Did You Know?

Men were the first to wear high heels around the 1600s.

It was worn by the European aristocracy of the 1600s as a signal of status.  The idea was only someone who didn’t have to work could possibly go around in such unsuitable footwear. The shoes became a status symbol and the heels were extended to make the men look even taller. Women of the 1600s started wearing heels as a way of showing their equality.It was in an effort to look more like the men in their outfits. The lower classes started to wear high heels. The elite responded by making their heels increasingly higher to maintain the distinction of being upper class- the higher the heel, the more expensive the shoe typically was. They also began to differentiate heels into two kinds- fat heels for men and skinny for women. Eventually, men got away from the heel almost completely to show their distinction from women. Since the late 18th century, men’s shoes have had primarily low heels, except for cowboy boots and some shoes worn by rock stars.