Which of these was a name historically given to a very high platform shoe?

Originating in the 15th century, and lasting into the 17th, Chopines were a type of extremely high platform sole, with the elevation being as much as 50 centimetres (30 inches).

They had something of a dual purpose. They undeniably had a practical use, for instance to protect the wearer from mud, but came increasingly to be seen as a sign of status and fashion. They could be made of various materials, including metal and wood. Some were extremely ornate. Interestingly, though some accounts speak of women (though at this time period the wearing of high heels was by no means restricted to women) needing two servants to support them whilst wearing them, whilst others insist it was possible, with practice, to dance in them.

The word can be found in the work of Shakespeare, referring in "Hamlet" to the "altitude of a Chopine".

The derivation of the word is not entirely clear, though of course it has no connection to the Polish composer, who was only born centuries later. It is generally thought to relate to words for clogs and wooden blocks.