the compound adjective "spike-heeled" is a modern descriptive term formed from two old english and old norse elements. "spike," with its proto-germanic origin meaning a sharp point or nail, combines with "heel," from a common germanic root for the back of the foot. the suffix "-ed" is added to convert the noun phrase into an adjective, meaning 'having the characteristic of'. the term's logic is transparently literal, directly describing a shoe furnished with a heel that is thin and pointed like a spike, evoking an image of sharpness and extreme height. it belongs to a pattern of english compound adjectives (like "sharp-eyed," "broad-shouldered") that physically characterize an object or person.

Structure: spike (sharp point) + heel (back part of the foot) + ed (adjective suffix) spike: from middle english 'spike', likely from old norse 'spík' (splinter, spike). a noun used attributively to denote a sharp, pointed object. heel: from old english 'hēla', 'hǣla', related to 'hōh' (heel). a noun denoting the back part of the human foot or a shoe. ed: from old english '-ed', '-od', '-ad' (past participial suffix). a suffix forming adjectives from nouns, meaning 'having, provided with'.