Platform Sneakers
Platform shoes have a rich and long history, believe it or not. Beginning with the Greeks, whose thespians wore something called a “Cothurnus,” leather sandals with 6-inch cork platforms to give the actors a bit of a boost. Then came the “pattens” in the Middle Ages, worn by all the citizenry when strolling down the unpaved streets, which were filthy and unsanitary, so the pattens would elevate them to avoid all the muck. Platforms reappeared in their modern form at the hand of Salvatore Ferragamo with his rainbow-colored cork sandal in the 1930s, and has had an on-and-off existence since then. One of the latest reincarnations of the platform shoe was as a sneaker (or trainer) reportedly elevated (no pun intended!) to fashion symbol by the all-girl sensation group the Spice Girls. Since then, many have sprained their ankles while others were temporary blinded by the unsightly, unstylish and impractical platform sneaker.
