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Heel Shapes The dark heel along with the keyhole is one of the sexiest parts of the stocking. Like the keyhole it is a by-product of the manufacturing process. The heel is the beginning of the reinforced yarn of the foot. It is made of thicker yarn than the leg and serves a practical purpose - namely preventing wear to the stocking at one of it's most vulnerable parts. There are several heel shapes, the Point heel aka French heels (top left) was invented in the 1950s, the Cuban heel (top right) and the wider Havanna heel (below) are of a much earlier date. Fancy shaped heels also made an appearance in the 1950s such as the Manhattan which is stepped like a sky scraper.