CHOPINE
Near the end of the 15th century, chopines were on the rise as the new opulent footwear. Its popularity boomed in the 16th and 17th centuries in the European countries of Spain, France and the Netherlands.
These everyday shoes provide us an insight into the socioeconomic scenario of Europe during the 15th to 17th century period.
We can draw parallels between chopine shoes and modern day footwear of heels.
Initially both served a functional purpose, but the aesthestic and social associations with both increased so much, that they became symbols for beauty, wealth and social standing.
Also, we often see that women from wealthier and well-off families tend to wear exquisite and exaggerated heels at times. These people can afford to have help and the maintenance that is required by these footwear.
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The shoes also stood as a marker of wealth and privilege, and the wearer of the shoes was perceived to be from a wealthy and noble family. The extreme height of the shoes made it difficult for the person to walk by themselves. Therefore, they often had servants to help them walk around. This further accentuated the notion that women who wear chopine are from wealthy families as only families with a lot of privilege would be able to afford servants to help with walking to places.
The chopine shoes would add to the height of the woman, giving them a more slender and elongated silhouette. The desire for a taller and slimmer frame also reflects the beauty standard of the Renaissance era in Europe. The impracticality of the shoes seems to be a trade-off for the elevation of the social status of the person wearing them.
Although the shoes would have made women more desirable by beauty standards, they had many physical disadvantages as well. The chopines were worn in day-to-day life, therefore there was an increased risk for injuries related to feet and ankles. The women, therefore, eventually limited their visits to indoor events such as gatherings at the court or other formal events.