Few Baby Boomers know that the wearing of platform shoes, which were all the rage in the mid 1970s, wasn't something they did first - platformed footwear was common in ancient Greece for raising the height of important characters in Greek theatres. They enjoyed similar use by high-born prostitutes or courtesans in Venice in the 16th Century; platform shoes are also thought to have been worn in Europe in the 18th century to avoid the filth of urban streets.

Platform shoes enjoyed some popularity as a fashion item since the 1930s, but not nearly to the extent of their popularity after 1970 when the biggest and most prolonged platform shoe fad in world history began at least as early as 1970, and continued through the late-1980s, though not in Europe where they had all but died out by 1979.

In the early 1970s, they were worn primarily by young women in their teens and twenties, and occasionally by younger girls, older women, and (particularly during the disco era) by young men, and although they did provide added height without nearly the discomfort of spike heels, they seem to have been worn primarily for the sake of attracting attention. Many glam rock musicians wore platform shoes as part of their act, Elton John being the most notable example.

While a wide variety of styles were popular during this period, including boots, espadrilles, oxfords, sneakers, and both dressy and casual sandals of all description, with soles made of wood, cork, or synthetic materials, the most popular style of the early 1970s was a simple quarter-strap sandal with light tan water buffalo-hide straps (which darkened with age), on a beige suede-wrapped cork wedge-heel platform sole. These were originally introduced under the brand name, Kork-Ease, but the extreme popularity (perhaps fueled by their light weight and soft leather) supported many imitators. 

Men would never dare to wear platforms in the 1930s. Men in the 1970s, however, tended to wear more of the boot type platforms, leaving the more feminine shoes for women. This is particularly noticeable on stage, where performers like Elton John (a pair of his performance shoes are shown right) and KISS donned outrageous outfits and platform shoes to entertain their audiences.

Vivienne Westwood, the UK fashion designer, re-introduced the high heeled platform shoe into high-fashion in the early 1990s; it was while wearing a pair with five inch platforms and nine inch heels that the super model, Naomi Campbell, took a tumble on the catwalk or runway at a fashion show.

As the fad progressed, manufacturers stretched the envelope of what was considered too outrageous to wear, while others introduced "comfort" platforms, designed to combine the added height of platforms with the support and comfort of sneakers, or even orthopedic shoes, and by the time the fad finally fizzled in the late 1980s, girls and women of all ages were wearing them. It may also be a by-product of this fad that Scandinavian clogs, which were considered rather outrageous themselves in the early 1970s, had become "classic" by the 1980s.

Platform shoes made of clear plastic (usually Lucite or something similar), typically extremely high ones, became strongly associated with the adult entertainment industry and are commonly worn throughout the Developed World by strippers and pole and lap dancers during their performances. In recent years they have gained popularily among young US and UK women in their teens and twenties.


Kork-Ease platform shoes