THE ORIGIN OF I HIGH SHOE HEELS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXII, Issue 3051, 22 November 1893, Page 4

THE ORIGIN OF I HIGH SHOE HEELS.

A vagary of fashion still somewhat tolerated is the high shoe heel. It is interesting to learn from Ihe Hospital that this libel upon nature is of ancient origin, and that its use, once valuable and needed, has been perverted into an inartistic and unsanitary service. 'In Persia, the first home of the high heel, blocks of wood" were used simply to ■' raise the feet from the burning sands of that country, and were about two inches high.' With the Persian women these blocks were vastly higher than those affected by the men, their height being from eighteen inches to two feet, thus becoming more of the nature of stilts than anything else. Strangely enough, many years after, a similar fashion came into vogue in Venice ; I but the motive in this case was comically different, for €by its means jealous husbands thought they would be able to keep their wives at borne. 1 ' the supporters of such shoes in Venice were called ' chapineys,' and to appease the vanity oi the ladies, and doubtless also to sugar tho pill, were made highly oniate. The height of these chapmeys determined ,tte rank of the wearer— an, extra coating for the pill— (he Doblest dames being permitted to wear them one-half yard or more high.' <