After the devastation of the Black Death, Europe entered a bold age of fashion—and few trends were bolder, or more painful, than the “poulaines.” These were shoes with exaggeratedly long, pointed toes, sometimes extending several inches past the foot. They were so impractical that they served as a kind of status symbol; only the wealthy, who didn’t have to work, could afford to wear such awkward footwear.

But the fashionable look came at a cost. Scholars now believe these pointed shoes led to painful foot issues, including bunions. Yet discomfort didn’t stop the trend—in fact, poulaines became so popular that they sparked a backlash. Pope Urban V even banned them, and England passed laws restricting just how long the points could be.

For medieval elites, it seems that suffering for style was as timeless as fashion itself.

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