Why Did Men STOP Wearing High Heels?

About this video

The Gazette team explores the fascinating history of high heeled shoes in men’s fashion, tracing their origins to 10th century Persia and their adoption by European men in the 1600s as a symbol of wealth and status. They explain how changing gender norms and the Enlightenment movement led to the decline of heels in men’s wear, with the team noting that heels remained primarily in boot styles like cowboy boots and occasionally resurged in styles like Cuban heels during the mid-20th century.

Key takeaways

• The Gazette team argues that high heels were originally a masculine fashion element worn by Persian horsemen and later adopted by European aristocracy, particularly King Louis XIV, as a marker of status and privilege
• The team explains that the gendering of heels as feminine resulted from shifting cultural attitudes during the Enlightenment, which favored somber dress for men and influenced by figures like Beau Brummell
• The Gazette team notes that high heels persisted in men’s wear primarily through cowboy boots and occasionally through styles like Chelsea boots with Cuban heels, though these became increasingly viewed as feminine or dated by the late 20th century

Episode details: published August 4, 2025 · 11K views · 12:56 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The style guidance summarized here is the Gentleman’s Gazette team’s own teaching and opinion, presented for education; product recommendations are theirs, not ours. Summaries are written by Self Growth Videos from each video itself.

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