Standing Tall: A Stylish History of Women's High Heels

Standing Tall: A Stylish History of Women’s High Heels

High heels are the ultimate fashion pick-me-up—literally! Almost every fashionista has a Cinderella moment in a pair of killer pumps. But have you ever wondered how these iconic shoes went from practical riding boots to red-carpet stilettos? The journey of women’s high heels spans centuries and continents, filled with surprising twists. We’re taking a fun, flirty strut through time to trace the evolution of high heels from their earliest origins to their modern-day cultural significance. Grab your favorite pair (and maybe an ankle brace, just in case) as we journey from horseback to high society, through revolutions and runways, to celebrate the fabulous history of high heels.

From Horseback to High Society

Believe it or not, high heels weren’t invented for women at all – and their first uses were far from glamorous. Historians trace the origin of the high-heeled shoe to ancient times. Murals from 3500 B.C. in Egypt show members of the upper class (both men and women) wearing early heels during ceremonial occasions (High Heels: Elegance & History - Discover GLORIELLAS). In fact, Egyptian butchers even wore high heels to keep their feet above the blood of slaughtered animals (High Heels in Ancient History: Egyptian butchers wore them to walk above the blood from dead animals | The Vintage News) – a far cry from today’s catwalk couture! Across the Mediterranean, ancient Greek and Roman actors wore platform sandals called kothorni to signify social status of characters on stage (High Heels in Ancient History: Egyptian butchers wore them to walk above the blood from dead animals | The Vintage News). And in imperial Rome, high heels reportedly served a seedier purpose: they helped identify prostitutes in crowded public spaces (High Heels in Ancient History: Egyptian butchers wore them to walk above the blood from dead animals | The Vintage News). Clearly, long before heels became a ladies’ style staple, they had men (and even livestock!) raised up for practical reasons.

High heels took a decisive turn from practical to posh when they hit the horseback. Around the 9th-10th century, Persian cavalry soldiers adopted heeled shoes to secure their feet in stirrups while shooting arrows (High Heels in Ancient History: Egyptian butchers wore them to walk above the blood from dead animals | The Vintage News). This clever riding trick gave warriors stability and a few extra inches of stature. By the early 1600s, as diplomatic and trade relations bloomed between Persia and Europe, heeled footwear trotted into Western fashion. European aristocrats – always eager for exotic trends – fell head over heels for the masculine mystique of Persian riding shoes (Killer Heels: The Art Of The High-Heeled Shoe (Brooklyn Museum) - A Walk in my Heels - Abdiel) (Killer Heels: The Art Of The High-Heeled Shoe (Brooklyn Museum) - A Walk in my Heels - Abdiel).

One early adopter was an Italian trendsetter who would forever change women’s fashion: Catherine de’ Medici. In 1533, the petite 14-year-old Catherine arrived in France to marry the future King Henry II, packing a secret weapon – two-inch high heels made by her Italian cobbler (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes). It was a move worthy of a modern style influencer; her graceful height boost caused a sensation at the French court. Soon heels became de rigueur for fashionable European ladies, symbolizing wealth and status (and giving vertically-challenged nobles like Catherine a literal leg up) (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes). Across the Channel, Queen Mary I of England (“Bloody Mary”) also wore high heels regularly by the 1550s, further popularizing them among England’s nobility (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes).

Meanwhile, in Renaissance Italy and Spain, women were taking altitude to outrageous new levels. Enter the chopine – a platform shoe so tall it could make a modern platform boot look tame. These stilts-on-steroids could tower 18 inches or more (chopines | Fashion History Timeline). Originally worn by Venetian courtesans, chopines were soon embraced by aristocratic ladies who loved the lofty status they conferred (chopines | Fashion History Timeline). The higher the heel, the higher the lady in society (quite literally). Walking in chopines was an art: rumor has it brides-to-be even took lessons with ballet masters to avoid face-planting on the big day (These shoes are nearly 2 feet tall, and women really wore them). Often, wearers needed servants on each side as human training wheels; one historian noted a woman in extreme chopines would “advance like a parade float,” flanked by attendants (These shoes are nearly 2 feet tall, and women really wore them). (Graceful? Not exactly. Glamorous? Absolutely.) Though hidden under long gowns, chopines made a bold statement. They also required longer dresses, meaning more luxurious fabric – another not-so-subtle display of wealth (These shoes are nearly 2 feet tall, and women really wore them) (These shoes are nearly 2 feet tall, and women really wore them). Clearly, by the XVI century, high footwear was no longer about utility; it was about opulence.

