Why did the concubines in the ancient harem wear flowerpot shoes?
In the drama of the Qing dynasty, you may find that all the concubines in the harem of the Qing dynasty are wearing shoes at the bottom of flowerpots. The heels of flowerpot shoes are particularly high and are made of wood. The heel is placed in the middle of the sole, which makes it easy for women to walk unsteadily.
However, even if the flowerpot shoes are so hard to wear, generations of harem concubines will still walk around the palace wearing flowerpot shoes. Why? In fact, this is related to many factors such as social culture.
For a long time, women in the Han Dynasty had the habit of foot binding, which was very beautiful. Later, after the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, Manchu women were influenced by the culture of the Han Dynasty and thought that little feet would be more beautiful. After the society is relatively stable, Manchu women no longer have to make a living, especially the concubines in the harem. At that time, their life was already very comfortable, so they wore flowerpot shoes to hide their big feet.
After a period of change, the height of this kind of shoes is not too high at first, and then it gradually becomes higher and higher. Over time, there is a saying that the higher the sole, the higher the status of women.
At the same time, flowerpot shoes are unstable because of their high heels. Women who walk in these shoes will show graceful walking posture because their heels are too high. It is for this reason that concubines in the harem like to wear flowerpot shoes in order to please the emperor.
Of course, flowerpot shoes also have an additional benefit, which is to make people look more slender. After all, the heel height of flowerpot shoes in Qing dynasty reached six or seven inches, and the princess might be taller than the emperor.