High-heeled Footwear - Contemporary Scene

Contemporary Scene

Since the Second World War, high heels have fallen in and out of favor several times, most notably in the late 1990s, when lower heels and even flats predominated. Lower heels were preferred during the late 1960s and early 1970s as well, but higher heels returned in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The shape of the fashionable heel has also changed from block (1970s) to tapered (1990s), and stiletto (1950s, 1980s, and post-2000).

Today, high heels are typically worn by women, with heights varying from a kitten heel of 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) to a stiletto heel (or spike heel) of 4 inches (10 cm) or more. Extremely high-heeled shoes, such as those higher than 5 inches (13 cm), are normally worn only for aesthetic reasons and are not considered practical. Court shoes are conservative styles and often used for work and formal occasions, while more adventurous styles are common for evening wear and dancing. High heels have seen significant controversy in the medical field lately, with many podiatrists seeing patients whose severe foot problems have been caused almost exclusively by high-heel wear.

The wedge heel is informally another style of the heel, where the heel is in a wedge form and continues all the way to the toe of the shoe.

Reasons against wearing high heels, which are almost exclusively health and practicality reasons, include:

• They can cause foot pain.
• They increase likelihood of sprains and fractures.
• They make calves look more rigid and sinewy.
• They can create foot deformities, including hammertoes and bunions.
• They can cause an unsteady gait.
• They can shorten the wearer's stride.
• They can render the wearer unable to run.
• Altered forces at the knee caused by walking in high heels may predispose to degenerative changes in the knee joint.
• Foot and tendon problems as listed below.
• Women who wear high heels frequently have a higher incidence of degenerative joint disease of the knees. This is because they cause a decrease in the normal rotation of the foot, which puts more rotation stress on the knee.

Reasons for wearing high heels, which are almost exclusively aesthetic reasons, include:

• They change the angle of the foot with respect to the lower leg, which accentuates the appearance of calves.
• They change the wearer's posture, requiring a more upright carriage and altering the gait in what is considered a seductive fashion.
• They make the wearer appear taller.
• They make the legs appear longer.
• They make the foot appear smaller.
• They make the toes appear shorter.
• They make the arches of the feet higher and better defined.
• They may improve the tone of a woman's pelvic floor, thus affecting female incontinence.
• They may help shorter people use items that have been designed for those of a normal height, e.g. sit upright with feet on floor on chairs that would otherwise be too high, reach items on shelves, etc.

During the 16th century, European royalty started wearing high-heeled shoes to make them look taller or larger than life, such as Catherine de Medici or Mary I of England. By 1580, men also wore them, and a person with authority or wealth was often referred to as "well-heeled".

In modern society, high-heeled shoes are a part of women's fashion, perhaps more as a sexual prop. High-heels force the body to tilt, emphasizing the buttocks and breasts, highlights of a woman's sexuality. They also emphasize the role of feet in sexuality, and the act of putting on stockings or high-heels is often seen as an erotic act. This desire to look sexy and erotic continues to drive women to wear high-heeled shoes, despite causing significant pain in the ball of the foot, or bunions or corns, or Hammer toe. A survey conducted by the American Podiatric Medical Association showed some 42% of women admitted that they would wear a shoe they liked even if it gave them discomfort.