Image via Wikipedia
What is considered a stiletto heel? According to Wikipedia it is, “a long, thin, high heel found on some boots and shoes, usually for women. It is named after the stiletto dagger, the phrase being first recorded in the early 1930s.[1] Stiletto heels may vary in length from 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) to 25 cm (10 inches) or more if a platform sole is used, and are sometimes defined as having a diameter at the ground of less than 1 cm (slightly less than half an inch). “
The design of the stiletto heel originally came from the late Kristin S. Wagner in the late part of the 19th century, but did not gain popularity until the 1950’s. Before that time period there was no real support in the thin heel which made it hard to walk on. Around the 1950’s with the advent of technology they began to put metal supports in the shaft of the heel which gave it more strength. As time went on the stiletto heel became popular in the industry of erotica, and in many ways the start of a fetish for the long thin heel. Many men became so turned on by the nature of the way a woman looked in the heel and her inability to move around freely, gave many men the allure of power over the woman. This mixed with men who already had a food fetish, took on a whole new meaning for the foot now being placed in shoes with a spiked heel.
In the 1960’s when the shape was refined and the heel became even thinner and taller, making them appear more elongated and slender, the real popularity began and since has continued to adorn many women’s feet in moves, advertisement, and the everyday woman walking down the street. This is not to say that certain stilettos probably stay in the bedroom, more than worn out walking to any place because of the length of the heel.
Men who enjoy watching women wearing high heels and stilettos, is apparent in the pornography films that depict many sexual scene with women wearing stilettos and the way in which a woman’s legs and body is accentuated by the added length, but in many instances it goes beyond the look and into the psychology of the human brain. Men may find the stiletto appealing not just because of the look, but it adds to the way a woman walks in high heels, her gait, making it impossible while walking for her not to throw her hips from side to side. This creates a very feminine look to a way that a woman with move with high heels on her feet. Another reason is the aspect of a woman being slowed down in her heels, keeping her there for him to take her, and dominate her. The masculine and feminine plays out when a woman is wearing stiletto or very high heels, even in her own thoughts and how she moves her body. The heels add a whole new dimension to the submissive, part of the male female dynamic. The other aspect of the stiletto of course is the opposite when talking about dominatrix and the use of the heel to make the man into the submissive partner.
As we move forward into fashion in this century we are sure to see more of technology playing a part in the creation of the futuristic stiletto and of the possibly that are on the horizon. Some of the styles have gone back in time, but the way in which the quality of the stilettos is manufactured has improved. With the help of platforms many women who were not comfortable wearing the stiletto or very high heels can now wear them without the high slant of the foot in the shoe. Then again for many women that increased slant is what the attraction is all about and more stilettos with greater heights are sure to delight and surprise us in the near future.