Men in Heels: A History in Photographs

Photo by: Bata Shoe Museum
These shoes aren’t made for walking
Believe it or not, heels were actually designed in 16th century Persia for horseback riding in battle.

Though painful high heels seem like a women's burden, along with menstruation and childbirth, men actually invented these torture devices. With research from The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, here's a history of men in heels, from King Louis XIV to Tom Cruise.

--Jessica Ferri