High Heels
Transcript: Heels A Short History of High Heels Pre-1900's Way Before the 1900's Heels first showed up in Ancient Greece (as does almost everything) Theaters: kothorni cork soles Middle Ages' muck shoes - Chopines No sewer system, to keep clothes clean, tall shoes had to be worn. Persia 10th century Horses were used in warfare, and needed heels to stay in stirrups to shoot arrows without falling. End of the 16th century, Shah Abbas the First Biggest cavalry in the world Headed to Europe to form allies Persian riding shoes, Bata Shoe Museum Shah of Persia with some killer heels As Persians came to Europe, the shoes were seen in the "Western World" Started infiltrating to high ranking officials and Kings Catherine de Medici 4'9'' stature, wanted to look taller for her wedding Louis XIV wore red soled heels, as a sign of wealth, power and aristocracy Red dye was expensive, only he could wear them Women wore heeled shoes for different reason than today Feet appear smaller, with long dresses only toes are seen High Fashion Europe Louis XIV Enlightenment period led to somber clothing The "Great Male Renunciation" Men were smarter and more in control of their emotions and image Social class didn't matter French Revolution meant women lost heels too Marie Antoinette wore heels, and the public began to hate her Slowly, heels disappeared until Victorian age kitten heels (only 1-2 inches) Back to the Basics 10's-20's 1910's were the years of WW1 Lots of younger men were sent abroad to fight Women wore heels in pictures to send abroad First drawing of Pin-ups and then actual women Heels still made of wood and not very comfortable Only used for a quick minute to pose for photos Not used in every day work Made the butt and legs look firmer and tighter Pose called "lordosis" Cameras, Pin-ups, and Wars Flappers began showing some skin Charleston style of dance Required low heels and T-straps T-straps provided support for ankle and foot while dancing Heels were still thicker, needed to provide balance However, steel was used for the heel itself, Wood was too easily broken Roaring 20's 30's-40's The Great Depression Only heels seen were the ones worn by cowboys Riding horses required heels Women who had work wore very short, very modest heels Otherwise wore flats Steel was too expensive, wood was preferred once again Heels were paired with "sport shoes" to create the Oxford shoe Affordability over style White, black and brown favored colors Buckles in fashion Yep, Pin-ups were back Pin-ups led to the rise of higher heels The Great Depression was over World War required leather, shoes made of rope, straw and cork Oxford shoe still in fashion Lace ups provided comfort and a work appropriate shoe Rosie the Riveter wore clunky boots, still had heels Function and fashion blended World War 2, Rosie, and more Pin-ups 50's-60's The "Killer Heel" "I Love Lucy" heels Kitten heels, slingbacks and pumps Invention of the stiletto 1954 by Robert Vivier, designer for Christian Dior Needle Stiletto named after Italian dagger Marilyn Monroe's favored heel Rumored to have shaved one heel to slightly lower so she could "wiggle" Before the stiletto, heels had to stay clunky The higher they got, the closer to the arch they had to be Almost like arch supports Also higher heels led to less ankle support and less ankle movement Until the "shank" Small piece of metal that actually bends and twists Joined heel and toes, but each could operate separately How the Stiletto Worked - The Shank Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's Classy kitten heels were in fashion For everyday wear Stilettos for fancy events Too high to wear on a regular basis The kitten heel first intended as a training heel for teenagers Provided comfort and allowed for long day wear Breakfast in the States 70's-80's Disco Dancing with Disco Shoes Studio 54 became a popular discotheque Led to "Disco Fever" and glam rock High platforms, chunky heels Both men and women wore them Psychedelic colors and metalics For men, Western movies brought low heels in boots Clogs and Earth Shoes Earth shoes had soles thicker than heels for a reverse look Princess Diana favored pumps with a higher heel They became fashion Manolo Blahnik also became popular for his colorful pumps that were comfortable for women Animal Print became very fashionable Reebok sneakers came out with a slight heel for women too Platform style Jelly shoes also came into style, which featured very small heels Diana, the 80's and the Working Woman 90's-00's Girl Power! Spice Girls brought back the thick wedge shoe Incredibly high platforms Sport chic, and animal print Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo Manolo's BB Pumps (Brigitte Bardot) Slingbacks with heels for the empowered woman Louboutins come into fashion, bringing back the red sole from aristocratic France Dita Von Teese uses 6 inch heels for Burlesque "Heels and red lipstick will put the fear of God into people." 2000's: Mules, Metallics, Music The 2000's led to some downright weird looks