“He didn’t like it when I wore high heels, but I do,” sings Taylor Swift in “Begin Again,” a single from her 2012 album “Red.” Although the singer never revealed the person to whom the song was dedicated, Swift wasn’t lying. High heels, often worn as a symbol of empowerment, have always been a constant in Swift’s wardrobe. Her go-to style, however, has changed over the years to match her different eras and also her boyfriend’s height.
Standing tall at 5-foot-11, Swift went from wearing ballet flats with 5-foot-8 Joe Jonas on the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards red carpet to elevating her look with towering heeled boots while holding hands with 6-foot-5 Travis Kelce at the “SNL” party in New York last weekend.
When she was dating 6-foot-tall Harry Styles in 2012, Swift would often be seen in short-heeled shoes, including oxfords. In 2015, the “Karma” singer bet on taller heels while dating DJ Calvin Harris, who matches Kelce in height.
During her brief relationship with Matty Healy earlier this year, Swift swapped the stilettos for sneakers while going out with the 5-foot-10 musician. The same happened in 2009 when she dated 5-foot-8 actor Taylor Lautner.
Meanwhile, when walking the red carpet by herself, Swift has almost always opted for sky-high heels from Sophia Webster, Giuseppe Zanotti and other luxury brands. Her penchant for stilettos and block-heeled boots can also be seen in her record-breaking “The Eras Tour,” which premiered in movie theaters last week with a cinematographic rendering of its three-hour-long concerts. In the tour, which will resume in November in Mexico City, the singer takes the stage in heels from Christian Louboutin.
Here, take a closer look at Swift’s shoe heel choices over the years.
-
Taylor Swift and Joe Jonas, 2008
Taylor Swift in ballet flats and Joe Jonas in sneakers.
-
Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner, 2009
Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner in oxford shoes.
-
Taylor Swift and John Mayer, 2009
Taylor Swift in Louboutins and 6-foot-2 John Mayer, who wore boots to the same event.
-
Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, 2012
Taylor Swift in oxford shoes with Harry Styles.
-
Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris, 2015
Taylor Swift in peep-toe platform heels by Prada and Calvin Harris in Adidas high-top sneakers.
-
Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris, 2015
Taylor Swift in leather heeled booties and Calvin Harris in sneakers.
-
Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston, 2016
Taylor Swift in Volatile Dixieland flat wingtip Oxford shoes and 6-foot-1 Tom Hiddleston in suede boots.
-
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn, 2018
Taylor Swift in heeled boots and 6-foot-2 Joe Alwyn in sneakers.
-
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn, 2019
Taylor Swift in silver pumps and Joe Alwyn in leather boots.
-
Taylor Swift and Matty Healy, 2023
Taylor Swift in sneakers and Matty Healy in short-heeled boots.
-
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, 2023
Taylor Swift in Louis Vuitton boots and Travis Kelce in sneakers.
-
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, 2023
Taylor Swift in gold heeled sandals and Travis Kelce in sneakers.