Platform shoes, popularly called platforms, are shoes that have very thick heels. Platform shoes have been around since the time of the ancient Greeks. They were reportedly used by Greek actors in the theater, as well as by high-paid courtesans in 16th century Venice. King Louis XIV was supposedly so unhappy with his short stature that he began the movement of wearing platform shoes, some as high as five inches, among men. Eventually, platforms served a more practical purpose in the 18th century, when Europeans began wearing them to avoid soiling their clothes with the mud from the streets.

Platform shoes reached the peak of their popularity in the 1970s in America. During this time, the fad of platform shoes in bright colors were worn by young teenage girls and adult men and women alike. Platforms were a popular accessory when it came to disco dancing, which became an equally popular fad during the ’70s. Glam rock musicians also reached a point where they were wearing platform shoes as part of their concert outfits. The platform experienced some sort of a comeback in the late ’90s when the popular girl band Spice Girls began performing in concerts wearing the shoes.

Types of platform shoes

Traditionally, there are only two types of platform shoes: the wedgie or the platform wedge, where the sole and the heel are continuous, and the true platform shoe, where you have separate, thick slabs of sole and heel. Platforms are actually not determined by the kind of heel they have, but by the thick material placed under the front portion of the shoe. Therefore, as long as the shoe has a thick front sole, it is still considered as a platform shoe whether it has wedge, a chunky, or a stiletto heel.

Who wears platform shoes

Platform shoes today, especially ones with extremely tall heels, are mostly seen among female entertainers, from musicians to dancers. Strippers, pole and lap dancers, and even prostitutes are also another group commonly associated with wearing platform shoes in their lines of work. Platform shoes with thinner soles and heels, often limited to half to one and a half inches, are often worn during prom. There are also fashionable platform shoes with high heels and thinner soles worn to provide extra comfort and support not found in thin-soled, high-heeled shoes. These shoes are stylish enough to be worn to work. Today, men seldom wear platform shoes, although they was very popular among men in the ’70s.