The need of gaining height because of the weather and street conditions was the responsible of the invention of the now so famous, high heels. These kind of shoes weren't product of neither vanity nor beauty like they are now, but they were very useful when the wearer wanted to cross a mud puddle without getting dirt so to say. The first elevated shoe was made in 1400 in Turkey, and it was called the chopine. These shoes were made out of wood or cork and some styles were banded with metal. Some of the pieces were covered with leather, brocades, and included jewel-embroidered velvet.
The Manufacturing Process
When making a shoe you can either handmade it or you can use a machine. In this case I’m going to explain the process factories use when they “build” many shoes at the same time using a machine. First they start cutting in pieces all the material they are going to need; sometimes it can be leather, wood, plastic, etc. Then when they cut all these pieces the machine pulls the piece of material tightly over the last, and thermal cement is used to hold it together temporarily. High heels are made in three sections; the sole, the upper and the heel. After the three sections are put together by the computer or machine, it is transfered to another one. In this second machine they add strong cement to bond the parts together and then it is pressed for almost 15 seconds, so it can stick together. Then the heel itself may be attached with nails, tacks, cement, staples, or many other ways, of course it has to depend on the style of the shoe they are making. Finally they add label and stamp size notations to the insides of the shoes, they are stuffed and wrapped and put in a box ready to deliver or sell.
We can see that the heels we all girls love nowadays weren’t supposed to have this purpose in life, but today heels are blessed for the elegance they inspire and the improvement of appearance they deliver us.
Bibliography-
"How high heel is made - material, manufacture, making, history, used, parts, components, steps, product, machine, History, Raw Materials, Design, The Manufacturing Process of high heel." How Products Are Made. 16 Aug. 2011 http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/High-Heel.html.
As almost every girl I love to use high heels and when I start reading your article I thought that it was a very good aspect or subject to talk about. Even that I love this kind of shoes I didn’t know that they create high heels because they were useless nor because of beauty or fashion as they are today; also I as new for me to know that high heels were created in 1400 in Turkey, this is more than 600 years ago, is a long time ago; and for last I didn’t know how they create this beautiful shoes, in your article you explain the manufacturing process that it can be handmade or with a machine, but you only explain how they “build” many shoes at the same time with a machine; First they start cutting in pieces all the material they are going to need, then when they cut all these pieces the machine pulls the piece of material tightly over the last, and thermal cement is used to hold it together temporarily. You also explain that high heels are created in tree sections: the soul, the upper, and the heel
ReplyDeleteI think this was a very interesting article and I can’t wait to read another one.
-Victoria Villafuerte
Wow , it's pretty impressive how the first high heels were born not because of vanity but for necessity, also is interesting how they appeared more than five hundred years ago in Turkey, if you had asked me I’m sure y would have said something like, heels were created in the 70´s in the United States. The manufacturing process is also very interesting, I think the handmade heels must be much more expensive than the heels made by a machine, but that´s just my guess I don’t really know about costs and brands, and things like that. The process that you have enlisted , when you’re making the heels by the use of a machine I think of it as a combination of methods used 200 years ago, combined with modern technology for the improvement of the quality of the heels. The first step that involves cutting large pieces of leather I guarantee is the same old artisans used a long time ago, but now with the use of thermal cement, strong cement, and compression machines I also guarantee the whole process of making a heel is a lot more easier and faster. I found your article very complete and with excellent information, I hope you keep uploading things like this in the future. Congrats.
ReplyDelete- Javier Sánchez
Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world. I mean, if we feel comfortable, and have the right ones, the ones we prefer and like the most, we can do anything. It`s one of my favorite quotes. I love shoes; it is one of the things I loved to shop. It is very impressive that the first high heels were born not because of vanity but for necessity. Heels are a good accessory, thanks God for creating them. I really love the red and black tall ones. I`ve testes out rain and mud, but I think they are otherwise over-qualified for my feet in that conditions. I rather prefer the flat-shoe-thing. For partying and for especial events I prefer the high heels, I can’t never change the elegance hey inspire and the great and improvement of appearance they deliver us. They make me feel confident because I like them a lot, and make me seem much taller, it also makes a girl more feminist, do what always makes you happy, shoes makes me happy, especially high heels I love your blog, knowing the true story of their creations it’s amazing. I would never think that that was the first reason why they were made. I am waiting impatiently for your next post, I will wait for it, I hope it`ll be completed and interesting like this one. I wonder if high heels Lady-Gaga style is going to be so popular that everybody wears them. Like the new fashion shoes. I`ll wait for an answer. Good Luck.
ReplyDelete- Thelma Cardenas