A Lesson in High Heels

I love heels. I love wearing them. Fist of all, I'm on the short side so high heels allow me to wear some jeans and trousers that would otherwise drag on the ground. Yea, I could get them tailored for my flats, but why bother? Second of all, I feel sexy and confident in high heels. Granted, I do have the occasional, 'Oh my Goodness, I'm going to face plant while crossing this intersection in front of all of these cars,' moments, but (and a huge b-u-t) my desire to feel hot, sexy and confident outweighs such a risk. So who decided to start adding height to shoes? How did we get up to 4, 5, 6"? Why do I feel sexier in heels than flats? I hit the books to find out, (well wikipedia to be exact).

Shoes with height can be traced back to old Egypt circa 3500 B.C.- WOW- as a display of class! They took the shape of platforms (chopines) and were practical during the 1400's in Turkey as they kept your feet clean from mud and further from debris in the streets. {See right image} During the 1500s heels grew taller as a means for riders to slip into stirrups easier. It comes as no surprise that the the heel as a fashion statement was first worn (according to some reports) by the Italian wife of King Henry the II of France in 1533. {See left image} "Well-heeled" became a word to denote class and wealth in the French Court throughout the years thereafter. Over the next few centuries, heels were banned, then resurfaced, then sort of boycotted during war years as a way of saying "stick it to the man." Then in the 1800s resurfaced as a mainstay for women's fashion.

The high heel gives women the appearance of a longer leg, a smaller foot, a voluptuous chest, a more defined gluteus maximus, and toned calves. No wonder I feel sexier in heels. High heels have taken many forms over the years; from stiletto to kitten heels, from platforms to wedges, they are here to stay. I can't wait for the detailed shoes this season, I'm due for a new pair of sexy sandals anyway!! Look at these by Tory Burch. I found them on the Nordstrom website. The caged look is HUGE for Spring 2010.