For generations, high heels have signified femininity and glamour, but a pair of high heels was once an essential accessory for men. They’re no good for hiking or driving, they get stuck in things like cobbled streets, and they’re very uncomfortable. Originally, however, they weren’t. High-heeled shoes were first worn in the 10th century as a way to help the Persian cavalry keep their shoes in their stirrups. Since then, men's heels have gone through varied cultural meanings: symbolizing high social stature, military prowess, refined fashionable taste, and the height of “cool.” By the early 1600s, one-inch heels were the norm for Persian riders, on and off their horses. Since owning horses was a symbol of wealth, high-heeled shoes came to signify money and power. By the end of the century, men began to wear lower heels, with a more squared toe, while women’s heels became more slender and taller. The toes of women’s shoes were often tapered so that when the tips appeared from their skirts, the wearer’s feet appeared to be small and dainty. When the mid-1700s came along, high heels were seen by men as foolish and effeminate. It would take another 50 years before heels disappeared from women’s feet, too, falling out of favor after the French Revolution. By the time high heels came back into fashion, in the mid-19th century, they were seen as stylish and sophisticated. It wasn’t until the 1970s that men began wearing heels again, this time in the form of platform shoes that were worn with flashy silk shirts and bell-bottom pants. Could we ever return to an era of men squeezing their big hairy feet into 4-inch, brightly-colored high heels? If it becomes synonymous with power, men will be as willing to wear them as women are.
