The year 1660, with Louis XIV making at his maturity Paris the capital of the western world, marks the beginning of French leadership in fashion, which preferred shoes for men rather than boots. The boots still worn in the 1660s were an exaggerated version of the 1630s soft wide boots. Only as late as in the 1690s a heavy boot entered fashion again, which by then has become rigid, and was worn mainly as a riding or military boot, not any longer as a dress boot. The reasons for this development might be as such: first of all France rose in its power, while Charles II in England had a French background (he was exiled there), and furthermore boots were a reminder of Civil War in England, and therefore disappeared as fashion, but continued for riding. Charles II had lived much of his life in France and he was 30 when he was crowned King of England. Therefore his taste was French.
Heeled boots were worn as early as the 10th century by Persian soldiers and emissaries when riding, battling, or traveling to faraway lands. These heels weren’t for show. When a soldier wore heeled boots on a horse, he was able to better steady himself and generate more balance both for riding and fighting. Persian soldiers were also able to stand upright in their stirrups, positioning their feet so the space between the heel and the sole was snug in the stirrup, which gave them an advantage in battle.
High heels made their way to Europe in the 16th century; their purpose was akin to how we think of these shoes today. Men in the French, Spanish, German, and Russian courts wore heeled boots and shoes to project height and physical stature in order to intimidate rivals and foreign diplomats in court.
Over the next 200 years, men’s heels got shorter and stockier — making the boots and shoes better for balance and walking, and less of an ornate fashion statement.
By the 18th century, high heeled shoes had faded from fashion for men, who started to favor less flamboyant clothing and accessories.
When women started to wear high heeled shoes indoors, the goal was to hide as much of the foot as possible beneath a long skirt. The peeking toe suggested a small foot, showing daintiness.
Today sneakers are far more popular than heels, but the idea of the “platform sneaker” suggests that the ethos of the high heel shoe is not yet a thing of the past.
Red-bottomed shoes today are most often attributed to the contemporary fashion designer Christian Louboutin, yet footwear with red soles and heels dates all the way back to 17th-century France and England.
In the first half of the 17th century, high heeled shoes for men took the form of heeled riding or Cavalier boots as worn by King Charles I. As the wearing of heels filtered into the lower ranks of society, the aristocracy responded by dramatically increasing the height of their shoes. High heels were impractical for undertaking manual labour or walking long distances, and therefore announced the privileged status of the wearer.
By the late 17th century, Paris had become the center of European fashion, influenced by the court of Charles II's cousin, Louis XIV. This included the fashion for high - between 2 and 5 ins. - wooden heels, trimmed with ornate buckles, rosettes and ribbons to fasten and decorate shoes. High-heeled shoes made of silks, brocades and other expensive fabrics further separated the nobility from working men and women and allowed their status to be visible at all times.
Red heels were initially popularised at the French court. Red dye was expensive and carried a military overtone. In time it came to represent royalty due to the price of the dye, and the color came to symbolize power and masculinity.
The fashion for red heels soon spread overseas - Charles II had spent time at the French court during his 14 year exile and was eager to emulate the opulence he had seen there. Despite the fact that Charles II was over 6 ft. (1.8m) tall - Louis XIV was only 5 ft. 4" (1.62m) - the fashion for high red heels was adopted at the Restoration court.
Charles II’s coronation portrait from 1661 shows him wearing red-soled heels, known as the “French style,” which were popular in England at the time.
There is a portrait of Charles II by Simon Verelst, showing the king wearing pale shammy leather shoes with red heels and knots of silver lace and ribbon. Such shoes were part of the sumptuous robes and insignia of the Order of the Garter and were worn by knights of the order on ceremonial occasions from the 17th century until the mid-20th century, long after the fashion for red heels for men had otherwise died out.
