They said/We said: Apparently men are totally into wearing high heels now

They said/We said: Men in heels
Photo by Amy Dickerson for The New York Times

Men in high heels. We won’t lie—we heard whisperings of this micro-trend, but had not quite believed it until we saw an article in last week’s New York Times. (If it’s in the NYT style section it’s gotta be newsworthy, right?)

It seems that everyone has something to say: some accuse the article of having a negative focus, some insist that men wearing heels is nothing new, and some hope that this exposure will get more designers to make heels for men. So far on the list are YSL, Rick Owens, and Canada’s own John Fluevog.

As it stands, most heeled men are buying women’s styles, but this is not a drag thing—the shoes are paired with dress slacks and button-up shirts, or loose-fitting tanks with shorts. The style of choice is just as robust: we’re talking hot red pumps, YSL platform stiletto ankle boots, and black leather peep toe boots. (You have to show off your painted toenails somehow, right?) And just this week, our own Sarah Nicole Prickett spotted a handful of heeled men in the tents at Toronto Fashion Week.

THEY SAID…

The New York Times: “None of the men interviewed considered themselves to be in drag. ‘I always make it very clear that I am a man, and I’m not trying to portray an illusion to anybody,’ Mr. Wagner said.” [NYT]

Gregory Alexander, high heel enthusiast: “It’s a power thing. You’re higher than everybody else. You make more sound. You walk a different way. It makes your legs look better.” [NYT]

Jezebel: “It may seem like one of the perks of being a dude is that no one expects you to contort your foot into a spiky heel for hours on end, but there are some guys who long for Manolo Blahnik to start making shoes in a size 12…Well, perhaps only if you’re the type of man who frequents trendy L.A. clubs, but we can’t rule out the possibility that dudes will be parading through Home Depot in stilettos in a few years.” [Jezebel]

WE SAID…

Paige Dzenis, associate online editor: “I’m thankful there are few men who wear a size 7—as long as they’re not snapping up the shoe styles I want, why not?”

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