Horseback Riding, Not Runway Striding

The earliest documented use of high heels dates back to 10th-century Persia, where cavalry soldiers wore heeled boots to keep their feet securely in stirrups while riding horses and shooting arrows. This functional design provided stability on horseback, a practical application that is still seen in modern cowboy boots. Persian diplomats later introduced these distinctive heeled shoes to European royal courts in the early 17th century, where they quickly made an impression.

The Gender Flip and Fashion Statement

In Europe, high heels were adopted by aristocrats as a symbol of wealth and social status, signifying that the wearer did not engage in manual labor. King Louis XIV of France was a notable enthusiast, often depicted in portraits wearing heels, and even decreed in 1670 that only nobility could wear his coveted red-soled versions. While women began wearing heels in the 17th century, the French Revolution saw heels fall out of fashion for men, becoming almost exclusively a female accessory by the mid-19th century. The slender stiletto heel, for example, emerged in the 1950s, further cementing the heel's association with femininity.