A Journey Trough Heels:
From ancient Egypt to Vouge
High heels can be dated all the way back to 3500 b.c. Persia and ancient Egypt where people in high power would wear high heeled shoes as a status symbol. In Egypt the high heel wasn’t exclusively seen as feminine and masculine and therefore often worn by both men and women.
Fast forward to the 10th century in Persia where high heels had a more practical use: horse riding. The shape of high heels made it easier for equestrians to keep their shoes in stirrups. The view of the high heel at this time was based in practicality and tied to the equestrian warrior lifestyle. In the 17th century, the high heel was worn by Persian equestrians not only as a practicality but as a symbol of their status.
At the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th noblemen in Europe adopted this Persian style of high heel to represent power and wealth. The high heel was associated with men in power with high status. The high heel fashion craze emphasized the legs of men and highlighted their calves as the sign of masculinity at that time.
It was only in the 18th century women began wearing high heels as well. It’s said that high status women wanted to show off their wealth and power just as other noblemen. The women's heels were thinner and taller, this was believed to give them a more feminine look. Throughout history women’s fashion has been used to exaggerate the feminine look usually this consists of a thinner waist, wider hips, and fuller bust all alluring to the male gaze. High heels also helped push feminine beauty standards making a woman arch her back, making the bust and behind look bigger. It is thought that the arched back makes women look ready for intimacy
and some articles state this awakens a ‘primal’ urge in men making the women more attractive to them. Very quickly men stopped wearing heels and the high heel was now solely a female fashion piece. The sexualisation of the high heel probably played a role in men leaving the shoes behind.
Now, the high heel represents sexuality and femininity as opposed to status and wealth. Of course, to wear heels is to symbolize an easier life with less work and walking, but lower class women still felt the pressure to wear heels to look feminine and formal.
The uncomfortable nature of the high heel leaves many wondering why it’s even still a common fashion item today. According to online users, the high heel serves as an aesthetic function by elongating the legs, fixing posture, and arching the back for an overall perky look.
One user (man) stated that the high heel makes women look fragile and prey-like which makes him (the user) feel powerful and a need to protect. Here, the roles are switched from the early uses of high heels where men who wore them felt powerful, and now by not wearing them, they still feel like they are the ones in power.
Most women agree wearing high heels is extremely uncomfortable but also that no other shoe gives the same look. There is no other shoe that elongates the legs and makes the wearer look more feminine- other than a ballerina shoe which is arguably less comfortable. Women also describe their love for high heels and their ability to elevate an outfit and make them feel more confident. Jeans and sneakers are not appropriate on a red carpet, but jeans and high heels? That is appropriate.
Today, some men online showcase themselves wearing high heels. Some to protest the gendered idea of the shoe and some just to compliment their outfit. Honorable mentions of men wearing high heels are Mark Bryan and Wisdom Kaye who we dive into further on the ‘discover page’. Both men strive to make high heels more acceptable as mens footwear again. Mark Bryan has a more feminine formal approach to the high heel. He uses fashion pieces in his outfits other than just the high heel that is (at least in western culture) considered feminine such as skirts and handbags. His motivations are very personal as he simply feels more confident and excited when he wears skirts and high heels on the daily. He almost unintentionally challenges society's norms about how people perceive men in feminine clothing. Wisdom Kaye’s approach to wearing high heels is very high fashion. As a fashion influencer he is always looking to elevate his outfits which the high heel quite literally does. His motivation is very simple, it just looks better with certain looks.
With the rise of gender-neutral fashion and people breaking stereotypes with gendered clothing one might wonder if mens heels will become just as common as womens.
So why is this important? It is odd living in a world where there is specific clothing that is only accessible for one type of person. Describing how the high heel has changed culturally and socially since its creation helps push away the stigma on who is allowed to wear them. It proves that feminine fashion and masculine fashion is only defined by a person's own experiences and perception. By sharing this information it helps remove boundaries in fashion that have been set by ourselves and allows us to be even more creative in self expression.
It’s interesting that societal views on high heels have changed so drastically from the first time they became a trend. They used to make the wearer feel masculine, dominant, and powerful in comparison to those who didn’t have the pleasure of wearing the high heel. Now, recent male commenters on Quora describe seeing women wear the high heel and feeling dominant as if they have to protect someone who is about to fall and break. They describe women in heels like bambi's on ice they need to protect from falling but also being ‘ready to breed’ because of the way the heels arch the womens back. It’s interesting how no matter who wears the high heel, men still feel dominant and powerful in relation to the high heel.
Imagine if the same cultural ideas surrounding the high heels today were relevant in 10th century Persia and the high heel made men look fragile and submissive while riding their battle horses. It sounds belittling and weird, right? So why do men describe women in high heels this way? How did the societal view of the high heel change so drastically?
Whether you agree or disagree with the text we would love to hear your theories on our anonymous forum.