high heels

High-heeled shoes, also known as high heels, are a type of shoe with a raised heel. This design raises the heel of the wearer's foot higher off the ground than the wearer's toes. High heels can cause the wearer's legs to appear longer, make the wearer appear taller, and accentuate muscle tone in the wearer's legs.There are many different types of heels, varying in colors, materials, style, and height. Heeled shoes have had significant cultural and fashionable meanings attached to them over the past 1,000 years, especially regarding gender in the West. In early 17th century Europe, high heels were a sign of masculinity and high social status, and at the end of the century, the trend had spread to women's fashion as well. By the 18th century, high-heeled shoes had bifurcated along gender lines, with men's heels being either riding or tall leather boots, and women's becoming more narrow and pointy (similar to modern heels). By the 20th century, narrow high heels represented femininity; however, a thick high heel was still sometimes socially acceptable for men. Until the 1950s, shoe heels were typically made of wood, but in recent years they have been made of a variety of materials including leather, suede, and plastic.Wearing high heels is associated with health risks such as a greater risk of falls, musculoskeletal pain, the development of foot deformities and varicose veins.

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