Dish with Rider (9th or 10th century) by UnknownPergamonmuseum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
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'.
Without further ado, we'll let the men strut their stuff on the catwalk of history...
1. Killer Heels
Persian soldiers were the first to discover that heeled shoes helped their feet stay in their stirrups and gave them the stability they needed to shoot their bows and arrows.
This dish, excavated from Nishapur, Iran, shows a soldier from the time of the Samanid Empire (874-1005) in an early version of a heeled riding boot.
The modern cowboy boot derives directly from this 10th c. tradition!
Mūsā Nāma (The Book of Moses) by Mulana Shāhīn Shirazi (1686) by Scribe: Nehemiah ben Amshal of TabrizThe Israel Museum, Jerusalem
2. The New Power Heel
By the 17th century, one-inch heels were the norm for Persian riders, on and off their horses. Since owning horses was a symbol of wealth, heeled shoes came to signify money and power.
Here, two Persians in rich robes embroidered with gold, silk pants, and high heels discover Moses floating down the Nile in the basket. The illustration, from a 17th c. manuscript of the Book of Moses, melds Jewish, Islamic and Persian traditions and imagery.
The Archdukes Albert and Isabella Visiting a Collector's Cabinet (circa 1621-1623) by Hieronymus Francken IIThe Walters Art Museum
3. Flaunting Comes into Fashion
At the end of the 17th c., the Persian Shah sent a delegation of soldiers to forge relations with foreign leaders in Russia, Germany, and Spain. “Persia-mania” became fashionable and European aristocrats adopted heels as a symbol of virility and military prowess.
17th-century male fashion was all about emphasizing the legs: high heels, tight, colored stockings, and loose, uncollected britches all helped emphasize men’s shapely calves and thighs.
Male portrait sitters like the Archduke Albert, pictured here visiting a collector’s cabinet of curiosities, almost always posed in stances that proudly showed off their legs and heeled shoes!
Portrait of Louis XIV (after 1701) by Hyacinthe RigaudThe J. Paul Getty Museum
4. The King of Heels
Louis XIV was perhaps the most famous wearer of heels in history. Under Louis’s rule, the higher and redder the heel, the more powerful the wearer. In 1670, he passed an edict that stated that only nobility could wear heels.
The red heel was symbolic: it showed that its wearer was rich enough not to dirty his shoes and that he was powerful enough to crush his enemies underfoot.
The Sun King only allowed those in his favor to wear red heels. You can tell who is in his good and bad graces in court paintings by looking at the color of men’s heels!
Before (Main View)The J. Paul Getty Museum
5. Putting the Shoe on the Other Foot
Shoes became increasingly gendered throughout the 18th century: women’s shoes became narrower, more ornamental, and the heels higher, whereas men’s shoes became broader and sturdier. Consequently, men stopped wearing heels around 1730 as a reaction against their perceived feminization.
This painting by the English artist William Hogarth from 1730 shows the growing difference between men and women’s shoes. Although the young male lover’s shoes still boast a small heel, it is already lower than the woman’s, and the shoe broader, sturdier, and less delicate.
Western Boots circa 1950 (1950) by unknownNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
6. Heels Continue to Ride High
The French Revolution in 1789 put a definitive end to the aristocratic usage of male heels. However, some lifestyles still accepted the wearing of male heels. The cowboy is a perfect example. A modern update on the 10th c. Persian cavalry heel, the cowboy boot is as masculine a heel as they come in today’s world.
The angled, rounded heel is also called a “Cuban heel,” in deference to the style’s Hispanic heritage (Flamenco dancer’s shoes, for example).
Beatles (1964) by Ralph MorseLIFE Photo Collection
7. Mop Tops and Chelsea Boots
The Beatles helped popularize the Cuban heel in the 1960s and 1970s. “Beatle boots,” as they were called, were a variant of the Chelsea boot: tight-fitting, ankle-high boots with a sharp, pointed toe and Cuban heels.
Collecting card:The Beatles (1960s) by T.C.G.The Strong National Museum of Play
Legend has it that, in October 1961, John Lennon and Paul McCartney saw a pair that they liked in a Chelsea boutique and commissioned four pairs with a Cuban heel to suit their new public image.
