Mule (footwear)

A pair of red mules (side)

Mule, a French word, is a style of shoe that is backless and often closed-toed. Mules can be any heel height - from flat to high. The style is predominantly (but not exclusively) worn by women.^{[citation needed]}

The term derives from the Ancient Roman mulleus calceus a red or purple shoe worn by the three highest magistrates,^[1] although there is little indication of any structural resemblance.

History

High-heeled mules were a popular indoor shoe style of the 18th century, influenced by the patten, a backless overshoe of the 16th century. By the early twentieth century, mules were often associated with prostitutes.^[2]

In the early 1950s, Marilyn Monroe popularized the shoe^[1] and helped to break its poor reputation.

Mules experienced some popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s, and were seen in 1970s almost exclusively in the form of open-back Scandinavian clogs, but then re-emerged in the early 1990s, especially in its open-toed form (the "slide"), and began to dominate^{[citation needed]} the shoe market for women.

Gallery

• 

  18th century mules

• 

  Red mules (front)

• 

  A pair of green mules

• 

  Woman's loafer style mules with a flat heel

• 

  Woman's Maryjane style mules with a wedge heel

• 

  Various styles of mules in a shop window

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Games, Alex (2007), Balderdash & piffle : one sandwich short of a dog's dinner, London: BBC, ISBN 9781846072352 
2. ^ Richardson, Edited by Catherine (2004), Clothing culture, 1350-1650, Burlington: Ashgate, ISBN 9780754638421, http://books.google.com/?id=64sDijuQIvUC&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=mule+shoes+prostitute 

This shoe-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Shoes Clothing stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу RAF Oakhanger Come Drink with Me Look at other dictionaries: Mule (disambiguation) — Contents 1 Animals 2 Fiction 3 Music 4 People …   Wikipedia Slide (footwear) — Slide is a common term that refers to a shoe that is backless and open toed, essentially an open toed mule. Generally, all slides are a type of sandal. Thongs and flip flops are normally classified separately. Slides can be high heeled, flat… …   Wikipedia Fashions — ▪ 2009       The faltering global economy determined the direction of fashion during 2008. Initially, the euro s significant appreciation against the dollar proved a boon to style conscious travelers who, visiting the U.S. from abroad as the year …   Universalium Nike Considered — boot Nike Considered is a sustainable line of shoes introduced by Nike, Inc., a major American supplier of athletic shoes, apparel and sports equipment. Nike Considered was developed by Richard Clarke, Tinker Hatfield, Steve McDonald, Mike Aveni… …   Wikipedia textile — /teks tuyl, til/, n. 1. any cloth or goods produced by weaving, knitting, or felting. 2. a material, as a fiber or yarn, used in or suitable for weaving: Glass can be used as a textile. adj. 3. woven or capable of being woven: textile fabrics. 4 …   Universalium Christian Louboutin — Born 7 January 1964 (1964 01 07) (age 47) France Occupation Shoe designer Years active 1991–pr …   Wikipedia Manolo Blahnik — This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Blahnik and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez. Manolo Blahnik Born Manuel Blahnik Rodríguez 28 November 1942 (1942 …   Wikipedia Court shoe — Court shoes (British English) or pumps (American English) are shoes with a low cut front and usually without a fastening. However, some have ankle straps. They are usually worn by women, but are still traditional menswear in some formal… …   Wikipedia Nine West — (also 9 West) is a fashion wholesale and retail company best known for quickly translating runway trends into styles attainable by mass consumers. Initially founded as a fashion footwear brand, Nine West has since expanded into handbags,… …   Wikipedia Clear heels — An example of Clear heels with a 6 inch heel. Clear heels, Lucite heels, sometimes referred to as stripper shoes are high heeled footwear made from a transparent material. They may be used to contain novelty items such as flashing lights, liquids …   Wikipedia 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”