Heels were originally adopted by Persian cavalrymen around the 10th century to secure their feet in stirrups.
Later adaptations were in men's fashion, particularly amongst nobility in Europe, because just like today, being a short man was stigmatized (also a similar reasoning behind top hats, to allow a man to be perceived as taller than he actually is).
Heels entered women's fashion through this European trend among the male nobility, but the advent of the riding boot brought an end to the utility of the heeled shoe among men (which remains the preferred footwear for horse riding to this day, ex: the cowboy boot). The support of the boot around the heel and up the calves and shins produced superior support and retention, and simply became the objectively superior choice of foot wear. Eventually this evolved into the modern military style boots of today.
In short. People don't really hate heels. Hell, even my work boots have about an inch high heel. What people hate is an outdated and antiquated design derived from stuff European nobility threw out for objectively superior riding boots centuries ago.
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u/Nintendogma 3d ago
Heels were originally adopted by Persian cavalrymen around the 10th century to secure their feet in stirrups.
Later adaptations were in men's fashion, particularly amongst nobility in Europe, because just like today, being a short man was stigmatized (also a similar reasoning behind top hats, to allow a man to be perceived as taller than he actually is).
Heels entered women's fashion through this European trend among the male nobility, but the advent of the riding boot brought an end to the utility of the heeled shoe among men (which remains the preferred footwear for horse riding to this day, ex: the cowboy boot). The support of the boot around the heel and up the calves and shins produced superior support and retention, and simply became the objectively superior choice of foot wear. Eventually this evolved into the modern military style boots of today.
In short. People don't really hate heels. Hell, even my work boots have about an inch high heel. What people hate is an outdated and antiquated design derived from stuff European nobility threw out for objectively superior riding boots centuries ago.