The rise, fall, and return of high heels: From power to fashion

The heel can be very high, low, or medium in height, adorning shoes, making them slimmer and taller. However, the attitude towards him changed much later, and at first, a person wearing shoes with heels was considered a peasant because the nobility wore flat-soled flip-flops. This approach was driven by practicality and the need to do everyday work, but time has changed everything, exactly the opposite. The heels were favored by kings and fashionistas, then they were replaced by ballet flats, until they came up with a stable stiletto heel.

Egyptian peasants wore high–heeled shoes, and pharaohs wore flip-flops

Man invented shoes at the same time as he invented clothes made of hides. It was needed to protect the feet, but it had a primitive appearance – a piece of hide or bark, pulled together in the form of a boat. Simplicity didn’t matter; convenience and health were important. First of all, we thought about practicality, which manifested itself later, affecting the shape of the shoes.

The ancient Egyptians, called the fellahin, settled in the delta regions of the rivers because these were the only places where it was possible to grow something due to the arid climate of the country. The peasants cultivated not only their own lands, but also the lands of the pharaohs, and the flooding of the rivers complicated the matter, because the soil became slippery and it was difficult to stay on it. Then they came up with shoes with heels, which helped them to stand firmly on their feet. Although shoes were a luxury for poor peasants, they mostly went barefoot.

Unlike the fellahin, the Pharaohs wore sandals, which were simple, thin–soled shoes with finger pads. In some cases, the toe of the sandal was bent upwards, protecting the fingers. Later, fashion even appeared: the more twisted the sock, the higher the status. But first, sandals were made from papyrus leaves or thin leather.

Based on the possibilities, the owners decorated them with jewelry. For example, gold sandals were found in the tomb of the kings of Ancient Egypt, although their practicality is questioned. Visit. A F R I N I K . C O M . For the full article. The sandals were decorated with sequins and jewels, and the leather ones had wrapped socks.

The heel that has become fashionable: from men to women

The evolution of the heel has gone through several stages. His advantages were used by the riders, who helped to hold on to the stirrups more tightly when it was necessary to release the reins for targeted shooting.

In the 17th century, heels won the hearts of aristocrats from high society. The fashionable Louis XIV gravitated towards them. Having a small stature, he ordered shoes with 10-centimeter heels decorated with images and jewelry. For a long time, women wore shoes with almost no heels, and then they began to make peculiar high shoes for them, which allowed them to walk along the streets without smearing the hem of their dresses.

As time passed, the male lifestyle dictated new conditions and required a more practical approach to clothing, so the heel began to decrease, remaining within acceptable limits so as not to interfere with walking. The heel has become a feminine shoe accessory, turning into a flirty attribute.

Ballet slippers from the Napoleonic era versus high-heeled shoes

In the 14th century, the fashion for shoes with curved toes, which were also called the “bow of the ship”, came. The sock was incredibly long and twisted, which made walking very difficult. They were comfortable to stand or sit in, but it was a passive behavior that meant involvement in a high position.

Aristocrats were allowed to have a toe length of one and a half feet longer, and princes were allowed 2.5 feet. The peasants also wore bulletins with a small, elongated half-foot sock. But they were embarrassed, and they were officially cursed by the Vatican, after which King Edward IV of England banned them at the state level, allowing socks to be lengthened by no more than 5 cm.

Heels for women appeared with the light hand of Catherine de’ Medici, who wished to be at the wedding in shoes that would elevate her. All the women of the noble family followed her, but after Queen Marie Antoinette ascended the scaffold in high-heeled shoes, many lost the desire to wear them, and the fashion quickly shifted to ballet flats. They became a kind of manifesto against tyranny, and famous personalities such as Brigitte Bardot, who starred in them in the film “And God Created a Woman” in 1956, made them a fashion trend.

After that, simple, at first glance, ballet flats, which were originally favored by Josephine, Napoleon’s wife, became the shoes of fashionistas. For example, Audrey Hepburn cannot be imagined in other shoes, because ballet flats were not just everyday shoes, but also a habit due to dancing, so she did not part with them. She wore them under her trousers and under her dress, and then ballet flats with small heels and an Audrey strap were made especially for her.

The famous Ferragamo stiletto heel

By the 20th century, men had completely abandoned high-heeled shoes. This was no longer considered masculine, and women, on the contrary, mastered the height of the heel. If in the beginning aristocrats wore shoes with medium heels, wedges, and other devices that looked more like stilts, then in the 21st century, shoes have become completely different.

The craftsmen made changes to the heel structure, and the shoes became comfortable and stable. From Madame Pompadour’s first stilettos to their dizzying triumph, it took three centuries for them to conquer the fashion world.

Many craftsmen created magnificent high-heeled shoes that could become a museum exhibit. For example, the creations of designer Vivier, who was named the king of shoes, and Raymond Massaro, who created shoes with diamonds and rubies. However, most people believe that the Italian master and designer Salvatore Ferragamo should be given credit for the appearance of high heels.

His first 10 cm high-heeled shoes were uncomfortable, and the thin wooden heel quickly broke. To correct the situation, he drove an iron rod into the heel and then covered it with leather. This is how the famous stilettos appeared, which attract the eyes of men.

Skeptics sometimes say that only insecure women wear stilettos, or that only simpletons wear ballet flats, but history shows that heels have not always elevated a person. There is a quote from Marc Jacobs that all women in the world are divided into “stilettos” and “ballet flats,” but this does not apply to style, but rather to attitude to life.