Shoe Lifts
Elevators
Height Insoles
Platforms
Risers
Wedges
Heel Inserts
There may be a myriad of ways to describe shoe lifts
But they all have a common purpose
To boost your height up and make yourself appear taller
whilst concealing the additional height boost
In this video I'm gonna talk about how to notice
if an actor, or anybody really
Is wearing Shoe Lifts or Elevators
It can make things a bit tricky though
I run CelebHeights.com
I'm trying to figure out the barefoot height of actors
And Shoe Lifts?
Well they can make things a bit more interesting.
Now if I didn't know better, I'd estimate this actor as being Five Foot Ten
But see the boots he's wearing?
Those are typical elevator shoes
When anybody wears big Shoe Lifts they're natural stride isn't so natural
Males aren't used to wearing shoes
in which their heel is significantly higher than their toes
It takes a fair bit of practice to even look normal
So watch out for those funny walks! That's the first sign in spotting a lift-wearer
Hollywood has been using many tricks to make actors appear taller
From platforms and ramps to ditches and camera angles
the most common tool at an actor's disposal though
is height-enhancing Footwear
Humphrey Bogart was famous for it
This photo explains the reason.
Those are external shoe lifts
when you account for the thickness of his shoe plus those lifts
he's probably boosting his height up by at least 4 inches
They're a bit like the ones Robert DeNiro wore in the Irishman
Now some actors only wear lifts for specific purposes
Like playing a character in a film
Directors may also want their Leading Men to appear taller
So ask them to wear shoe lifts
Francis Ford Coppola once asked Al Pacino to wear shoe lifts on the Godfather
But Al was walking about the set like Donald Duck
Al said: "Get these left's out my shoes and I might walk straighter"
When you think of an actor today who wears impressive looking Footwear?
Robert Downey Jr. Immediately springs to mind
From playing Ironman and wearing heels to appear taller
Downey has since been a regular wearer of elevator shoes
He seems to like the Height Boost they provide and doesn't dismiss the fact that he wears them
Robert once said:
"There's nothing to talk about there. Lots of actors do that, both now and in the past"
Tom Cruise! Or read up on John Wayne who had lifts in his car so he'd look taller driving
Height is one of the rules and practices of this male-enhancing business.
You know it's funny Robert should mention John Wayne
because there's a Hollywood actor who is above Six Foot Tall
and who needs lifts when you're over Six Foot?
other actors also commented on John's lift-wearing
Including Robert Mitchum who once joked that Wayne probably got buried in his damn lifts!
Spotting Elevator Shoes can be easier than spotting a lift inside a shoe
Now an elevator shoe is designed with the lift as an integral and moulded part of the shoe
and the leather portion is much higher than a normal shoe
to accommodate the extra lifts
So when you compare a normal shoe with an elevator shoe
The difference is quite stark.
Notice a couple of things about Elevators.
Not only do they have a big heel
The lace section is a steeper angle
Than a traditional shoe
and the back of the shoe has a more pronounced curve
Now trousers can cover quite a lot of the shoe
So if somebody is standing up and you're looking down at their shoes
It can be difficult telling if it's an Elevator
But if somebody is sitting down though, it can become quite apparent
Just look at the revered North-Korean leader The Supreme and Great Kim Jong Un
Classic
Elevator Shoes
but what about this photo of a celebrity that many people claim wears lifts?
Now the heel looks a decent size Maybe 1.25 inches
and the leather around the ankle does indeed look a bit higher than normal
But that could just be the actual type of shoe: The Oxford wing-tip Brogues
When compared against his co-star his ankle does indeed look nearly an inch higher
But the shoe itself gives at least 1/2 an inch more than the sneaker
So if the actor is indeed wearing lifts they're at most 1/2 an inch
Shoe lifts and elevators can also effect your posture
There were suggestions aimed at Donald Trump that his posture might indicate
that he was a secret lift wearer
But let's be fair
The President is in his seventies and when you wear lifts, you don't tend to lean forward like Trump
No. You tend to stand tall like Sylvester Stallone or Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds was one of the greatest lift wearers in Hollywood
His custom elevator boots
Boosted his height up by over three inches
taking him from 5 foot 11 barefoot to almost 6 foot 3 in shoes
And also look at the front of the shoe.
That's another tell-tale sign of Elevators
The toe section is shortened in length
also, somebodies sudden jump in height
Is also a dead giveaway.
If you see me in public looking this tall with Jenny, then you'll know for sure
I'm wearing lifts
But for now, I'm happy and content with my lift-free 1 inch Clark's