Historically, Persian horseback warriors wore high heels as far back as the ninth century. The extended heel was developed specifically for riding, so the rider’s foot wouldn't slip out of the stirrups.
High Heels Originated For Practical Reasons
High heels migrated from Persia to Europe. The Royal and Albert Museum in England has paintings of Persian soldiers wearing pointy high heeled boots, like cowboy boots where the heel keeps your foot in the stirrup and makes you a better soldier. The heel represented virility, and power.
High Heels Migrate To Europe In The 16th Century
Walking around In the streets in 16th Century in Europe was hazardous. Both men and women wore high heels to avoid soiling their feet on the human waste that was being thrown out of high windows into the poop-laden streets. Heels minimized the damage for both sexes. With no public sewage system, no outhouses and plagues abounding, heels were good risk management for bacteria. The custom of men walking on street side began as a way to protect women from waste landing on their heads rather than cars hitting them.
High Heels = Wealthy & Virility - "Well Heeled"
Eventually, King Louis switched to having red heels on all his shoes and decreed that only the upper echelons of society could have matching red heels. Red heels indicated high status in the king’s inner circle.
"Tottering on stilts and crowned with towering piles of horsehair, the Grand Monarch and his courtiers proclaimed ?
themselves larger than life and hairier than Samson at the height of his virility.">Aldous Huxley
Catherine De Medici wore high heels in 1533.
Christian Laboutin would have been happy to supply both sexes with high heels.
Why Do We Still Wear High Heels?
The main reason we wear heels is to look more attractive. People still love to strike the pose in shiny leg lengthening high heels although they can be painful to walk in, and can damage your feet.
High heels keep podiatrists in business. They tense your knees and require effort to walk in. They tip your weight onto the ball of the foot and stress your joints, causing arthritis and bunions.
Genderless
High heels are associated mostly with women today, but historically they were genderless and were the height of fashion for both men and women. Do you think high heels for men will make a big comeback?
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06709w2
photos Pixabay