The history of the high heel is a long and gender bending one. Some of its earliest origins date back to the 10th century when Persian warriors wore heeled shoes for support in the stirrups of a saddle. Fast forward to the 21st century and it’s a new kind of warrior sporting the style — women. Talk about footwear coming full circle.

By the 17th century, the high heel had made its way to Europe where it became popular among male aristocrats. King Louis XIV — as history has well documented — was highly enthusiastic about the new trend.

With time, men’s heels grew sturdier and more practical as women’s…didn’t. Eventually, men ditched the decorative shoes altogether and, by the 18th century, only lucky ladies were wearing them.

Over the year, heels have become the subject of much female folklore. To think how different storylines would be without them: Cinderella wouldn’t have met her prince, Dorothy would still be stuck in Oz and Carrie Bradshaw could have paid off her credit cards. A world without high heels… we won’t even go there.