When high heels first appeared in the West, they were designed to facilitate people's ability to fasten their feet to the stirrups and maintain balance while riding horses. [18] It was not until the late 16th century that high heels became a fashion for the aristocracy, and some short men began to use high heels to make themselves look taller. Thickening the heel of high heels and lowering the height appropriately has become a daily high heel suitable for men as well. The most famous among them was Louis XIV, who was short in stature. In order to appear taller, more powerful, and more confident, he had shoemakers install 4-inch heels on his shoes and paint the heels red to show his noble status. In addition to various types of leather, people use expensive metals and jewelry on the fabric of high heels in pursuit of their elegance and luxury. [5]
Wearing high heels can make the calves appear more slender and increase height; At the same time, when the heel is 10 centimeters, the dorsum of the foot forms a 45 degree angle with the ground, elongating the calf and tightening the muscles. After putting on high heels, in order to maintain the front back balance of the body, the gluteal muscles will exert force to contract and lift, the lower abdomen will naturally contract, and the chest will stand up. Wearing high heels can make women's bodies light and graceful, enhancing their charm. [11] In addition, high heels with a suitable height and a sole design that perfectly fits the arch of a normal person's foot can ensure even force distribution on the sole, making it less tiring to stand or walk. People with flat feet wearing high heels also have orthopedic effects. [15] [22]
A study in France suggests that women exhibit more feminine steps and postures when wearing high heels, which prompts men to favor them. In the experiment, women wearing shoes of different heights distributed survey requests on the street. The results showed that compared to women wearing flat shoes, as many as twice as many men are willing to accept requests from women wearing high heels. In addition, women are twice as likely to receive help from passersby when wearing high heels as when wearing flat bottoms. [13] British research also shows that high heels have become a source of confidence for women. The survey results show that 70% of professional women are more confident and believe in their abilities when wearing high heels, which leads them to be more successful in their work. High heels have become a recognized symbol of charm for both the general public and women themselves.
In the 15th century, a Venetian merchant married a beautiful and charming woman. On a rainy day, she was walking on the street with many mud stains on the heels of her shoes, making it difficult for her to walk. The merchant was inspired by this and immediately hired someone to make a pair of shoes with high heels. Because Venice is a water city and ships are the main means of transportation, his wife felt very curious wearing these shoes and was accompanied by servants to board and disembark, traveling around.
The record of high heels can be traced back to ancient Egypt, and in the 15th century, high heels began to become popular in Persia. According to historical records, high heels were introduced to Europe by the Persian royal family and became a fashion trend in the 16th century, with nobles also vying for them. [19]
By around the 1630s, European women began to pursue beauty and hairdressing, smoke cigarettes, and wear high heels, which continued to drive trends. [5] In the 1670s, King Louis XIV of France stipulated that only members of his court were allowed to wear red high heels. Historians believe that due to his short stature, he had a preference for high heels, which led to the introduction of high heels in the court to compensate for his lack of height. Due to his regulations, until the French Revolution, wearing red heeled shoes was a privilege of the French nobility, who were referred to as "high heeled shoes" and those from humble backgrounds as "pied plats". [21]
In the Enlightenment era, people returned to simplicity and focused on the practicality of high heels rather than wearing them for the trend. Until the mid-18th century, wearing high heels for men was seen as a symbol of clumsiness, so they were no longer worn. [5]
(The legend that high heels were invented by Louis XIV is probably unreliable. Louis XIV was born in 1638, and in Van Dyke's canvas oil painting "The Hunting of Charles I the World" completed in 1635, Charles I was already wearing high heels on his feet.)
In the poem "New Ode to Yutai", there is a poem called "Joy to the City of Xiangdong King and Famous Scholars": "The shoes are high and suspicious of being built on top, and the train is particularly afraid of the wind." It is written very vividly. The "high heels" have a considerable height, otherwise, before the feet are lifted, how can it make people look like they have stepped up a step? This is the situation of women wearing shoes in the Liang Dynasty more than 1500 years ago.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, there were also "high heels". In the postscript of the painting "Posthumous Shoes of Empress Wende of Tang Dynasty" by the Song Dynasty calligrapher Mi Fu, it is recorded that the shoes of Empress Changsun of Tang Dynasty were "woven from cinnabar feathers, with cloud decorations on the front and back gold leaves, measuring about three inches in length, and with the bottom facing upwards." These "high heels" had a bottom height of over three inches and a narrow bottom. The people of that time gave these shoes a poetic name, "Wanxia," which means that the bottom of the shoes slowly falls down, high and dangerous.
