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3500 BCE
Ancient Egypt
In Ancient Egypt, about 3500 B.C. the first high heels were worn by butchers! Yes, butchers. By wearing elevated shoes, Egyptian butchers were able to walk over slaughtered animals and bloody floors without dirtying their feet. Okay. So depictions on ancient Egyptian murals also illustrate figures wearing high heels for ceremonial purposes as well. -
3 BCE
Greece
In Ancient Greece, high-level pieces of footwear belonged to actors and the shoes were known as kothorni. They were flat shoes with wooden or cork bases up to four inches thick. The high heels were actually meant as a kind of shorthand about the social class of various characters in Greek drama and comedy. The higher the heel, the more “elevated” the character.