Not everyone is aware of this, but males have worn heels in the past before women did. Initially intended for men, high heels have lost favour over the years. Surprisingly, heels appear to be making a comeback in men’s fashion as more and more celebrities are beginning to embrace their feminine side by donning their favourite pair of heels.
Here at Hiptoro, we were astounded by the males who defied social norms and swaggeringly demonstrated to us that heels are not just for ladies.
The background of guys in heels.
High-heeled shoes have a long history that dates back to the ninth century. High heels were first worn by the Persian cavalry to hold their shoes in their stirrups while riding their horses, not as fashion items like they are now.
By the seventeenth century, Europe adopted the “Persia-mania” fashion style. Men’s dress in the seventeenth century highlighted their athletic thighs and calves. Men, however, ceased wearing shoes around 1730 due to their perception of them as being feminised when shoes were gendered over the eighteenth century.
Why do men choose to wear heels?
Despite the fact that heels fell out of favour in the eighteenth century, statistics suggest that since 2017, sales of men’s shoes with heels have increased. More and more men are embracing their femininity and proudly flaunting their adored heels.
The wearing of high heels is common among well-known fashion designers. “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, many people still find it weird when guys wear heels. In actuality, a lot of people are still outraged by this look.
The growth of models for heels of shoes.
Even if more and more rock singers and pop icons are wearing high heels for guys, high heels are still primarily linked with women’s fashion today. Beyond stilettos, shops’ selection of heels for men has expanded.
Heeled shoes now exist in a wide range of styles. Designer labels like Gucci, Maison Margiela, and Saint Laurent took the chance to create new models in this category because they anticipated that heels would return to the men’s fashion scene.
Celebrities who display their favourite heels with pride.
- Prince
- Troye Sivan
- Cody Fern
- Harry Styles
- Jared Leto
- Marc Jacobs
- Jonathan Van Ness
How do you feel about guys wearing heels? Which style of heels among those available for men do you prefer?
