Male Robotics Engineer, Football Coach & Married Dad Of 3 Wears Heels Because The Higher The Heel The More Confident He Feels
His confidence and authenticity can inspire others to express themselves freely, challenging societal norms and embracing individuality.
Vadym Sh / Shutterstock 64-year-old Mark Bryan is works as a robotics engineer, coaches a local football team, exercises twice a week and is married with three children. However, if you ever see him walking in the street, you may notice that he appears to be different than the typical man due to his bold fashion choices.
Bryan often wears pencil skirts and six-inch stilettos, simply because he likes the way that they look on him.
Bryan’s interest in heels began 40 years ago in college when he was dating a woman who wore them frequently. Enchanted by the way they looked, Bryan went ahead and tried on a pair.
From the moment he pulled the shoes onto his feet, it was as if they were always meant to be there.
"I remember when I first tried a pair on at 21 years old and I was a natural,” Bryan told Mirror. “It wasn't a Bambi on ice moment at all.”
Wearing the high heels gave Bryan a boost of self-confidence and made him feel as if he was on top of the world, and not just because of the extra height they gave him.
Bryan, who is originally from Dallas, Texas but moved to a small town in Germany in 2010, works as a robotics engineer. Typically, the dress code in such a profession for men is traditional business attire.
In 2015, Bryan grew tired of wearing the same old suit and tie every day and wanted to add some zest to the office setting.
Bryan turned heads one day when he arrived at work sporting “red pumps and tie” and he hasn’t looked back since!
“My colleagues joked, ‘One day Mark is going to wear a dress' but little did they know that I would in 2018,” Bryan shared. “People are so ingrained that certain garments are for men and others are for women and when you cross that line, then you're gay. I'm a straight, cis man and how I dress has nothing to do with sexuality. I love wearing what I wear."
Bryan’s wife is supportive of his fashion choices, and often takes him shopping along with her to model new outfits.
"Do I support Mark? Yes, of course,” she told Mirror. "I think Mark would look amazing in anything, but he is my husband after all. He wears much higher heels than I do, but his legs look much better also."
Bryan often shares his fits on his Instagram account, where he has over 600,000 followers.
The only time he is not wearing heels and skirts is when he is coaching football, and it would be far too difficult for him to do so.
Bryan encourages everyone to participate in fashion trends they enjoy, regardless of gender.
"To me, high heels give the illusion of confidence which should be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of gender and sexual orientation,” he explained to Mirror.
The higher the heel, the more confidence Bryan has.
Although he said that he draws attention from strangers while he’s out and about, Bryan fully embraces the opportunity to show people that he is comfortable in his own skin.
"If I sense someone is taking a longer look, I'll joke and say 'take a picture if you want' and it usually breaks up any tension,” he told the outlet. "I live in a small town so I'm going to get some looks but they never bother me because I'm just happy in myself."
Heels were historically menswear.
Many people may associate high heels with femininity, and do a double-take when they see a man walking down the street wearing them. However, what they probably don’t know is that Persian soldiers in the 10th century were the first individuals to ever wear high heels.
“Wealthy men wore them to give additional height, and when they rode on horseback, the heels clicked into the stirrups,” Valerie Steele, a coordinator of the exhibit “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic” at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology told Fast Company. “When Persian royalty traveled to the French courts in the 17th century, they brought the trend with them, and soon heels were widespread among men in European courts.”
Over time, this practical footwear choice evolved into a symbol of status and masculinity, worn by nobility and elites. The elevated shoes distinguished them from the lower classes, showcasing their wealth and social standing.
Photo: Martin Valigursky / Shutterstock
Many men continued to wear high heels until the 18th century when shoes became increasingly gendered. Women’s shoes became narrower with higher heels and men’s shoes became broader and sturdier.
Eventually, most men ditched wearing high heels altogether. However, who says they are forbidden from wearing them?
Fashion and personal style are subjective and should reflect individual preferences and expressions regardless of gender.
There is nothing wrong with men incorporating high heels, skirts, dresses, and any other article of clothing they feel comfortable in as a form of self-expression and to experiment with different styles and looks.
When we wear clothes that allow us to express our authentic selves, we exude a confidence we never thought possible.
Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you can’t wear this or that. Mark Bryan never did, and now he is living his best life!
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.