High Heel Shoe Museum : High Heel Shoe Facts and High Heel Shoe History Page
Lets face it, high heel shoes are not the most practical invention ever created. So why do they have such a dedicated following? You could say that if you have to ask, then you just don't get it. There are however, specific reasons for the attraction. It is a well known fact that wearing high heel shoes makes the foot appear smaller, elongates and slims the appearance of a womans legs, and at the same time her altered stance forces her breasts up and makes her rear end protrude 25 percent more. This position is also forcing the foot into a tiptoe position (the courtship strut) which is known to be a sign of availability in several animal species. This presents signs of both availability and submissiveness due to the wearers forced attention to balance and required shorter stride. The foot is also put in an arched position that many women find is similar to during sex. The high heel shoe elevates the wearer as if they have been put on a pedestal. This gives the woman an increase in confidence not only because of several inches added to her height, but because high heels will get her significantly more attention, and even the act of putting them on will make them feel more sexy. There is an unusual balance of power and weakness in the wearing of high heels. The high heel shoe is the only object to gain the highest level of popularity in the fetish world. This is partly due to the fact that high heel shoes are like works of art in themselves, like small sleek curvy exotic sexy sculptures. They have always been in style, despite what some trendy fashion magazines may say, changing their minds every few months. Clothing items don't have the visual fetish appeal without the wearers body filling out the curves, but shoes stand on their own as coveted fetish objects. There are countless people who collect exotic high heel shoes worldwide. As a sculptor of giant and miniature high heel shoe sculptures, I find that my shoe sculptures get the most attention from the press and shoe devotees around the world. It also seems that red is by far the most popular fetish shoe color, but thats a whole different story. Bruce Gray

The High Heel Shoe Museum presents : High Heel Shoe History
The origin of the stiletto high heel shoe

The high heel shoe in various forms has been around for a very long time. The inventor of the high heel shoe is currently a matter of debate. There are references and depictions of high heels back to well before Christ's time, and Egyptian butchers wore heels to stay above the messy butchershop floors. Around 200 B.C. Roman actors wore platform sandals called kothorni during their performances. The high heel shoe was also developed for use by Mongolian horsemen to keep their feet from slipping in the stirrups, a style that has evolved into the modern cowboy boot. These initial heel designs had a practical application. The first time high heels were worn purely for vanity is attributed to Catherine de Medicis who in 1533 wore 2 inch heeled shoes from Florence at her wedding to the Duke d'Orleans to make her appear taller. In the mid 1500's the chopine which was a platform shoe sometimes up to 30 inches tall or more became popular in Italy, Spain and France. The Japanese geta which is an elevated clog like sandal was usually 3-4 inches high was also very common. In Europe the high heel up to 5 inches in height became quite popular over the next century. High heel shoes also became very popular with both men and women of French nobility, and were a sign of status at this point. Leonardo Da Vinci designed several high heel shoes but is not the inventor of the high heel shoe, as some people believe. The first heel factory in the United States opened in 1888 and made the high heeled shoe more acessable to American women. Around 1909 a 16 year old son of a shoemaker named Andre Perugia opened his own shoe store in France, and is one of the early pioneers of modern high heel shoe styles. He ended up making shoes for many celebrities of the day including Rita Hayworth and Gloria Swanson. Perugia also made very high fetish shoes with extreme 6 to 7 inch stiletto heels for the famous French singer Mistinguett in 1948. He also made high heels with very narrow heels as early as 1930. In Paris, Hellstern and Sons were making high heel fetish shoes in the 1920's, and there are several examples of very high heels being produced in the early 1930's from countries such as Austria and Sweden. In 1945 there was a painting depicting a woman wearing stiletto heels in John Willie's Bizarre Vol. 1 and the painting is dated 1910. So who exactly invented the stiletto heel? It has been widely stated both that it was Salvatore Ferragamo in 1952, and also Roger Vivier in 1954, but Andre Perugia was making stiletto heel shoes for Mistinguett in 1948. So despite the accepted widespread claims by the 2 famous designers as the inventor of the stiletto heel, the High Heel Shoe Museum is giving that credit to Andre Perugia.
Article written by Bruce Gray

(If you have evidence to prove us wrong, we would be glad to hear about it.)

 

Interested in high heel shoe fashion, find more hot styles at TheFrisky.com.








Photograph of Parisian singer Mistinguett, who was well known for her beautiful legs and love of very high heeled shoes		 A stunning ultra high stiletto heel fetish shoe created by designer Andre Perugia for Parisian singer Mistinguett in 1948


Poster for Parisian singer Mistinguett
Photograph of Parisian singer Mistinguett, who was well known for her beautiful legs and her love of very high heeled shoes. A stunning ultra high stiletto heel fetish shoe created by designer Andre Perugia for Parisian singer Mistinguett in 1948. Poster for famous Parisian singer Mistinguett.

