When it comes to modern shoes, women have a very large choice available for them on the market. It’s safe to say that it is many times larger than anything available for men. For that reason, shopping for shoes can sometimes be a difficult affair. What do you choose when there are over fifty different varieties?
If you are looking for added height, the choices are quite limited. You will have to choose from high heels, wedges and platform heels. They both have their positive and negative aspects. For the purpose of this article, we will be concentrating on two popular alternatives to high heels. This is because much has been written about high heels but not so much on platform’s and wedges.
Wedge Shoes
Wedge shoes are a type of platform styled shoe that was first invented by Salvatore Ferragamo in the mid 20th century. They are very much in trend at the moment and have had mixed fortunes since its invention. The primary advantage that wedge shoes have over heels is comfort. They add height to the wearer without all the health risks commonly associated with high heels. As such, your feet are safe.
The primary feature of the wedge shoe is the sole itself. There is no other type of women’s shoe that features soles quite like it. The sole is a single piece of wood that has full contact with the surface. This ensures that any pressure experienced by the foot is distributed a lot more evenly than high heels would.
The main point of contention when it comes with high heels is the fact that there is tremendous pressure experienced by the toes as well as the ball of the foot. As such, you will eventually experience problems with foot deformity as well as tendonitis. But wedges are not without their problems. Because they mimic high heels, the slope experienced by the heel can lead to posture and back problems. Overall, a very trendy type of shoe at the moment.
Platform Shoes
The basic platform shoe has much in common in wedge shoes. It was invented a few hundred years before wedge shoes in fact. As is the case with many popular women’s shoes, they were initially worn by both genders. Men wore them for the elevation as it was commonly seen as enhancing their position of power. As such, many people from the elite class of Western society commonly used them.
Modern platform shoes almost always refer to women’s shoes today. Unlike wedges, basic platform shoes are modeled after high heels. As such, the only two points in contact with the surface are the heel and the toe area. The only difference between high heels and platform heels are the fact that the toe are is thick, giving the shoe additional height. But they are also easier on the feet as the slope between the toes and the heel is reduced. Overly thick platform shoes are always chunky, much like wedges.