Shoes that increase the height of a person have been known since Ancient Greece where actors on stage wore koturni for this purpose - wooden or cork sandals with thick soles. In medieval Europe, the streets of which were drowned in mud and sewage, stilted shoes were invented, which are wooden soles with leather belts... They were worn on top of casual shoes and called clogs, and in the East, similar shoes, kabkab, were worn in the bathhouse so as not to burn their feet on the hot floor. In Venice, starting from the 15th century, women of different classes wore very large platforms, sometimes more than 20 centimeters high, called zoccoli (hooves). The oldest finds of heels as separate parts from the sole, supporting the heel, are dated by archaeologists to the 14th century. This was the time of the nobility's passion for hunting and horse riding. To prevent the shoes from slipping in the stirrups, the shoemakers introduced a new technology - they began to thicken the sole under the heel, and then they invented the heel. Later, the spread of shoes with heels was influenced by another military innovation: the increase in the importance of the infantry as a branch of the military. Infantrymen for long campaigns needed high-quality boots, so the craftsmen switched to the production of shoes with thick soles, with a comfortable heel. In Russia, the first heels also appeared in the XIV century. As the archaeological excavations show, they were carved from solid pieces of wood and put into a boot under the sole. From above, the entire structure was sheathed with leather. In the 16th century, a stacked heel appeared, consisting of many layers of leather, fastened with a metal bracket and lined with a horseshoe. Walking in shoes with such heels was extremely difficult, because the instep support had not yet been invented, as well as the details that fixed the foot, for example, the shoe tongue. And then they sewed without distinction between right and left legs. There is a version that the Russian word "heel" is borrowed from the Turkic language, where it meant "heel". High heels for a long time were worn only by men, women joined it later, already in the 17th century. Having mastered the heels, the ladies replaced their practical functions with purely aesthetic ones: in such shoes, the woman's back seemed more straight, and the posture seemed majestic, although it was physically difficult to hold it, because the heels sometimes reached 20 centimeters in height, and the toes of the shoes literally rested on the ground. The heels of boots and shoes were dyed depending on the fashion in different colours: blue, green, black. Of particular importance was red, which in European countries served as a distinctive feature of the aristocracy. In the 17th century, the heels of boots began to be dyed black, the red color of the heels was preserved only in shoes (“Mr. Before the fall of the monarchy in France at the end of the 18th century, shoes with red heels were worn only by the French nobility at the court of the king. The history of heels has been constantly updated with new inventions. So, in early XVIII centuries have created a "French" heel, or "pigeon paw". Concave inward, it created an optical illusion, visually reducing the distance between the toe of the shoe and the heel. In the twentieth century, the stiletto heel was invented. Who exactly invented it is unknown, but we know the name of the person who first nailed a metal heel on it. It was the shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo. The Shoe Museum in Florence is named after him.

Shoes with heels are an indispensable attribute of the wardrobe. modern woman... Heels visually lengthen the legs, make the gait more graceful and sexy. However, this element first appeared on men's shoes and was intended for quite practical purposes.

The appearance of the prototype of modern heels is attributed to the late Middle Ages. European horsemen nailed special blotches to their shoes, which helped them to keep their feet in the stirrups. This invention was to the liking of the townspeople, since the streets of medieval cities were literally drowned in mud and sewage. Men and women wore special walking shoes, consisting of high wooden soles with leather straps. In the circles of merchants and nobility, the so-called chopine, which are similar to platform sandals, became widespread. These shoes were made of wood or cork and had heels ranging from 15 to 60 centimeters high.


Over time, even monarchs began to wear high-heeled shoes. It is believed that this fashion was introduced by the famous Madame Pompadour. The favorite of the French king Louis XVI was very short, and the heels helped her "rise" in the eyes of the courtiers.

The twentieth century has become a time of revolutionary changes in heels and women's shoes in general. The first shoes with sharp and thin heels were made in the workshops of the Italian Salvatore Ferragamo in the early 50s. Their stiletto heel contained a steel bar, which is why the shoe was called the stiletto.


