High heels. Staples of the porn and modeling industries, impractical footwear that gets caught in lawns, can only be worn on artificial surfaces, somehow associated with feminine allure. Who the hell thought those up, and why?
Surprisingly, perhaps, they were originally mens' footwear - a gift from the feared Persian horseback-mounted warriors. The extended heel made standing in the stirrups far easier, and allowed warriors to take better aim when loosing arrows upon the enemy. Fascinating story of innovation and repurposing over the course of hundreds of years in human history.
