Fashion Reaches New Heights: Chopines
The platform shoe went extreme in 16th century fashion. The chopine took a stylish shoe and set it on a shockingly high platform that added several inches to the wearer’s height. Initially chopines had soles elevated a few inches/ centimeters, enough to keep the delicate, decorative part of the shoe out of the street muck. Over time, they became a fashion statement, popular in Italy (especially the Venice region), France, England, and Spain.
They gained popularity in paved-road cities making them more decorative than functional. Chopine, which their excessive height and decoration, made walking difficult. But the point of the chopine wasn’t to serve as comfortable footwear to wear on hikes in the countryside. Instead, the extreme platform deliberately hampered mobility. The fashionable chopine usually paired with dresses elongated to cover the legs and ankles, making walking a difficult task.
