This Simple Little Thing Might Puzzle Young People, But It Was Really Helpful

Fashion is always changing, and lots of old styles become popular again. But some things get forgotten, like the little pads people used to put in high heels.

The High Heel Pad Was So Useful

The high heel pad, which older women remember well, was a small piece of soft material, like foam or gel, that you would put inside the back of a high-heeled shoe. This simple item stopped shoes from rubbing and causing blisters. It also made wearing heels for long periods, during the day or at night, much more comfortable for women’s feet.

How the High Heel Pad Made a Difference

Today, many women prefer to wear more comfortable, casual shoes. However, our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers often wore high heels. They wore them even when they were doing housework, taking care of their children, and during long workdays when more women started working outside the home. For these women, the high heel pad wasn’t just a small accessory; it truly “changed lives” by making their often demanding days a little easier on their feet.

The High Heel Pad Then and Now

This “ingenious” high-heel pad is still useful for women who like to dress up and wear heels, and you can still buy them today. However, it’s not the only fashion item or tool that younger people might not recognize at all.

Old Fashion Brands That Are Now Forgotten

Actually, many fashion brands that were once very popular have been forgotten over time. For example, “Gunne Sax was founded in San Francisco in 1967,” and their special look was inspired by romantic styles like prairie dresses, Victorian fashion, and Renaissance clothing. Interestingly, “Hillary Clinton wore a Gunne Sax wedding dress when he married Bill in 1975.” Even though Gunne Sax doesn’t exist anymore, their classic designs are now valuable vintage clothes. But, they aren’t as well-known now, and most young women today “won’t recognize the name.”

Caché

Another name that might sound a little familiar but is mostly forgotten is Caché, which “was founded in Miami in 1976.” They started by selling fancy clothes for special occasions, but they quickly started making “trend-driven” everyday clothes and became very popular in the 1990s and early 2000s. However, by 2015, people weren’t as interested in the brand anymore, and the company went out of business, closing all their stores.

Henri Bendel

“Another prominent brand, Henri Bendel was around for over 100 years” before it closed its stores and website in 2019. Now, used handbags and other items from Henri Bendel sell for anywhere “between $60 to a few hundred dollars.”

Modern Updates

However, younger people probably “don’t remember when Henri Bendell was a fashion icon.” It’s not surprising that fashion changes with each new generation and new trends. While many old styles come back, they are often changed a little to create a more “modern style that fits current trends.”

Some Styles Stay Popular

Also, old pieces of fashion history are very wanted and “never go out of style.” Luckily, high heels aren’t really in that category anymore, which means fewer women need high-heel pads. But, women’s fashion is so big and has so many parts that shoes are just a small part of it. Here’s a quick look at how women’s shoes have changed over the years.

A Quick Look at Women’s Shoes Through Time

It’s said that there’s proof of shoes being worn way back in “3500 BC, when women wore sandals made of woven reeds or leather.” These were useful for hot weather and protected feet from sharp things like rocks, sticks, and even weapons. In ancient Egypt, women wore shoes with fancy designs made from “papyrus leaves and leather to symbolize their status.” In contrast, it wasn’t until the Middle Ages in Europe that women started wearing heels, which then created a need for high-heel pads.

Being Practical Over Being Comfortable

Heels were first made to be more useful for riding horses because they helped people stay in the stirrups better. Soon after, heels became a sign of being wealthy and important and stayed popular as women’s shoes until the late 1990s and early 2000s. Today, women’s shoes come in all sorts of styles, from fancy high heels to easy slip-ons, sneakers, and sandals.

There are so many choices now, and thankfully, not every pair of shoes needs a high-heel pad to make it through the day or night. Instead, soft pads made of gel or foam can be put inside any type of shoe to give tired and sore feet extra protection and comfort, helping you stay on your feet longer.