Helen Mirren's Decades-Long Love for 'Stripper Heels' Revealed

Helen Mirren revealed her confidence on the red carpet comes from shopping for pole-dancing heels. The 80-year-old Oscar-winning actress discussed her passion for these shoes during a British Vogue interview at Erdem's fall 2026 show in London.

A Unique Source of Height

In the early days of her career in Los Angeles, Mirren struggled to match the height of her fellow actresses at events. She explained that platform heels were not fashionable then, leading her to shop at stripper stores on Hollywood Boulevard for her first pair of $39.99 heels.

A Longstanding Love

Mirren has long praised sky-high platforms, once mentioning in a 2010 interview with Woman & Home magazine how they enhance one's height and leg appearance. She noted that such styles are more accessible now, though she used to find them exclusively in stripper shops.

Red Carpet Secrets

Mirren credited the Mattel team for getting her shoe design right, highlighting that Pleaser platforms have been her "secret weapon" on red carpets. These shoes provide substantial height and stability due to their intended use for dancers.

During the Erdem show, Mirren sat alongside Glenn Close and other stars but opted not to wear her beloved Pleaser pumps, choosing Mary Jane flats instead.