Why high heels were originally invented for men

High heel shoes are largely associated with women, but that's not always been the case.

in fact, the first known pairs date back to the 10th century and were used by Persian soldiers to help them keep their feet in stirrups while on horseback.

When heels made their way to Europe they were adopted by male aristocrats who wanted to make themselves look taller and more formidable.

Over time, the footwear became popular among women as well and it became fashionable for women to wear thin heels while men wore a thicker style.

The pedestal-like chopine of the late 15th to the early 17th centuries transformed many upper-class women into a statuesque figures. Especially popular in Italy, the shoes were so tall high (up to 54cm) that maids were used as support.

In 1673, King Louis XIV handed out shoes with red heels and red soles to the nobles in his French court. and the style was later taken up by royalty across Europe and became highly fashionable.

However, by the 1800s men had largely abandoned wearing high heels of any kind.