A couple of years later, this invention appeared in the collection of the French fashion designer Roger Vivier and many other famous designers. There is a story that in 1953 Vivier made a unique sample of sandals with thin high heels, decorated with precious stones... They were intended for the coronation of the Queen of England. Many wealthy clients have ordered such shoes for themselves, thereby ensuring incredible popularity of the stiletto heel.

To achieve true world fame, the hairpins had to become the central figure of a big scandal. This story took place in 1960 in France. The government issued a decree that prohibited ladies from visiting the country's national museums wearing stiletto heels dangerous for carpets and parquet flooring. After this incident, the heels became truly world famous.

Every woman has at least one pair of so-called “weekend” shoes with breathtaking high heels in her wardrobe. Unbelievable, but true: as soon as a woman puts on such shoes, she immediately feels much more confident. Heeled shoes will never go out of fashion, because for the sake of this confidence, lightness and freedom, we are ready to endure any inconvenience! But where did the fashion for such shoes come from?

The history of fashion has been written over the centuries. Shoes, like other items of the image, reflected the era. High heels conquered their admirers several hundred years ago, continuing to delight fashionistas with new forms. Life "on a stiletto heel" dictates a new image, making a woman's silhouette more graceful. The heel has undergone transformations for centuries, today women's shoes it is difficult to imagine without this integral part. Seventy percent of men, according to opinion polls, prefer women who wear high heels.

A woman in high heels is graceful, unhurried and graceful. She is a goddess who carries herself through the crowd and attracts admiring male looks.

However, do today's beauties know that at first heels had a completely different function? In ancient Egypt, farmers put on shoes with heels when they walked in the field - the heel created an emphasis, and it was more convenient for the peasants to move on the arable land.That he can be considered the great-great-grandfather of heels.

History has not preserved the exact date of birth of the heel for posterity. Therefore, the primacy of Egypt is also challenged by Greece. References to the prototype of a high platform can be found among the ancient Greeks: theater actors used such shoes (koturni) to visually increase their height. The soles were made of wood or cork. The higher the koturny were, the more noble and significant character the actor portrayed.

The word “heel” is borrowed from the Turkic “kabluk”, which, in turn, comes from the Arabic “kab”, which means “heel, heel”. In Russian, this word is found in written sources in 1509. There are many versions of the origin of the heel. According to one of them, for the first time, it was attached to riding boots so that the shoes did not fall into the stirrup.

However, it is believed that the modern heel dates back to the Baroque era. And men came up with it. According to one version, it was a French officer wearing boots - heavy high leather boots, an obligatory element of which is a stacked heel. He needed it so that while riding, the leg was better kept in the stirrup. According to another, the first heels appeared among the horsemen of the Golden Horde. And they were also needed for comfortable riding. That is why for a long time they remained an accessory of men's shoes.

High military boots slowly won admirers in a peaceful life.

The fashion for beautiful exotic chopins - shoes on a cylindrical platform - was introduced by Venetian courtesans. They could walk independently on a platform with a height of 15 to 42 cm only with the help of servants or fans. In 1430, the chopins were outlawed. But the ban of the authorities could no longer contain the fashionable fad.

In 1533 happened significant event: Catherine de Medici, a small person, wore high-heeled shoes for a wedding with the French prince Henry de Valois, the future king of France, Henry II. The heel was about five centimeters high. Shoes, similar to those made for her in Italy, began to be worn at the French court, Queen Mary Tudor of England, also short, introduced the fashion for shoes with heels for men and women.

In 1660 the shoemaker Nicholas Lestage made for King Louis XV luxurious shoes with embroidery depicting battle scenes, with 10-centimeter heels. Following the king, such shoes were worn by the Marquise de Pompadour, the official favorite of the French king Louis XV, since she was very short.

In the 17th century, not only military boots were fashionable, but also secular ones. Both men and women wear heels. The heel of men's shoes could even be 7 cm. It is believed that the fashion for such heels was started by the short Louis XIV, who was shy of his height. Somewhere at the end of the century, along with tight-fitting knitted stockings, boots appear that resemble today's men's shoes. Sometimes they were decorated with more than womens shoes... At the same time, the famous red heel arose, which was allowed to be worn only by nobles.