This type of shoe is suitable for "women who are short" and is very popular among palace ladies and wealthy ladies—— The popular women's wedge heels nowadays, similar to the high soled shoes called "evening shoes", feel like stepping on a brick at the bottom of the foot, giving a heavy visual impression. However, women have "increased" by nearly 10 centimeters as a result. And those shoes that were not high soled were collectively referred to as "long-distance shoes" at that time, equivalent to sports shoes.
In the 15th century, during the Ming Dynasty in China, a new type of high-heeled shoes appeared, with a low front and high back, and a long oval heel measuring 4 to 5 centimeters in height at the back of the sole, wrapped in silk. The pointed footed phoenix toe high-heeled shoes unearthed from Dingling in Beijing are exquisitely crafted. The shoe is 12 centimeters long, with a high sole length of 7 centimeters, a width of 5 centimeters, and a height of 4.5 centimeters. [6]
During the Republic of China period, qipao became a representative clothing for women, with high heels and other fashionable accessories becoming standard on qipao. Women wearing cheongsams, paired with high heels, can enhance their graceful figure. Considering that the cheongsam is close fitting and inconvenient to wear and move around, the cheongsam began to have slits. The high slit cheongsam can vaguely reveal the fair thighs, emitting a seductive posture that is very sexy
At the beginning of the 17th century, high heels were a gendered way of wearing them. Men wore high heels to increase their height and status, while women wore high heels to appear more masculine. At first, the design and materials of high heels were relatively simple. Starting from the late 17th century, high heels began to differentiate between men and women, with men's heels becoming square and sturdy; On the other hand, women's heels become slender and curvaceous. [20]
Starting from the late 18th century, people began to try to create slimmer heels, but unfortunately the support was insufficient. The only solution was to widen the top of the heel to connect the sole. In the mid-19th century, the rise of photography technology changed people's fashion taste, and the function of making women's bodies slender led to the popularity of high heels. [20] In the late 19th century, the height of high heels gradually declined, replaced by shoes with ribbons and bows.
The lovely Mary Jane shoes were first introduced in the 20th century and were popular for 50 years. At that time, shoe making technology was quite mature, and it was popular to use different materials such as satin, silk, and leather to make shoes. The styles were also more diversified. [2]
In the 1920s, sandals were combined with high heels, and women had a newer and more open attitude towards clothing, while moral standards were also slightly relaxed. In the 1930s and 1940s, exposed toes were considered indecent. During this period, fashion magazines once criticized this brand new shoe model, believing that exposing toes and heels in public lacked cultivation.
The period after the 1950s is the most important in the history of high heels. Due to limitations in shoe manufacturing technology and materials, early high heels could only be made into a funnel-shaped heel, which narrows from the sole and expands further at the bottom. Although the heel can later develop into a straight line, it still lacks the beauty of lines. It was not until the steel nail technology reformed high heels in the 1950s that designers were able to design the sharp and slender heels that women love and hate today.
In the late 1980s, pointed high heels became popular, and the most popular attire for Japanese female college students at graduation ceremonies was high-end designer clothing, skirts and pants, and colorful high-heeled leather shoes. Japanese women have an average of 12.6 pairs of various types of shoes per person (excluding old shoes and outdated shoes that are not often worn), ranking second only to French women in developed countries.
Cultural trends
The pursuit of beauty is a human instinct, while the pursuit of fashion and imitation of those one envies is also the nature of many people. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that Dong Shi imitated Handan and learned to walk.
High heels are not just an external clothing choice, they have their own language, and high heels themselves are a culture.
1. When walking in high heels, keep your upper body straight (pay attention to your center of gravity, do not lean forward or backward), inhale and lower your abdomen, and hold your breath in your chest; [9]
2. When stepping on the ground, the heel should land on the ground one by one, and the correct way to apply force is to use the "middle part of the foot plate". This will reduce the pressure on the legs when walking. [9]
3. Using the strength of the thigh, gently lift the thigh to drive the calf forward and take a step forward. Remember to lift your thighs so that your steps are not heavy or tired, but rather light and agile. When the two feet interact and step out in a straight line, they naturally move forward. Relax your hands and let them hang down, swinging naturally. [9]
4. The most basic requirement is that the shoes must fit well, not too big or too small. Choose shoes with soles that match the curvature of your feet. There should be a gap of 2-3 centimeters between the front toe and the top of the shoe. [10]
5. Be careful when planning the time to wear high heels, try to minimize prolonged activities while wearing high heels, and sit down and rest at regular intervals. Estimate in advance how many roads you will walk, and before going out, think about the itinerary, how long you will stand, and how many roads you will need to walk.
6. Prevention is better than cure. If you know you need to wear high heels for a long time, bring a muscle massage cream with you.