(chopines | Fashion History Timeline) Fig. 1: Extreme fashion circa 1600 – A pair of Italian chopines (platform shoes) from the late 16th century. These towering pedestals (often over a foot high) elevated Renaissance women literally and socially, keeping gowns out of the grime while signaling noble status. (chopines | Fashion History Timeline) (These shoes are nearly 2 feet tall, and women really wore them)

High heels truly rose to prominence in the 17th century, thanks in part to a trendsetting king. Louis XIV of France – known as the Sun King and perhaps history’s most stylish short man – absolutely adored heels. In the 1660s he set a fashion mandate that would make any modern dress code seem boring. Louis’s shoemakers crafted him ornate heels up to 5 inches high, often hand-painted with scenes of battle or nature (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes). To distinguish the crème de la crème, Louis ordered that only nobles in his court could wear heels as high as his – and he famously reserved the color red for royalty (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic). Red heels became a status marker of the French aristocracy (a splashy statement that luxury shoe designer Christian Louboutin would revisit centuries later) (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic). So coveted were Louis’s scarlet heels that he passed an edict: no commoner shall wear red heels. Imagine needing a royal permit for your Louboutins!

By the early 1700s, high heels straddled the gender divide, worn by fashionable men and women alike. Women’s heels evolved to be more slender and curved (the “Louis heel”), while men’s were blockier (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic). But the unisex love affair with heels was about to face a reckoning. The Enlightenment and French Revolution (late 18th century) brought a new spirit of egalitarianism – and suddenly impractical, aristocratic footwear fell out of favor (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic) (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic). Practical flats and rational dress were the new vogue in post-revolution France, as heels were deemed frivolous symbols of the toppled regime (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic). One satirical 1790s poem sniped that at balls ladies would “mount on French heels…’tis the fashion to totter and show you can fall,” mocking their absurdity (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic). Men, in particular, ditched flashy attire in what historians call the “Great Male Renunciation” – eschewing lace, jewels, and yes, heels – as these became seen as effeminate luxuries incompatible with modern democracy (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic). By 1804 even Emperor Napoleon banned heels (he preferred not to give his enemies any height advantage) (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic) (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic).

Thus, by the 19th century, high heels virtually vanished from men’s fashion and became the near-exclusive province of women. Early 19th-century women’s styles favored delicate flat slippers in the Napoleonic era, but heels slowly crept back by mid-century. In 1840, Queen Victoria got herself a pair of fashionable silk ankle boots with modest heels (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes) – setting off a craze for heeled boots in women’s fashion. With industrialization, shoes could be produced cheaply, and the heel made a comeback for ladies. By 1888, the first factory mass-producing high heels opened in New York City, helping make heeled shoes accessible to more than just aristocrats (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes). What was once a symbol of exclusive privilege was on its way to becoming every woman’s secret weapon.

The Stiletto Revolution

Fast forward to the mid-20th century: high heels were about to reach new heights in design and cultural impact. After a period of chunky Victorian boots and prim low pumps, the post-WWII era craved a jolt of glamour. Enter the stiletto heel – the sleek, sky-high dagger of a shoe that redefined sexy footwear. The word stiletto itself means a slender dagger, and these heels were indeed sharp in every sense.

High fashion designers in the 1950s, eager to celebrate femininity after the austerity of the war years, embraced the stiletto with gusto. French designer Roger Vivier, working with Christian Dior, is often credited with creating the first true stiletto around 1954-1955 (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes). Using a thin steel rod to reinforce the heel, Vivier managed to make heels higher and thinner than ever before – a true engineering feat (and occasionally a flooring nightmare!). Dior’s ultra-feminine “New Look” silhouette of cinched waists and full skirts practically cried out for a bold heel, and the stiletto delivered. By the mid-50s, women around the world were teetering on pencil-thin 3-4 inch heels, and loving it.

Style icons of the 1950s helped fuel the stiletto craze. Hollywood goddess Marilyn Monroe famously sashayed in 4-inch stiletto pumps, lending a sexy wiggle to her walk. (“I don’t know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot,” Monroe quipped.) Meanwhile, elegant actress Audrey Hepburn popularized the demure kitten heel – a short stiletto – which matched her classic, effortless style. Whether you fancied bombshell bombast or gamine chic, high heels in the 50s and 60s offered a dose of va-va-voom. As one historian noted, stilettos of the 1950s “emphasised the female silhouette,” transforming a woman’s posture into one of poised confidence (High Heels: Elegance & History - Discover GLORIELLAS). High heels had become synonymous with glamour, seduction, and womanly power in the popular imagination.

