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Whydowomen(andmen,ofcourse)lovehighheels?Becausetheylookfab—inandofthemselves,aslittlepiecesoffashionableart—andbecauseofwhattheydotothefemaleleg,elongatingitinabeguilinglineofsensuality.Heelshavebeenpartofthefeminineplumageforalongtime.Carefullydressingoneself,downtoone’stoes,isapleasureandformofselfexpression.Heelsalsosignifypowerandsexappeal.Heelsgetyounoticed.Whenyouwearheels,youstrutyourstuff,literallyandfiguratively.
Heelsalsoexpressstatusandsocialstanding.Thefaveshoedujouris(still)theiconicLouboutinwithitsredleathersole.Yes,"sammyred-bottoms"aretreschicandverywellmade(warrantingtheirsteeppricetag),butwhatyougetinreturnisanauraofperceivedwealthandfashionknow-how.Theyelevate,sotospeak.Plus,thatredreallyisjustawfullysexy.Ofcourse,there’sawholeworldbeyond#Loubes.Toweringstiletto,vampypumpordemurekittenheel;nottoforgetplatforms,wedgesandstackedheels.Butjustimaginethatonceuponalong,longtimeagoheelswereanecessity,allowingpeepstocrossthemuckofMedievalstreets—whichbringsustoourquestion.Whereexactlydidhighheelscomefromandhowweretheyinvented?
Howdidithappenthatthehumanfootwasfittedwithanobjectthatelevatestheheeluncomfortablyhigherthanthetoes,frequentlyatthecostofpainandevenunsavorymusculoskeletalimbalancessuchas“clawingofthetoes?”Howdidsuchathinggetinvented?Aconcretedatesignifyingtheinventionofhighheelsishardtopinpoint.OnecanfindthemdepictedinancientEgyptianmuralsfrom3500BC.InancientEgypt,butchers,notbelles,worethemtotraipseoverbloodycarcasses.Buttheywerealsodonnedbythenobilitytotowerovertheirbarefootminions.InancientRomeandGreece,too,platformsindicatedbelongingtoahighersocialclass.In1533,CatherinedeMedicichoseheelsforherunionwiththeDukeofOrleans,becauseshedidn’twanttobeashrinkingvioletintheshadowofhisverytallmistress.Circa50yearslater,bothsexesinhighsocietyrockedheelstoshowofftheirsuperiorsocialstanding.
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HeelswereassociatedwithprostitutioninbothancientRomeandtheVeniceoftheMiddleAges.Butalso,inthelate15thcentury,husbandssupposedlyencouragedtheirwivestowearuncomfortablechopines,sotheycouldn’taseasilywanderoffthestraightandnarrowandintothearmsofarival.AndinEnglandofthe17thcentury,theparliamentcouldpunishwomenforenticingthepoormalepopulation,eventryingthemaswitches.Massachusettsofthe18thcenturybannedthemoutright.Fast-forwardtothefeminist1970s.Heelswereconsideredasymbolofmaleoppression,alongwithbrasandglassceilings–while,oddly,atthesametime,hippiesanddiscoqueensproudlyrockedplatforms.
Theninthe1980s,thefootwearstylebecamepartofthepowersuitlookalongwithshoulderpads.Ifyouwerealiveandkickingatthetime,youmightrememberwomeninbusinessgarbandnylonstakingtheircitylunchbreaks,walkingthestreetsinsneakerswhiletheshoeswerestashedinthepurseorattachéuntilitwastimetoreturntotheoffice.Yes,that'sbecausetheyareapaintowalkin.Butbeautyfamouslysuffers.It'sespeciallyworthwhilewhenitallowsawomantorisetotheheightofhermalepeers.
Theofficialfemmefatale-stylestilettoheelwornbysexycelluloidsirensfirst—andeveryoneelsewithasenseoffashionlater—wasn’tpopularizeduntilthe1950s,courtesyofChristianDiorandRogerVivier.Thelatteroriginallystudiedsculpture,andbroughthisknow-howtothe
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designoffootwear,recognizingthesenseofconfidenceahighheelgavethewearer,makinglegslooklonger,skinner,sexierandmorepowerful.MarilynMonroereportedlyexclaimed:'Idon'tknowwhoinventedthestilettoheelbutwomensureowehimalot.'TheItalianwordstilettoreferstoadagger,athinsteelblade.Youcanfinditinfetishdrawingsfromthelate19thcentury,longbeforeDior/Vivierbroughtthemtothestylishmasses.Fetish?Why,yes!Heelshavealwaysbeeninflected(orinflicted)withsexualinnuendo.Theyarepartofthearsenalofseduction.
WecertainlynolongerneedheelstoriseabovethemuckinthestreetsofLondonorParis,andmostofusdon’tfeeltheurgetotoweroverrivalsinadisplayofwell-heeledsocialsuperiority.Butifyoureallythinkaboutit,aheelreallystillismorethanthesumofitsparts.It’sstillsayingsomething.Anabsenceofaheelsaysalot.Averytallheelwhispersthings.ALouboutinspeaksofsomethingdifferentthanaTomFordoraMansurGavriel.Whatthatsomethingis,isuptothediscretionofthewearerandthebeholder.
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STEPINTOHEELHISTORYAROUNDTHEWORLD
ShoeMuseum(Lausanne,Switzerland)5,000yearsofshoehistoryacrossEuropethroughtheages,fromPrehistorictimestothepre-industrialera.
MarikinaShoeMuseum(MarikinaCity,Philippines)Amongthehighlights:800pairsownedbyshoeaddictandformerPhilippineFirstLady,ImeldaMarcos.
BataShoeMueum(Toronto,Canada)Shoeloregaloresuchas'StandingTall:TheCuriousHistoryofMeninHeels.'
ShoesorNoShoes?(Kruishoutem,Belgium)Shoesasartinanarchitecturallystunningsetting.