What Makes High Heels So Sexy?

01 · Sexuality

Introduction

An interplay of body, movement, symbolism and fantasy. High heels change the way a woman stands and walks. They lengthen the line of the legs, raise the body and accentuate the characteristically feminine gait. At the same time, they carry within them a long history of elegance, status and power. And for many people, they set a small story in motion in the mind. After more than forty years with my own high-heel fetish, I know: the greatest effect arises when all of this comes together.

02 · Sexuality

What the heel does to the body

A high heel changes one’s entire posture. The foot is extended, the calves tense, the pelvis tilts slightly, and the back straightens. The legs appear longer, the silhouette more elongated. A high heel raises you up, not only by a few centimetres, but often also in the way you carry yourself.

I find a 2013 study by the University of Portsmouth particularly compelling. The research team led by psychologist Paul Morris had women walk once in flat shoes and once in high heels, recording only the movement of luminous markers on their joints. The observers therefore saw no shoes and no clothing, only the gait. Nevertheless, the women in high heels were rated as significantly more attractive. The heels shortened the steps and accentuated hip movement—the very characteristics that make up a feminine gait. The study was small, but its finding is striking.

03 · Sexuality

A supernormal stimulus

The researchers spoke of a “supernormal stimulus.” The term was coined in behavioural research. It refers to an exaggerated version of a natural signal to which living beings often respond even more strongly than to the original. High heels take something that is already perceived as feminine and attractive and amplify it. For me, that explains well why they have an effect on so many people, including those without a fetish.

04 · Sexuality

A sign with a history

Shoes were never merely utilitarian objects. Even in the art of earlier centuries, they signified rank and power. Interestingly, in Europe high heels were not originally women’s shoes at all. In the 17th century, male members of the nobility also wore heeled shoes as a sign of status. Only later did high heels become a symbol of feminine elegance, and in the 1950s, with the narrow, high stiletto, the form emerged that we picture today when we think of high heels.

This history continues to resonate today. High heels stand for elegance, self-confidence, femininity and sometimes power as well. Whoever wears them appears more present.

05 · Sexuality

Strength and vulnerability at once

I believe that part of the fascination lies in a contradiction. High heels make one taller, more present, and often more dominant. At the same time, they demand balance and bodily control. This blend of strength and grace makes them so appealing to many. For some, there is also the sound: the clacking of a heel on a stone floor announces a woman before she is seen.

06 · Sexuality

The story in the mind

For people with a high-heel fetish, there is something else as well. In my book, I describe how a fetish does not lead directly from the object to arousal. In between lies a fantasy, a small inner story triggered by the sight. With high heels, it often revolves around power and devotion, elegance or a particular role. Whoever is below may look. Whoever is above makes an impression.

07 · Sexuality

What makes high heels special to me

For decades, I have been a great fan of high-quality designer shoes, such as those by Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo or Giuseppe Zanotti. As a photographer, I have used every opportunity to bring high heels into the picture. Yet a sales photograph of my favourite shoes does not arouse me in the least. It is only on a woman who wears them confidently that they unfold their effect.

I once experienced how important the person is during a video shoot. A woman acted with such confidence and dominance that her riding boots suddenly aroused me strongly, even though flat boots did not fit my pattern at all. It was not the shoe that made the difference, but the bearing of the woman wearing it. It is exactly the same with high heels.

08 · Sexuality

And the women who wear them?

So much for the effect on the observer. The other side is just as important. Women wear high heels for very different reasons: because they like them, because they feel confident in them, because they suit the occasion, or simply because they feel like wearing them—often not primarily to please someone. A woman in high heels therefore does not automatically signal that she is sexually interested.

And high heels can hurt. Anyone who enjoys seeing their partner in high shoes should keep that in mind. Her well-being takes precedence over any fantasy.

09 · Sexuality

What remains

High heels are sexy because they change the body, amplify a natural stimulus, carry a long history of elegance and power, and open up space for fantasies. But they have their strongest effect where a woman wears them of her own free will and with self-confidence.