There are surgical procedures to adjust and correct almost every part of the body. Men can make their noses shorter, remove the bags under the eyes and, get a chemical peel for scarred skin or take steroids to get bigger muscles. Women can have breast augmentation and butt lifts, and men and women both can get Botox injections. But one aspect of the body that cannot (as of yet) be altered with a procedure or injections, is our height. We are the height we grew to by the end of the teen years, and as we age we lose some of that height. It is easy today to increase men’s physical height without it appearing obvious. The answer lies in the shoes you wear.
So, can men’s dress shoes make you taller? Yes, dress shoes will make you taller, and here’s how: You can buy dress shoes that come with a taller heel. Some shoes come with a 2-inch platform rise, and you can raise the platform as high as 4 inches with the right pair of shoes that won’t make it appear obvious. But there are other parts of the dress shoe that are just as important to keep you comfortable with higher platform shoes.
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What Kind of Dress Shoe Would I Wear to Make Me Look Taller?
You will want to find a dress shoe that has a combination of elegance but will not draw attention to the shoe at the same time. Keep the design of the shoe simple, and they will gracefully and unnoticeably, raise the height of the wearer.
Buy dress shoes whose toes are tapered and avoid shoes with square toes. Shoes that either taper into a point and get narrower than the middle of the shoe will help one appear taller. A square, box toed shoe levels the height and makes the wearer look less tall.
Men looking for shoes that make them appear taller should invest in high quality shoes, because it is not as easy finding a shoe that does the job well, so you’ll want to keep the shoes for a long time. The better quality dress shoe you buy, the longer it will last.
Most important, you want to be comfortable in the shoe. It takes a little time getting used to height increasing dress shoes, and once you’ve got it and you’re comfortable, keep the shoe in good shape, shine them often, and replace heel parts as they wear.
Things to Avoid When Buying Shoes That Make You Taller
Shoe lifts should be avoided because they are not comfortable, and they are unattractive. Shoe lifts are also fairly obvious to spot, so you’ll want to find shoes with the heel size you’re looking for.
Elevating height is a confidence booster, so you don’t want to use lifts. Besides, lifts are hard to get used to, and you’re constantly reminded that you have them under your feet. A dress shoe with a taller heel will feel normal after wearing them for a period of time. A lift will not feel this way.
Never buy shoes that are too big, because you won’t ever be comfortable in them. Always buy your exact shoe size, for comfort, fit and confidence. Shoes that are too big overcompensates and will make you feel awkward.
How Can I Benefit From Wearing High Heeled Dress Shoes?
Besides the obvious advantage that higher heeled shoes make you appear taller and more confident, dress shoes with a higher heel will provide other benefits. Keep in mind that a lot of celebrities who are smaller in stature wear quality, high heeled shoes. Tom Cruise and George Clooney are two examples, but there are hundreds of others who wear them.
High heeled dress shoes improve your posture. These shoes “train” you to walk upright with your chest out to balance the lower part of your body.
Thick soled shoes will work to improve your physique compared to flat walking shoes. Your legs, especially the calves, gain muscle mass because you walk in high heeled shoes by lifting the heel of the foot. Each time you walk in them, you’re getting an aerobic workout.
Are High Heeled Men’s Shoes a New Thing?
The answer is no! The first high heeled shoes were designed for men, and the history of male high heels goes back over 1,000 years.
In Persia in the 10th century (modern day Iraq and Iran), soldiers rode on horses and often stood up in the saddle to shoot arrows at the enemy while moving. Their feet needed to remain in the stirrups to prevent them from falling off the horse. The modern day equivalent to high heeled shoes is the cowboy boot. Cattle driving required cowboys to stand often to direct the flow of the herd in a particular direction, and higher heels insured that their feet remained in the stirrups while they stood and moved in different directions.
In the 1700s, high heels on men were a sign of status. Men wore them to indicate that they were from the upper classes, specifically the fact that these wealthy men did not have to work and could afford high heeled shoes.
Working and wearing these gaudy, high heeled men’s shoes was impractical, and the shoes were not made with modern technology nor an understanding of human bipedal movement that we have today. The men that wore them leaned forward and reported how uncomfortable the shoes were to wear.
In the 1800s, two and a half inch heels for men were in style. The introduction of the famous “Cromwell heel” occurred at this time. This heel was narrower than the shoe and came with a matching buckle on the shoe’s upper. Today’s penny loafer and designs above the tongue originated at this time.
What Are the Parts of a Dress Shoe?
All of our weight is displaced on the shoes we wear, so it’s one of the most important things we wear. Having a high-quality high heeled men’s dress shoe, then, is important not only for comfort, but for the back and for spinal cord support, for balance and posture. Here’s a few parts of a dress shoe that are essential for comfort and safety.
- Heel counter. This part of the shoe is behind the foot and ankle, the part in the back and center of a shoe. It is called a backstay, and it runs vertically along the shoe. This part should be reinforced and made from quality materials, not plastic or cardboard.
- The shank is not visible on the shoe. It is a steel rod that lies between the shoe’s insole and outsole. It is commonly referred to as a sole. The shank provides support for the shoe wearer and is especially important to have a well-made shank on higher heeled shoes.
- This part lies underneath the foot and is the point of contact for the feet. Always make certain you get leather insoles, so your foot remains stationary and doesn’t slide, especially when wearing high heeled dress shoes.
- Shoe waist. The waist is found on the narrow part of the sole. The shoe waist is important for arch support. When wearing men’s dress shoes designed to make you tall, it’s imperative to have the best arch support you can get.
- Shoe quarter. This is located near or below the ankles when wearing a dress shoe. The two quarters are on either side of the eyelets and give additional support to the upper part of the shoe.
High heeled shoe wearers want to have a balance of strength and support on both the upper and lower part of the shoe. The better the support, the more natural it will appear wearing these shoes.
It pays to invest a little more in shoes because they are perhaps the most important part of your wardrobe. If the shoe fits, it will give you confidence and the height increase that you seek.