Platform shoes are shoes that are raised heel and have a higher sole than the shoe. The sole of the shoe has a very thick heel. Platform shoes are the basis for the making of stilettos.
Historically, platform shoes were worn by people who had a desire to appear taller than they actually were. The Greek used to wear them during stage performances. They were also worn to protect people from wet floors. Therefore, we see that they were not always worn only because of fashion but also because of other reasons. Platform shoes were widely worn in the 20th century around the 1970s where they were worn by both men and women. Fashion designers and celebrities were the major influences on the use of platform boots.
The following are some of the uses of platform shoes over time:
Platform shoes are loved because they give a lady a rare kind of sex appeal. They make a woman's hips appear bigger and curvy. They are able to swing more and more and this boosts their allure. Platform shoes give good elevation so that one is able to be seen well. This is the reason why strippers are known to wear platform shoes as long as they have existed.
In the 1800s, in Japan, platform shoes were used to avoid sinking in the mud. They used to attach wooden stilts to the bottom of their sandals in order to achieve this. They continued to make them higher according to their social status. The higher the status a person was, the higher the platform was. Even prostitutes wore them to attract suitors.
During the middle ages, humanity had not yet come up with plumbing mechanism to transport water and human waste. So, in order to avoid stepping on feces, they used to wear patterns, which were wood or metal made platforms that you could fit your shoe into so that you can walk on a dirty area. The Greek goddess Aphrodite has an image depicting her wearing platforms.
In the 16th century, platforms became part of the royalty and a symbol of social status. Napoleon Bonaparte used to wear them while William Shakespeare gave his actors to wear them to symbolize their wealthy nature in their character.
During the 1970s, there was a social and fashion frenzy. Women wore the platforms with miniskirts to make a fashion statement while men wore them with bellbottoms. Celebrities like Elton John embraced this new culture of fashion at the time and promoted it. See page for more information about boots: https://www.ehow.com/how_5005060_waterproof-ugg-boots.html.
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