{"id":10904,"date":"2023-05-10T07:10:50","date_gmt":"2023-05-10T14:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/?p=10904"},"modified":"2024-04-18T20:17:51","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T03:17:51","slug":"history-of-high-heels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vionicshoes.com\/blog\/history-of-high-heels\/","title":{"rendered":"The History of High Heels"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

If you think back to your childhood, the main characters in some of your favorite stories and movies likely wore extravagant heels. Whether it was in the 1940s or an indiscriminate time period in Disney animation, these types of <\/span>heeled shoes <\/span>were the statement piece of the ensemble. Cinderella had her beautiful glass slippers, while Dorothy wore a glimmering pair of ruby-red heels\u2014just to name a few examples.<\/span><\/p>\n

As an adult, you might look back and wonder how Cinderella wore those glass slippers all evening. They were probably pinching her toes and giving her blisters. Thank goodness she had a midnight curfew so she could finally take them off!<\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless of how you feel about heels now, considering the popularity of heels in stories and movies like these begs the question, <\/span>and <\/span>why were high heels invented <\/span>and where did they originate<\/span>? Strap on your shoes and join us for a walk down memory lane as we discuss the history of high heels .<\/span><\/p>\n

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Chapter One: These Boots Were Not Made for Walking (10th Century CE)<\/b><\/h2>\n

Our first stop on the High Heels History Tour begins in the 10th Century CE (a.k.a. the 900s) in Persia, 1 (present-day Iran). Because of modern-day preconceptions, you might assume a woman donned the first pair of heels\u2014and that would be incorrect!<\/span><\/p>\n

When we look back on the<\/span> complete <\/span>history of shoes<\/span><\/a>, we find that it was actually men who rocked the first high heels (although they would likely be the first to tell you that they were doing so not out of fashion, but out of necessity).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Persian army featured a large number of men on horseback. But shooting a bow while on the back of a galloping horse was no easy feat. To help <\/span>the <\/span>Persian Cavalrymen<\/span> remain in the stirrups more easily, they created shoes with heels. These heeled shoes helped to steady soldiers on their horses so they could successfully fire their arrows at a breakneck speed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fast forward to present day, and consider the ensemble of a modern-day cowboy. While we wouldn\u2019t consider <\/span>the standard <\/span>cowboy boot <\/span>to be high heels, they do have a prominent heel on the back that comes in handy when riding horses. In this case, the old saying rings true\u2014if it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it. <\/span>While they may not necessarily have made a fashion statement back then, these <\/span>heeled boots<\/span> served a practical purpose and went on to be used throughout history.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Chapter Two: Girls\u2014and Boys\u2014Just Wanna Have Fun (14th Century)<\/b><\/h2>\n

Around the 14th century, the high heel trend made its way to Europe through trade with the Persians. 1 But instead of using them the way the Persians had, Europeans took the original blueprint and created their own high-heel design called chopines. 2<\/span><\/p>\n

A chopine vaguely resembles a pair of wedges in that they have a high platform that makes you appear taller. When they first came out, many men and women would wear <\/span>these <\/span>platform shoe<\/span> styles <\/span>i<\/span>n the name of practicality. A pair of stilt-like chopines could help keep feet and the bottom hem of clothes dry from muddy ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually, the <\/span>platform shoe<\/span> trend expanded past necessity and entered the realm of fashion statements. Noblewomen and courtesans alike opted for higher and higher pairs of chopines, sometimes reaching up to 20 inches! 2 Of course, at that point, they would require the assistance of a cane or maid to walk from place to place, but everyone knew the <\/span>heel <\/span>height<\/span> meant the wearer was well-to-do.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"shop-heels-and-wedges\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Chapter Three: Red High Heels (17th Century)<\/b><\/h2>\n

A few hundred years later, high heels had transformed yet again. During the 16th and 17th century, they more closely resembled the<\/span> high heeled shoe<\/span> designs<\/span> we might wear today:<\/span><\/p>\n