Stiletto a must have shoe.A history of HIGH HEELS and suggestions for buying them

Stiletto a must have shoes.
Stiletto: from fantasy shoe to a highly charged symbol.

Elegant, submissive, aggressive, subversive, uncomfortable, very impractical, but sexy as hell, the stilettos reign in the public mind for decades. Named after the stiletto dagger, the homonymous thin high heel has, like its inspiration source, a long slender “blade” and needle-like point. The word stiletto is derived from stylus, meaning a pin or stalk.

The compelling lure of the needle heel was first photographed in 1940. Parisian singer Mistinguett wore a pair of stiletto designed by Andre Perugia, the first firmly documented designer of the high, slim heel.

A highly charged symbol, the design of the stiletto heel would not become popular until the late 1950s when Roger Vivier revived the opulent heel style. The stiletto was the product of its time and could not exist without some inventions, such as using a supporting metal shaft or stem embedded into the heel, instead of wood or other weaker materials.

A common fetish item, stilettos are known more for their erotic nature. The heel passed through various incarnations since its invention as a fantasy shoe.

“Assertively modern, stilettos released women from the utilitarian wartime fashion of the 1940s, offering streamlined sophistication and glamour to women the world over. As the decade progressed the heel became saucier and higher, worn by starlets like Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield,” wrote Caroline Cox, the author of “Stiletto” book (published in 2004), a book that explores stiletto’s long relationship with sex, power femininity, fashion, and fetishism.

“By the end of the 1950s the heel was being worn by “bad girls” and had become a weapon of female power. The 1970s took the stiletto’s associations with sex and death and turned it into a fetish object, eulogized by artists Allen Jones and Eric Stanton. 1980s power dressers brought the stiletto back into the fashion arena, and today heels designed by Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, and Gina are the badge of celebrity status and fashion savvy.”

In 1974, Manolo Blahnik introduces a “new” heel that he called “the Needle”, a style that have survived through much of the 1980s but almost completely disappeared during the 1990s in the era of block heels. As we can see the shape of the heels in fashion has changed from block (1970s) to tapered (1990s), and stiletto (1950s, 1980s, and post-2000).

CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA - 100MM LUNA SUEDE PUMPS CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA – 100MM LUNA SUEDE PUMPS100m Suede covered high heel. Suede covered toe. Leather sides. Leather innersole and lining. Made in Italy






VALENTINO - 120MM NAPPA LACE CRYSTALS OPEN TOE PUMPS VALENTINO – 120MM NAPPA LACE CRYSTALS OPEN TOE PUMPS120mm Leather covered high heel . 20mm Internal platform . Lace inserts with crystal appliqué. Leather innersole and lining . Leather sole . Made in Italy






NINA RICCI - 110MM CALFSKIN CROSS OVER PUMPS NINA RICCI – 110MM CALFSKIN CROSS OVER PUMPS110mm Leather covered high heel . 30mm Internal platform . Adjustable leather ankle strap with buckle closure . Leather innersole and lining . Leather sole . Made in Italy






VALENTINO - 120MM PATENT BOW OPEN TOE PUMPS VALENTINO – 120MM PATENT BOW OPEN TOE PUMPS120mm Patent high heel. 20mm External platform. Leather innersole and lining. Made in Italy






CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA - 140MM LEOPARD PRINT PONYSKIN POLLY PUMPS CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA – 140MM LEOPARD PRINT PONYSKIN POLLY PUMPS140mm Patent high heel. 40mm Patent platform. Patent leather edging along topline. Leather innersole and lining. Made in Italy






CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN - 120MM FILO PATENT PUMPS CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN – 120MM FILO PATENT PUMPS120mm High heel . 10mm External platform . Leather innersole and lining. Signature red leather sole . Made in Italy






ALEXANDER MCQUEEN - 130MM SATIN LACE OPEN TOE PUMPS ALEXANDER MCQUEEN – 130MM SATIN LACE OPEN TOE PUMPS130mm High heel. 20mm External platform. Floral lace appliqué all over. Leather innersole and lining. Made in Italy






SERGIO ROSSI - 130MM STUDDED SUEDE PUMPS SERGIO ROSSI – 130MM STUDDED SUEDE PUMPS130mm Suede covered high heel . 35mm External platform . Leather innersole and lining . Leather sole . Bronze coloured metal hardware . Made in Italy






GIANMARCO LORENZI - 160MM PATENT OPEN TOE SCULPTED PUMPS GIANMARCO LORENZI – 160MM PATENT OPEN TOE SCULPTED PUMPS160mm High heel. 60mm Sculpted platform. Leather innersole and lining. Made in Italy






VERSACE - 160MM PATENT LEATHER PUMPS VERSACE – 160MM PATENT LEATHER PUMPS160mm High heel. 60mm External platform. Leather innersole and lining






CASADEI - 140MM SWAROVSKI AND STUDS CALFSKIN PUMPS CASADEI – 140MM SWAROVSKI AND STUDS CALFSKIN PUMPS140mm High heel with studs and swarovski crystals all over . 40mm Internal platform . Leather innersole and lining . Leather sole . Made in Italy






DSQUARED - 110MM LALIQUE STUDS AND FLOWER PUMPS DSQUARED – 110MM LALIQUE STUDS AND FLOWER PUMPS110mm Leather covered high heel with gold coloured metal studs and spikes all over. Resin flower appliqué . Detachable, adjustable leather ankle strap with buckle closure . Leather innersole and lining . Leather sole . Made in Italy






YVES SAINT-LAURENT - 140MM TRIBTOO CALF AND PATENT TOE PUMPS YVES SAINT-LAURENT – 140MM TRIBTOO CALF AND PATENT TOE PUMPS140mm Leather covered high heel . 10mm External platform . 30mm Internal platform . Leather innersole and lining . Leather sole . Made in Italy






MAX VERRE - 110MM PATENT MULTI STRAP PUMPS MAX VERRE – 110MM PATENT MULTI STRAP PUMPS110mm Gold coloured titanium high heel. Patent straps with buckle closures. Leather innersole and lining