|THE DEN|
Iran
In the 10th century CE, high heels were first observed in ancient Iran. Iran was referred to as Persia at the time. And the first high heels were worn with pride by the Persian soldiers.
The cavalry played a significant role in the Persian army and the Persians were skilled riders. Standing up on the saddle to discharge a bow, the soldiers on horses would charge at the foe. It takes some skill to shoot a bow from a charging horse. It required extraordinary expertise and a little assistance from some ingenious boots. The dreadful Persian mounted archers wore stilettos! High heels arrived in India by the 12th century CE.
Europe
With European nations and Empires, the Persian Empire enjoyed comparatively close trading ties. High-heeled shoes are probably the result of trade networks. In any case, by the 1400s, women were wearing high platform shoes with chopines, particularly in Spain and Venice. But ultimately, particularly in Venice, they started to become a fashion statement.
France
In the 17th century, wearing high heels was a sign of social rank. They could only be afforded by wealthy males. High- heeled shoes were a particular favourite of French King Louis XIV, who started to see them as a symbol of authority. During the 17th century, high-heeled shoes for women courtesans also became popular.
The Revolution
As the 18th century rolled around, Women's heels were thinner, making them harder and less comfortable to wear. Men eventually stopped wearing heels as the Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment got underway. Men were persuaded by the Enlightenment that they were rational beings in contrast to women's irrationality. High heels and other cosmetic items were also regarded as licentious in nations like Britain and America.
Revival
High heels saw a revival in the second part of the 19th century. They first resurfaced around two inches tall. Heels became a mainstay of high-end fashion as the century went on and more and more heel designs were trademarked.
Sexualization Of Heels
In the first half of the 20th century to draw attention to their bodies, women wore heels. In general, heels give the appearance of longer legs, more defined muscles, and lifted buttocks. Images of attractive, high-heeled ladies have been widely disseminated thanks to the invention and growth of cinema and photography. Women were persuaded that wearing high, frequently stiletto-heeled shoes was the quickest path to a man's heart by celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.
Feminist Stand
The popularity of stilettos and other thin, high-heeled shoes in the early to mid 19th century is largely responsible for the shoe’s continued popularity today. But it was also during this time that fashion designers like Manolo Blahnik entered the market. When celebrities like Madonna, Freddie Mercury, and David Bowie started donning heeled boots and shoes as a fashion statement rather than a cosmetic enhancement in the 1980s, they came back in a new guise.
Heels Today
High-heeled shoes today have intricate origins, justifications, and cultural repercussions. Some people choose to wear heels for cosmetic and aesthetic reasons, while others do so to express their style. Women's fashion is no longer the sole domain of heels. Heels have returned to the men's world thanks to the popularity of androgynous fashion. However, men still don't find them to be as common.
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