Sam Smith turned heads on the red carpet Tuesday night. While attending the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London, the "Stay With Me" singer wore a black lace shirt with a classic black tuxedo, but it was his footwear that really caught attention.
Smith proudly posed with his foot out to show off his pair of block-heeled ankle boots by Gucci. The next day, he took to social media to share the backstory of his bold fashion moment.
“Tonight I wore heels for the first time to an award show,” the 27-year-old singer wrote. “I’ve just got home from a gorgeous evening and as I was walking to my front door I stopped and listened to my heels clonking against the floor.” (Note: The post contains adult language.)
Smith came out as gender nonbinary earlier this year, but says he still prefers male pronouns to be used when referring to him.
“There was a time where I thought I’d never ever ever be able to be myself like this in front of the industry or anyone,” the singer continued. “It feels so good and I just wanted to share that with you all, and share a picture of my GORJ Gucci heels. They’ll always be my virgin heels.”
And while this may have been the first time he wore heels to an industry event, it's not the first time Smith has worn heels.
In an Instagram post from June, Smith sported platforms by SYRO, a label that specifically makes heels in men’s size. “I have ALWAYS wanted to find a heel I could wear everyday to the shops,” Smith wrote, adding, “Dream come true!!”
Other stars in Hollywood, gender nonbinary or male identifying, are also rocking high-heeled fashions on the red carpet.
Harry Styles
The former One Direction bandmate also paired a chunky boot with a sheer black top when he attended this year's Met Gala.
Kanye West
West has been known to wear a heel from time to time, including in this Easter picture that Kim Kardashian West shared back in 2017.
Cody Fern
The "American Horror Story: Apocalypse" star decided to give his look a daring fashion spin at this year's Golden Globes by wearing Maison Margiela’s iconic Tabi heel boots.
Lil Nas X
The "Old Town Road" singer paid homage to Prince on the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards this year, topping off his look with a pair of metallic cowboy boots that featured a pretty steep heel.
Jonathan Van Ness
While many stars wore a chunky-heeled boot, "Queer Eye" grooming guru Jonathan Van Ness went above and beyond by wearing high heels on the red carpet.
At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, the star, who identifies as gender nonbinary, donned a pair of satin pumps with a lightning bolt heel.
Looks like this is a hot trend that won't fizzle out anytime soon!