As Fashion Week kicks off in New York, a "killer" shoe exhibit is underway at the Brooklyn Museum to celebrate the glory of the stiletto heel throughout the centuries.

Titled "Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe," the exhibit features 178 of the most outrageously crafted high heels that ever walked the earth.

Samples include Italian platforms from the 1600s and 19th century silk shoes from China, all the way to Dior slippers and the coveted red-bottomed Louboutins, the New York Daily News reported.

"It's all about the rise of the stiletto," Lisa Small, curator of exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum, told the newspaper.

The collection also boasts a daunting 8-ingh high pair of heels worn by Lady Gaga in 2012 and a pair of stilettos from Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo once donned by Marilyn Monroe.

"When we opened up the box we were all excited to find out what size she was," Small told the Daily News of Monroe's size seven-and-a-half foot. "You can see some wear on the sole, but it's in very good condition."

Heels were originally worn by the men of 16th century Persia who used them to steady themselves while shooting arrows on horseback, according to the BBC.

Over time they were adopted into women's fashion as a perceived extension of female sensuality and power.

But there is some confusion over who exactly invented dagger-like heels called stilettos.

"Some say it was Ferragamo," Small told the newspaper.

"Killer Heels" will also feature six short films, including one from upscale shoe designer Giuseppe Zanotti on the art of shoemaking.

The exhibit runs from Sept. 10 until Feb 15.