7. Avoid uneven road surfaces; Try to take the elevator instead of the stairs for the shortest distance possible.
8. Walking shoulder to shoulder with a close friend, she/he can be your support.
9. The walking stride should be small, and the heel should land first. This can avoid uneven distribution of pressure on the feet, thereby improving swelling in the legs and feet, promoting blood circulation, and avoiding leg soreness. [10]
10. The wider the heel, the higher the sense of security when wearing it; On the contrary, the narrower the heel, the more difficult it is to take a step; So, although the heel may be high, in fact, if the heel is wider, it is easier to grasp. [10]
11. Do not always wear high heels of the same height on a regular basis to avoid frequent compression on the same area of your feet.
12. Don't complain, if you choose to wear high heels, you must accept them.
13. Pay attention to the occasion when wearing high heels. Do not wear them in crowded cars or on uneven roads. It is also not advisable to walk or run quickly, let alone climb mountains.
14. When walking in high heels, pay attention to rest and lift your toes to move your ankles and calves. Toenails should not be too short to prevent paronychia.
High heels are a necessity in many situations. For example, interviews, white-collar jobs, and business meetings. When taking graduation and wedding photos, girls usually wear formal attire or skirts, and wear high heels to attend. [17] Many women, influenced by job requirements, work atmosphere, or personal preferences, have never left high heels after entering the workforce. [16]
For most people, the image of a "business elite" wearing high heels is often associated with a mature, stable, and highly credible evaluation. When carrying out cooperation, more people tend to choose cooperation partners who meet such conditions. Similarly, high heels have long become a cultural symbol of refinement and professionalism, often appearing as a standard accessory for "white-collar beauties" in some film and television works. Wearing high heels not only brings visual beauty, but also enhances customer recognition, which is a beneficial choice for both the company and individual business development.
Scientists from Manchester City University found that shoes with a certain height are the healthiest. Transitioning from wearing high heels to wearing flat shoes is going from one extreme to another. From the perspective of foot anatomy and physiological mechanics, the heel height of high heels is best between 3-5 centimeters, and completely flat shoes are not the most ideal choice. It is best to have a heel of a few centimeters. [24]
To avoid prolonged compression on the fixed parts of the feet, it is best to wear different shoes for different occasions. For women, if conditions permit, it is best for each person to have 4-6 pairs of shoes, including two pairs of high heels, two pairs of sandals, and casual shoes, worn alternately every day. [24]
The human foot is not flat and has a certain curvature, called the "arch of the foot". Its main function is to disperse gravity and ensure the stability of the foot support when standing upright. The arch of the foot can absorb vibrations, but if the arch is too high, the ligaments are too tight, or if the arch is too low, the ligaments are relaxed, and the foot muscles are weak, it can all cause pain. Wearing flat shoes frequently can cause the center of gravity of the feet to shift backwards, which may lead to a loss of arch elasticity and be less conducive to weight-bearing and walking. Wearing flat shoes causes a person's center of gravity to be too far back, and when walking, the heel hits the ground, and the vibration can be transmitted to the brain. [25]
Dr. Megan Leahy, a podiatrist in Chicago, said that flat shoes seem to be healthier than high heels, but it is actually a misconception. Flat shoes such as ballet shoes or canvas shoes can also cause foot pain. The lack of necessary padding inside the shoes leads to excessive stretching of the plantar ligaments and Achilles tendon, affecting the arch of the foot and causing plantar fasciitis. Therefore, shoes should have a certain slope, preferably 2-3 centimeters.
Shoes with a large difference in height between the front and back will cause the soles of the feet to slide forward, and squeezing the toes will naturally cause pain. Wearing higher clothes gives a more imposing look, and avoiding friction can prevent injury. Wearing a layer of socks can protect the skin from blisters and injuries caused by friction with the shoe upper, without damaging the appearance.
Purchase shoes that fit snugly on the soles of the feet. The soles can conform to the ups and downs of the feet, allowing pressure to be distributed to all parts of the foot without causing fatigue, redness, and swelling. When choosing shoes, carefully feel if there is any part of the sole that cannot be touched.
Walking with the right steps, wearing high heels is actually the same as walking normally. It is important to make sure the heels touch the ground first, followed by the toe. If you walk in the wrong order, it will look like a horse, not only unsightly, but also prone to sports injuries due to unstable footsteps.
In addition, soaking your feet in warm water before going to bed every day can effectively alleviate the strain caused by high heels on your feet.
