Men In Heels: A Surprising Fashion History

Throughout history, the notion of men wearing heels has been a surprising and intriguing aspect of fashion. What was once a symbol of power and masculinity eventually transformed into a predominantly feminine fashion statement. This evolution tells a fascinating story of changing social norms, gender roles, and the fluidity of fashion trends. 

 

History Of Men's Heels

People have long thought of heels as a sign of women, but they came from guys. Rich men have worn high heels for a long time as a sign of wealth and position. Moreover, soldiers and wealthy riders found it easier to get on and off horses with them. 

French and Italian courtiers wore heels up to 6 inches high in the 15th to 17th centuries. This made them taller than their peers.

Kings like Louis XIV wore long skirted coats called deshabille and red high heels. This made high heels the standard for noblemen's clothing in Europe.

Heels Become Women's Shoes

In the late 1700s, men's heels began creeping down and women's heels started to rise up. This happened because Western fashion took a romanticized view of royal knighthood.

Noblemen wanted to look taller and scarier in war, but they also wanted to show how powerful they were in other places.

Men's Heels Fashion Came Back

In the United States in the early 1900s, cowboys and ranch hands made tougher cowboy boots with low, stacked heels that were good for work and riding.

High heels were mostly worn by women for most of the 20th century. In the 1970s, Major fashion icons like David Bowie, Kiss, and Aerosmith wore platform shoes and boots to show that men can still wear various heeled shoes.

Celebrities Test the Red Carpet

Since the beginning of the 21st century, male celebrities like Jared Leto and Lenny Kravitz have been seen walking the red carpet and in magazine ads wearing very high heels.

It's still too early to tell if heels will change the way most men. Or it is only a bold trend for celebrities who want to be ahead of fashion.

But their complicated past shows how ideas about power, class, and gender are mixed up in the way dress changes over time.

A New Fashion Trend in Men's Heels: Elevator Shoes

In the middle of the 20th century, heels became less popular among men. To make themselves look taller, some went to elevator shoes & boots.

These cool height increasing boots and dress shoes have secret platform soles and lifts that give you an extra 2 to 5 inches of height invisibly. 

A lot of short guys who were self-conscious about their height bought elevator shoes. Shoe brand  like Chamaripa and GoldMoral sold "height-increasing" shoes that had  height-increasing insoles inside them.

As early as the 1990s, Chamaripa made these modern “high heels for men” easy and cheap to hide your identity. Lifts were hidden under fake insoles and thick rubber bottoms in stylish slip-ons and lace-ups.

Andre Assous's subtle styles help guys with longer legs fit in without being noticed.

Furthermore, modest lift shoes have stayed popular for people who are self-conscious and want a little extra height.