The Haunting History of Heels

Heels can be traced back to ancient Egyptian times, around the second millennium BC. Butchers used to wear heels to avoid stepping on animals after slaughtering them, definitely less glamorous than why they are worn these days. During the European renaissance the high heel became a status symbol worn by both male and females from the higher social statuses. These people were referred to as "well-heeled". Catherine de Medici was the first recorded person to wear high heels as a fashion statement during the 16th century. It is believed that she wore them to impress the French court when she wed the Duke of Orleans, the future king. Since the Second World War, high heels have fallen in and out of popular fashion several times, most notably in the late 1990s, when lower heels and flats predominated the fashion world. So, the next time you put on your favorite heels, try not to think about the animal carcasses they were once used to step on.

Photo credit: Eboni Khan via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

January 4, 2017 Darcy Montana