Stiletto heel Andre Perugia, who began designing shoes in 1906. It seems unlikely that he invented the stiletto, but he is probably the first firmly-documented designer of the high, slim heel. The word stiletto applied to a heel is derived from a knife or dagger stiletto, which is a long, thin blade, to which the heel of the shoe is similar in profile. Its usage in footwear first appeared in print in the "New Statesman" magazine in 1959: "She came ...forward, her walk made lopsided by the absence of one heel of the stilettos". High-heel shoes were worn by men and women
Slingback Slingback A slingback is a type of woman's footwear characterized by a strap that crosses behind the heel or ankle. A slingback strap is distinguishable from an ankle-strap in that the latter is a strap that completely encircles the ankle. Slingbacks can be considered a type of sandal and come in a wide variety of styles from casual to dressy, with heel height ranging from none to high, heel types ranging from as thin as a stiletto to as thick as wedges and they may be either closed or open-toe. Slingback straps are usually adjustable through a buckle or an