A PMR (perpendicular magnetic recording) write head includes a main write pole (MP) that is surrounded by magnetic shields, including laterally disposed side shields (SS), a trailing shield (TS) and a leading shield (LS). The leading shield includes a leading-edge taper (LET) that conformally abuts a tapered side of the write pole. The leading-edge shield and the leading-edge taper can be independently recessed in a proximal direction away from an air bearing surface (ABS) plane so that one or the other of them is recessed and the other remains coplanar with the ABS, or both are recessed by independent amounts. In another configuration the LS is not planar but has a recessed portion in a center track region and two surrounding regions that are coplanar with the ABS plane.