What if we told you that high heels were originally made exclusively for men? In a time when stilettos and platforms are often associated with female style and female sexuality, that fact might come as a surprise — but it shouldn’t. In fact, for decades high heels found their place on the feet of male soldiers, aristocrats and even royals in differing parts of the globe for very specific reasons. And when it comes to the surprising history of heeled shoes, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

We recently visited the Savannah College of Art and Design's SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film, which is currently hosting an exhibition called Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, on view through August 13. Organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the exhibition "explores the creativity, cultural significance and transformative power of shoes,” according to the SCAD museum’s website. Over 200 pairs of shoes — from ancient Egyptian slippers to modern sporty sneakers — are on display and are lenses through which historical social, political, and cultural revolutions can be viewed and understood. Which brings us back to the high heel. After seeing various versions of the style including '70s platforms and 15th century chopines, we asked Rafael Gomes, the director of fashion exhibitions for the Savannah College of Art and Design, to divulge the most shocking facts in regard to the history of high heels — and his tidbits did not disappoint. For a mini fashion history lesson, and to learn how high heels came to be, scroll down.

The origin of high-heels can be traced back to 15th century Persia when soldiers wore them to help secure their feet in stirrups. Persian migrants brought the shoe trend to Europe, where male aristocrats wore them to appear taller and more formidable.

A 17th century Persian riding boot. Image © 2017, Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada. Bata Shoe Museum

The pedestal-like chopine of the late 15th to the early 17th centuries transformed the upper-class European woman into a towering figure. Especially popular in Venice, the shoes were so exceptionally high — sometimes up to 54 cm — that maids were used as crutches. Chopines were completely hidden under skirts. The higher the footwear, the more cloth was required for the dress, another indication of status.