Men wearing high heels have been around for centuries, with the first records dating back to the 10th-century Persian cavalry.
Back then, high heels for men were used to showcase military prowess and high social status.
Nowadays, with the rise of androgynous fashion, men are reclaiming their space in the world of high heels in fashion by making profound statements of confidence and style.
In this article, I will provide a guide to buying high heels for men so that you can find the perfect pair to suit your style.
Ankle High Heels Boots
Ankle High heels boots are no longer worn for practical reasons but for the look.
A well-designed pair of men’s high heels boots exudes stylishness and matches most spring outfits in your wardrobe.
Whether crafted from suede, leather, or a textured faux croc, these men’s high heels boots vary from minimal and sleek to sturdy and weather-proof, with one essential thing in common: versatility.
Leopard Ankle Boots
RANDOM IDENTITIES
Transparent Heel Platform
RICK OWENS
Patent Leather Chunky Heel Boots
ONLYMAKER
Tabi-toe Ankle Heel Boots
MAISON MARGIELA
High Heels Rhinestone Boots
ONLYMAKER
Platform Heels
Everything old is new again, and that’s always true for fashion trends, with nostalgic aesthetics returning in full force.
When it comes to the trendies men’s platform heels of 2023, we see a return to the platforms inspired by the 60s fashion in various styles and colors.
Sky-high platforms are taking over sandals, pumps, and boots, and we’re all for it.
If you’re looking to get out of your slippers and add something fun to your collection, these men’s platform heels curated below are the best out there right now.
Platform Sole Boots
RICK OWENS
Amazon Platform Boots
SWEAR
Black Suede Ankle Boots
ONLYMAKER
Canvas High Heel Sneaker Boots
ONLYMAKER
Drag Queen Platform Heels
DRAG UNIVERSE
Dress Heeled Shoes
There’s much to love about comfortable sneakers or supportive sandals that complement an entire closet’s worth of trendy outfits.
Moreover, returning to the office and elaborate dinner dates and events means you’ll also need formal and elegant footwear.
Above all, there are no specific dress shoes for men of a particular silhouette, color, or heel height.
Men with classic and unfussy styles should consider a penny loafer, while more daring men could choose a strappy sandal with a unique heel shape.
With both these types — and many more — in mind, see below the best dress shoes for men with heels right now, in 2023.
Slip-On Heeled Loafer
COMME DES GARCONS HOMME PLUS
2 Inch Heel Patent Dress Shoes
PLEASER PINK LABEL
Daily Short Heel Pumps
ONLYMAKER
Pointed Leather Stiletto Pumps
ONLYMAKER
Large Size Low Heel Pumps
MAIERNISI JESSI
Cut-out Heeled Sandals
COMEMORE
Stilettos
There’s a time for sneakers, sandals, and espadrilles.
But there’s also a time to climb the heights of fashion and style with a towering four-inch heel.
Take your cue from Balenciaga’s men’s stilettos and fire up your laziest sportswear pieces or slouchy tailoring with an uncompromisingly glamorous pump.
Stiletto Pumps
ONLYMAKER
Ankle Strap Stiletto
MAIERNISI JESSI
5 Inch Heel Stilettos
PLEASER
Rainbow Stilettos
ONLYMAKER
Golden Metallic Platform Stiletto
ONLYMAKER
Jessi Pointed Toe High Heels
MAIERNISI JESSI
Open Toe Feather Heel Sandals
ONLYMAKER
High Heel Sandals
While most men’s high-heel sandals look stylish and can elevate any outfit, wearing them often comes at a price; the sacrifice of your precious toes, arches, and ankles.
Of course, you can always buy extra inserts to relieve the pain and stock up on bandaids.
However, it is not impossible to find a heeled sandal for men that’s chic and comfy, just that it takes days of internet browsing to stumble across them.
Lucky for you, we’ve already done the work and compiled a list of the most comfortable high heel sandals for me in 2023.
In a wide variety of silhouettes, textures, and heights – from one-inch heels to classic Asian heels, you’re sure to find at least one that matches your sparkling personality.
Black 3-Inch Heel Slippers
FABULICIOUS
Square Toe Chunky Heel Mules
ONLYMAKER
Open-Toe Platform Sandals
ONLYMAKER
Transparent Heel Sandals
ONLYMAKER
Strappy High Heel Sandals
MAIERNISI JESSI
Square Toe Low Heel Sandals
ONLYMAKER
Plus Size Chunky Block Platform
TORRID
Men’s Summer Sandal High Heels
AUIMANK
Men’s Thigh High Heels
Every season, a list of trends floods the fashion world and defines the path for the entire season.
This winter, in particular, thigh-high boots is in vogue.