Of course, not everyone was enthused about the soaring stiletto. Some restaurants and offices quietly put up signs requesting women not to wear needle heels (to avoid punctured floors or carpets), and by the late 1960s, the pendulum of fashion swung again. The mod fashions of the 1960s introduced lower block heels and go-go boots more suited to grooving than tottering. A few radical voices even declared high heels oppressive to women – in 1968, protesters at the Miss America pageant famously tossed heels (along with bras and girdles) into a “Freedom Trash Can” as symbols of female objectification. But you can’t keep a good shoe down for long. By the 1970s, heels literally rose again in a bold new form: the platform.

Heels on the Catwalk

If the stiletto was about refined femininity, the 1970s platform shoe was about unisex attitude. The disco era’s motto was “the higher, the better” – and we’re talking about shoes! Both women and men boogied under the mirror ball in outrageous platform heels, resurrecting a style not truly seen since the chopine. From glittery glam-rock boots to chunky platform sandals, 1970s footwear was all about height and flash. Even legendary male rockers like David Bowie and Elton John strutted in towering platforms, proving that heels could still be “aggressively masculine,” as one exhibit curator noted, when donned by rockstars to signal power and sexuality (Killer Heels: The Art Of The High-Heeled Shoe (Brooklyn Museum) - A Walk in my Heels - Abdiel) (Killer Heels: The Art Of The High-Heeled Shoe (Brooklyn Museum) - A Walk in my Heels - Abdiel). For everyday women, platforms added a funky, fun vibe to mini-skirts and flared pants – not to mention a few extra inches of stature on the dance floor.

(Pair of woman's platform shoes – Works – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) Fig. 2: 1970s platform heels (England, c.1973). With their chunky 4-inch platforms and 6-inch block heels, these velvet buckle shoes epitomize disco-era drama. Both women and men rocked similar styles in the ’70s, embracing a unisex love of sky-high soles. (Killer Heels: The Art Of The High-Heeled Shoe (Brooklyn Museum) - A Walk in my Heels - Abdiel) (Naomi Campbell Shares Footage of 1993 Vivienne Westwood Runway Fall)

After the wild experimentation of the ’70s, high heels in the 1980s and 1990s settled into a familiar place: the power center of women’s fashion. The 1980s saw a resurgence of the classic stiletto, now as a staple of both the office and the nightclub. This was the era of “power dressing,” when a sharp suit and sharp heels meant business. Women climbed corporate ladders in sleek pumps, using fashion to project confidence and authority. Designers like Manolo Blahnik gained fame for their elegant stiletto designs, which became coveted by the elite. By the 1990s, high heels were firmly entrenched in pop culture as a symbol of urban chic and status. Supermodels stomped down runways in perilously high heels, and couture designers pushed the envelope with artistic footwear. It was a decade of contrasts: minimalist strappy sandals on one hand, and ultra-chunky Spice Girls platforms on the other. High heels even had their TV moment – who could forget Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City extolling the virtues of her beloved Manolos? In the 90s, owning a closet full of designer heels became every fashion-forward girl’s dream.

The runway continued to be a theater of high-heeled drama into the 21st century. Fashion shows turned high heels into feats of engineering (and acts of daring for models). One infamous incident in 1993 saw supermodel Naomi Campbell take a tumble on the catwalk while wearing a pair of giant Vivienne Westwood platform shoes, proving that even the pros can wobble in extreme heels (Naomi Campbell Shares Footage of 1993 Vivienne Westwood Runway Fall). (Ever the queen, Naomi laughed and kept strutting – in heels, you must always get back up!) Designers treated shoes as art: Alexander McQueen’s “Armadillo” boots in 2010 – alien-esque 12-inch heels with no distinct heel at all – left audience jaws on the floor and later graced the feet of pop icon Lady Gaga. By the 2010s, high heels reached new creative heights, featuring everything from red-lacquered soles (Christian Louboutin’s signature, channeling Louis XIV’s red heels) to architecturally sculpted heels that defy imagination. On red carpets, celebrities trotted out in ever taller, sparkly stilettos, each trying to out-“wow” the other. High heels had transcended mere fashion; they became cultural icons, synonymous with female glamour, confidence, and daring.

Of course, the conversation around heels hasn’t been all praise. They have sparked debates about comfort, health, and gender norms. In some modern workplaces and events, women even fought back against mandatory high heel dress codes, asserting that confidence doesn’t require 4-inch pumps. (Fun fact: In the quirky town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, it’s technically illegal to wear high heels over 2 inches without a permit – a 1960s law to prevent lawsuits over tripping on uneven sidewalks!) But despite occasional pushback, the allure of high heels remains strong. As RuPaul famously said, “Flats are for quitters.” Love them or loathe them, there’s no denying the high heel’s enduring elevated status in fashion.

