Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Men in Heels: a Fashion History

Men in Heels: a Fashion History

From King Louis XIVs red bottoms to David Bowies platform footwear, men have a long and storied history with high heels.

For the last three centuries, high heels have been widely regarded as a women’s style. Seen everywhere from the runways to daily work attire, adding a few inches to a woman’s height is often considered the key to tying an ensemble together. However, as lovers of fashion inside and outside the industry take strides to break down the gender binary in clothing, many men have been spotted sporting the lifted shoe. By adopting footwear that has become such an iconic representation of feminine fashion, their choice is often dubbed “ground-breaking” or “gender-bending.” Funnily enough, the origination of high heels began specifically for men.



King Louis XIV.

The earliest known style of heels dates back to 10th-century Persia. Male soldiers riding horseback used heels to secure their feet in the stirrups and give them more leverage when fighting. The concept would be adopted nine centuries later by the American cowboy, but more on that later.

As the high heel came to signify power and military prowess, it also became a show of wealth, as only those with money could afford horses. This symbolism reemerges in France in the 1600s under the reign of King Louis XIV. The Master of Versailles used footwear to distinguish both class and preference. In 1670, he proclaimed that only members of the noble class could wear heels. Within this group, he only allowed his favorite courtiers to wear red (his color of choice).



James Dean in cowboy boots.

By the end of the French Revolution, however, high heels were considered too feminine and generally disregarded men in Europe. However, across the pond, as the American West began to attract new settlers, the cowboy, arguably identified and defined by his attire, was considered the epitome of masculinity and male pride. Most cowboy boots featured an inverted round heel called a Cuban heel (referencing the footwear of traditional Flamenco dancers) and were a necessity for staying upright while traveling long distances on horseback.



The Beatles



Kiss.



Despite this, heels outside the cowboy context were generally still regarded as a women’s shoe. It wasn't until the 1960s when the Beatles popularized the “Beatle Boots”-an early iteration of Chelsea boots-that the heel was reinvited into menswear. Rock-n-roll groups of the late-20th century like Aerosmith and Mötley Crue adopted similar tame styles as well, while glam rock artists like Kiss and David Bowie opted for more ostentatious versions.



David Bowie.

Unlike the low Cuban heels of '70s hair bands, Bowie and his stage persona Ziggy Stardust gravitated towards bold platforms, stilettos, or generally higher heels-all of which were, at the time, synonymous with women's fashion. While subcultures like drag queen communities and ballroom culture during this time had already normalized men wearing heels and other traditionally feminine garments, Bowie's look brought gender subversive fashion to the mainstream.



Hood by Air Fall/Winter 2016



Thom Browne Spring/Summer 2018.

In the 2010s, the return of the Chelsea boot in men's wardrobes was, once again, met was considerable attention. However, as designers continue to blend menswear and womenswear, the gendered lines around clothing and accessories have lightened in their severity. Heels higher and flashier than a simple black Chelsea boot are more common for men than in previous decades. Brands have employed them as part of their menswear collections, and they've even found their way into streetwear.

Similar to apparel, the declassification of heels as a "woman's shoe" continues to unfold as clothing becomes less tied to one's gender identity and sexuality. As men hit red carpets and magazine covers in gowns, there's no reason they shouldn't have a nice pair of heels to accompany them.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×