| Believe it or not, the high heel was originally | | | | their subjects. The very short Italian bride of |
| invented for purely practical purposes! Forget | | | | the Duke of Orleans, Catherine d’Medici, wore |
| about aesthetics or Vogue’s claim that the | | | | two-inch platform shoes at her wedding in an |
| high heel’s sole purpose is to show off a | | | | attempt to augment her true stature. (Catherine |
| woman’s leg! Shoes with distinct heels were | | | | was only 14 at the time, so perhaps she still had |
| a solution to the problem of horse riding. | | | | a couple of inches coming!) It was not at all |
| Flat-footed shoes tended to slip out of the stirrup | | | | unusual for a monarch’s, ahem, shortcomings |
| and so shoes with “rider’s heels” | | | | to influence the footwear preferences of an |
| were invented to keep the foot firmly in place. | | | | entire kingdom. Catherine wore high heels, and |
| These first high heels had heels of approximately | | | | so other women adopted the fashion. You can |
| 1 ½ inches. | | | | blame pointy-toed shoes on King Henry II of |
| Rider’s heels first became prevalent around | | | | England who is said to have worn shoes with |
| 1500. (Some would argue that high heels existed | | | | narrow, pointed toes to disguise his deformed |
| long before then. Roman tragic actors in 200 | | | | feet. This style of shoe soon became a fashion |
| B.C. often wore platform sandals with very high | | | | statement and a symbol of wealth and power. |
| cork soles.) Soon these practical additions to | | | | High heels were very much associated with the |
| shoes became a symbol of status and style, | | | | aristocracy. (Perhaps you have heard of the |
| especially in the French court. High heels were | | | | expression “well-heeled”, which is used to |
| equally fashionable for men and women. In fact, | | | | describe someone who is very well off.) It is no |
| high-heeled boots for men were all the rage. | | | | surprise then that high heels fell out of fashion |
| The heels soon became so high that they were | | | | with the French Revolution. Both men and |
| no longer practical and were referred to | | | | women threw out their high heels and adopted |
| disdainfully as “court-pony” wear. It was | | | | flat shoes or sandals instead. This new style of |
| commonplace to see a nobleman teetering around | | | | shoe reigned until the 19th century when high |
| on 4 inch heels. | | | | heels gradually became fashionable again. But this |
| Heels were also used to give certain royals a | | | | time around, it was only the women who adopted |
| “boost” when it came to towering over | | | | the practice. |