Actual heels would be feminine. The concept of high heels is feminine coded. The strut you do when wearing heels is feminine coded.

I once bought a pair of steel toe redwing logging boots for a job I had. They had stupid high heels - like, I must have got a 4" boost. Which I found really annoying, since Im already 6’4". But I can almost guarentee the guy who sold them to me bought them just for that feature, as he was probably a 5’4" blue collar dude with a big truck.

Guys have no real qualms about using fashion to make themselves taller. Heel lifts are a thing. You can probably add 3" to your height without anyone noticing with a 1" platform and a 2" lift or whatever.

What they have a problem with is doing things that are feminine. Which - and it is weird I have to point this out - makes sense because they do not identify as feminine. Every time this topic comes up in left/liberal space, there’s a barrage of comments about how “men are dumb and insecure, why dont they just dress up like pretty girls - wouldn’t that be fun?” Which is so weird coming from a place that constantly talks about affirming peoples’ genders.

Like, imagine you are talking to your friend who is a trans woman. Would you tell them “ugh, but you’d look so handsome in a suit with a short haircut. You have such a nice jawline - you should highlight it by growing out a beard!” Wouldnt that be really fucking weird? Wouldnt it make literally no sense at all, given this individual’s chosen gender identity? Wouldn’t it be considered quite rude and offensive to try to pressure someone into fitting your preference for their gender expression, rather than their own?

Anyway, off topic. The point is, men have all sorts of options at their disposal, but most of these things are designed not to be noticed. The masculine role is to look good, but not flashy. To be put together, but not look like you tried to hard or care too much about your appearance. This is because what men are supposed to bring to the table are skills, resources, and personality. An overemphasis on appearance on the part of a man is seen as trying to get ahead or gain status through superfluous means - advancing without contributing to the group or gaining the friendship and approval of those around them. And this is seen as in poor taste, and is frowned upon. So as a man, if you want to enhance your appearance, you should only do it just enough that it can’t be noticed - or just enough that you look a bit more stylish or put together than the other men around you.