Stiletto Heels & Pumps
High heels and stiletto shoes have fascinated both men and women for all of modern history, and date back thousands of years. Women feel more confident when wearing them as their legs are lengthened and their posture straightened. Men enjoy the pedestal effect that high heels give the female form, on display for all to admire. While shoes are primarily for protection, the high heel is nothing if not a decorative celebration of female beauty.
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History
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High heels have been depicted on Egyptian walls as far back as 4000 BCE. It's a long road from then to the heels and stilettos we wear today, and the most significant developments occurred through the footwear choices of kings and queens. As their shoe soles rose in height, so did the fashion for their subjects. It is rumored that Leonardo Da Vinci invented what became our modern high heel for Catherine De Medici's wedding in 1553. By the late eighteenth century, two-inch heels were de rigueur for Marie Antoinette who wore them to her execution. By the early twentieth century, "pumps" were invented in Britain and become popular in the United States, raising heel height one to two inches. And in 1955 the famous stiletto was born with Roger Vivier designing for the house of Christian Dior.
Heels versus Stilettos
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The term "heels" is used generically and interchangeably to describe all shoes that have a heel lifting the foot from the ground. This can be a half-inch heel or it can be several inches. There are many different types of soles that lift the foot off the ground, such as wedges that can be two to five inches tall or chunky, and thick heels that can vary in height as well. These shoes differ from stilettos in that a stiletto has a specific heel that is typically three to six inches tall. A stiletto heel cannot be a wedge, or chunky; it is a thin spike. Stilettos are usually strappy sandals that show the top of the foot and the toes or they are closed like a pump, but with pointed toes.
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Popular Brand Names
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In the latter part of the twentieth century and into the first decade of the twenty-first century there have been several shoemakers who have made a name for themselves with the quality and look of their heels. Manolo Blahnik became popularized from the HBO show "Sex and the City," and is known for a chic, sophisticated silhouette. Jimmy Choo is a brand name owned by a woman and is well known for its stilettos and the sex appeal of its strappy, delicate sandals. Christian Louboutain made his high heels unique for displacing the pointy toe, and instead using a round one. He then added a platform to the front of the shoe, allowing for a very high heel that is more wearable. The signature of Louboutain's shoes are his candy apple red sole, on every pair. These designer heels retail for anywhere from $300 to $3,000.
Pluses of Wearing Heels
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Although it is debated, some speculate that high heels help to tone the calves and buttocks of those who wear them. The balancing required to walk without falling causes those areas to remain tense throughout wearing. The back is forced to arch and the hips to sway back and forth, which conveys sex appeal. Because of the balancing act required to wear high heels, the posture of the wearer is often improved; the shoulders are straighter and squared to offset the minimal area on the bottom of the foot.
Minuses of Wearing Heels
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As a negative, most podiatrists do not recommend prolonged wearing of high heels--many women wear them frequently from the time they are teenagers until they are senior citizens. High heels do not have the proper support for your feet and cause them to be shaped in an unnatural way that can cause permanent damage to the internal structure of the foot. They can cause external foot injuries, some that are very painful and time consuming to fix.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit high heels image by vincentphotos from Fotolia.com
