High-heels, also known as high heels or simply heels, are a type of shoe with a raised heel. This design raises the heel of the wearer’s foot significantly higher off the ground than the wearer’s toes.
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High heels can cause the wearer’s legs to appear longer, make the wearer appear taller, and accentuate muscle tone in the wearer’s legs.
- THEY HAVE FOUR(4) CENTURIES OF HISTORY.
The origin of high-heels can be traced back to 15th century Persia when Ottoman soldiers wore them to help secure their feet in stirrups of horses. The Persian migrants brought the shoe trend to Europe, where male aristocrats wore them to appear taller and awesome.
After gaining notice of these shoes in the late 1500s, attention grew in the early 1600s when Persian Shah Abbas I sent emissaries to Europe to gain support for his war against the Ottomans. They naturally caught the eye of the wealthy elite who dominated the continent and the royal courts of power at that time, becoming a more desirable item.
- THEY WERE NOT CREATED FOR WOMEN.
What if we told you that high heels were designed and made exclusively for men? In a time when stilettos and platforms are often associated with female style and female sexuality, that fact might come as a surprise — but it shouldn’t at all.
For a fact ,for decades high heels were worn by male soldiers, aristocrats and even royals in differing parts of the globe for specific reasons. And when it comes to the surprising history of heeled shoes, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The first women to wear high heels was Elizabeth I of England, who used them to raise her up and improve her stature (literally) in the still male-dominated halls of power in England and Europe. As a woman, she felt she had to do everything possible to compete.
- “Stiletto” Means Dagger
Stiletto is now almost completely synonymous with very high-heeled shoes, not to mention some of the most expensive kinds of shoes around when they are made by the right designers.
Did you know, however, that the word “stiletto” actually comes from an Italian word used commonly in the 16century to refer to a very particular type of dagger. When you study the shape and style of a stiletto heel more closely, the nomenclature of the shoe design becomes quite clear and logical.
- Heels as a Status Symbol
This point has not changed, there was a time when heel size was used as a firm and tangible status symbol. In Venice, there are records of heels measuring to ridiculous proportions — up to 50cm in height that is 21.26inches — among the richest merchants and notable citizenry.
Why would anyone wear a heel like that? Well, having a 50cm heel meant you needed longer robes to cover it, hence you were rich enough to afford all that fabric. You were also wealthy enough to afford all the servants required to help you walk down the street.
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High heels aren’t always comfortable and though they are extremely popular, most of us struggle to wear them for long periods of time.