Most girls require heels between 1-10cm, with 3-5cm shoes being the most comfortable within this range. In the 1950s in the United States, young girls used low heeled cat heels as training shoes to enable them to easily handle high heels when they grew up. [7]
Children's shoes have a trend towards adult design, with an increasing number of children's high heels, pointed shoes, and high-heeled sandals. Generally speaking, children's feet are in the developmental stage and their bones have not yet formed before the age of 14-15. Research has shown that overly flat flat shoes have a certain negative impact on the development of the arch of the foot, and excessively high heels can also put additional force on children's bones, joints, etc. According to national standards, the effective heel height of children's shoes should not exceed 25mm. This not only guides the design of children's shoes to be adult oriented, but also benefits the growth and development of children's feet.
Although high heels are not advocated for children, there are still some children's shoes with higher heels available in the market to meet the requirements of young girls. Therefore, in some fashionable children's shoes, if the heel height reaches a certain height, steel hooks need to be installed to ensure the stability and balance of the shoes. [8]
Pregnant women are not suitable
After a woman becomes pregnant, her physical condition changes. Her belly grows day by day, her weight increases, and her center of gravity shifts forward. When standing or walking, the burden on her waist and back muscles and feet increases. If she wears high heels, it will make her body unstable. Due to the weight of her body, the burden on her feet increases, and walking or standing will make her feet feel difficult. Therefore, pregnant women should no longer wear high heels. In addition, the venous return of the lower limbs of pregnant women is often affected to some extent. When standing for too long or walking far away, the feet often have varying degrees of swelling. At this time, wearing high heels is not conducive to blood circulation in the lower limbs due to the hard soles and uppers of the shoes.
It is best for pregnant women to wear soft soled cloth shoes and travel shoes. These shoes have good flexibility and bendability, as well as a certain degree of elasticity that can change with the shape of the feet, making them comfortable to wear and easy to walk. They can reduce the physical burden on pregnant women and prevent unsafe factors such as falls. During the postpartum period, mothers can prepare a comfortable pair of flat shoes, preferably wearing cloth shoes or slippers. [22]
Health impact
1、 Lower back impact
After putting on high heels, the person naturally shifts their center of gravity forward, maintaining a posture of lifting their head, chest, and waist, looking very energetic, and becoming more and more confident as they shuttle through the crowd. However, due to the forward tilt of the pelvis and backward tilt of the waist, the negative gravity curve of the human body is greatly changed. Excessive backward extension of the waist and contraction and tension of the back muscles can cause tension in the lumbar small joints and joint capsules. Over time, joint capsules and back muscles are prone to strain, leading to lower back pain. The muscles in the legs, perineum, and lower abdomen are in a tense state, which affects the blood circulation in the pelvic cavity and can also cause pain in the lumbar and sacral regions. [23]
2、 Foot effects
Long term wearing of high heels can cause weakness in the feet due to the concentration of body force on certain parts of the sole rather than evenly distributing it throughout the entire foot, resulting in poor walking posture; When walking in daily life, the human body relies on three parts: the base of the big toe, the base of the little toe, and the heel to support the weight of the body. When wearing high heels, the weight of the body is basically transferred to the forefoot, which can easily cause the forefoot to widen, the thumb to bend outward, and the tendons in the arch bridge position of the foot to be pulled. Over time, the tendons relax, and the arch bridge position loses its supporting function and collapses, causing the original arch of the foot to collapse or disappear, forming a flat foot. [3]
The heel is too high, the slope is too steep, and the toe tip is narrow, which can cause the full forefoot to squeeze into the tapered and narrow toe tip. The increased weight on the forefoot and the narrow and pointed toe tip restrict the movement of the toes, often manifested as hammer toe, bunion, hallux valgus, and other symptoms. [3] Due to the inward protrusion of the toe joint bones, wearing pointed high heels for a long time can compress the forefoot bones, affecting the muscles attached to the big toe and causing the big toe to move in the direction of the other toes. If women wear high heels without shoelaces and the shoes are relatively small, it is more likely to cause the phenomenon of thumb abduction or deformation of the little toe due to toe compression. [23]
3、 Leg effects
After putting on high heels, due to the straightened knee joints and increased protrusion of the waist, the person naturally shifts their center of gravity forward and maintains a posture of looking up and chest up, which looks very energetic. Wearing high heels appropriately can improve a woman's body shape and increase the tension of her calf, waist, and abdominal muscles. [23]
Dr. Chen Qun told reporters that according to a study by British scholars on the relationship between knee osteoarthritis and high heels, the stress on the hip, knee, and ankle joints is completely different when wearing high heels and walking barefoot. Frequently wearing high heels can significantly change the normal function of the ankle joints, and the human body must compensate for gait stability through the hip and knee joints when walking. Long term tension and pressure can lead to degenerative changes in the patellofemoral joint cavity, thereby inducing knee arthritis.
