12 facts you didn’t know about heels! (List)

Learn them here! They will surprise you!

1. High heels for women are believed to have originated with Catherine de Medici, a 16th century Italian noblewoman who was short in stature and wanted to make a bigger impression when she arrived in France to marry the future King Henry.

2. Roger-Henri Vivier is credited with inventing (or at least re-popularizing) the stiletto heel in the 1950s.

3. Altocalciphilia is the condition of having a high heel fetish, as in “Carrie Bradshaw had a borderline case of altocalciphilia.”

4. 80 craftsmen will touch one pair of Stuart Weitzman heels during the 6 to 7 weeks of production time it takes to make them.

5. High heels are more than just shoes for many people. Women feel like some high heels are like collectors’ items, says Suzanne Ferriss, PhD in an inverview for Cosmopolitan. Thus why they proudly organize them and display them on special racks.

6. Former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos owned 1.200 pairs of shoes.

7.  Ever wondered why Christian Louboutin features a red sole on all of high high heels. There are various theories. According to The New Yorker, the reason is simple. The red soles are inspired by Andy Warhol’s drawing Flowers. In 1993 Louboutin wanted to make a shoe after the drawing but something was missing. When the prototype of the shoe arrived, he was pleased with it but still couldn’t shake the feeling that “the drawing still was stronger.” He looked around and saw an assistant painting her nails a bright red color. He grabbed her nail polish and painted it all over the black sole of the shoe.

8. Despite all of cutbacks during World War II, high shoes were very in style. Designers created tall, uplifting heels using materials that weren’t rationed, like wood straw and snakeskin.

9. Jimmy Choos have been referenced in songs by Hilary Duff, Shyne,Pitbull, Clipse, Sway, 50 Cent, and Chester French.

10. The Guinness World Record for most people running in high heeled shoes is 155.

11. When your feet slip forward in high heels, you naturally claw your toes to try to stay in place. This pushes the head of your second metatarsal (the base of your second toe) into the sole of your shoe. The pressure and friction create a literal increase in temperature, according to studies. And a callous comes next.

12. Most people over-pronate, which means their arches and ankles collapse inward on each step. Going up on your toes—like when you slip into a pair of heels—turns your ankles slightly outward, counteracting the collapse. A stable 1- to 2-inch heel is ideal for this. A low heel also takes the strain off tight calf muscles, relieving pain and decreasing your odds of developing plantar faciitis.