But beyond The Wizard of Oz, something about a woman who wears red shoes automatically sends a message of power and independence to the world. Historically, red shoes have been the exclusive domain of bold individuals in positions of power: In 1701, King Louis XIV, who also went by the humble moniker “the Sun King,” posed for a royal portrait wearing red heeled shoes. At the time, red dye was very expensive and very difficult to come by, so you pretty much had to be an actual king to afford it. Or at least a Pope, who traditionally wore red leather loafers since at least 1484, until Pope Francis gave them up for comfortable, brown orthopedic shoes. Okay, I guess red shoes have technically been a symbol for men in positions of power, so you can probably figure out what happens when a woman tries to claim a traditionally male power symbol — women with a penchant for scarlet shoes are often seen as unsavory characters.