But women wore shoes made of colored leather, brocade with curved heels with a pointed toe. They were decorated with bows, buckles, rosettes. Sometimes the heels were so high and thin that women could only walk on them with a stick. In view of such enthusiasm, the emperors had to issue special decrees already regulating the height of the heels according to the state. Understandably, high heels were the privilege of nobility and royalty. Probably, the peasants were not very offended, but as they say, the experts were not comfortable walking in such heels, because there were no instep supports.

Presumably Italian shoes, circa 1670; french shoes made of silk and leather, 1690-1700

By the way, before this century there was no difference between a boot on the right and left feet - the pads were made the same. And it was thanks to the heels, which required stability, that the shoes began to be made on different legs.

At this time, kings began to issue special decrees regulating the height of heels by class: the highest heels were the privilege of the nobility, court and members of royal families.

Shoes made in 1651; presumably Italian shoes, 1690-1720

The obsession with the beauty of women wearing heels has reached dangerous levels. The British Parliament decreed the execution of women who wear heels as witches. Cause? It turns out that high-heeled shoes are a magical means of forcing men to marry against their will, who obey a blind instinct. Well, for men, heels seem to really work flawlessly. No wonder in his autobiography the famous ladies' man Giovanni Casanova blissfully described the beauty of women's legs, shod in high-heeled shoes ...

In the 18th century, heels became exclusively feminine. And again, a high heel is in fashion - 10-12 cm. Its shape and thickness change, it is covered with velvet and inlaid with precious stones. Shoes become a work of art. Regarding the height of the heels, the famous favorite of women, Casanova, said that the ladies of the court "jump like curved kangaroos around the room, risking losing their balance and breaking their necks."

Also an unhealthy hobby " high fashion”Condemned the Orthodox Church. And during the French Revolution, doctors and philosophers opposed narrow high-heeled shoes - they were considered unhealthy. Therefore, slippers with thin soles, in which it was convenient to dance, became fashionable.

In Russia, by the end of this century, heels also became "the fashion of yesterday", giving way to narrow slippers without a heel with a raised toe, which were called sterlet.

Each century has changed and supplemented both the shoes and the heel. The shoes show where the owner is heading. They wore black shoes for receptions and parades, for hunting and walks - Brown... Also, according to the shoes, they determined which class a person belongs to.

Among the Slavic peoples, in particular, boots (marigolds) were considered festive, which were sewn from red, green morocco, yellow flowers, with slightly raised noses, low tops and high heels than in men's boots. However, only wealthy people could walk in them.

The French Revolution of 1789 deprived ladies of high heels for almost 50 years. Ladies' shoes from the Napoleonic era are reminiscent of modern ballet slippers. Europe was swept by the idea of ​​“simplifying” the way of life. Doctors, philosophers, high-browed intellectuals openly opposed unhealthy corsets, narrow high-heeled shoes and, oddly enough, won. Ladies appeared on the streets of Paris with short hair, in dresses made of fine fabrics and sandals for flat sole... But the newly-made emperor Napoleon Bonaparte did not like this fashion.

Fashion went into reverse, and the "corset waist" and bulky crinolines returned to the wardrobe of Parisian beauties. And the heels remained in exile. The thing is that the ability to dance well at that time was considered a must, and what could be more comfortable for dancing than silk slippers with thin leather soles?

Since the middle of the 19th century, the silk shoes of the ladies of the court have been replaced by the leather half-boots. Then I come up with heel - "glass" which has been popular for almost 50 years in a row.

And only in the XX century the shape of the shoe begins to resemble the shape of the foot, the insoles become asymmetrical. The shoes were changing at an indecent rate. Heels were made high and low. Sometimes as thin as a nail, and sometimes as wide as furniture legs, and sometimes they were bent so that the enemy formed as if he wanted to escape from under the heel of his mistress. A fashionable shoes at the beginning of the century, lacquered or lace-up boots with a light top and black lacquered heels were considered.

The famous graceful stiletto heel appeared only in 1950: the Italian fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo, after a series of successful experiments with platform shoes, released his invention - a high thin heel.

It was in the 50s of this century that the Dior Fashion House creates modern stilettos. It became a furor in the fashion world. Now every woman has at least one stiletto heel in her wardrobe, because it is considered that they are always fashionable.

