What's with high Heels?

What's with high heels?

I'm not a woman and I should not discuss or made a research about this. But I have a lot of sister friends who are wearing this torturing invention. Although high heeled shoes are depicted in ancient Egyptian murals on tombs and temples, the earliest recorded instance of men or women wearing an elevated shoe comes from Hellenic 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, although there is indeed much indirect evidence that lends credence to the use of high heels by both men and women for many reasons.

It has been commonly stated that the first instance of the wear of high heels involved the 1533 marriage between Catherine de' Medici with the Duke of Orleans. She wore heels made in Florence for her wedding, and as a result, Italian high heels became the norm for ladies of the Duke's court in France. Unfortunately, this reference may be apocryphal, as the development of heels did not begin to come about until the late 1580s, based on iconographic evidence and extant pieces.

Mary Tudor, another short monarch, wore heels as high as possible. From this period until the early 19th century, high heels are frequently in vogue for both sexes.

Around 1660, a shoemaker named Nicholas Lestage designed high heeled shoes for Louis XIV. Some were more than four inches (ten cm), and most were decorated in various battle scenes. The resulting high "Louis heels" subsequently became fashionable for ladies. Today the term is used to refer to heels with a concave curve and outward taper at the bottom similar to those worn byMadame de Pompadour, Louis XV's mistress. (They are also sometimes called "Pompadour heels".)

The late 18th-Century trend toward lower heels had much to do with the French Revolution. During the revolution, high heels became associated with opulence. Since people wished to avoid the appearance of wealth, heels were largely eliminated from the common market for both men and women. In the wake of the French Revolution heels become lower than at any time in the 18th century.

I have made this research to make women aware what are the health risks of wearing high heels for I know for some they don't care about the torture that they always experience each time they wear this kind of shoes. I know for a fact that man is created to walk "flat footed" not tip toeing and it pains me to see them wearing on a daily basis not knowing what are the health risks behind it. In fact, women should wear them because it affects the natural posture and the spine and also it is very expensive. 

An Australian based study has found that women who wear high heel shoes on a regular basis could suffer from health problems.  

The study, a first of its kind, was published last week in the Journal of Applied Physiology. 

According to the study, women who wear high heels are at risk for permanent damage to their knees, hips, back and tendons. 

"You can have Achilles tendon contractors [and] tight calf muscles [due to wearing heels]. It's reported to lead to some hip and knee and back pain, but I wouldn't say it's proven," explained orthopedic, foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Brian Thompson.  

The recent study found in some cases, damage was detected in women as young as 25-years-old. 

Here are the list of the health risks:

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heel_(shoe)
              http://www.wkrn.com/story/16612879/study-reveals-health-risks-associated-with-high-heels
              http://www.femalehealthissues.co.uk/dangers-of-wearing-high-heels.html
              http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1053601/High-heel-horrors-The-hidden-cost-body-crucial-extra-inches.html