A stiletto shoe is more than just a trendy high heel for fashion lovers and sex kittens.
Named after a stiletto dagger, the stiletto high heel is must-have in any fashionable woman’s shoe wardrobe.
In fact, this well-loved and well-worn high-heeled symbol of style and power is an essential fashion accessory for pop culture lovers and fashion trendsetters.
A historic incarnation of glamour and subtle sexuality, stilettos are one pair of pumps that will never always remain in style.
The Origin of the Word Stiletto:
The name stiletto originates from Italian and Greek languages. The Greek word pillar or stylos functions as the prefix of the term, while the word stiletto references the Italian word for a small metal dagger. Fun fact: Rocker and 80s musician Debbie Harry was the member of a rock band called the “Stilettos” before she was the lead singer of Blondie.
The History of the Stiletto:
According to Wikipedia, Catherine de Medici wore the first shoe with a heel when she wed her betrothed the Duke of Orleans in 1533. But the stiletto made its formal debut with Andre Perugia, a French shoe designer created a pair of heel for 1940s Parisian icon and singer, Mistinguett. The modern stiletto was created by Salvatore Ferragamo in the 1950s. The famed Italian shoe guru made this first pair of alligator-skinned stilettos for Marilyn Monroe.
Types of Stilettos and Who Wears Them:
Women can buy stilettos are found in both fetish shops and high-end department stores. Because of the sexual connotation associated with a woman wearing these high-heeled shoes, stilettos are favored by fashionistas and prostitutes. The toe box of a stiletto can be as small as a ½ of an inch and the heel height rise as high as 6 or 7 inches. Stilettos in the 1950s and 1960s were tame by today’s footwear standards, with heels no higher than 3 inches. Pointed-toe stiletto shoes are commonly referred in the fashion world to as the basic stiletto style.
Stiletto Shoe Trends:
When the hippie and mod style worn by style icons like Twiggy in the 1960s and 1970s, the stiletto fell out of fashion. Manolo Blahnik however updated the stiletto shoe style in 1974 with his re-imagination of the famous high-heeled shoe, which he referred to as the “new” stiletto heel.
This new stiletto shoe became the preferred wardrobe item of corporate women in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, stilettos are features in designs by various shoe masters from Brian Atwood and Christian Louboutin to Giuseppe Zanotti and Stuart Weitzman. Looking for a great and affordable pair of stilettos?
Can You Wear Pain-Free Stilettos?
Stilettos unfortunately require a woman to stand on the tips of her toes while standing or walking. The pain and discomfort of wearing stilettos is well-known, as podiatrists and medical doctors warn shoe lovers each year of the medical hazard of wearing stilettos shoes. Medical doctors imply that these high heels may cause pain legs and back of frequent wearers, or worse, irreparable damage to the tendons.
