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.

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

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.

STEPINTOHEELHISTORYAROUNDTHEWORLD

ShoeMuseum(Lausanne,Switzerland)5,000yearsofshoehistoryacrossEuropethroughtheages,fromPrehistorictimestothepre-industrialera.

MarikinaShoeMuseum(MarikinaCity,Philippines)Amongthehighlights:800pairsownedbyshoeaddictandformerPhilippineFirstLady,ImeldaMarcos.

BataShoeMueum(Toronto,Canada)Shoeloregaloresuchas'StandingTall:TheCuriousHistoryofMeninHeels.'

ShoesorNoShoes?(Kruishoutem,Belgium)Shoesasartinanarchitecturallystunningsetting.