Apparently it was the Hindus who used the first platforms, as seen in their murals.
So, this footwear has been with us for more than 2,500 years.
In the ancient and classical periods, padukas were used as ritual and symbolic footwear, an expression of spiritual devotion and the Dharma tradition in the country.
And do you know why it was designed?
In medieval Europe— butchers and fishmongers wore pattens, wooden and iron platforms that elevated the foot to avoid stepping on blood, entrails, and mud.
It's the utilitarian antecedent of the 'heel' very common in butcher shops, fish markets, and urban streets full of mud, excrement, or waste.
They weren't fashion; they were protection against dirt.
Contrary to what you might think, only workers could use them.
I don't intend to create a chronology, just to highlight some milestones that I find interesting, and surely you will know others from other latitudes that I would love for you to tell me about.
Later, in the Middle East, horsemen rode with heeled boots, because they allowed them to hook their foot in the stirrup and thus shoot their bows better while riding.
In fact, there were multiple wars between the Persian and Ottoman empires, and this innovation helped keep their feet firm in the stirrups during combat.
And yes… heels were born purely out of function.
But the story doesn't end there.
In Greece, there was also a fascination with elevated footwear, and in Greek and Roman theater, height differentiated the status of characters.
It is even said that in ancient Rome, prostitutes wore them to distinguish themselves from others.
Over time, the functional became aesthetic.
Kings of the Middle Ages adopted heels as a symbol of power.
In Europe, in the 15th century, chopines appeared: very tall wooden platforms.
The higher the shoe, the closer to heaven… and to God.
Royal women also began to wear them to show off their dresses, which increasingly used more yards of fabric, and to keep them from dragging through the muddy streets.
However, walking in them was an Olympic challenge.
But what would the Court be without servants?
The nobles were supported by servants, and even carried jeweled canes to help them move.
In the Renaissance, Catherine de' Medici (1519–1589) arrived, the first great influencer of heels.
She married at 14, and being very short, she had some heeled shoes made.
Some gossip of the time says she wanted to be the same height as her fiancé, and others say she wanted to be taller than his mistress... another unproven rumor.
That simple gesture ignited court fashion: everyone wanted to be Catherine.
A century later, in 17th-century France, the heel reached its maximum theatricality with Louis XIV, the Sun King.
He lived in Versailles surrounded by monumental wigs and Venetian lace.
And on his feet: red heels.
The sole had to be red by royal decree: the dye was extremely expensive, a symbol of power and capital.
To this were added jewels, brooches, ribbons, and silver embroidery.
They were true works of art.
They say Louis was… how shall I put it… petite in stature.
Here in the Rio de la Plata, we would say he was short, or as a tango singer might say… a "petitero chico" (a small dandy).
Perhaps that's why—in addition to ostentation—he added those extra centimeters.
Who knows his motivations... another unproven rumor.
In that same court, the shoemaker Nicolas Lestage appeared, and shortly after, Madame de Pompadour popularized "Pompadour heels" among ladies.
During the Inquisition, they were even associated with "black magic."
By the end of the 17th century, two paths solidified:
square heels for men and slender, curved heels for women.
Imagine a baroque nobleman exaggerating the height of his heel, with ostentatious clothing—satirical critics of the time used this in engravings to ridicule such a posture.
There's a legend that in 1760, the Italian Giacomo Pirandelli, Baron of Styletto, created the first stilettos to improve a rider's grip and support spurs.
Whether myth or truth, the fact is that the stiletto heel ended up being synonymous with dizziness and scandal.
"Meanwhile in China…
Manchu women of the Qing Dynasty wore these high platforms, true jewels of the Forbidden City. They were not shoes for walking in the market or working the land, but rather pieces of etiquette and distinction in the mid-19th century.
The famous flowerpot-sole shoes appeared: with their wide pot-shaped bases and luxurious decoration that dazzled at first sight. These shoes not only physically elevated the wearer but also placed her on a symbolic pedestal, showing rank, power, and refinement within the imperial court.
Then came the French Revolution; it was not very convenient to be ostentatious... and it marked a turning point:
the heel disappeared from men's wardrobes in the name of utility and simplicity.