Trickling down from London and NYC’s runways, thigh-high heels for men are dominating this year.
With sleek silhouettes and bonafide chic appeal, thigh-high heels for men are the perfect match with coats.
White Tight High 10CM Heel Boots
ONLYMAKER
Lace-Up Over The Knee Heel Boot
ONLYMAKER
Over The Knee Leather Platform
ONLYMAKER
Pointed Toe Knee High Heel Boots
ONLYMAKER
FAQs
Were High Heels Invented for a Man?
Heels were invented and worn initially by men in the 10th – 11th century by Persian riders for functional purposes.
The heels for men had nothing to do with female sexuality but to keep the rider’s feet in stirrups and remain steady on the horse while using weapons.
Why Do Men Wear Women’s High Heels?
While there’s a stigma attached to men wearing women’s high heels, men wear them because it changes their stance and the way they walk.
High heels for men also emphasize their buttocks, making them feel more sensual and attractive.
Nowadays, in the 21st century, there’s a general feeling that men wearing women’s heels is wrong.
This idea emerged from the 17th century to the 20th century, when high heels were seen as a type of shoe conforming to a generic female style.
However, men have worn high heels before women, but given the scarcity of brands making high heels for men, those who enjoy wearing heels shop from women’s high heels stores.
Is It Normal for Guys to Wear Heels?
A recent study on gender norms revealed that 87% of men are okay with other men wearing heels, and 69% stated that they would wear heels themselves as long as it does not cause them pain.
As long as they feel comfortable and look great, men should wear whatever they want.
What Type of Heels Do Guys Like?
According to the same study, most men are attracted to block-heel pumps from black patent leather, ankle strap heels, and tall leather boots.
Another boot style for men that matches those into non-binary fashion is the bar style 2-inch (5 cm) heel or a maximum of 60-plus millimeter heels.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed my article covering the best high heels for men in 2023.
I have included a wide range of sizes and an array of sizes, from ballet flats to black chunky-heel sandals and ballroom dancing shoes; we’ve got them all.
Wearing my first pair of high-heeled shoes gave me such a refreshing feeling of confidence, something every man should feel at least once in a lifetime.
For those bypassing the binary gender norms but new to wearing heels for men, it takes a lot of practice to walk without falling, but mastery comes with practice.
Another piece of advice I can give to the next wearer of heels reading this article is to select a size up if buying heels for men from a women’s high-heel store.
That’s because, in general, a pair of heels for men in size ten is eleven in the women’s section.
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Now it’s your turn…
Which one of these high heels for men is your favorite and why?
Are there any other heels for men you’ve tried and want to add to this list?
Comments below, please!
A passionate advocate for inclusivity and diversity, Aidan is the driving force behind The VOU magazine as its Editorial Manager. With a unique blend of editorial acumen and project management prowess, Aidan's insightful articles have graced the pages of The Verge, WWD, Forbes, and WTVOX, reflecting his deep interest in the dynamic intersection of media and technology.
The decisions of which pairs of high heels to wear are individual choices for both men and women. By offering such lists of ideal high heels as this, these lists have a tendency to cause the same type of discriminations society is presently promoting for those who prefer to wear heels rather than their socially assigned footwear to feel out of the loop and unacceptable.
Lewis, I am a bit lost, not really sure I follow your logic or what you’re trying to say, can you elaborate a bit, please?
For example “these lists have a tendency to cause the same type of discriminations society is presently promoting for those who prefer to wear heels”
What’s that type of discrimination you’re referring to?
“socially assigned footwear”
What do you mean by assigned? Forced? Nobody can force me to wear something I don’t like or want. Do I fell pressure to conform to social constructs. No, but that’s just me, I have the courage and verticality to be who I want to be, rather than a copycat bending to peer pressure. Back to the article, I really appreciate the it, thanks for all suggestions!
Same here!!!!! Those Leather Platform High Over The Knee High Heel Boot (in red, last pic) are soooooo hot. Any suggestions of what I can match them with, for a night out with a potential partner I want to impress?
A long, black patent leather coat
The pictured choices of heeled footwear begins with block heels and platforms, which emphasizes the ideas for men to be real men, they should choose to wear the more massive looking heeled and platform footwear. Then later the idea of wearing spike and stiletto single soled footwear are for men who want to have a more female appearance. Both of these ideas are still stereotyping what people have to choose in order that they comply with social expectations for their appearance. Wearing stiletto single soled heels by men are personal preferences, which aren’t intended to fit what other people perceive and assume.
Your choice to defy the assigned stereotyping shouldn’t even be a factor when choosing apparel. Wearing the items a person prefers shouldn’t need to require one to have courage while initiating their versatile desires, rather it’s knowing how to coordinate their choices to improve their appearance are the concerns they should be dealing with.