Icons Who Made Them Iconic

Throughout this journey, certain figures have cemented high heels’ iconic status. In the 16th century, Catherine de’ Medici was arguably the first fashionista to put high heels on the map for women (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes). Her wedding heels caused a ripple effect that made elevated shoes de rigueur for European nobility. Not long after, King Louis XIV became the poster boy of men in heels, with his extravagant red-soled heels that literally marked exclusivity (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic). Louis’s influence was so strong that, to this day, power, luxury, and red bottoms go hand in hand (just ask any owner of Louboutin stilettos!).

In the 20th century, Hollywood supplied its own heel icons. Marilyn Monroe, with her hourglass wiggle, and Audrey Hepburn, with her poised elegance, offered dueling yet equally influential visions of how high heels could enhance a woman’s charisma. Monroe’s sultry stiletto strut in films like Some Like It Hot and her famous quote about women owing a debt to whoever invented heels captured the public’s imagination. Hepburn, on the other hand, often wore chic low heels (Ferragamo made her a whole wardrobe of custom shoes) proving that one needn’t teeter to exude grace. These women turned high heels into instruments of personality – whether bombshell or ingénue, the shoes helped tell their story.

Moving to the modern era, Lady Gaga stands out as an icon who took high heels to avant-garde extremes. Gaga has treated every sidewalk as a runway, sporting everything from 8-inch patent platforms to heel-less “antishoes” that defy gravity. She famously danced her way through entire concerts in sky-high boots, making them central to her larger-than-life persona. When Gaga wore Alexander McQueen’s perilous Armadillo boots in her “Bad Romance” music video, it was more than a fashion moment – it was a pop culture earthquake, introducing a new generation to the art of high heels (and likely prompting a wave of “how does she walk in those?!” exclamations worldwide).

Let’s not forget the designers who became icons in their own right by crafting these fabulous shoes. Roger Vivier earned the moniker “Fabergé of Footwear” for his jeweled creations in the 50s and 60s, including the first stilettos. Salvatore Ferragamo pioneered the 1930s platform and wedge (his rainbow suede platform made for Judy Garland is legendary). Manolo Blahnik’s name became synonymous with luxury stilettos in the late 20th century – boosted by that aforementioned Sex and the City name-drop. And of course, Christian Louboutin, who in 1992 introduced red lacquered soles, turned high heels into literal objets d’art. Louboutin’s red soles, inspired by a stroke of his assistant’s red nail polish, have become a status symbol so recognizable that the company had to fight counterfeiters and even go to court to protect the signature hue. Today, a flash of red sole as a woman walks by is enough to signal “I’m wearing luxury” – a direct link back to Louis XIV’s red-heeled royal decree (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic). Talk about coming full circle!

From queens and courtesans to movie stars and pop divas, high heels have been championed by bold personalities. Each brought their own flair: some used heels to gain power (literally and figuratively), others to express sexuality or creativity, and others simply to feel fabulous. They all contributed to the mystique of high heels and ensured that slipping on a pair of heels feels like joining a very glamorous club.

High Heels Timeline: Key Trends Through History

To recap our stylish journey, here’s a visual timeline highlighting major high-heel trends and their eras:

