1980's stilettos

[high10]

why did 1980's stilettos pump shoes resembled its 1960's counterpart in design

[Skirted-UK]

Mainly because it is a classic design. a black stiletto court shoe is much the same now as it was then, although the 1960's stiletto heels were a lot lower than the eighties. Most women wore 2 1/2" heels and 3" was regarded as high. 4" heels were the exception and 5" was almost unheard of. Mind you size 7 1/2 was about the largest size that you could buy women's stiletto shoes in those days. They also had a lot of bad press about ruining dance floors. I remember buying my girlfriend a pair of black 3" stiletto court shoes in the sixties, when she tried them on she was horrified to find that they were so "high"

[Puffer]

My apologies for not responding to this thread before, only just noticed. Although slightly younger than Skirted-UK, I was like him an ‘interested observer’ during the first stiletto era but my own memories are somewhat different. I think we would agree that the era was roughly 1957 – 1965, with stilettos at the peak of their popularity from, say, 1959 to 1963. At that time, they were undoubtedly the prevailing fashion and worn whenever possible by the majority of women of all ages (say 14 – 60, but not ignored by those either younger or older). That is not to say that all women wore them all the time but, unless there was a sound practical or other objection, they were the style of choice. A ‘proper’ stiletto heel was (then and now) at least 3” and most women wanted and wore them at least that high. Yes, a 3” heel was perhaps ‘high’ in fifties contemporary terms but was certainly not a new concept, although the stiletto shape was. Those (such as tall women and schoolgirls) who could not go as high as 3” would settle for a lower but equally slender ‘kitten’ heel. But, from memory, the shops were full of 3.5” – 4.5” heels which were widely worn – happily by many for work and other daytime activity as well for ‘smart’ occasions such as dances and parties. Isn’t this exactly what Lucy has been telling us in her long-running saga? Heels higher than about 4.5” were by no means unavailable, and they were worn in most everyday situations, sometimes perhaps foolishly. I agree that they were less common – and not everyone who liked them could wear them – but they were around and did not seem to attract the same stigma as in later eras. Here again, Lucy’s experiences bear me out. I can’t see any particular correlation between shoe size or dance-floor damage and heel height. A true stiletto heel of any height will cause damage to floors and the like. Women with smaller feet seemed to have little difficulty in coping with very high heels; indeed, shorter women (with feet in proportion) loved the height gain and were often the most enthusiastic wearers of the higher stilettos. I agree that a UK size 7 or 7.5 was the largest normally available for women, but not many then needed anything larger – and a 5” heel is perfectly manageable by a determined size 5, 6 or 7 woman. As to the eighties (and later periods), it is unfortunately true that stilettos have never enjoyed the same universal appeal as in their original era. But those women who wore them after the sixties generally did so because they liked a high slender heel, so usually chose 4” – 4.5” rather than anything lower. It is only in the last few years that the kitten heel (below 3”) has returned with any real support. The trend seems increasingly to be one of greater contrasts and shorter periods of anything being ‘in fashion’. The greater variety in the profile and positioning of what are generically regarded these days as ‘stiletto’ heels also evidences this; the true sixties stiletto was revived in the late seventies and eighties but is not so often seen nowadays, more’s the pity. In the fifties and sixties, we were glad to get anything new and, when we had something that worked, we kept it as long as we could.

[Lucy]

Hi Puffer! Yes, broadly I would agree with what you've said, especially your point that many of us wore heels over 3" (contrary to Skirted's posting). I would only venture to say that the first UK stiletto "craze" started earlier than you said, and hit us girls and our mothers in a big way in 1955. I think it had already started sweeping through Italy (and maybe the US) by 1954 or earlier, but 1955 the "Big Bang" reached the UK and by 1956 they were everywhere - on the streets, in my school (worn by the teachers and some of us more daring pupils), on cinema films etc. Remembering that there was only one fashion in those days - skirts, nylon stockings and high heels, every girl everywhere started wearing them. They came along the pavements in droves! Love, Lucy

[Firefox]

The damage due to the heel is proportional to the weight of the wearer and inversely proportional to the area of the heel. Higher heels actually reduce the damage because they throw more weight on the toes. Hence it is the stiletto, kitten or otherwise which is the problem. Not high heels per se.

[Puffer]

1. Hi, Lucy and thanks for your correction; you are quite right. I think that the stiletto was introduced about 1952 (as contemporary fashion adverts/articles seem to show) but didn't fully catch on until rather later, as you explain. My memory suggests that the earlier stilettos were typically a little thicker and not so high as those most usually available in the UK in the late 50's, when the true winklepicker also became the prevailing toe shape. Hence my suggestion of ‘1957’ as a start date, as I think it was the overall shoe style (heel, toe etc) that the earlier posts were referring to as being perpetuated (or not) into the 80’s. So I think that we are all saying much the same thing – stilettos started in the early 50’s, caught on in the UK by about 1955 (in much the style suggested by Skirted-UK), developed into the typically higher and more pointed style by 1960 (which High 10 seems to have had in mind and which are now seen as the ‘classic court’ style), went out of style in the mid-60’s and were seen again, with variations, from the mid-70’s onwards. (I well recall a Daily Mail article in 1974 announcing the return of the stiletto court, from Biba amongst others, but it was a year or two before they literally hit the high street, mostly with more rounded toes and small platforms.) In retrospect, it is scarcely surprising that the stiletto era and the rock-and-roll era so closely coincided – an unbeatable combination! 2. Firefox is also quite right about the physics of heel pressure and resultant damage. If the weight is more on the toes with a higher heel, the damage caused when standing still will be reduced. But, when walking, if the heel goes down first, the wearer’s weight must be wholly on the heel until the sole makes contact, so does the heel height have any relevance at all to ‘walking damage’ (which is the main concern for those whose floors are at risk)? This is a 25 mark question; you may begin now.

