Actress Sarah Jessica Parker's shoes while on location for Annie Leibovitz's "Sex and the City" photo shoot for Vogue on March 5, 2008 in New York City.
Maybe it’s because the heel is named after a dagger. Or perhaps it’s because the most popular styles give wearers a boost of three or four inches. Either way, stiletto heels convey a femme fatale authority: shapely yet dangerous. The thin-heeled style dates from the 1800s, though the stiletto specifically, characterized by its supporting metal shaft, was not established until the 1950s. Today, we often associate these heels with the Carrie Bradshaws of the world—women who refuse to concede style at the hands of a busy lifestyle.