Stiletto heels quality change over the years

[ann_ann]

Recently I was told that stiletto heels now days are made much worse than they used to by approx. 20-30 or so years ago. Do you think that it's true?

I'm 16 now, so too young to remember, but I did my own "investigation" among older friends/relatives and they seem to confirm this opinion.
I was told that "past decades" stilettos were almost unbreakable (at least those high quality ones). One could run/jump or even kick/stomp on hard things with those heels and it was almost impossible to destroy them. As I heard they were made often from steel (I found an article that Louboutin had even few models with stiletto heels made from titanium but they forced him to stop selling those).

Nowdays sometimes one wrong step can break a heel… And few friends (that are older than me) told me that when they were teenagers that were wearing such heels (or booties with stiletto heels) that had an 4inch steel stiletto heel are were really strong. So strong that they uses could use they to kick holes in cars (pierce the metal), break thick glass wine/beer bottles with jus on single heel kick ( for fun, during outside events) or even kick big hard wooden/metal things with those heels just to destroy them and make holes in them with their stiletto heels (I assume also for fun), and that now it’s impossible to buy such strong heels.

As I heard those heels were so dangerous that girls started to use them as weapons (there were many death cases caused by woman kicking someone with such heel) girls were also enjoying "additional power" that those heels were giving them so much that they were just for fun kicking different things with them, making holes in wooden floors (when they were bores waiting for someone they just stomp the floor and poke holes in wood or event crack concrete with those stilettos).

I was also told that the inevitable consequence was that those heels were forbidden in many places, eventually shoe makers were forced to do more fragile heels, steel tips were replaced with plastic ones and production of such a strong and dangerous stiletto heels was completely forbidden.

So much for a story, not sure if it’s 100% true, but I think it make sense.
Do you also think that nowdays heels quality is deliberately degraded so they aren’t as deadly as they used to be?
Do you know it there is still an option to buy those "high quality" heels somewhere?

Sorry for such a long post

XX

 

[racquel]

Recently I was told that stiletto heels now days are made much worse than they used to by approx. 20-30 or so years ago. Do you think that it's true?

I'm 16 now, so too young to remember, but I did my own "investigation" among older friends/relatives and they seem to confirm this opinion.
I was told that "past decades" stilettos were almost unbreakable (at least those high quality ones). One could run/jump or even kick/stomp on hard things with those heels and it was almost impossible to destroy them. As I heard they were made often from steel (I found an article that Louboutin had even few models with stiletto heels made from titanium but they forced him to stop selling those).

Nowdays sometimes one wrong step can break a heel… And few friends (that are older than me) told me that when they were teenagers that were wearing such heels (or booties with stiletto heels) that had an 4inch steel stiletto heel are were really strong. So strong that they uses could use they to kick holes in cars (pierce the metal), break thick glass wine/beer bottles with jus on single heel kick ( for fun, during outside events) or even kick big hard wooden/metal things with those heels just to destroy them and make holes in them with their stiletto heels (I assume also for fun), and that now it’s impossible to buy such strong heels.

As I heard those heels were so dangerous that girls started to use them as weapons (there were many death cases caused by woman kicking someone with such heel) girls were also enjoying "additional power" that those heels were giving them so much that they were just for fun kicking different things with them, making holes in wooden floors (when they were bores waiting for someone they just stomp the floor and poke holes in wood or event crack concrete with those stilettos).

I was also told that the inevitable consequence was that those heels were forbidden in many places, eventually shoe makers were forced to do more fragile heels, steel tips were replaced with plastic ones and production of such a strong and dangerous stiletto heels was completely forbidden.

So much for a story, not sure if it’s 100% true, but I think it make sense.
Do you also think that nowdays heels quality is deliberately degraded so they aren’t as deadly as they used to be?
Do you know it there is still an option to buy those "high quality" heels somewhere?

Sorry for such a long post

I will also attach few link to the videos that I found on Youtube when I was digging into this topic - I think that woman in this video definitely has to have those "high quality" heels:

I bought my 1st designer 5" heel, made by Adige from their Las Vegas Caesar's Palace boutique, in 1983

*Steel tip* stiletto heel! I believe the heel material is pretty strong to take this (steel?)



I got it in black-suede, brown suede. I even got an Adige glitter t-strap *glamour* heel



Another Paris/France sourced heel, the famed Ernest brand, also used steel tips

BTW, I never wore them..so I'm selling





I would have kept them, but they were 1 size too small! The sizing conversion for Ernest got me all mixed up. Unfortunately, they no longer make this wonderful shoe! I have it in a black-patent (steel tip) and black-suede (plastic tip).

Ernest still makes 5"/6" heels, check their website.

Their current offerings doesn't come close to their legacy heels..SUPERB!!

Stilly/Christina2 would be giddy over them!



