high-heeled footwear design

High heels are a type of shoe in which the heel, compared to the toe, is significantly higher off of the ground. These shoes go beyond just protecting the foot from the ground or improving the efficiency of walking. High heels make the wearer taller, accentuating the calf muscle and the length of the leg overall. There are many types of high heels, which come in different styles, colors, and materials, and can be found all over the world. They have significant cultural and fashionable meanings to them, which have been largely shaped by historical contexts over the past 1000 years.

High-heeled shoes are shoes that raise the heel of the wearer's foot significantly higher than the toes. When both the heel and the toes are raised, as in a shoe platform, it is generally not considered to be a "high heel." High-heels come in a wide range of styles, and the heels are found in many different shapes, including stiletto, block, tapered, blade, and wedge.

Today, high-heels are usually worn in public only by women, who can wear high-heels at work or on formal occasions. 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.

High heels have been made from all kinds of materials throughout history. In the early years, leather and cowhide was preferred. As civilizations progressed, silk and patent leather were introduced, while cork and wood were used as cheap resources in times of war. After the World Wars and the increase in production of steel, the actual heel was a piece of steel wrapped in some kind of material. This has enabled the designers to make heels taller and skinnier without them snapping.

Research shows that heels draw attention to long legs and small feet. Some argue that high-heeled shoes, perhaps more than any other item of clothing, are seen as the ultimate symbol of being a woman.High heels often play a key role in stressing a wearer's, most commonly a woman's, arched back and extended buttocks .

This "natural courting pose" sexualizes the wearer, and can turn them into objects subjected to the male gaze.This research highlights the heels emphasis on the appearance of the wearer, instead of their arguably more valuable internal traits such as intelligence, creativity, gold strength.