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Five things: about heels
October 26, 2007
"Heels are heaven. The right pair can make everything that's bad in a day better," as one young Michigan woman put it.

HIGH

The greats extend their talents. It is said high-heel shoes were invented by none other than Leonardo da Vinci around 1500. There's good evidence another notable Italian who lived shortly after, Catherine d'Medici, wore two-inch heels when, at age 14, she married the Duke of Orleans.

In the mid- 1500s, another diminutive royal person, Mary Tudor, wore "heels as high as possible," according to http://users.powernet.co.uk . "From this period until the early 19th Century, high heels are frequently in vogue for both sexes."

VERY HIGH

French shoe designer Roger Vivier created the stiletto in the mid-1950s. It's narrower than the spike, which high-stepped into popularity in the 1920s. "Stiletto" is Italian, originally meaning a kind of dagger. A feeling like a stabbing in the heart can be inspired by stilettos with heels up to 7 inches.

KITTEN

Kitten heels usually are 1.5 to 2 inches high. They're described in www.about.com as having "a girlie little curve ... a perfect medium between flats (sometimes just way too flat) and high heels (can you say 'pain'?)."

On the other hand (or foot), when it comes to dogs, "heel" is a command to walk nearby in a controlled way.

GUYS, TOO

Cuban heels, which date from around 1900, are broad and medium-high with a moderately curved back. Some shorter men try to overcompensate by wearing these, say some taller men (who did nothing to earn their superior position).

Cuban Heels also is the name of a current powerpop group. Speaking of music, "High Heel Sneakers" was recorded by several artists, including Detroit's Stevie Wonder, Elvis and the Rolling Stones. It debuted in 1964 as "Hi-Heel Sneakers," sung by Tommy Tucker, stage name of the song's writer, Robert Higginbotham.

FOOTLOOSE

Away from shoes, "heel" has some very different meanings, including the crusty end of a loaf of bread and what a boat does when the wind hits from the side.

A heel also is a contemptible person. A similar term is cad, a man who acts with deliberate disregard for another's feelings or rights. But someone who is well-heeled is flush with money. And thus can buy more heels.

Source: Freep.com