A Mobile Pedestal

Ever thought of why of all things, a platform or elevation? Why then, is this platform added onto shoes, to shape what we coin as 'heels'?

The mention of a platform is immediately thought of in the context of a stage for a performance, or a seminar where scholastic information is shared. The raised platform represents a sense of superiority of the speaker/performer above the audience, drawn as a parallel to their respective aptitudes and abilities. This top-down approach on information transfer immediately defines the clear distinction between the superior and the not. Although this was originally limited within a defined space of an auditorium or a performance hall, this meaning of superiority encoded into this 'platform' is naturally thought of to be attractive. With this, ways were thought of to be able to bring such an association everywhere and anywhere.

Heels were therefore potentially viewed upon to be a solution to this, with the ability to bring along this 'pedestal' everywhere. Apart from overcoming the limitation of a defined space, it extends this power of dominance over anyone, willing or not. In a traditional setting of a seminar or performance, the audience possesses the autonomy to choose to listen to or subject themselves to the content to be delivered; however, with heels, this imposed superiority is brought to them and 'forced upon' anyone and everyone. Therefore, heels are but a mobile simulacrum of this idea for one to exert their superiority upon anyone, anywhere.

Posted by Enqing