LIFE Photo Collection
8. Breaking Ankles, Breaking Boundaries
David Bowie famously pushed the boundaries of gendered fashion throughout his career. He was known for wearing all manner of heels, from sky-high stilettos to platform shoes, as seen here in a photo from Life Magazine in 1987.
David BowieLIFE Photo Collection
Bowie’s alter-egos - like Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke and Major Tom - brought androgynous fashion onto center stage. Heels, dresses, makeup, and sex appeal helped him feel “superhuman”.
Bowie was a fashion icon at a time when hom*osexuality and gender fluidity were still taboo. He helped an entire generation learn to accept non-binary gender, heels and all.
Motley CrueLIFE Photo Collection
9. Men who Rocked the Heel
Motley Crue may have sung about women who were “Hell on High Heels,” but they could have been talking about themselves.
By the 1990s, heels, particularly in the form of the Cuban heel, had come to symbolize a certain kind of rough, rocker aesthetic.
But the cowboy-wearing-heels dichotomy begs the question: if heeled boots can be seen as the epitome of masculinity for the tough cowboy type, then why aren’t heels more culturally accepted beyond the cowboy symbolism?
Men generally stopped wearing heels when they became a staple of women’s fashion in the mid-18th century. Whereas men’s heels once symbolized power, wealth, and masculinity, today they tend to push the boundaries of binary gender norms. From the Beatles and David Bowie, to Motley Crue and Prince, the male heel is still very much part of all of our cultural identities.
Credits: Story
By Maude Bass-Krueger
Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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View themeThe article delves into the historical evolution of high-heeled shoes, exploring their origins in Persian cavalry, their transition into symbols of power, wealth, and masculinity, and their transformation through various cultural contexts up to contemporary times. Each segment traces the journey of high heels, from their practical inception aiding Persian soldiers to their later associations with social status, military prowess, fashion, and even rebellion against gender norms.
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Persian Origins of Heeled Shoes:
- The mention of the dish excavated from Nishapur, Iran, displaying a soldier wearing an early version of a heeled riding boot, links back to the Persian cavalry's use of heels for stability while riding horses. This discovery highlights the practical purpose of heels for soldiers during the Samanid Empire, around the 9th or 10th century.
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Symbolism of Wealth and Power:
- The transition of heeled shoes into a symbol of wealth and power is depicted in the article through references to 17th-century Persian riders and their association with affluence due to owning horses. This symbolism extended to European aristocrats, who adopted heels as a representation of virility and military prowess.
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Louis XIV and the Height of Heel Symbolism:
- The era of Louis XIV's rule in France solidified the association between the height and color of heels and the wearer's power. The edict issued by Louis XIV restricting heel-wearing to nobility signifies the hierarchical and status-related significance of high heels during that period.
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Gendered Evolution of Heels:
- The 18th-century shift in shoe designs, with women's heels becoming narrower and more ornamental while men's shoes became broader and sturdier, illustrates the increasing gender differentiation in footwear. This shift eventually led to men abandoning heels around 1730 as a reaction against perceived feminization.
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Contemporary Adaptations:
- The article touches upon how the French Revolution ended aristocratic usage of male heels but highlights exceptions, such as cowboy boots. The evolution of the cowboy boot as a modern adaptation of the 10th-century Persian cavalry heel and its association with masculinity and heritage are discussed.
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Cultural Influences in Modern Times:
- References to popular culture icons like The Beatles and David Bowie's influence on the resurgence of heeled shoes, particularly Cuban heels, during the 1960s and 1970s, are presented. Bowie's fashion choices and androgynous style are spotlighted as breaking boundaries in gendered fashion norms.
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Contemporary Symbolism and Cultural Acceptance:
- The article closes by contemplating the symbolic significance of heels in contemporary times, linking them to rock aesthetics and questioning their limited acceptance beyond certain cultural contexts. It poses the idea that while men's heels once symbolized power and masculinity, their current resurgence challenges traditional binary gender norms.
Throughout the narrative, diverse historical references, cultural transitions, and societal perceptions regarding high-heeled shoes are presented, depicting their evolution from functional accessories to powerful symbols within different cultural milieus and periods.
