While today's high heels may have gone high tech for foot comfort, the high heeled shoe has a long and varied history both as a matter of fashion and practical technology.

Like many other styles of shoes, the high heel has been in use in some form for well over a thousand years, with instances of it appearing in both ancient Egyptian and Greek art. Historically, high heels were worn by both men and women in many societies, with the emergence of the popularity of the heeled shoe in late-medieval European culture tied to equestrianism (this is also true at various points for several non-Western cultures). The heel made it easier for a man to keep his feet in the stirrups.

Heels quickly became an indicator of status. As the shoes cost more to make and were generally only worn by those who could afford to be mounted, healed shoes for men quickly became a fashion statement. Women's shoes soon followed and the term "well-heeled" to refer to refinement and socio-economic status entered the lexicon.

Historical heels hit their literal height in the reign of Louis the XIV, when they were popular for both men and women. Heel heights were high and in some cases were over four inches. Additionally heels of the baroque era were significant curved , narrowing in from where they joined the rest of the shoe and curving out again. This style is still sometimes seen today, most often in historically influenced and special occasion shoes for women. This heel style is today called the Louis heel, or, less frequently, the Pompadour heel after the famous mistress of the following king.

European heel heights plummeted for both men and women after the French revolution as people sought to avoid negative associations with excessive opulence. Men's shoes maintained a moderate heel for some time after this, but increasingly became lower to the ground with the exception of certain brief fads and shoes designed for specific purposes such as the western riding boot or dance shoes with a what is called a Cuban heel.

For women, some heel largely remained the norm even after the post-revolutionary descent, although the ballet flat dominated the early 19th century.

Because of the way a heeled shoe showcases the leg, it can be noted that men's shoes lost their heel as men's clothes became less revealing of the leg (breeches gave way to longer and fuller trousers) and women's heels gained popularity as the figure was first suggested and then revealed.

Today, high heeled shoes for women are ubiquitous, not increasingly not expected in either workplace or formal settings. Additionally, the roots of the high-heel in formal and wealthy society remain. In addition to the Louis heel, a simple, discreet women's heeled shoe known as a pump in America is frequently called a "court shoe" in Britain as its origin comes from the shoes men of note were once expected to wear to court.