I have the above 6" pump, one of my faves! However, I prefer the Louboutin Hot Chick 130. Both are exceptionally steep pitch 6" heels, the Ernest is actually HIGHER

 

[grtlegs]

Keep in mind many of the older heels had much thicker heels….many Louboutin styles, as well as other designers have very thin heels with heel tips around 6-7 mm, which means the heel shat is almost as think…..past heels had heel tips around 8, 9, and even 10mm thus allowing a thicker heel shaft, making them much stronger and less likely to break

 

[foosy]

Recently I was told that stiletto heels now days are made much worse than they used to ...
... stiletto heel were really strong. So strong that they uses could use they to kick holes in cars (pierce the metal),

XX

Made me chuckle
You can make dents in cars with a sneaker today. It's the car's material that changed more so than the heels

 

[DebbiNC]

I was telling a friend about how thin my Iriza 100 heels are and she didn't believe me when I told her they were "pencil thin"...and then shared this picture. But the skinny heels are but one feature that make these shoes so beautiful! I just hope I can manage not to break it!

 

[racquel]

I was telling a friend about how thin my Iriza 100 heels are and she didn't believe me when I told her they were "pencil thin"...and then shared this picture. But the skinny heels are but one feature that make these shoes so beautiful! I just hope I can manage not to break it!View attachment 5328115

I believe the Louboutin pencil thin heels (So Kate, Iriza, Hot Chick 130, Pigalle Follies 100/120, etc) are nylon. Stilly broke a heel on her So Kate. I've never broke a Loub heel yet (my beloved Hot Chick 130, Pigalle Follies 120, etc), I ONLY wear them indoors..and they are treated gingerly. I DO try some dance moves (I'm self-teaching myself jazz), that will be the only time a broken heel can happen

 

[papertiger]

There have always been the best quality and the worst possible heels around.

The reason for all this nostalgia and that the older ones are so much better is because the terrible ones have gone to shoe-hell, therefore more evidence of their miserable existence, whilst the fabulousity vintage footwear brigade marches on

 

[GLangdon]

I’m dating myself, but 2 of the 3 pairs of Gucci stilettos I bought 28 years ago are definitely better quality than any of the pairs I’ve purchased recently. I still have them… they don’t die. I still get compliments on them. The other pair were sandal pumps which did not last quite as long - I threw them out because the thin straps wore a bit too thin, not because there was anything wrong with the heel. There are a lot of great stilettos out now though and while they might not be made to last the same way, I think they’re much more comfortable.

 

[account107]

Back in 2001, Manolo Blahnik did make some titanium 3.5 inch high heels, being only 3mm thin. They made a few pairs used for testing, but found that they would tear up carpets and could go straight through someone's foot if stepped on. They did have concerns of legal liability if they sold those shoes.
They were thus never sold to the public and re-designed with something much less sharp.

 

[Nottwenty]

Recently I was told that stiletto heels now days are made much worse than they used to by approx. 20-30 or so years ago. Do you think that it's true?

I'm 16 now, so too young to remember, but I did my own "investigation" among older friends/relatives and they seem to confirm this opinion.
I was told that "past decades" stilettos were almost unbreakable (at least those high quality ones). One could run/jump or even kick/stomp on hard things with those heels and it was almost impossible to destroy them. As I heard they were made often from steel (I found an article that Louboutin had even few models with stiletto heels made from titanium but they forced him to stop selling those).

Nowdays sometimes one wrong step can break a heel… And few friends (that are older than me) told me that when they were teenagers that were wearing such heels (or booties with stiletto heels) that had an 4inch steel stiletto heel are were really strong. So strong that they uses could use they to kick holes in cars (pierce the metal), break thick glass wine/beer bottles with jus on single heel kick ( for fun, during outside events) or even kick big hard wooden/metal things with those heels just to destroy them and make holes in them with their stiletto heels (I assume also for fun), and that now it’s impossible to buy such strong heels.

As I heard those heels were so dangerous that girls started to use them as weapons (there were many death cases caused by woman kicking someone with such heel) girls were also enjoying "additional power" that those heels were giving them so much that they were just for fun kicking different things with them, making holes in wooden floors (when they were bores waiting for someone they just stomp the floor and poke holes in wood or event crack concrete with those stilettos).

I was also told that the inevitable consequence was that those heels were forbidden in many places, eventually shoe makers were forced to do more fragile heels, steel tips were replaced with plastic ones and production of such a strong and dangerous stiletto heels was completely forbidden.

So much for a story, not sure if it’s 100% true, but I think it make sense.
Do you also think that nowdays heels quality is deliberately degraded so they aren’t as deadly as they used to be?
Do you know it there is still an option to buy those "high quality" heels somewhere?

Sorry for such a long post

XX

You bring up an interesting topic. From 30+ years of 100 to 130 mm experience, I’ll give you my opinion. Yes and no.

Though I’ve never tried to break bottles or pierce metal, normal wear of quality heels will probably never result in breaking a modern heel. That said, there are some foreign rip offs of mainly Louboutins that look good enough to pass from a meter and cost an eighth of the real thing. They WILL break the heel off of where it attaches to the shoe when much pressure is placed on the heel tip. The heel itself is very strong. People may try to go this route to avoid the expensive authentic Loubs and are disappointed, giving the idea that the real heels are the same.

