High Heel Shoes as a Symbol of Class, Gender and Sexuality
High heel shoes are defined as footwear having a heel that is higher than the toe. Throughout their history, they have acted as symbols for differentiating between the sexes and the social classes. What's more, right up to contemporary versions, they are considered symbols of sexuality and fertility.
They give off a contradictory image as they make a woman appear that her movement will be easier and more elegant as she seems to be already half-walking in the standing position. However in reality, high heel shoes shorten the step and make walking slower and less steady. While today�s version is worn for fashion purposes only, precursors to the high heel did have functional value, however that did not necessarily stop them being indicators of social status.
High Heel Shoes in Ancient History
In ancient Egypt, wearing shoes may have served to set apart lower classes from the nobility as normal people walked around barefoot while the rich usually wore flat, leather shoes. What�s more, murals from around 3500 BC depict members of the aristocracy wearing shoes that are strikingly similar to high heels. The shoes were worn by both men and women and were probably mostly used for ceremonial purposes. In a more practical application, shoes with extended heels were also worn by Egyptian butchers who wished to keep their feet out of reach of the blood of the animals they slaughtered.
