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The history of heels runs deep, and men played a pivotal role in their evolution.Â
One of the most popular beliefs is that high heels are a women’s shoe.
With men’s high heels on the rise, I thought it would be interesting to take a peek at the history of the popular type of shoe.
As a guy who loves heels myself, I can’t help but feel like the height-altering shoe served some greater purpose than just aesthetics “way back when”.
In this post, you’ll learn about the eye-opening history of heels for men!
The Shocking History Of High Heels
Persian Soldiers On Horseback
Spikey heels were worn by many Persian soldiers to make riding by horseback easier.
The increased foot elevation that heels provided, made fitting into horse saddle stirrups smooth.
This gave Persian soldiers a competitive advantage during battle!
“Persian soldiers were the first to discover that heeled shoes helped their feet stay in stirrups and gave them the stability needed to shoot bows and arrows.” Google Arts & Culture (1)
Not only did wearing heels make it easier for battle, but just having a pair signified that you had enough wealth to own a horse(adding to the upper-class appeal of heeled shoes).
It’s believed that once the first Persian diplomat was sent to Europe in heels, a lot of Europeans started to take notice and adopt the style.
Heeled shoes became particularly trendy amongst aristocratic men, who used the shoes to appear more masculine.
An Aristocrat
Okay, now I know you’re wondering why heels would be considered masculine to European aristocrats.
This is mainly because of the social status heels represented.
According to the Institute Of Preventative Foot Health, “As the new shoe style filtered down to the lower classes, aristocrats increased their heel height to again show privilege and status.“(2)
In the seventeenth century, men’s fashion was very “feminine” by today’s standards.
It wasn’t uncommon to see men in colored stockings and “uncollected britches”(2).
Perhaps the most apparent representation of men in heels was Louis XIV.
If you aren’t aware, Louis XIV was the proclaimed king of France during this time.
He loved heels so much that he “passed an edict that stated only nobility could wear heels.”(2)
Louis even made red-bottomed high heels a symbol for the upper class and declared that only those he favored wear them.
Those who wore red-bottomed heels were basically seen as the “cool kids” in town.
Louis XIV’s admiration and emphasis on heels definitely accelerated their popularity during this era.
Great Male Renunciation
As time went on, heels became more gendered and men started to wear them less.
In an attempt to feel more power than was given by governing males, women would wear more clothing with masculine aesthetics.
Elizabeth Semmelhack of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto states, “They would smoke pipes, and they would wear hats that were very masculine. This is why women adopted the heel – it was in an effort to masculinize their outfits.“
By the eighteenth century, men stopped wearing heels and it officially became a women’s shoe due to its effeminate appeal.
According to the BBC, “It was the beginning of what has been called the Great Male Renunciation, which would see men abandon the wearing of jewelry, bright colors, and ostentatious fabrics in favor of a more darkly homogeneous look.“(3)
Even though men abandoned heels, certain types of shoes like cowboy boots are considered masculine to this day.
This is largely because the shoe evolved from the traditional Persian Cavalry Heel, also known as the Cuban Heel, with a Hispanic heritage(similar to how men kissing each other on the cheek is more accepted in France versus the United States).
The Beatles even helped promote the masculine aesthetic of Cuban Heels by wearing them on stage during performances.
They were so popular that fans called the shoe “Beatle Heels”!
Despite heels being considered women’s clothing, men are reaping some of the fashionable benefits of wearing them.
Take me for example, I have an entire brand built around my passion for heels.
I realize that heels are just pieces of clothing(art) that can mean whatever I want them to.
Me Wearing Heels
Not assigning genders to clothing takes a lot of spiritual work and evolution, but it’s not impossible.
Even Semmelhack agrees that, “If it becomes a signifier of actual power, then men will be as willing to wear it as women.“(2)
If you ask me, heels are a symbol of power because it takes skill to walk in them and look good simultaneously.
From stilettoes to chunky heeled boots, the heels are diverse and can suit your evolving style!
Watch The History Of Heels Video!
Citation Resources
Google. (n.d.). The high-life: A history of men in heels – google arts & culture. Google. Retrieved April 16, 2022, from https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-high-life-a-history-of-men-in-heels/iQJCgMgwSKV5Kw
Ipfh.org. 2022. Why Do Women Wear High Heels? | Institute for Preventive Foothealth (IPFH). [online] Available at: <https://www.ipfh.org/media-press/features/why-do-women-wear-high-heels> [Accessed 17 April 2022].
Encyclopedia Britannica. 2022. Louis XIV | Facts, Biography, Children, & Death. [online] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-XIV-king-of-France> [Accessed 17 April 2022].
Hey there! I realize this is kind of off-topic but I needed to ask.
Does managing a well-established website like yours require a
massive amount work? I’m completely new to writing a blog however I
do write in my diary everyday. I’d like to start
a blog so I will be able to share my own experience and feelings online.
Please let me know if you have any recommendations or tips for
new aspiring bloggers. Appreciate it!
It depends on how seriously you take it! Blogging can be a full-time gig if you consistently post and make Pinterest pins. Here’s a review of the course I took to help me start: https://heheels.com/perfecting-blogging-course-review/