Are heels the devil in fashion form?

Photo by pcadaval

By Leo Ward

We want them, bruise our ankles with them and sometimes walk home holding a broken one. It goes without saying that high heels are a definitive part of fashion culture.

Image by Pexles

Why do we wear heels?

High heels are a long-associated centrepiece to fashion, from the French courts of Versailles to the catwalk in Milan. Shoes play a essential role to a good look and say much about the person wearing them, however certain ones can be devils in disguise.

So where did heels appear from? Well, the original purpose has changed a lot since they first became popular.

Heels can be tracked to 10^th century Iran, when Persian soldiers wore them while riding horseback to secure themselves to the stirrups while standing up on the moving horse. This enabled them to be able to fire arrows, however it did not take long for unique footwear to become a fashion sensation. 

By the 16^th century, high heels had made their way to Europe and quickly became adored by the men there. They became useful to avoid dirt getting on their actual shoes, while later Italian courtesans began to wear them for the “sexy androgynous look”. The heel fashion industry was born.

With height being a display of wealth, heels got taller with time. The average height of high heels now is 3-4 inches.

Christian Louboutin arguably has become the reigning aristocrat of the high heel empire, however, despite their popularity, heels have a reputation for being extremely painful or completely unwalkable.

“Unbearable to wear”- Medium

In 2012, in an interview with Vogue, Louboutin said: “People say I am the king of painful shoes. I don’t want to create painful shoes, but it is not my job to create something comfortable. I try to make heels as comfortable as they can be, but my priority is design, beauty and sexiness.” 

So, should we suffer to look “sexy”, as Louboutin says? And keep in mind these shoes are around £700 and cannot be worn a lot. In addition, the iconic red bottoms are known to scratch and peel within few uses.

However, they sell well despite being unwearable, pricey and fragile – so why do people buy and bow to them?

When describing a Louboutin, they aren’t spoken as just a shoe but rather a statement and art piece, they are for photos not life. And there’s a whole fleet of shoes just like Louboutin.

Rosario, age 42, believes that high heels are “part of the culture. We have seen it in the movies since we were young, there’s the association with being sexy and elongated legs”.

“Don’t break a leg”

In the US, 7,097 heel-related injuries for women were recorded in 2002. By 2012, the number had become 14,140. 

But do heels have to be uncomfortable? Sharonlyn, age 58 from South Africa, says that “they don’t need to be high to be beautiful, it’s whatever your comfortable with” and that “you can combine the two together” when it comes to comfort and statement. 

So, do you need glamour like Louboutin and the sacrifice of comfort to achieve fashion excellence, or should fashion be practical and a reflection of what you feel good in? 

Sharolyn’s daughter, Savanna, who just turned 30, said high heel comfort completely depends on location. “If I’m going to work then I’d choose a heel with comfort, but if it’s a party, higher the better.”

By pretty princx28

So, it’s all a personal choice and up to you about what looks good, but a good outfit is only good if you feel good – and that can’t happen if you’re in pain.