History’s Most Fascinating Footwear: The Chopine
What an odd and cumbersome way to avoid dirt! Present throughout the 15th throughout 17th centuries, women would don the platform footwear in order to ensure that the hems of their dresses would not become riddled with mud and dirt while walking. The sky-high shoes were popular throughout Venice, and many speculate that there was a positive correlation between heel height and social status.
The Qabaqib
Prominent during the Ottoman empire, the qabaqib shoes were worn by women in Turkish bathhouses so as not to damage their feet on the heated floors.