The History of Heels

Men invented high heels. Men made them a power symbol. Then men decided women should wear them instead. Classic.

High heels were invented by Persian cavalry soldiers in the 10th century, not for fashion, but to stay on their horses in battle. So how did the manliest shoe in military history end up as one of the least practical parts of women's fashion? That's exactly what we're unpacking today.

In this episode, we're diving into the surprisingly bloody, surprisingly sexy, and genuinely fascinating history of high heels; from the battlefields of the Safavid Empire, to the bedazzled feet of Louis XIV, to Victorian erotic postcards, to the invention of the stiletto. Along the way, we'll also answer the bigger question: why did men's fashion get so… boring?

In this episode: ⚔️ How Persian cavalry used heels to build one of the most powerful armies in the world 👑 Louis XIV, red heels, and the fashion rules he used to control the French nobility 👗 The androgynous fashion movement of the 1630s — and why men were furious about it 📸 How Victorian photography turned heels into a symbol of femininity and desire 👠 The engineering problem that took centuries to solve: the stiletto 🐱 Why the kitten heel exists (and who to thank for it)

📚 Recourses 📚

Articles

• High heels: from the battlefield to the height of fashion – Swiss National Museum - Swiss history blog

• The High-Life: A History of Men in Heels — Google Arts & Culture (PHOTOS)

• Why did men stop wearing high heels? - BBC News

• Abbas I | Biography, History, Architecture, & Significance | Britannica

• The History of High Heels: A Journey Through Time and Status

• The Quirky Fashion of the Royal Court of Versailles

• Timeline The timeline of shoes

• Why High Heeled Shoes Are So Bad for You

• The stiletto heel is the embodiment of post-war material science

• Standing TALL: The Curious History of Men in Heels — Google Arts & Culture

Academic

• Chateau of Versailles Court Pomp & Royal Ceremonies

• Men of parts: masculine embodiment and the male leg in eighteenth-century England

• Amber K. The History of the High Heel: Sex, Gender and Status. Bath Spa University, 2015.

Books

• Buszek, Maria Elena. Pin-Up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.

• Semmelhack, Elizabeth. Heights of Fashion: A History of the Elevated Shoe. Toronto: Bata Shoe Museum; Pittsburgh: Periscope Publishing, 2008