A fashionable history of platform shoes

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Once the pinnacle of Seventies disco fashion, platforms are everywhere again: they’re all designer Marc Jacobs can wear, and it seems like every Instagrammer has their own pair. Platform shoes – meaning a raised sole – have been around for centuries… Early beginnings… One of the earlier iterations of platforms were pattens – wooden overshoes worn in the Middle Ages fastened with leather straps. The high street version wasn’t quite as extreme – anyone who was a teenager in the Nineties will remember lusting after the flatform sandals and platform boots worn by various members of the Spice Girls. Every so often the platform will be given a modern update – we’re particularly thinking of Balenciaga’s controversial Crocs – but for now, fashion seems to be largely content with the nostalgia of Seventies glamour.