[Lucy]

Hello again Puffer! I have observed that most of us girls put little pressure on our really high heels because we are virtually tip-toing along with all the weight on our toes. Our heels only contact the floor marginally before the toe, and at that time quite a bit of our body weight is still on the toe of the rear foot before it leaves the floor. and also as our forward foot comes down the momentum of the body weight is rolling forward on the heel as the toe-box pivots down to the ground, causing the thrust to be forwards across the top of the heel at thast moment rather than down through the heel to make a dent in the floor. The two things than combine to make really damaging floor-dents are low, thin kitten heels, and stationary standing on them with all the weight on the heels. Love, Lucy

[Puffer]

Gosh, Lucy - stiletto wearers will be needing a degree in applied mechanics next before they are allowed to venture out! (My 1966 A-level in that subject seems totally inadequate now.) I suppose the mechanics doesn't matter too much except to the academics; it's the result that counts. And I'm sure you're right, based on your extensive practical experience, about the weight distribution and impact. Could be a different result though with an inexperienced wearer, not placing the foot as smoothly and elegantly as you do, which suggests that the floor damage so rife in the stiletto hayday was more the fault of amateurs than those with practice and poise - but you all got blamed for it and sometimes banned. Love, Puffer

[vector]

A much later answer to the original question as to why 1980's stiletto's resembled the 60's version- Fashion tends to run in 20 year cycles. Just like the 70's platforms came back in the 90's. Comments?

[jemanda]

One of the questions in Trivial Pursuit many years ago went something like this.... "What was banned in many buildings during the 50's and 60's" The answer was stiletto heels!

[Skirted-UK]

Hi Puffer!

Yes, broadly I would agree with what you've said, especially your point that many of us wore heels over 3" (contrary to Skirted's posting).

I would only venture to say that the first UK stiletto "craze" started earlier than you said, and hit us girls and our mothers in a big way in 1955. I think it had already started sweeping through Italy (and maybe the US) by 1954 or earlier, but 1955 the "Big Bang" reached the UK and by 1956 they were everywhere - on the streets, in my school (worn by the teachers and some of us more daring pupils), on cinema films etc. Remembering that there was only one fashion in those days - skirts, nylon stockings and high heels, every girl everywhere started wearing them. They came along the pavements in droves!

Love, Lucy

I think fashions caught on a lot quicker in London than they did in the shires in the fifties. I lived in a very conservative town and the straight skirt did not become popular down here until after 1956 and I don't remember any of the girls that I knew wearing 4" heels with it. Most parents did not want their teenage daughters wearing tight skirts and sky-high heels in those days.

Most of the girls that I knew wore 2.5" stiletto heeled sling-backs, some wore 3" heel court shoes. The first pair of 4" heel court shoes that I can remember were worn by a very short girl in our office who had small feet, that must have been about 1965. With the advent of the mini skirt in sixties, 4" heels went out of fashion together with straight skirts, it was all short skirts and flat shoes, or boots worn with them. I don't remember 4" stilettos coming back until the early eighties and straight skirts did not come back until the late eighties. 4" stilettos and straight skirts regularly come back into fashion as a new generation of women try them, but after a short while they soon tire of them and opt for more practical clothes.

[Puffer]

I am sure you are right in principle, Skirted, but there were obviously many variations around the country. It should not be thought that 'London' (which is a pretty large and amorphous area) was the only place to see the more adventurous fashion styles (including high stilettos), at least in the earlier years. But I would agree that in, say, 1960, one was likely to see 4" heels readily in Westminster but rarely in Warminster! From contemporary photos, films and the like, it is very clear that high fashion (and that certainly included high stilettos) was avidly followed in all the major cities apart from London, e.g. Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow. There may have been a modest time lag whilst the fashion spread, but that did not stop it being taken up, even out in the sticks. Such personal memories as I have bear this out, together with knowledge that girls in the north (and Scotland) tended to favour higher heels than many of their southern sisters - and still do. Without (I hope) sounding perjorative, it has something to do with class: there are more working class girls north of Watford and their idea of fashion is often considered tarty by the more refined 'gels' inhabiting the home counties (Essex excluded, of course!). Many other lifestyle aspects are subject to much the same considerations but the gaps have narrowed in the last 20 years or so. I am not a sociologist nor a fashion historian but I am sure that there is a wealth of material that would support these general comments and provide us with some interesting statistics. Step forward, Professor Brantano?

[Guest]

Speaking of 80's stilettos.I got a pair of *wild pair* boots from ebay.The heel height isn't that tall at all.Easy to walk in lol Here is apic of the 80's boots