Lewis, reading your reply made me very sad, as I have realised that what you wrote is nothing but a set of own stereotypes and judgments:
” begins with block heels and platforms, which emphasizes the ideas for men to be real men, they should choose to wear the more massive looking heeled and platform footwear.”
That so called “author’s emphasis” is just a construct of your mind, a figment of your imagination. What happened to being more inclusive, more understanding, more open-minded?
I’m pretty sure people are perfectly capable of deciding what kind of heeled footwear they are comfortable wearing whether it’s a block heel more akin to what they’d wear in a shoe with a lower heel or a more non-standard (for men, at the moment) stiletto / kitten heel.
I would like to elaborate on what I mean by “non-standard”. Societal standards for what are considered accepted by society in general, change over time. At one point heels were the in-thing for men to wear, then they fell out of favor for men to wear and became something women wore but not men. In fact, it was considered standard and, in some cases, required, for men to have shoes that had heels at one point. Today it isn’t considered standard or even required for men to wear heels and is considered out of place today for men to wear heels and those that might wear them face being seen in a light they would rather not be seen in. In order for that to change, more men would have to start wearing heels in their everyday lives. The more men wore heels, the more heeled shoes would likely be made for men and the more likely it wouldn’t be considered out-of-place for men to be seen wearing heels.
Some men are unlikely to wear heels because it would draw an unwanted spotlight to them for that very reason. And they are rather impractical. I personally don’t see a point to wearing them, and see no practical purpose for them, but that’s just my opinion and shouldn’t be seen as saying men shouldn’t wear them.
Getting men wearing heels to be more of a societal norm and less standoutish would take a generation or two of men wearing heels more outside of the world of cross-dressing and drag shows and letting the next generation of men see that there isn’t anything wrong with men wearing heels.
For what it’s worth, heel types like stilettos might be seen socially as more feminine, at the moment, since they were created initially for women and not men, but if someone wants to wear them that’s their choice. It isn’t like anyone is going to be able to stop them.
I generally post with pseudonyms on the internet.
One of the main criticism I have towards those of us flying the flag of the LGBTQ+ community is this embedded nature of “to be a real LGBTQ+, you must be a protesting activist.” Instead of prising, supporting, or coming up with constructive ideas that further nurture and enrich our community, most of us, including me at times, have this critical stance towards almost anything ,including our own, powered by this perverted idea that we have to be vocal, have an opinion, have something to say. I guess it comes from this idea of being suppressed and misunderstood for so long, if not that, I don’t know what it is. Anyway, with the rant over, I’d like to thank the author for the courage to write this article, and for the excellent suggestions.
Exactly my point; just see the mental gymnastics (signalling) Lewis is going through in the comments above.
This is very helpful. I didn’t know about Only Maker men’s heels. To be honest, it’s really difficult to find good heels for men online! Thanks for the round up, much appreciated
Had no idea either, but great to see positive changes
My husband wears leather knee high boots and leather thigh high boots. He is the boot person definately. I counted 16 pairs in the wardrobe.
Because you cant get these in shops he has to have them custom made which is very expensive.
Thank you very much for this article!
As the founder and adminstrator of the German-language forum “Männer auf hohen Absätzen” (men-on-high-heels.de), I am very interested in what is written in the press or in blogs, how opinions are presented and develop.
After Nicola Thorp’s uprising and petition against high heels, followed by other plagued (female) colleagues, I had hoped that the assignment of high heels by gender so slowly comes to an end and you really demand the principles of equality for BOTH sides, or allowed.
Heels should be worn by the people who want to wear them – no matter what gender! A compulsion early women to wear certain clothes and especially high heels is antiquated and sexist!
Where women can wear high heels, men can too! Just sedentary jobs (esp. office jobs) are predestined for it to dare and implement! Or also the shopping trip makes – elated on high heels – simply more fun!
Whether pink glitter pumps or rough boots with wide block heels are right for men, everyone must decide for themselves. However, it should be clear that extreme variations mean more attention, but also lead to being pigeonholed more easily.
The majority of heels-wearing men are straight. And we do not want to be lumped together with shrill show stars or CSD participants. We don’t do a show or see it as a spectable, but as an extension of fashionable diversity.
Shoes (and also other pieces of clothing) have no gender!
We want to show: Men can also wear high shoes! We enjoy the beautiful shoes. We dare the sheer impossible, breaking rules and challenging common perceptions.
This is such an interesting article! I wear mostly stiletto high heels – I’ve been wearing them for the last 5 years – and I can totally relate with most of these statements. Can you help me with a link to this gender study and acceptance rate for men wearibg high heels, please?