|
High heels are representative fashion items of numerous women in today. As most people know one hypothesis that high heels were made for avoiding sewage in the Middle Ages, because toilets did not exist there in those days. This is a powerful hypothesis to explain the origin of high heels. But is it the beginning of high heels? In fact there is interesting history of high heels and it bears attractive meanings that you might do not know. To give you a little hint, high heels were originally special shoes for males.
Today’s high heels are come from the era when men used footwear as a symbol of their status. We can find its origin in ancient tomb mural of Thebes in the fourth century B.C. In that mural the males wore shoes that were presumed to be high heels, because the higher heels mean the higher status according to a document of that age. Then in 17th century, it would be not only the means of showing his status but also the practical item that has aesthetical function. The men loved to use high heels when riding a horse because it is easy to fix their foot on the stirrup irons and after the Middle Ages high heels were more advanced by the men who took care of their appearances. Then what about women? Women were not 
interested in high heels for one reason that women wore long dress. Thus their shoes were covered and not focused on others attention by that dress. However as time went, noblewomen took interest in high heels since Louis XIV of France wore heel which is high enough for overcoming his small height weakness. Soon the style spread between other nobles. Thus the fashion of high heels spread to women.
Then in 18th century, Louis XV’s lover Marquise de Pompadour wore ‘Louis heels’ which is similar with nowadays high heels. Then the fashion spread much faster. At that time high heels gave chances for women to show their legs to men by making them step on their long dress and put it up. In addit ion when they wore it, their chest and hip was stood out and sexual attractiveness was increased, for that reason high heels became popular fast between women. Eroticism of Rococo period in 18th century makes high heels have only function of the fashion that show body line more attractive. Then the high heels that were popular in Paris, France were spread to America in 1920s, and the high heels era is started in earnest.
Women’s Desire, Red & Blue
Why does she cling to high heels? “The height of the high heels is directed to your provocative feeling level,” said Manolo Blahnik. The high heels connote red color and blue color desires. Then what is that desires?
Make My Body Line Look More Attractive, More Beautiful!
High heels affect to your standing position, especially it can make S-lines. Heels for Red Lines and Blue Thoughts This is Louis XIV who wore high heels to hide his short height and to display his fashion. High heels are representative fashion items of numerous women in today. As most people know one hypothesis that high heels were made for avoiding sewage in the Middle Ages, because toilets did not exist there in those days. This is a powerful hypothesis to explain the origin of high heels. But is it the beginning of high heels? In fact there is interesting history of high heels and it bears attractive meanings that you might do not know. To give you a little hint, high heels were originally special shoes for males. Since when wear it our heels are raised up, then hip is went back and waist is lurched forward. In short, our stomach is flattened, chest and hip are emphasized, thus our body shape is more similar with S-lines. Also when we wear high heels, its looks like legs are long and thin. As a result high heels add feminine attraction to us.
Today, the average height of women in Korea increases to 160.5 cm. High heels help to cover people who are not average people’s weakness. Especially ‘Kill heels’ that average height of heels is 8 to 10 cm supports them to be tall. That is a reason why we can see women more easily who are wearing ‘Kill heels,’ when we go to some places where many people go around.
Get Out of Discrimination & Be Equal with Men or over Them!
By custom from old times the women’s old way related with shoes in both the West and the East show discrimination and passive image of women. Among the custom of the East, there was ‘Foot-binding’ custom in China. Foot-binding was required to girls about five years old who has small feet. However this was not volunteering, but did be put on by her mother for daughter’s marriage, because men did not like to get marry with women who have big feet. The starting point of foot-binding, we can see passive feature. After put on the small shoes, people compress the feet by bandage and tighten with fabric. For this acts, girls had to suffer a severe pain such as forming pus, sticking out bones and etc. These pains of footbinding continue until die, and we can see discrimination. In the West where high heels first appeared and developed up to this day, likewise the East we can find figure of discrimination in beginning of high heels. Western people also think the woman who has small size foot is beautiful, therefore the early heels had tiny size balls and also the whole size of shoes was small. It is similar to footbinding. despite western woman had freedom of whether wearing high heels or not, high heels spread as a trend in west. Therefore, they force themselves to wear it for going to fashionable society and being recognized lovely woman.
However can we see discrimination or passive figure from today’s women who wear high heels? Maybe it is not. “I could not see any taller person than me when wearing 12 cm high heels in Myeongdong. At first I was so embarrassed because of being so tall. By the way also men saw me with raising their head later. It was odd, but clearly I could feel more confidence and sense of superiority,” said a girl who is 168 cm height. There is active image of women in high heels such as confidence and passion of the women of the 20th century. Today’s heels strengthen not weakness by making heels more thin, but comfort while walking by making heels more thick and the frontheels more higher. Of course high heels need to be beautiful; however more important thing for women in these days is ‘Walking well alone’ while wearing high heels without leaning to other person. For this many designers are designing heels that emphasize balance by adding architectural elements now.
There is a phrase “if we wear good shoes, it will take us better place.” Women have an experience to think this phrase while wearing high heels. Then where do they dream to be gone? I guess women want to be taken to ‘better place’ where out of discrimination equal with men or over them by wearing high heel.
Also, now who can say that heel is objet of weak woman? Today’s high heels connote dignified woman and image of woman that has abundant feminine attraction. Wearing it, women stride down the street with confidence. “Shoes,” said Manolo Blahnik “change women.” Maybe it is a dream of all women that wearing beautiful high heels, dressing up herself pretty and then head to success by expressing her ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ desires.