"I will never wear them, they are terrible!" - So in 1936 one young lady answered the proposal of the shoemaker - Italian Salvatore Ferragamo - to try on wedge sandals. The master invented them by accident - due to the lack of high-quality steel from which the instep supports were made. In order not to constantly repair the shoes, Frregamo decided to fill the space between the heel and the toe with cork wood. And despite such a reaction from the first client of the master, the wedge heel became a sensation, the fashion for it went around the whole world. After all, creating the effect of high heels, the wedge is much more comfortable to wear.

You can admire the shoe product of the Ferragamo fashion house in the famous Billy Wilder movie “The Seven Year Itch”, where the legendary Marilyn Monroe flirtatiously lowers a white skirt fluttering in the wind.

Early 20th century footwear

Anna Pavlova's shoes (1923); evening shoes, 1925

1930s fashion

Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, 1935-36

American evening shoes 1935-40; 1930s Steven Arpad pumps

American shoes 1937-39

1936 French Shoes, Art Deco Shoes, 1930s Steven Arpad Shoes

Platform sandals, 1940s

Shoes manufactured by Newton Elkin Shoe Co. in 1945-46

Salvatore Ferragamo and Albion shoes, early 1950s

Mid-1950s women's shoes

Roger Vivier's shoes for Christian Dior, 1958-1960

Evening shoes Marlene Dietrich

Boots and ankle boots of the late 1950s - early 1960s

Now, just like many years ago, women wear heels to visually lengthen their legs and emphasize their grace. The history of the fashion for heels has not yet been completed, it is still waiting for its enthusiastic admirers.

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Ancient world

V Ancient egypt shoes were made from papyrus. At the early stage of statehood, only the pharaoh and his entourage could wear it. It is interesting that the wife of the pharaoh was not among the confidants and walked barefoot. These sandals cost a king. Herodotus once wrote that making one pair of sandals for the pharaoh took the annual income of an average city.

History also owes Egypt the invention of the heel, without which it is unrealistic to imagine modern footwear. True, they were not worn by pharaohs and priests, but by ordinary farmers, for whom the heels created the necessary emphasis to make it easier to move on loose ground.

Noble Romans at first put on something like gloves on their feet (they were pulled over each finger). Later they liked greek sandals- and it began! The sandals were modernized, embroideries appeared on them, iron decorations in the form of lion's faces, chains, wreaths, etc.

There were special shoes for plebeians, philosophers, for visiting the Senate. Chaste ladies were supposed to have closed shoes, and prostitutes wore sandals to show the beauty of their own feet. Ancient Greek courtesans also made a significant contribution to the history of footwear. By their order, shoemakers nailed shoes so that they left footprints with the words “Follow me”.

Baroque
Surprisingly, the trendsetter of the Baroque era is a French officer who wore boots - languid high leather boots with obligatory stacked heels.

The highest heels were necessary so that when riding, the leg was better anchored in the stirrup. In general, not only military boots were in fashion, but also secular ones. This lasted until the end of the 17th century, when leg-tight knitted stockings appeared, and the fashion for shoes, somewhat reminiscent of modern men's shoes, came. In 1680, shoes with such high and narrow heels came into fashion that ladies could only walk on them, focusing on the cane. The gentlemen did not want to lag behind the weaker sex, and the fashion for heels became widespread. Now the tsars were obliged to issue special decrees already regulating the height of the heels by class. Naturally, and this time the highest heels were the privilege of the nobility and members of royal families. At the same time, the famous reddish heel arose, distinguishing the nobility from other classes.

The era of revolutions
The French Revolution of 1789 deprived women of large heels for almost 50 years. Ladies' shoes from the Napoleonic era are reminiscent of modern ballet slippers. Europe was gripped by the idea of ​​"simplifying" the way of life. Doctors, philosophers, high-browed intellectuals openly opposed unhealthy corsets, narrow shoes with high heels and, surprisingly, won. Ladies with short hairstyles, dresses of fine fabrics and sandals with flat soles appeared on the streets of Paris. But the newly-made emperor Napoleon Bonaparte did not like this fashion. Fashion backed up, and the “corset waist” and bulky crinolines returned to the wardrobe of Parisian beauties. And the heels remained in exile. The thing is that the ability to dance perfectly at that time was considered mandatory, and what could be more comfortable for dancing than silk slippers with narrow leather soles?

