Shoe History Corner: Roger Vivier and the Stiletto
Posted on November 14th, 2008 by Shomore under Roger Vivier Shoes, Shoe History Corner, Shoes at the MuseumRoger Vivier’s shoes have been a regular feature on this blog. Really, how could we not blog about Roger Vivier, the Fragonard of the shoe, when the designer is credited for inventing the stiletto heel, comma heel, and pilgram buckle.
Today, I present to you this Roger Vivier for Dior pump, circa 1954. It’s one of the first designs of a thin metal stake we now call the stiletto and is every bit as lovely as it was fifty odd years ago.
And if you have a ton of free time on your hands, and I do emphasize a ton, I highly encourage you to peruse the Costume Institute’s meticulously cataloged online collection, which is where I found this photo. It would take hours just to review the buckles and Chanel pieces on the site.
- Roger Vivier: Comma and Pilgram Shoe
- Friday Shoe History Corner at the V&A Part 2
- The most expensive shoes in the world
- GoldenBleu Warehouse Shoe Sale
- What I want in a boot
- Shoe Shopping for the Recessionita



Piperlime
November 14th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Beautiful shoes for Cinderella…
November 14th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
The stiletto heel was used by Andre Perugia in his designs for Mistinguette before 1940, and by Salvatore Ferragamo in his shoe designs shortly after World War II. Roger Vivier revived the style in the 1950’s.
November 14th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Who cares!? Their both hot pairs of shoes. But both in their own way carry them off well.
November 15th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
That Dior pump is exquisite! And quite suitable for today even though it’s more than 50 years old
November 27th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
[...] here’s to Roger Vivier. While well-known for his revival* of the stiletto n the 1950’s - particularly during Hollywood’s ‘Golden Years’ (Think Marilyn Monroe in [...]
November 28th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
[...] here’s to Roger Vivier. While well-known for his revival* of the stiletto n the 1950’s - particularly during Hollywood’s ‘Golden Years’ (Think Marilyn Monroe in [...]
November 28th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
[...] here’s to Roger Vivier. While well-known for his revival* of the stiletto n the 1950’s - particularly during Hollywood’s ‘Golden Years’ (Think Marilyn Monroe in [...]