Stiletto Heels: Still Fashionable After
All These Years

The stiletto heel has been around for some time and is the highest heel in a shoe for women, as high as 8 inches. In fact, these heels vary in length from 1 inch up to 8 or more if a platform sole is used. The stiletto heel is actually thinner than a spike heel, and stiletto heels are distinctive not only in height but also in the very narrow diameter of the heel. While there are a variety of slim high heels not all are actual stilettos, as the defining characteristic is the very narrow diameter of the heel.

History of Stiletto Heels

The shoes with the super high heels were around in the late 1800s as shown by many fetish drawings. Stiletto shoes were designed by Andre Perugia, who began designing shoes in 1906, he probably did not invent them, but he is the first documented designer of it.

Over time stiletto heels became known as somewhat of a common fetish item, as opposed to their ability to significantly increase a woman's height. They were very fashionable initially in the 1950s, they reached their peak of fashion in the early 1960s, when the toes of the shoes that had the heel became as slender and elongated as the stiletto heels themselves.

While they officially faded from the "fashion" scene after the Beatles era, they remained popular among many women, who refused to give them up even though they were not readily available at mainstream stores. It was Manolo Blahnik who reintroduced stiletto heels in 1974 and called his version of them the Needle.

Stiletto Races

Amazingly enough, women run special races in these heels, called stiletto races. Glamur magazine sponsored such a race in Germany and these races take place all over the world. In fact, this year, the Ten-O Club and the Georgia Gym Dogs are hosting a Stiletto Race to fight against breast cancer at Stegeman Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Fascination with Stiletto Heels

The stiletto heel is still particularly associated with the image of the femme fatale and is considered to be a quite seductive item, sexy and glamorous.

Women continue to love them and these days they come in a variety of colors and styles. Besides the fashion element of these shoes, they give the optical illusion of a longer, slimmer leg, a smaller foot, and a greater overall height. They also significantly alter the wearer's posture and gait, flexing the calf muscles, and making the bust and buttocks more prominent. All in all, the stiletto heel is one hot shoe and it will continue to stand the test of time.

Learn more about stiletto heels, view a video guide on how to walk in them and browse large selection of stiletto heels and boots at cheap prices at: Stiletto Shoes.