A step up

These ultra-high heels – which could rise up to some 75cm above the ground – were deemed a representation of prestige and the fragility of woman. But the inconvenience of chopines sparked rumours that they had been invented by men who wanted to prevent their wives from engaging in illicit affairs by making it difficult to walk. Chopines were lavishly embellished, with beautiful decorations such as embroidery, gold lace and leatherwork, forever linking high heels with the feminine aesthetic.

In the most iconic portrait of Louis XIV, created by French painter Hyacinthe Rigaud in 1701, the king of France sported red heels over tights. For the portrait, the famously short man – at 162cm, he often wore wigs to exaggerate his height – purposely posed with one leg stretched out to make his frame look elongated.