According to Screen International, the great shoe scandal of the Cannes Film Festival 2015 caused a commotion when women were turned away from the red carpet for wearing flats instead of heels. Have the Cannes red carpet officials not yet heard about the Victorian Dress Reform, circa 1850s to 1890s?
The Cannes Commotion
Not one, but several guests, including some elderly with medical conditions (and possibly one amputee), were turned away. One rejected guest was wearing rhinestone-encrusted flats. In response, the Festival Director, Thierry Fremaux, tweeted: “The rumor that the Festival requires high heels for women on the steps is unfounded.”
Aaccording to Didier Allouch, the official interviewer at Cannes for nearly a decade, the rule of heels is an unofficial policy that is enforced at the red carpet.
How High Must We Go?
How do the Cannes officials define high heels–unofficially that is? Does a two-inch heel count? Four? Maybe six? Or must we go to the heights of the chopine, the platform shoes so popular among Venetian women (and some men) in the 15th to 17th centuries?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a pair of chopines that reach a dizzying height of twenty inches.
At least chopines served a “practical” function of protecting the foot from irregularly paved and wet or muddy streets. Granted, wearers often required an attendant to keep them upright, but the enhancement of stature obviously was worth the price.
Victorian Dress Reform
Given some of the challenges of fashion victims that came before, it’s no surprise that the Victorians demanded greater comfort. Also known as the Rational Dress Movement, Victorian Dress Reform pushed for emancipation from the dictates of fashion.
Victorian Era Footwear: Two Left Feet No Longer
The Victorian movement towards more comfortable clothing included a thrust towards more comfortable shoes. One of the welcome developments during the early Victorian era was that shoes were finally being made for left and right feet specifically.
Heels were flat or very low, generally no more than two inches. Well-bred women would proudly promote their feet and wanted their foot to look as small and dainty as possible. In spite of the push for comfort, ladies often wore their shoes one or more sizes too small for their feet.
Behold the Beautiful Victorian Boot
Boots were popular and very practical when treading down narrow hallways and cobblestone streets in long dresses. They were made from rubber and leather with scalloped edges, patent leather, and dyed suede and often featured intricate embroidery, dying, and lace.
From Slippers to Mules
Slippers became popular later in the Victorian Era. These evolved into what we today consider a pump, heel, or mule. These shoes were often covered in fabrics including silk or suede and embellished with gemstones, fabric flowers, tassels, buckles or bows.
No matter how fancy, it’s doubtful they would be high enough to make the cut on the red carpet at the Cannes.
The Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto
For all shoe lovers and lovers of history in general, The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto is a must see. Heels are not required in their dress code, officially or unofficially, so feel free to show up in flats.
Through June, 2016, you can see Fashion Victims: The Pleasures & Perils of Dress in the 19th Century, and their newest exhibition, Standing Tall: The Curious History of Men In Heels, a show that challenge preconceived notions about who wears heels and why.
Racing Nellie Bly
Victorian Secrets From Footnotes In History