After a lot of experience with Louboutin So Kates, Hot Chicks, Jimmy Choo Anouks, Casadei Blades, LaSillas, etc, I have experienced only one unintentional heel separation on a beautiful pair of nearly new So Kate Leo patents just recently on the third wearing. It was a factory defect. The all important screw (4 “nails”, one screw) was omitted. Also, I had a heel separate on a new pair of LaSilla Eva 120 mm suede pumps on the first wearing-again a factory defect- I never got out of the house. Again, the screw was omitted.

Does that signify a trend in lack of quality control or coincidence?

The actual heel on quality 100 to 130 mm pumps and sandals is VERY strong and nearly impossible to break no matter how thin. They are a metal material.
How do I know? About four years ago I was going to discard a pair of well worn Louboutin So Kate black patent pumps, my first. The patent heels were scraped badly, soles worn thin, and I was on the 5th set of heel tips. With nothing to lose, I decided to experiment. I leaned back on the heels with my full weight several times, bending the heel completely under the sole. Not only did the heels not break, but they did not separate and returned to normal wearing stability. Quality indeed.
Subsequently my niece has played dress up with them indoors and out.

Soooo, long story, sorry, but if you are concerned about 100+mm strength, buy quality and before you buy, put some pressure on each heel to check for flex.

 

[CEC.LV4eva]

Hmmm I think our past memories are often emotionally charged with nostalgia and not a true reflection of “quality.” To truly test whether the older generation of heels are “better” one would have to buy the exact same brand, model, size, and preferably from the same artisan who made them at the exact same factory to control for confounders. Now the only difference would be their timing of their fabrication. Now subject these heels to the same weight/force, angle, and other testing conditions. Needless to say, it is nearly impossible to do this kind of controlled testing.

From my personal experience, I have owned many designer heels in the last 20 years, some older and others newer in my collection. None of the heels have ever broken. Now the reason they break, often is because of the ANGLE in which force was exerted, combined with the weight and often sudden impact. Every heel (steel or not) can break, just depends on if/when these exact physical parameters are met. In fact, things that are too hard, may actually not be as desirable because there is less malleability. We also need to look at the other dynamics here which is that a steel heel, will also cause the shoe to be very heavy. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing either. As such, plastic does not necessarily mean bad, it just depends on what are the objectives that the company is aiming for.

 

[Nottwenty]

Brands? You can’t go wrong with Louboutin 120, 100 or mm. The Hot Chick 130 is discontinued and if you find any, you’re looking at 2 grand. I’m unsure about the lower heel models because I don’t have any, but I’d think they would be as strong. Jimmy Choo Anouks are equally strong, but since they dropped them from production, I don’t buy the the Choo line anymore. Casadei Blades are stainless steel and unbreakable.
Yeah, quality costs a lot. Louboutin doesn’t do sales, Casadei once in a while. Register on the Casadei website. Otherwise, look on eBay, Poshmark, or Rulala for specific models. You can find many unworn or barely used models at half price or less.
Good luck. Hope it helps.

 

[papertiger]

I’m dating myself, but 2 of the 3 pairs of Gucci stilettos I bought 28 years ago are definitely better quality than any of the pairs I’ve purchased recently. I still have them… they don’t die. I still get compliments on them. The other pair were sandal pumps which did not last quite as long - I threw them out because the thin straps wore a bit too thin, not because there was anything wrong with the heel. There are a lot of great stilettos out now though and while they might not be made to last the same way, I think they’re much more comfortable.

Gucci used to use Sergio Rossi for it's Gucci women's heels, now I think it's in-house. Not sure if either of these applies when you bought yours. I bought a pair of SS04 TF for Gucci Corset Heels in black satin and crocodile/metal (pre-loved) last November and they were/are perfect, and surprisingly comfortable.

Most of my shoes from Gucci (bought new) are loafers/mid heel, but my Bettys (high T-strap - high leather coved heels) are fantastic (about 10 years ago Sergio Rossi days) They're not 'pins' though.

 

[A bottle of Red]

Idk about designer but I do remember my mother and sister having quite a few heels break on them when they would walk around the city ( this goes back 25-30 years probably).

 

[Nottwenty]

Sidewalks/cobblestones are notoriously hard on heels, especially scraping the outside of the heel. Navigating these hazards is an art form acquired by costly experience and persistence. What is not commonly known is that rolling office chairs are equally as damaging. Worst, for heels however, may be the rungs on bar stools. Surprisingly, a heel is much more easily broken from weight applied to the front (inside surface?) because the engineering design is primarily to resist pressure from weight on the back of the heel tip. If you hook a high heel over the rung of a (bar?) stool and use that primarily to lift yourself off the stool, you stand a chance of starting to separate the heel from the shoe at the front edge. That creates a very unstable heel and inevitably leads to heel separation.