“Heelsmania”….Shoes Nigerian Ladies are wearing today!

Shoes, are very important to fashionable women, and statistics have shown that women are so obssessed with shoes that even now that most economies in the world are undergoing recession, the sale of shoes rather than decrease have increased. Nigerian ladies are not left out o! Trust them to represent all the time. Its even easier now for Naija chics to follow shoe trends and order via the internet(which has turned the world to a global village). These days you find  Nigerian babes owing expensive shoes worn by celebities abroad(imitation or not, doesnt matter,hehe!). Gone are the days of old boring shoes like ordinary block heels and ugly mules. Today, high, and indeed very high heeled shoes are what trendy Naija babes are going for, and comfort is no longer as key as the design or designer of the shoes!

A lot of women wear heels, but know little or nothing about its evolution. Many perhaps, are not even interested in the history of shoes,(some are saying as they read this “is that why we are here”?lol.) but for the benefit of the inquisitive ones heres a short history.

 

 

History of Highheels

High heels are not a modern invention. Rather, they enjoy a rich and varied history, for both men as well as women. Controversy exists over when high heels were first invented, but the consensus is that heels were worn by both men and women throughout the world for many centuries and for a variety of reasons.

High heeled shoes were worn by the priviledged (highclass) for special occasions, and also butchers to allow them walk above the blood of dead beasts  in ancient Egypt and  are  depicted on their tombs and temples. The earliest recorded instance of men or women wearing an elevated shoe comes from Hellenic(ancient Greek) times. It is suspected that the wear of an elevated sole, or heel, occurred centuries before, but there is little direct evidence to support this.

Chopines were worn in the middle ages revealing wealth and social standing for women. The height ranged from 7-30 inches high, at times requiring the person wearing them to use canes or servants to walk.In in the mid 1500s  Catherine de Medici made them more fashionable than functional.Catherine de Medici was engaged to the powerful Duke of Orleans, later the King of France. She was small (not quite five feet) relative to the Duke and hardly considered a beauty.  Looking for a way to dazzle the French nation, she donned heels two inches high that gave her a more towering physique and an alluring sway when she walked. Her heels were a wild success. By 1580, fashionable heels were popular for both sexes, and a person who had authority or wealth was often referred to as “well-heeled.”

Women in the 21^st century have more shoe choices than ever before. Today women can choose from a variety ranging from low, medium, high or very high heels. The types of heels around today are:

• Low Heel
• Chunky
• Kitten Heel
• Stiletto Heel
• Cone Heel
• Spool Heel
• Wedge
• Cone
• Sling backs
• Platform

The newest trend to the shoe craze are odd looking shoes, that look far from comfortable, and gradually Naija chics are joining to rock them . I hope after reading this, you’ve became more enlightened than before as regards heels( abi you were just looking at the pictures niii?lool). More pictures for your viewing pleasure, do leave your comments. Enjoy.