The 19th century did its part with industrialization:
mass production arrived, prices dropped, and access became democratized.
From 1800 onwards, all women—regardless of social class—wanted to add heels to their styles.
"Meanwhile, in our Rio de la Plata around 1800…
Life was divided between two very different worlds.
In Buenos Aires and its surroundings, the urban elite closely followed European fashion: low-heeled shoes, elegant boots, and ballroom attire.
In the countryside, however, the gauchos wore their inseparable colt-skin boots: rustic, heelless, and open at the toe, made to withstand life on horseback.
Even the national heroes didn't escape style. San Martín rode in high cavalry boots, reinforced with spurs and a low heel, just enough to secure himself in the stirrup. Belgrano, on the other hand, was the true dandy of the Revolution: blue frock coat, tight breeches, and fine footwear that made a difference.
It wasn't about high heels, but practical shoes, for riding or for the city, always with a little bit of heel. And in Mariquita Sánchez de Thompson's salons, while the first verses of the National Anthem were sung, the ladies proudly displayed models brought directly from Europe."
And from there… history accelerated.
The 20th century was the great heyday: advertising and cinema worked their magic.
From Ferragamo in 1923 to Louboutin, heels became icons of desire.
Louboutin, with his red sole, pays direct homage to the Sun King.
Marilyn, Sophia Loren, and all the divas of the world surrendered to their charms; heels conquered them and they never let them go.
"Keep your head, your heels, and your standards high" was one of Coco Chanel's maxims.
From the 50s until today, cowboy boots have captured hearts, including mine. They became popular with the arrival of Western TV series and movies, or as we say here in Argentina, cowboy or Wild West movies. Boots, basically work boots, always associated with horses…
But they made us fall in love, just like Clint Eastwood did... Divine. My favorite since Pale Rider and one of the heels with the most presence in the Quica store.
Some books claim that in the glorious 60s, platforms achieved stardom: they peeped out from under bell-bottoms or shone alongside daring minishorts.
In the 70s, David Bowie took them to another level: high heels, makeup, sequins… glam rock aesthetics at their finest.
Others, however, swear that the pioneer was Elvis, the King himself, who had already made a strong impression with his platform shoes before anyone else.
But Argentines could say that the first heels were those of Sandro de América, who swayed and moved his pelvis back in the 60s to the rhythm of "Rosa, Rosa la maravillosa" (Wonderful Rose, Rose).
And others will say it was Gasalla and Carlitos Perciavale in the Café Concert, but I'll leave that for you to investigate.
And KISS, how can we forget KISS's boots!
Although today they are almost exclusively associated with women's clothing, there are still men who wear them for work or style, and every now and then a designer reintroduces them into men's fashion to challenge boundaries, but the preponderance of heels remains in the female universe.
"Today there are all styles: platforms, stilettos, cone heels, column heels, Chinese heels, lollipop heels, wedges, square heels, trapezoid heels, Cuban heels, elephant heels…
The catalog seems infinite.
But the essential thing for me is this: the heel was not born as an aesthetic whim, but out of function—for butchery, for riding, for the stage.
And over the centuries, it transformed into one of the most elaborate, desired, and indispensable fashion pieces in women's wardrobes."
"From protecting oneself from blood in markets to walking on wooden platforms or elevating oneself in the court of Louis XV, the heel was always more than fashion: it was a symbol of power, practicality, and style.
Today, with Quica, those centuries of history are transformed into shoes that accompany women who live intensely—and who know that every step also tells a story.
But then came the pandemic… and all of us in the footwear industry noticed that heels took a back seat. Sneakers flooded the runways, lasts widened, and new movements appeared, such as natural-gait footwear, where the heel completely disappears, and very thin soles where we can feel every imperfection of the paths we tread.Although heels still have their fan club, they are used less and less.
What will happen in the next 100 years? Will we be at a new turning point where we move towards a more natural gait or not? What do you think?”
Sending you a big hug, Silvia Lambertucci Mom, Designer, and Entrepreneur at Quica
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