11 surprising facts about high heels

#1 Initially, high heels were reserved only for ... men

You may find it hard to believe, but in the 10th century, high-heeled shoes were only worn by men. They were originally designed for Persian mounted warriors. High heels prevented the feet from slipping out of the stirrups while riding a horse and helped maintain stability during fights. 

Over time, European aristocrats picked up on this trend and began to treat it as a reflection of social status. He wore his heels with pride. King Louis XIV. This fashion was very popular among men until the 17th century.

#2 Waste protection

Interestingly, a hundred years later, pins were no longer reserved only for the elite. They were also loved by the working class, who wore these shoes to ... protect themselves from the pollution and waste ubiquitous on the roads. Thanks to this, clothes after a walk through the city streets did not require comprehensive refreshing. 

In the 16th century, decisions were made to regulate the height of heels in order to be able to clearly distinguish between different classes. The common people of the time could wear shoes with a maximum height of 1.2 cm, while the nobility and aristocracy could afford 6.3 cm heels.

#3 The first woman in high heels

The first woman who appeared in public in high heels was Catherine de Medici - Queen of France. She put them on in 1955 for her wedding to Henri de Valois - the Duke of Orléans. In this way, she wanted to hide her short height. The French queen undoubtedly popularized this trend among women, and she willingly wore spikes on a daily basis, which - in her opinion - symbolized her authority and feminine strength.

#4 Heel thickness and gender

Over time, high heels have gained popularity among women. In order to be able to distinguish models intended for women from men, a division was introduced due to the thickness of the heel. Thin heels became an attribute of the fair sex, and thicker heels were assigned to men.

#5 Temptation from the devil

When the Age of Enlightenment began in Europe, high-heeled shoes began to be perceived as a kind of women's whim. Men then sought to use rational solutions. Therefore, they began to wear simple clothes and completely gave up heels. In turn, women wearing these shoes - due to the emergence of new denominations and religious beliefs - supposedly reflected the temptation coming from the devil.

#6 Time for a break

In 1800, the world - and with it the current fashion - began to become more and more conservative. Instead of high heels, women chose low-heeled leather shoes resembling men's shoes. After the French Revolution, high boots almost practically disappeared from the streets. It took several more decades for heels to return to the salons.

#7 Sighing for posters

During World War II, soldiers sigh for posters depicting fashion models in style pin-up girlwho always wore eye-catching high heels. This inspired young American women who began to wear them not only for bigger events. A real challenge for many of them was learning to dance in high heels!

#8 The first pin

The pin as we know it today was not invented until 1950. Until then, heels were made of wood. Currently, a variety of materials are used for their production. Interestingly, in Italian the word pin (stiletto) means knife or dagger.

#9 Feminist revolt

In 1968, during the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, there was a massive feminist protest. To end the restriction of freedom, women began to throw away hair curlers, bras, and also ... high-heeled shoes.

#10 Optical illusion

Fortunately, women have not completely given up wearing high-heeled shoes, and they love the optical illusion created by these shoes even more. After all, in such shoes, the back almost automatically straightens, and the chest is gently pushed forward. All this - together with the addition of a few or even several centimeters of height - makes the whole silhouette seem slimmer and slimmer.

#11 Guinness Pin Records

21.95. This is how many seconds it took Jill Stamison to run 150 meters in high heels. The American did it in 2008 during the broadcast of the breakfast program "Live! with Regis and Kelly." 

According to the Guinness Book, the tallest high-heeled shoe measures almost ... 4 meters. It was created in April 2019 by Tunisian shoemakers to highlight their craftsmanship and competence and celebrate the popularity of the footwear industry in the city of Safakis.