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Girl On Heels

By Chinelo Eze
23 November 2021   |   2:04 pm
Greek mythology records the heel of Achilles as his weak point; now wildly absorbed as a figurative expression for a weak spot, heels for the 21st-century modern woman are a symbol of strength and authority. According to Marilyn Monroe, one of the forerunners of the heels trend said: “give a girl the right shoe and…

Greek mythology records the heel of Achilles as his weak point; now wildly absorbed as a figurative expression for a weak spot, heels for the 21st-century modern woman are a symbol of strength and authority. According to Marilyn Monroe, one of the forerunners of the heels trend said: “give a girl the right shoe and she can conquer the world”. The likes of Monroe, with their celebrity status, influenced this sphere of fashion trend as being ideal.

 The heel worn by women is a loved fashion piece, mostly because of its great effort at enhancing the complete look of an outfit. A girl on heels is a showstopper despite the excruciating pain she is able to endure. Such is buried in the ideology of “beauty is pain” buried in the minds of a large percentage of females who walk in such philosophy as they thrive and strut in heels.

UNSPECIFIED – JANUARY 01: Photo of Marilyn Monroe (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

In retrospect, this piece of fashion statement has been a fashion statement, adding to the “oomph” of an apparel. Well, in a plot twist, the soaring heels were originally not a fashion statement as they were used by Persian horsemen to gain stance while riding to be able to shoot an arrow while in motion. Second, they originally and historically belonged and were worn by men. From Persia horsemen to European male aristocrats, these were the early beginnings of heels till women’s feet found their way of making stilettoes out of it. This eventually became the showstoppers of this ingenious fashion piece by defining and enhancing the dexterity of heels for the modern-day woman making it what it is today.

With the popularity of heels for women in the 1860s, came the attachment of heels to erotica. It may seem that the first attribution of heels as an embodiment of sex appeal emerged from the cinematography pictures of Hollywood pinup girls used to soothe the troubled minds of war veterans, thus the splashing images of Monroe as one of the forerunners of heels. Hollywood’s influence accentuates this further by female superstars vetting heels to be a plus for the modern-day woman, adding to her attractiveness and the illusion of elongated legs.

The rise of heels as being quintessential to sweet and sour has revolutionised to become a reflection of the modern-day woman that is both bold and graceful to face the world. Consequently, power and sexiness are the social meaning that have been linked to the heels.

So for what heels stand for, a dominatrix is nothing without her heels, as they are symbolic of her power, authority, stance, and her sexuality. Perhaps this is the same vibe most women are pumped with when they ascend this towering footwear, feeling exhilarated and ready to conquer the world. After all, the genesis of heels is entrenched in power, authority and stance. Even ladies who cannot find their balance in heels grin with envy at those who strut around in it.

In the past, heels were a status symbol and red-coloured heels, to be precise, was associated with King Louis XIV, who is famous for leading this trend of his red-coloured heel in the 19th century. That aura of status mark has gone nowhere after King Loius XIV. Christian Louboutin takes us back in time to the glorifying days of king Louis XIV to revamp his signature red coloured heels. Having found inspiration from this style, it has again become a status symbol in our time. Louboutin’s red bottom heels are a girl’s best friend. Like the past, they are a status mark of exclusivity, power, pride, and royalty.

Just as celebrities have been trendsetters for this piece of fashion, they have also become trendsetters by countering the narrative of the heels by sneaking up their glamorous appearance with sneakers and more comfy footwear. By popularising this new style of fashion paired with dresses and skirts, women have a wider range of options not solely restricted to heels. In Japan, a movement known as the #ku Too movement, which is a play on Japanese words kutsu (shoe) and kutsuu (pain), has given voice to speak up against forced constraints on women in Japan enforced by a policy of mandatory heels at work for Japanese women. 

Despite this, a woman on heels is sweet and sour, like a passion fruit.

 

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