The last century was a real triumph for shoemakers. During this time, as many styles were invented as were not invented by ancestors in all past history. Natural rubber has increased the waterproofness of the soles, and the shoes have become the most practical. After World War II, chemists discovered nylon and cellophane. Now a new shoe model lives on average 9 weeks. Not bound by the hands of technical restrictions, the shoemaker can do whatever his heart desires.

Heel history

It is completely unclear how the ladies lived until 1950. After all, before that time there were no stiletto heels !!! Since that time, ladies have deliberately spoiled their legs for the sake of fashion.
True, the first heels appeared among the eastern horsemen back in the 12th century, but it is difficult to call them heels. These were some blotches that served a very practical purpose: the men pinned them to their shoes to keep their feet firmly in the stirrup when jumping. But who and when invented the real heel is not exactly clear, but it is generally accepted that it happened in the 17th century in Spain with light hand craftsmen from the town of Cordoba. They developed the structure and construction of the heel, the main shapes of which were beveled inward and "French" - with a "waist" in the center. Over time, the shape underwent different configurations and, finally, in 1950, the Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo proposed a long metal stiletto rod as a support for the heel. And thus, he became the dad of the famous hairpin.
Although the authorship of the creation of the first stiletto heel is also attributed to Roger Vivier, who worked at Dior's house and in 1955 presented a whole collection of shoes with large thin heels of various shapes... Around the same time in France, Charles Jourdan was making the highest, narrow heels on his own models.

Who came up with the hairpin?

The history of the "hairpin" is shrouded in an abundance of legends. Immediately, several eminent European shoe makers claim the venerable title of the inventor of this heel. Among them are two Frenchmen - Roger Vivier and Raymond Massaro, and one Italian - Salvatore Ferragamo.
According to one version, Roger Vivier was the first. Back in 1953, for the coronation of Elizabeth of Britain, he created exclusive sandals with thin and high heels, speckled with rubies. The model was so extraordinary that Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas immediately asked the maestro to create something similar for them. Roger could not refuse. He could not refuse and millions of ordinary ladies, who soon realized that a lady in high heels with an exciting gait does not know any equal. Among the eminent clients of Vivier were Sophia Loren, Elezabeth Taylor, the wife of the Shah of Iran Farah and the Baroness of Windsor. They all looked forward to latest models from the "king of shoes". And he never let them down.
In general, another king of ladies' shoes, Raymond Massaro, also had more eminent clients. Specifically, some fashion researchers attribute to him the creation of a "hairpin". In the workshop of Massaro, Marlene Dietrich concert shoes with the highest heels crowned with rhinestones are still kept. They were commissioned by the actress in 1960, but if you believe Raymond, he invented this model even earlier. Countess Bismarck (the wife of the Steel Chancellor's great-grandson and a major admirer of Mossaro's talent) had in her own arsenal a thousand (!!!) pairs of shoes of this brand. And some extravagant American woman, having replaced Massaro's “hairpins” at the request of her daughter for the calmest heel, broke her ankle right there. Raymond's pride is his high-heeled shoes topped with pearls, diamonds and rubies. In an interview, the designer admitted that he did not create them for implementation, he just fulfilled his old dream. Later, Massaro's dream was acquired by an unknown lady for a million francs. Salvatore Ferragamo thought of raising the hairpin to a height of more than 10 cm. It came out in 953. It cannot be said that the ladies were delighted with the idea of ​​the Italian and were at first very wary of the heels invented by him. The prerequisites for that were very harsh: the first "hairpins" from Ferragamo were woody and just broke. But after Salvatore thought of planting highest heel on an iron rod and clothe it in leather or plastic, stiletto heels made a real revolution. A whole line of stars and royalty lined up at Ferragamo. One of the first in this line was Merlin Monroe. Ferragamo-made shoes adorn her slender legs in the famous episode where the wind from the New York subway heaves the actress's dress. Later, these same shoes were sold at auction for 40 eight thousand dollars.