How high-heeled shoes evolved and what they were intended for

Some modern clothing has gone through a rather long evolutionary path. Some things changed their purpose several times. For example, heeled shoes have been rethought at least four times! And today I will tell her story in more detail.

Invention for the sake of horses

The first boots with heels date back to the tenth century. Then they were worn not for beauty, but for reasons of practicality. The Persian cavalry, for example, used such shoes to better stay in the saddle. The heel allowed the foot to cling more firmly to the stirrup. This was especially important for archers, who had to gallop without arms: they often had to shoot on the move. However, the “trend” soon changed somewhat.

Rise above the dirt

In the Middle Ages, the heel spread widely throughout the world due to its practicality. But not for riding anymore. The fact is that in those days, big cities were quite... dirty. And that's putting it mildly.Slops were often thrown right out the window, as were human waste products. Poor people could only put up with it. However, richer people bought shoes with heels in order to rise above the level of dirt. Then there were even shoes with a thirty-centimeter platform.

Rise above society

Closer to the seventeenth century, heels ceased to be a convenience or necessity. On the contrary, they have become something optional and even inaccessible to many people. These shoes were uncomfortable. And only those who did not need to work could afford to wear something uncomfortable. That is, the nobility and the rich. Heels have become an indicator of wealth.

However, already with the advent of the Age of Enlightenment, men everywhere abandoned such shoes. After all, science, logic and practicality ruled the roost. And after the French Revolution at the end of the eighteenth century, high heels became more of a feminine attribute. For some reason they remain so to this day. Moreover, only one century ago in some American states, girls wearing these shoes were automatically considered witches and subject to reprisals.

Let's get back to horses

However, parallel to all this, from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries, the old meaning of heels returned. True, not throughout the world, but for the most part only in North and South America. Who actively rode horses at that time, besides the military? Cowboys! For them, the heel has again become a practical necessity. But after a while, the Wheel of Samsara began to turn again. Owning a horse was expensive and time-consuming, so heels showed a person's wealth.

From war to catwalks

Well, for the general public, such shoes were popularized, oddly enough, by the Second World War. It was then that pin-up style posters began to appear. They depicted skimpily dressed girls, often wearing high-heeled shoes. What is needed for a soldier whose surroundings in the next couple of years will be made up of only men. Around the same time, stiletto heels gained wide popularity and all such shoes became firmly established among the female gender. Even the legendary Playboy magazine contributed to this.

In recent years, fashion has not only been cyclical - it has returned to its roots. Once upon a time, heels and dresses were the domain of men. And now, many centuries later, trends are once again reaching back to the past and such shoes can increasingly be seen on male models. Just look, the world will give up cars and switch back to horses. Then heels will again cease to be a decoration and will become practical and necessary.