They came on the market around 1330 and became incredibly popular in Western Europe, where they were called Cracoves or Poulaines. The length of the toe lengthened and shortened over time, reaching a length 60 cm longer than the foot at its tip. Often the tips of the shoes were decorated with additional, often obscene elements. Shoes became associated with promiscuity and decadence, so much so that at one point the Church issued a decree on who could and could not wear them. An English poem from 1388 states that men were unable to kneel during Mass because of the long tops of their crakows. By 1480, crakows fell out of fashion and did not reappear on a large scale until the 20th century.