Best book on the history of shoes For a great book on shoes and shoe history, the High Heel Shoe Museum highly recommends "Shoes: A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers and More" by author Linda O'Keeffe. Click on the book image to purchase this fantastic book on shoes.

John Willie Bizarre fetish photographs and drawings
John Willie's Bizarre fetish erotica This is a book compiling all the issues (1-26) of Bizarre magazine by artist and fetish photographer John Willie (born: John Alexander Scott Coutts on December 9, 1902 and died August 5, 1962) The Bizarre series ran from 1945-1959. Click on book image at left to purchase this book of vintage erotica. The drawing to the left is by John Willie from the Bizarre series. We have stated that he may have been the first person to draw a stiletto high heel.
This is a book offering The Best of Bizarre magazine by artist and fetish photographer John Willie. Click on book image to right to purchase this book of vintage erotica. The drawing to the left is by John Willie from the Bizarre series. I would buy this book for the great cover art alone! Best of vintage erotica by John Willie in Bizarre

Bibliography:
Linda O'Keeffe 1996. Shoes: A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers and More. New York: Workman Publishing. (link)
Caroline Cox 2004. Stiletto. New York: Harper Design International (link)
Cameron Kippen. Curtin University: Department of Podiatry - The History of Footwear (link)
J.J. Leganeur. All About Wearing High Heels (link)
Tara Maginnis, Ph D. The Costumer's Manifesto. (link)
Lisa Scovel. Solemates: The Century in Shoes. (link)


What is it about women and shoes?
Click this link to listen to a great radio program on the topic of women and shoes that aired on 5/23/2001 on the Connection on NPR and was hosted by Nina Totenberg. The guests included renowned women's shoe designers Manolo Blahnik and Stuart Weitzman along with several other great guests including Andre Leon Tally Editor at Large from Vogue Magazine and Linda O'Keeffe author of Shoes: A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers and More.

Come say hello in our new High Heel Shoe Forum and Shoe Blog here.
Sign the NEW Shoe Museum GUESTBOOK here.
It is stated that she owned about 3000 pairs, though in an interview she said that she owned 1060 pairs
International Shoe Size Chart
 
Europe UK US Woman US Man Japan
35 2 1/2 5 1/2 4 21.5
35 1/2 3 6 4 1/2 22
36 3 1/2 6 1/2 5 22 1/2
37 4 7 5 1/2 23
37 1/2 4 1/2 7 1/2 6 23 1/2
38 5 8 6 1/2 24
38 1/2 5 1/2 8 1/2 7 24 1/2
39 6 9 7 1/2 25
40 6 1/2 9 1/2 8 25 1/2
41 7 10 8 1/2 26
42 7 1/2 11 9 26 1/2
43 8 1/2 12 10 1/2 27 1/2
44 9 1/2 13 11 1/2 28 1/2
45 10 1/2 14 12 1/2 29 1/2






Shoe sizes are not matched exactly from country to country, and there can always be variations in similar sizes depending on the manufacturer. Some stores even have printable foot size charts you can copy from their website shoe store. If you have any question on your size it is best to ask the shoe store by email for sizing details about the shoes you are interested in..  
 
High Heel Shoe:
Heel Height Chart
Heel Inches Heel CM
3.6 9
3.8 9.5
4 10
4.4 11
4.8 12
5 12.5
6.4 16

The High Heel Shoe Museum presents : High Heel Shoe Facts
1. The average American Woman owns at least 30 pairs of shoes.
2. Imelda Marcos: It is stated that she owned about 3000 pairs of shoes, though in an interview she said that she only owned 1060 pairs.
3. The stiletto heel was invented by Andre Perugia in the mid to late 1940's.

The High Heel Shoe Museum presents : Quotes about High Heel Shoes
I don't know who invented high heels, but all women owe him alot. Marilyn Monroe
Nothing has been invented yet that will do a better job than heels at making a good pair of legs look great, or great ones look fabulous. Stuart Weitzman
I like to literally put women on a pedestal. Vivienne Westwood
Not diamonds but heels are a girl's best friend. William Rossi
The girl with the low and sensible heels is likely to pay for her bed and meals. Saturday Evening Post
If you rebel against high heels, take care to do so in a very smart hat. George Bernard Shaw
High heels were invented by a woman who had been kissed on the forehead. Christopher Morley
If high heels were so wonderful, men would be wearing them. Sue Grafton

How to Walk in High Heel Shoes!
We have added a new page with tips and video instructions on how to walk in high heel shoes. Click here to visit this page.

