It may be hard to believe, but the popularity of high heels actually started with men. The concept of high heels for men may seem strange to some, but it is probably the most historically significant fashion trend of the past few centuries. Today, high heels for men are worn for purely practical purposes, at least in most cases. This seems to be the same as the years when men began wearing high heels. Historians believe that warriors wore high heels while riding horses to help them hold on to the saddle tightly. At first, they were popular among manly men and warriors of the land. However, they soon became exclusive to the rich. Kings, in particular, loved the prestige it brought them.
The first lady wears high heels
It wasn’t until the 16th century that the first woman was recorded wearing high heels. Catherine de Medici, who was about 150cm tall, wanted to appear taller for her wedding. At the time women only wore thick-soled shoes, some as high as 60cm. There was a problem with these thick-soled shoes, though. Although they were much older and more comfortable for women, they were extremely unsafe. Women would step on them, and many pregnant women even had miscarriages as a result. A combination of commercial pressure and legislation saw them gradually decline.
In retrospect, Catherine de Medici started a revolution. Shoemakers realised that although thick-soled shoes made women look taller, they were too dangerous. Catherine’s wearing of high heels showed them another side. So they cut off the front of the heel to give it a sense of stability while still performing the same function of a thick-soled shoe. This was the birth of the high heel that is popular today.
It wasn’t until 200 years later, during the reign of King Louis XIV of France, that high heels really became a fashion statement. But strangely, they were still more popular among men. Women mostly wore shorter heels, while men loved the feeling of being high up. No one loved this more than the king himself, who even named a pair of shoes after himself. He had a unique pair of red heels that no one else in the court was allowed to wear. They were usually very tight and ornately decorated.
Ordinary People
Nowadays, any average person can go online and look for size 13 men’s high heels. During the reign of Louis XIV, the average person found little use for high heels. Most average people didn’t have much use for fashionable things. Only wealthy nobles with money and titles would bother wearing high heels, mainly to outdo others. This had to be moderated, though, as any imitation of royalty was forbidden. Eventually, the right to wear high heels was extended to others, but most were thick-soled, chunky heels until the stiletto was invented during World War II.
