ខ្មែរ
English
Wedges, the all popular platform shoes, have been around since the 1930s. The first wedges had cellophane straps and didn’t look quite like those we see today. The wedge heel is a thick one piece with the sole look, whereas high- heeled shoes have a separate heel. Height ranges from a slight raise at the heel to several inches and they kept on revolving over time. Wedge popularity fluctuates as hundreds of new designs come out each year, depending on trends.
Creation
Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo was said to have created the wedge shoe. He designed the orthopedic wedge in 1935 and the wedge heel in 1936. Ferragamo used cork and wood because of a shortage of leather and rubber at the time. Cork was more popular than wood because it was far lighter and the cork sole was also sturdy and durable.
During World War II, leather and rubber were much needed for war efforts in the United States and wedge shoes were mostly made out of wood and cork materials. The fashion of the time called for height which wedge shoes offer. Moreover, wedges are also easier to walk in than skinny heels. Even during those tumultuous days, wedges reached up to 5 inches tall.
In the 1970s, wedges resurfaced with louder more colourful and outrageous designs. One design even allowed for ornaments including a goldfish to swim in the heel. Both men and women wore platform wedges, unlike during World War II when it was strictly a women’s fashion.
Cork wedge sole lined with velvet and brass trestle with rhinestones. This wedge was created by Salvatore Ferragamo for the Maharani of Cooch Behar in 1938.
Wedges came back hot in style once again in the 1990s. This time with wedge sneakers appearing in raves and then seen all over in public around the world. Both regular platform sneakers and wedge platform sneakers existed. They were also seen on celebrities like the British pop band the Spice Girls.
The wedge drew attention once again in the summer of 2006 with heels made of cork like before but this time wrapped in ropes and also applying straps and ankle wraps to secure wedges to feet. Flip-flop wedges, with elevated heels, combined the two popular styles.
Health Benefits Unaware To many
Women wear heels to make the legs look longer, to make the body look slimmer and to improve posture. Wedge heels satisfy that desire and above it, offer more support than stilettos or high heels. Balance is much easier on a wedge, reducing the number of falls that involved high heels. Wedges offer more arch support, reducing foot and ankle problems. This is why wedges had it wedged in and keep on resurfacing every now and then.
