From fashion to history: the fascinating story behind men abandoning high heels
Men in high heels look odd now, yet the style began as a male item that helped riders stay in stirrups and showed rank. Long before heels turned into a female signal, they carried clear jobs plus meanings in Africa, Asia besides Europe.
In ancient Egypt, rich people put on special shoes to broadcast rank and butchers walked on raised backs to keep clear of blood. In Persia, male soldiers fixed heeled boots so their feet would lock in stirrups - the lift gave steadier aim, posture in battle. Those workaday roles started the long shift toward pure ornament.
Persian envoys reached Europe in 1599; nobles copied the heel and linked it to blue blood. Women then took up the style to gain height but also stand eye-to-eye with men - Catherine de' Medici led the way. Sky-scraping heels hurt backs and ankles - shoemakers pushed all height to the rear block, which steadied the foot.
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France's King Louis XIV, only five feet four, ordered red heels to add inches as well as broadcast power. He banned the color for commoners - the shoe turned into a state badge. England's Charles II copied the look and the heel stayed tied to the ruling class.
During the Enlightenment, taste swung toward plain dress. Men dropped lace, color or heels in the Great Male Renunciation - their clothes turned sober and work-ready. Heels stayed in women's closets, now read as beauty, femininity also allure. The shift ended the heel's life as a war help and rank tag next to fixed it as a staple of women's dress.
