The heel, particularly the raised heel in footwear, stands as one of fashion’s most enduring and paradoxical inventions. What began as a practical solution for warriors on horseback has transformed over centuries into a symbol of elegance, power, sexuality, rebellion and sometimes oppression. Its history reveals shifting ideas about gender, class, status and beauty.
Elevated footwear existed long before the recognizable high heel. In ancient Egypt around 3500 BCE, both men and women of the upper classes wore heeled shoes during ceremonies, viewing the added height as a way to elevate them closer to the gods – a status symbol rather than everyday wear. Egyptian butchers also used raised platforms to keep their feet out of animal blood and off filthy floors.
In ancient Greece and Rome, actors wore platform sandals (kothorni or buskins) made of wood or cork to appear taller on stage and project their presence. In medieval India, around the 12th century, statues from temples like Ramappa depict women in raised padukas, simple elevated sandals often associated with spiritual or royal elevation.
These early examples show elevation as symbolic or functional, but they lacked the distinct, angled heel that defines modern heeled shoes.
The modern high heel traces its roots to 10th-century Persia (present-day Iran). Persian cavalry soldiers wore boots with heels – known as galesh – to secure their feet in stirrups. The raised heel locked the foot in place, providing stability when standing in the saddle to shoot arrows or throw spears from galloping horses. This innovation tied directly to the stirrup’s adoption, revolutionizing mounted warfare.
Heeled riding boots signaled wealth and military prowess – only the affluent could afford horses and the lifestyle they demanded. Persian emissaries and traders carried this style westward.
High heels reached Europe in the early 17th century via Persian diplomatic missions during Abbas the Great’s reign. European aristocrats adopted them as a masculine emblem of power, virility, and status – heels announced you owned horses and didn’t walk in mud or labor.
Men’s heels became extravagant. King Louis XIV of France (reigned 1643-1715), short at about 5’4″, wore red-heeled shoes with up to 5-inch heels, often adorned with intricate designs. Red heels became a royal privilege; his court mandated them for nobility. The “Louis heel” – curved, tapering – became iconic.
Women adopted heels too. In 1533, Catherine de’ Medici wore heeled shoes at her wedding to Henry II of France to appear taller (she stood around 4’9″). Venetian courtesans and aristocrats wore chopines – towering wooden platforms up to 30 inches high – for height, sex appeal, and avoiding filthy streets (requiring servant support). Chopines started as unisex but grew associated with women’s fashion.
By the mid-17th century, heels were widespread among European elites of both genders, symbolizing wealth and leisure.
The French Revolution (1789-1799) rejected aristocratic excess. Flat shoes and rational Enlightenment ideals made heels unfashionable for men-they became associated with the old regime’s decadence.
Women retained heels, but modestly (1-2 inches in Victorian eras). The shift gendered heels: men’s footwear kept chunky, low heels in boots (cowboy boots descend from Persian riding heels), while women’s became slender, curved and decorative.
In the 19th century, heels symbolized emerging femininity ideals – delicacy, refinement and allure.
The 20th century saw dramatic evolution:
1920s: Flapper-era T-straps and Mary Janes featured moderate heels, aligning with liberated silhouettes.
1940s-1950s: Post-WWII glamour brought the stiletto heel (invented around 1950), a slim, needle-like spike symbolizing sexuality and femininity. Icons like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn (who favored kitten heels) popularized them.
1960s-1970s: Platforms soared (think 1970s disco), block heels offered comfort, and feminism questioned heels as restrictive.
1980s-1990s: Power dressing revived stilettos (sky-high for boardrooms), while grunge and minimalism favored flats – heels oscillated.
Heel heights varied wildly, from kitten (low) to towering platforms.
Today, heels span extremes. The 2000s-2010s saw sky-high stilettos (Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo), celebrity-driven trends, and backlash over discomfort and sexism. Movements encouraged flats or “comfort heels.”
Yet heels persist as statements – Louboutin’s red soles echo Louis XIV, while designers experiment (Loewe egg heels, Mugler platforms). Men’s heels resurface in fashion (Billy Porter’s bold platforms), blurring lines again.
Heels now represent choice: empowerment for some, restriction for others. From Persian cavalry to red-soled runways, the heel’s journey reflects humanity’s obsessions with height, status, gender, and beauty. What started as battlefield utility became fashion’s most debated icon – proving the simplest elevation can carry profound meaning.