A Love-hate Relationship Between High Heel Shoes and Women’s Lives

Abstract

Nowadays, high heel shoes are regarded as an essential accessory in dressing. In fact, about 3500 B.C., high heel shoes first appeared. Then, high heel shoes began to create new trend of fashion. My research paper is divided in three parts. In the first part, I summarize the development of high heel shoes. In the following part I use a journal article as my reference to discuss men’s and women’s viewpoints about high heel shoes. The final part centers on how to ease and prevent the pain resulted from wearing high heel shoes. In my opinion, even though numerous scientists indicate the shortcomings caused by high heel shoes, the importance of high heel shoes can never be replaced.

西元前三千五百年起，高跟鞋首次出現在埃及，逐漸流傳至希臘、羅馬、及法國，在各國歷史中扮演重要地位。在古代，高跟鞋是給具有特殊身分地位的皇宮貴族才能穿，這種現象到法國路易十四統治時期特別明顯。如今，任何人都能穿高跟鞋。雖然古今中外都崇尚高跟鞋，出席重要場合或辦公環境穿著高跟鞋也被認為是基本的禮儀表現，但是其所引發的身體疼痛卻不能輕忽。在這篇報告中，除了闡述高跟鞋的誕生及發展外，更希望透過相關學術論文來了解高跟鞋對女性和男性的意義為何。除此之外，本文以醫療研究文獻為參考資料，來介紹如何緩解，甚至預防高跟鞋所導致的傷害。即使很多學者列出許多因為長期穿高跟鞋造成姿勢不良或其他難受症狀，我個人認為高跟鞋有其存在的價值，更有穿著的必要性；因為高跟鞋能散發專屬於女性的魅力，還能不知不覺中增強女性的自信心。