

Nude Stiletto Nails

Stiletto nails are a chic and trendy style choice. The nude color is versatile with a number of shades, pairs well with any outfit, and can blend in easily in a professional setting. Plus, nude shades, whether matte or shiny, are also feminine and beautiful, especially when painted over a gorgeous stiletto shape.

Red Stiletto Nails

A vibrant way to go bold and stand out is with red painted stiletto nails. With this hue, it’s best to go bright and bring some spiciness to your nails. If you want to stand out and apart from the crowd, red stiletto nails are an easy way to add some sexy and exciting flavor.

Matte Stiletto Nails

Over the past few years, matte colors have been a very trendy and popular choice for stiletto nails. It doesn’t matter what color you choose – a matte layering can add a chic and mature element to your nails, whether you go for bright or muted colors.

Pink Stiletto Nails

If you’re a woman who has ever quoted the iconic line from Mean Girls, “on Wednesdays, we wear pink,” then pink stiletto nails are an obvious choice, any day of the week. Embrace the feminine and pretty side of this color, and rock it with confidence on your high-fashion stiletto nails.

Matte Black Stiletto Nails

Matte black stiletto nails are the ultimate chic color and nail-type combination. With the muted color on the sharp point, you will be fierce and trend-setting wherever you go. To add a little variety or dimension, consider adding some subtle nail art to one or all of your nails.

Red and Black Stiletto Nails

Red and black stiletto nails combine two powerful colors for a gorgeous finish. Individually, red and black are beautiful, but the contrast of both together truly offers the best of both worlds. If you love these colors, get red and black pointy nails for a complementary color pairing you can’t go wrong with.

Cute Stiletto Nails

Though stiletto nails have a reputation for sexiness, they can also easily be cute. Work with your nail technician to create a colorful, creative, and fun design, playing with nail art and decoration.

Glitter Stiletto Nails

There’s something about a glitter-stunted stiletto nail that is eye-catching and classic. Adding sparkle to your polish is one way to elevate your design, which is perfect for special events like weddings, birthdays, or other formal gatherings. Any time you desire a full-glam look, keep glitter stiletto nails on retainer.

French Tip Stiletto Nails

One winning combination is the French tip with stiletto nails. French tips are widely regarded as a classic design for round nail styles, but they can also look amazing on stiletto points, with a unique twist. With the white tip, there’s also room to play around with patterns and shapes; for example, you can add a heart or a swirl at the base where the white color begins.

Yellow Stiletto Nails

Yellow is a happy and fun color that showcases a similar personality, and yellow polish on stiletto nails will add a pop of flavor to your style. Keep in mind, this hue tends to look best on darker skin tones that have a nice contrast with the color’s bright qualities. However, regardless of complexion, you can’t go wrong when you wear yellow with pride.

Glue on Stiletto Nails

Another method of applying temporary stiletto nails is by gluing them on. While stick-on nails involve peeling off an adhesive back and pressing them on, glue-on nails are more measured.

Glue-on stiletto nails stay on for longer, but the application process involves you measuring out the amount of super glue necessary, followed by applying pressure to the nail until the glue has dried.

While fake stiletto nails you need to put on yourself can take time and practice to perfect, many women prefer this method for at-home designs, especially since you can save money on a trip to the salon.

Purple Stiletto Nails

A fun way to mix up your typical nail tattoo is to add some purple pigment to your stiletto nails. One of the nice things about purple is how versatile the color is – there are many shades and hues to choose from to match your individual style. Whether you go for a wintry deep plum or a spring-time lilac, there’s a purple to go with nearly every season, mood, and outfit.

Ombre Stiletto Nails

Ombre nails, especially on stiletto shapes, are a popular and trendy design for women who love pampering themselves. When this look is created with complimenting colors, there’s no beating its cool factor. Some great dark-to-light or light-to-dark combinations include nude and white, pink and purple, white and rose gold, or black and burgundy.

Gold Stiletto Nails

Known for their regal and refined hue, gold stiletto nails are a glamorous choice for ladies who want to elevate their nail game. Similar to glitter-encrusted designs, gold nails are ideal for fancy events or special occasions. There’s also a lot of room to explore different designs; you can go for gold dusting, gold sparkles, gold nail art, or matte gold polish, depending on your preference.

Christmas Stiletto Nails

Themed nails are fun all year round, but can get especially creative when they involve Christmas stiletto nails. The long and thin shape of the nails allows for plenty of room to include as many holiday-themed elements as possible.

You can incorporate Christmas in many different ways, including colors, symbols, and even weather elements. Whether you add jingle bells, snowflakes, trim, or just go for a deep red, your nails will a festive hit.

Summer Stiletto Nails

Another way to embrace the flavor of the season is with summer-themed stiletto nails. When the sun’s out, don’t be afraid to embrace bright and bold colors. Hues of orange, yellow, and pink are great for days spent on the beach. Play with sunset-inspired colors for the best summer stiletto nails.

Almond vs. Stiletto Nails

While these nail shapes may look similar, the main difference between almond and stiletto nails are that stilettos are much more pointy while almond comes with a more rounded point. Almond nails are a type of nail shape with shorter tapered sides and a rounder end point, resulting in a versatile and functional look. The stiletto nail shape is extremely sharp and pointy, giving women fingernails that look like claws. These popular nail shapes are stylish and beautiful, and can accommodate a range of designs, colors and artistic ideas.

How Much Do Stiletto Nails Cost?

Fortunately, stiletto nails won’t cost you more than getting any other shape. However, the price can depend on other factors, including where you choose to get your stiletto nails done. The quality of your salon and your location come into play, as well as the polish or type of nail you get. Whether you want shellac, acrylic, or gel, each option comes at a different price point. Generally, stiletto nails will cost between $40 and $85. Quality nails will last at least two weeks, so the price might be worth the stylish manicure.