Platform shoe facts for kids
Platform shoes are special shoes with very thick soles. These soles are often made from materials like plastic, rubber, or cork. People wear platform shoes to look taller, as they add extra height. They were also worn in the past to help keep feet away from dirt and mud on the streets.
Platform shoes have been around for a long time, even since ancient times! They became very popular in the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom between the 1930s and the 1980s. During these years, many girls and young women wore them. Later, in the disco music era, "comfort platforms" were invented. These shoes combined the extra height of platforms with the comfy feel of sneakers. The big trend for platform shoes slowed down in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
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What Are Platform Shoes?
Platform shoes have a thick, raised sole that runs along the entire bottom of the shoe, from the front to the back. This is different from high heels, which only raise the heel. The thick sole lifts the wearer higher off the ground.
These shoes are made from different materials. Common ones include:
- Plastic: Light and can be molded into many shapes.
- Rubber: Durable and offers good grip.
- Cork: Natural, lightweight, and often used for a more casual look.
A Look at Platform Shoe History
Platform shoes are not a new invention. People have worn them for centuries!
Ancient Times
In ancient civilizations, actors in Ancient Greece wore platform shoes to make them look taller on stage. This helped the audience see them better. In ancient Rome, some people wore them to stay out of the mud.
European Fashion
During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Europe, platform shoes were worn by both men and women. They were often called "pattens" or "chopines."
- Pattens were wooden or cork overshoes worn to protect regular shoes from dirt and wet streets.
- Chopines were very tall platform shoes, especially popular in Venice, Italy, during the 15th and 16th centuries. Some chopines were so tall that women needed servants to help them walk!
Modern Popularity
Platform shoes made a big comeback in the 20th century.
- 1930s and 1940s: They became fashionable again, especially after famous designers started creating them.
- 1970s: This was a huge decade for platform shoes! They were a key part of disco fashion. People wore them for dancing and to make a bold statement. Both men and women wore them, often with wide-legged pants.
- 1990s: Platform shoes saw another revival, especially with pop music groups and punk rock styles. They were often chunky and bold.
Why Do People Wear Them?
People wear platform shoes for several reasons:
- To add height: This is the most obvious reason. They can make you look taller without the steep angle of traditional high heels.
- For fashion and style: Platform shoes are a unique fashion statement. They can make an outfit look trendy, edgy, or retro.
- For comfort: Compared to high heels, platforms can sometimes be more comfortable because the entire foot is raised, not just the heel. This can make walking easier for some people.
- To keep clean: In the past, they helped keep feet and clothes away from dirty streets.
Images for kids
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An example of a 20-centimetre (8-inch) platform clear heel
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Platform sandals with wooden sole
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Platform boot, ankle length
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A maid wearing circle-type pattens: Piety in Pattens or Timbertoe on Tiptoe, England 1773
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Reconstruction of a 16th-century Venetian chopine. On display at the Shoe Museum in Lausanne.
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Line art drawing of a chopine
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A cantabrian albarcas is a rustic wooden shoe in one piece, which has been used particularly by the peasants of Cantabria, northern Spain.
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The bottom view, showing the "teeth" of Geta
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Buffalo platform trainer
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An example of a high wedge-heeled sandal
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Azzaro
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Platform boots
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Buffalo Boots
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New Rock platform shoes
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New Rock platform boots
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See also
In Spanish: Zapatos de plataforma para niños
