It’s not known by everybody, but men did wear heels in the past, long before women started wearing them. High heels were originally designed for men, but this faded over the past centuries. However, surprisingly, heels seem to be breaking their way back into men’s fashion again, as more and more celebs have started to embrace their feminine side by wearing their favorite pair of heels.
Here at Bright Side, we were amazed by the following men who broke down the stereotypes of society and confidently showed us that heels are not only meant for women.
The history of men in heels
The history of high heeled shoes goes all the way back to the tenth century. Unlike today, back at this time, high heels were not fashion accessories — they were first worn by the Persian cavalry with the purpose of keeping their shoes in their stirrups when riding their horses.
By the end of the seventeenth century, the so-called “Persia-mania” became a fashion trend all across Europe. Seventeenth-century men’s fashion was all about emphasizing men’s shapely calves and thighs. However, as shoes became gendered throughout the eighteenth century, men stopped wearing them around 1730 because of their perceived feminization.
The reason why men like to wear heels
Sebastien Fremont / Starface/STARFACE PHOTO / East News
Many famous fashion designers can be seen wearing high heels. “I think there is something incredibly refreshing about a male designer, such as Marc Jacobs, embracing wearing high heels,” stated Andrew Groves about Jacobs, a professor of fashion design at the University of Westminster.
He also said, “High heels have become a potent symbol of both power and status, and paradoxically both dominance and submission.” However, in many eyes, men wearing heeled shoes are still considered strange. As a matter of fact, it’s still a look that provokes outrage in many people.
The expansion of heeled shoe models
High heels are still associated with women’s fashion in the modern day, though more and more celebrities, like pop icons and rock stars, are keeping this trend alive for men. The expansion of heels in the male section at stores has gone beyond the stiletto.
Many different types of heeled shoes have become available. Designer brands, like Gucci, Maison Margiela, and Saint Laurent, knew that heeled shoes would break into men’s fashion again and took the opportunity to develop new models in this category.
Celebrities who proudly show off their favorite heels
1. Prince
2. Troye Sivan
3. Cody Fern
ANGELA WEISS / AFP / East News
4. Harry Styles
Anthony Behar / Sipa USA / East News
5. Shawn Mendes
6. Jared Leto
7. Adam Lambert
8. Lenny Kravitz
9. James Charles
10. Marc Jacobs
11. Jonathan Van Ness
Joe Sutter / PacificCoastNews / BWP Media / East News
Grosby Group / East News
What do you think of men wearing heels? What type of heeled shoes are your favorite from the men’s fashion category?
Preview photo credit Grosby Group / East News
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