6 Annotations
First Reading
Greg • Link
http://www.kipar.org/costumes_mal…
The year 1660, with Louis XIV making at his maturity Paris the capital of the western world, marks the beginning of French leadership in fashion, which preferred shoes for men rather than boots. The boots still worn in the 1660s were an exaggerated version of the 1630s soft wide boots. Only as late as in the 1690s a heavy boot entered fashion again, which by then has become rigid, and was worn mainly as a riding or military boot, not any longer as a dress boot. The reasons for this development might be as such: first of all France rose in its power, while Charles II in England had a French background (he was exiled there), and furthermore boots were a reminder of Civil War in England, and therefore disappeared as fashion, but continued for riding. Charles II had lived much of his life in France and he was 30 when he was crowned King of England. Therefore his taste was French.
dirk • Link
Boots
http://www.kipar.org/baroque-cost…
[Greg's link has changed]
http://www.podiatry.curtin.edu.au…
And some pictures
http://www.sarahjuniper.co.uk/17c…
http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/PLAT…
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
“... your ladyship is nearer to heaven than when I saw you last by the altitude of a chopine.” - Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2.
San Diego Sarah • Link
This article says doctors have consistently been against high heels, for either men or women, and blames Louis XIV for making them fashionable:
https://daily.jstor.org/doctors-h…
Third Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
Heeled boots were worn as early as the 10th century by Persian soldiers and emissaries when riding, battling, or traveling to faraway lands. These heels weren’t for show. When a soldier wore heeled boots on a horse, he was able to better steady himself and generate more balance both for riding and fighting. Persian soldiers were also able to stand upright in their stirrups, positioning their feet so the space between the heel and the sole was snug in the stirrup, which gave them an advantage in battle.
High heels made their way to Europe in the 16th century; their purpose was akin to how we think of these shoes today. Men in the French, Spanish, German, and Russian courts wore heeled boots and shoes to project height and physical stature in order to intimidate rivals and foreign diplomats in court.
Over the next 200 years, men’s heels got shorter and stockier — making the boots and shoes better for balance and walking, and less of an ornate fashion statement.
By the 18th century, high heeled shoes had faded from fashion for men, who started to favor less flamboyant clothing and accessories.
When women started to wear high heeled shoes indoors, the goal was to hide as much of the foot as possible beneath a long skirt. The peeking toe suggested a small foot, showing daintiness.
Today sneakers are far more popular than heels, but the idea of the “platform sneaker” suggests that the ethos of the high heel shoe is not yet a thing of the past.
Boots are a whole other subject of course.
Some of this information comes from
https://historyfacts.com/arts-cul…
San Diego Sarah • Link
Red-bottomed shoes today are most often attributed to the contemporary fashion designer Christian Louboutin, yet footwear with red soles and heels dates all the way back to 17th-century France and England.
In the first half of the 17th century, high heeled shoes for men took the form of heeled riding or Cavalier boots as worn by King Charles I. As the wearing of heels filtered into the lower ranks of society, the aristocracy responded by dramatically increasing the height of their shoes. High heels were impractical for undertaking manual labour or walking long distances, and therefore announced the privileged status of the wearer.
By the late 17th century, Paris had become the center of European fashion, influenced by the court of Charles II's cousin, Louis XIV. This included the fashion for high - between 2 and 5 ins. - wooden heels, trimmed with ornate buckles, rosettes and ribbons to fasten and decorate shoes. High-heeled shoes made of silks, brocades and other expensive fabrics further separated the nobility from working men and women and allowed their status to be visible at all times.
Red heels were initially popularised at the French court. Red dye was expensive and carried a military overtone. In time it came to represent royalty due to the price of the dye, and the color came to symbolize power and masculinity.
The fashion for red heels soon spread overseas - Charles II had spent time at the French court during his 14 year exile and was eager to emulate the opulence he had seen there. Despite the fact that Charles II was over 6 ft. (1.8m) tall - Louis XIV was only 5 ft. 4" (1.62m) - the fashion for high red heels was adopted at the Restoration court.
Charles II’s coronation portrait from 1661 shows him wearing red-soled heels, known as the “French style,” which were popular in England at the time.
There is a portrait of Charles II by Simon Verelst, showing the king wearing pale shammy leather shoes with red heels and knots of silver lace and ribbon. Such shoes were part of the sumptuous robes and insignia of the Order of the Garter and were worn by knights of the order on ceremonial occasions from the 17th century until the mid-20th century, long after the fashion for red heels for men had otherwise died out.
Pictures at
https://www.rct.uk/collection/exh…