The Steel Heel

The success of the stiletto was, in part, due to the technological advances of war. Prior to WWII, the materials generally used by shoemakers limited the height of a heel. Wood, the most frequently used material for high heels, often snapped under the weight of the wearer despite attempts to reinforce the heels with metal pegs.

By the late 1940s, the search for a strong material led some shoe designers to make use of metal technology to develop the steel heel. Lightweight, thin and able to sustain great pressure, the new steel stilettos allowed heel heights to soar.