Era (Period)	High Heel Style Trend	Highlights & Significance
Ancient Civilizations	Early Elevated Sandals	Worn in Egypt (3500 BCE) by nobility (ceremonial) and even butchers (practical), and in ancient Greece/Rome by actors and courtesans to denote status ([High Heels in Ancient History: Egyptian butchers wore them to walk above the blood from dead animals
10th–16th Centuries	Persian Riding Heels & Chopines	Persian cavalry use heels for stirrups (900s) ([High Heels in Ancient History: Egyptian butchers wore them to walk above the blood from dead animals
17th Century	Court Heels (Unisex)	Both men and women in Europe wear high heels as fashion. French King Louis XIV popularizes 4-5 inch red heels (1660s) exclusive to nobility (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes) (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic). Women’s heels (the Louis heel) are curved and elegant. Heels = status for both genders.
18th Century	Feminine Refinement	Early 1700s: Men’s heel-wearing fades (Enlightenment ideals, practicality) (The Feminist Stiletto? The History, and the Future, of the High-Heeled Shoe - The Atlantic). Women’s heels (1–3 inches) remain, with designs like the Pompadour heel – a delicate, inward-curving shape popularized by Madame de Pompadour (mistress of Louis XV) (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes). Post-French Revolution (1790s), heels seen as aristocratic excess and nearly vanish, except very low heels (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes).
19th Century (1800s)	Victorian & Mass Production	Early 1800s: Flat slippers in vogue (Neoclassical influence). Mid/late 1800s: Heels return on women’s ankle boots and dress shoes. Queen Victoria wears heeled boots (1840) (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes). Industrial Revolution enables mass-produced heels (first factory 1888 in USA (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes)), making stylish shoes widely available. Heels now firmly women’s fashion.
Early 20th Century	Revival & Innovation	1920s–1930s: Moderate Louis heels on flapper shoes; some experimentation (Salvatore Ferragamo introduces cork wedge heels in 1930s due to wartime leather shortages). 1940s: Platform shoes and sturdy heels during WWII. Heels seen as glamour on Hollywood stars (e.g. pin-up models in peep-toe pumps).
Mid 20th Century	The Stiletto Era	1950s: Birth of the modern stiletto – thin steel-reinforced heels 3–4+ inches (Timeline of High-heeled Shoes). Designers like Roger Vivier for Dior lead the charge. Icons Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn showcase heels as symbols of sex appeal and elegance (High Heels: Elegance & History - Discover GLORIELLAS). 1960s: Variety – stiletto continues, but also kitten heels and block-heeled go-go boots for youth fashion. (Some backlash to heels during women’s liberation late ’60s.)
1970s	Platforms & Chunky Heels	Major comeback of platform shoes (for both women and men!). Disco and glam-rock fuel outrageously high platforms with chunky heels (Killer Heels: The Art Of The High-Heeled Shoe (Brooklyn Museum) - A Walk in my Heels - Abdiel). Styles often throw back to ’40s and even chopines. Men’s high heels pop up in rock/pop culture (e.g. Bowie’s boots) (Killer Heels: The Art Of The High-Heeled Shoe (Brooklyn Museum) - A Walk in my Heels - Abdiel). High heels become flashy, gender-bending statement pieces.
1980s	Power Pumps	Return of the classic pointy-toe stiletto pump as part of women’s power dressing. Heels (often 2–4 inches) are everyday office wear and evening wear. Designers like Manolo Blahnik gain fame; luxury high heels become status symbols. Pop stars (Madonna, etc.) also embrace sexy spike heels in music videos and stage performances.
1990s	Designer Heels & Platforms	High heels solidify in pop culture. Luxury designer heels (Jimmy Choo, Blahnik, etc.) coveted after mentions in media (Sex and the City, etc.). Platform revival mid-’90s (e.g. Spice Girls’ massive platform sneakers/boots). Runways feature extreme heels – supermodels mastering (and sometimes stumbling in) ever higher heels. High heels seen as both fashion-forward and empowering for the modern woman.
2000s–2020s	Extreme Fashion & Everyday Chic	Red carpet reign – Celebrities consistently wear towering stilettos by Louboutin (famous for red soles) and others, making heels synonymous with glamour. Designers create avant-garde heels (e.g. McQueen’s 10-inch Armadillo boots in 2010). Yet simultaneously, heels become more comfortable and wearable for everyday, with innovations in cushioning and design. The cultural debate continues: are heels a woman’s best friend, or her arch-nemesis? Either way, they remain iconic in women’s fashion.

Stepping Into the Future (in Heels)

From butcher shops and battlefields to ballrooms and boardrooms, the high heel has done it all. What began as a practical tool and status symbol for men has been reinvented as the ultimate emblem of women’s style and power. Through each era, high heels reflected the cultural attitudes of the time – at times hidden and modest, other times exaggerated and rebellious. They have been outlawed and fetishized, dismissed as frivolous and embraced as fabulous, often all at once.

Today, the image of a sleek high heel is instantly associated with femininity, confidence, and glamour around the world. High heels have danced through history on the feet of queens, fashion designers, movie stars, and everyday women with an eye for style. They’ve survived changing fashions and even changing attitudes about gender and dress. And despite the “ouch!” factor we all feel after a long night in pumps, there’s a reason we keep coming back to heels: nothing quite compares to that feeling of literally elevating your look.

As we strut into the future, high heels continue to evolve – perhaps into forms we can’t even imagine (holographic gravity-defying heels, anyone?). Yet, they remain rooted in a rich history that’s equal parts functional and fantastical. The next time you slip on a pair of stilettos or platforms, give a little toast to the centuries of shoemakers, trendsetters, and fearless fashionistas who paved the way. High heels have truly stood the test of time, and they remind us that fashion is not just about looking good – it’s a form of storytelling. And in the story of high heels, one message comes through loud and clear: no matter the era, empowered women (and a few daring men) have always loved a little lift! So here’s to the high heel – long may we reign in it, confidently teetering toward whatever tomorrow brings, one stylish step at a time.