Stiletto heel
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A stiletto heel (AmE: spike heel) is a long, thin heel found on some boots and [[shoe]]s, usually for women. It is named after the stiletto dagger, the phrase being first recorded in the early 1950s. Stiletto heels may vary in length from only a few centimetres up to 18 cm (7 inches), and are sometimes defined as having a diameter at the ground of less than 1 cm.
Stiletto heels transmit a large amount of force in a small area, and are therefore often stengthened by a metal rod, and a metal or hard plastic tip. The great pressure transmitted through such a heel (greater than that exerted by an elephant standing on one foot[1]) can cause damage to carpets and floors. In A Series of Unfortunate Events, Esmé Squalor wore ones with a real stiletto dagger in each heel.
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[edit] History
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Stiletto heels were invented in Italy and became very popular in the 1950s. And popularity did not stem only from women, as men wore stiletto heels just as often. At first, the heel was looked at as another way to make someone look taller while adding a certain panache to their style. It was very common for men of social stature to wear this type of shoe with their formal outfits. Stilleto heels are very appealing.
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As time went on, stiletto heels became known more for their erotic nature than for their ability to create height. Stiletto heels are a common fetish item. As a fashion staple for women, their popularity has waxed and waned. After an initial wave of popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s, they faded from the scene until the early 1980s, when stiletto heels became de rigueur for American professional women to wear at the office with their wide-shouldered "power suits". The style survived through much of the 1980s but almost completely disappeared during the 1990s, when professional and college-age women took to wearing shoes with thick, blocky heels. However, the slender stiletto heel staged a major comeback after 2000, when young women adopted the style for dressing up officewear or adding a feminine touch to casualwear like jeans.
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Stiletto heels are worn for the same reasons as any other pair of high heeled shoes. In addition to adding several inches to a person's height, the heels alter posture by forcing the leg to turn out slightly and the hips to sashay slightly. While many people feel this makes a person's legs more attractive, daily wear can cause leg, hip and back problems.
Stilettos are particularly associated with the image of the femme fatale, and are often considered to be a seductive item of clothing.
Stiletto heels are often used in trampling fetishism where in the event that a dominant female would trample on a submissive (usually a male) with the intention of hurting him for a sexual pleasure received by both the dominant and the submissive.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Jack Green (2003). Pressure Under High Heels. Retrieved on July 17, 2007.