High Heel Shoe: Heel Styles
Comma Heels: A comma shaped heel curved on both the front and back sides. First created by Roger Vivier.
Cone Heels: A heel made up of two thin cone shapes both tapering to the smallest point in the middle of the heel where they connect.
Cuban Heels: A broad heel tapered in the back. Often used on dancing and tango shoes.
Kitten Heels: A shoe with a low 1 to 2 inch stiletto heel, also known as trainer heels for younger girls just starting to wear heels.
Louis Heels: A shoe with a curved somewhat hourglass shaped heel. They were originally worn by Louis XV in the 1700's but this heel style is still popular today.
Platform Heels: A shoe with a raised thick sole from 1/2 inch to well over 6 inches.
Spade Heels: A wide but thin heel either straight across or with a slight curve.
Spike Heels: A very high narrow high heel usually at least 4 inches tall.
Spool Heels: A shoe with a heel that looks like stacked spheres, usually tapering down to smaller spheres at the bottom. This same term is used for a shorter version of a Louis heel, generally for antique styles. Spool heels are also known as spiral heels and spherical heels.
Stacked Heels: A heel made up of many layers of leather or wood.
Stiletto Heels: A very high and very thin high heel usually at least 4 to 5 inches tall. The heel would be even thinner than a spike heel.
Wedge Heels: A shoe where the sole extends across the length of the shoe without having a seperate heel.

High Heel Shoes: Interesting Terminology
Altocalciphilia: A fetish for high heel shoes.
Ballet shoes: The highest most extreme high heel where the foot only contacts the floor at the toe tips.
Bedroom shoes: Any shoe with a heel so high that they are very difficult or nearly impossible to walk in.
Clackers: Stiletto shoes with noisy heels that make a loud click clack sound as you walk.
Dangling: Allowing your high heel shoe to hang partially off your foot while seated. A major fetish for many people.
D'Orsay: A woman's pump with a cut out side or sides to show off the arch of the foot, which many think is the sexiest part.
Fetish shoes: A very sexy and very high heel shoe usually with a 5 - 7 inch heel.
Foot training: Working up to mastering high heels by starting off wearing lower heels and gradually wearing higher and higher heel shoe styles.
Kitten Heels: A shoe with a low 1 to 2 inch stiletto heel.
Mules: A backless shoe with no straps other than on the vamp.
Toe cleavage: A very low cut vamp on a shoe will display part of the toes.
Winklepicker: Any shoe with a very pointed toe could be called a winkle picker. The name came from England where a pointed object is used to pick at and eat periwinkles or "winkles" (a shellfish.)




Giant high heel shoe sculpture		 Giant high heel shoe sculpture
Giant glossy lipstick red platform stiletto fetish high heel shoe sculpture by famous Los Angeles artist and sculptor Bruce Gray. Visit his studio here! Sculptor Bruce Gray with his giant red platform stiletto fetish high heel shoe sculpture. Visit his studio here!

The World Famous High Heel Shoe Museum is sponsored in part by...
Super sexy high heel shoes from Italy Great sexy shoes and sexy costumes for Halloween
We just LOVE the great craftsmanship, fantastic Italian design, and exclusive super sexy high heel shoe and boot styles from our good friends at Italian Heels. Definately worth a visit or two! Pierre Silber has a lot of sexy high heel shoes and boots along with lots of fun sexy Halloween costumes, lingerie, leather dresses, body paints, wigs, breast enhancers, and much more!
Zappos.com shoe shopping online
The world's largest and most popular online shoe store featuring tons of beautiful sexy high heel shoe styles by many of the greatest shoe designers are available at Zappos and Zappos Couture. FREE Shipping too.


High heel shoe museum giftshop and bookstore Manolo Blahnik books on shoes
Make sure to take a look at our High Heel Shoe Museum Giftshop and Bookstore featuring an amazing selection of books about high heel shoes! Click on the Manolo Blahnik book photographs to the left to visit our bookstore. We also carry tons of high heel shoe related gifts for you or your favorite shoe fanatic! If you love shoes, you will LOVE our selection of books.

attention grabbing hand made Italian pumps with camaleont color changing leather
We just LOVE these Nerea stunning attention grabbing hand made Italian pumps with camaleont color changing leather, wavy vamp opening and super sexy 5 1/2 inch high heels. They come from our good friends at Italian Heels. Definately worth a visit or two!

What can be found on the World Famous High Heel Shoe Museum website?
Ladies shoes, high heels, high heel shoes, high heel pumps, high heel court shoes, women's raised heel shoes, platform shoes, fetish shoes, high heel shoes shopping, high heel shoes shopping, high heeled shoes books and giftshop for shoe fanatics and high heel shoe lovers, high heeled sandals, strappy high heel shoes, high heel wedges, high heel boots, platform boots, sexy high heels, sophisticated high heel shoes, designer high heel shoes, Manolo Blahnik high heel shoes, Jimmy Choo high heel shoes and sandals, Christian Louboutin high heel designer shoes, talons haut, escarpins, women's exotic high heel shoes, expensive designer shoes, unique high heel shoes, exotic skin high heel ladies shoes, alligator skin high heel shoes, crocodile skin high heeled shoes, high heel shoe books, high heel shoe sculptures, high heel shoe art and paintings, high heel shoe illustrations, high heel shoe car, extreme high heel shoes and sandals, extreme high heel boots, fetish clothing, shoe museums, 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Get started exploring the ultimate high heel shoe website here!


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