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This Sunday it was back to our regularly scheduled program, and as usual, I picked out my outfit at the last minute based upon what was clean and what was ironed, then checking to make sure I hadn't worn the same exact thing in recent times. The only thing of note this week is that I got many comments on my shirt, and zero comments on my heels. The shirt came from Vietnam, and I have worn it occasionally for many years. One of these days, it will become unpresentable. It has already lost some of the sheen it once had, but somebody always comments on it every time I wear it. The shoes, on the other hand, have never really attracted that much attention. I mean compared to others, not on an absolute scale. They are Michael Kors, and their main claim to fame is that they are both black and tan, so theoretically they go with everything. Or, you can do what I did, and wear tan pants with a black belt. They're not quite stilettos, and they're not super high (to our eyes, anyway). Evidently, I wore them about two months ago. I did not realize this when I selected them for the morning. I'm of two minds about that--one the one hand, I hate to repeat stuff, but on the other hand, I'm always saying that there are some things in my collection that do not get enough love. I guess I can't have it both ways.

Hey All, Read recently that wedge heels may come back big time in 2026. Recent sitings at fashion shows suggest this. Has always been one of my absolute favorites. Enclosed are two different looks with high wedge heels, 5.5”/16 cm or more, with a dress and skinny jeans. I’ll try to post more as I love this style and not many post about them though I do remember our favorite Iowan, Mlroseplant, talking about them. HinH

Here’s a view of me in wedges with cuffed skinny jeans a look perhaps some of us have tried. It’s the no hiding style. These have a 5.7”/15.5 cm heel. Here’s me in short shorts with my Soda wedges which I got on clearance at Shoe Carnival some 12 years ago. They have been very durable and have a full 6”/15 cm heel. Here’s a third view of wedges and a dress. I like the look even it’s not for most of you. If we are to wear alternative footwear we should have fun with it.

No point in ruining nice heels in mud and puddles. That’s pretty much all I have when I step off my boat - a rough and muddy towpath for a good mile into town. It does cut down on heel wearing… Your story about the spilled beer reminded me of some advice John Wayne once gave an up and coming actor: never wear suede shoes. His reason - and it sounds like it came from experience - was that when your famous and you go into a men’s room, someone is going to recognise you when your standing beside them at the urinal, and turn suddenly in their excitement, forgetting where they are, and exclaim “my gosh you’re John Wayne!” And pee all over your shoes

I agree on that 🙂 I keep thinking about the height on my boots candidate, could you guys give me your opinion? I don't believe the advertised heights and rather go by the visual appearance. I'd guess them to about 13,5 cm. What are your guesses? They might be tolerable, but also might be a bit too far away from the Hot Chicks, I'm really unsure...

Back wearing heels after a few years of being unable to. Life changes, and has changed quite dramatically this past few weeks. Back to a new heel journey. A heel journey that will give me confidence and comfort for the future. Getting my tendons used to wearing heels again. However, my tendons will have to stay mobile for my running. I’ll have to keep an eye out and make adjustments if/when I get any pain. Whilst not everyday I’ll wear heels, the freedom to be able to wear them out to a concert or a musical will give me much confidence. The ability to put a pair on and feel good is something I’m looking forward to. Time to go shopping for a few more pairs, get a few “cunty heels” as they are called here. Heels that make you feel “cunty” and give an attitude, a swagger, a “fuck you” to everyone who doesn’t understand or disagrees. A nice 5 inch stiletto boot for instance. This time is mine.

It just so happens that Halloween is my wedding anniversary and this year, I wore a pair of faux suede, just OTK boots with a leather skirt to dinner.

I agree, just walking around a bit inside your boat is probably not going to help much. You really need to get out where you can take a decent walk, develop a stride, and adapt to the heels. It seem like your only choice here is to place your boots in a back pack until you get somewhere that is suitable for a decent walk. The other issue is what to do with the back pack once you find a decent spot. I have wrestled with a similar dilemma with some of my more challenging boots/heel heights. Sure, I can walk around the carpeted hotel room fairly well, but hitting the open sidewalks was another story. I would quickly tire and get soar, and I'm sure all this was showing in my strides/steps, which ultimately attracted just the type of attention I did not want. One way I have realized when I am comfortable/confident with a particular pair is when I almost forget I'm wearing them while out and about. One of my biggest issues is self confidence, so once I am proficient enough to almost forget I'm wearing them, I stop "overthinking it".

@mlroseplant that's a good description of what I meant with fluid heel to toe motion. As I thought about it more, I think I also have this issue a little bit in my new boots. In my case while walking it feels like they flex my ankles to an angle they can hardly achieve, so the muscles have to work harder to make them achieve this angle. I had the same issue when I first started with my Hot Chicks, but it got away with practice. I'll try some additional stretching this time, maybe this helps to gain flexibility quicker and makes the start easier. Your mules in this height must be even more of a challenge! I definitely want to master my boots this winter, at least so far that I can wear them to a restaurant or so. @Shyheels You can definitely compare it to some sports. You say you're on the beginner's slope but that's always relative. Now with my new boots I also feel like on the beginner's slope again 😉

There are a couple of different things to reply to: @Shyheels, I would like to put forth a hypothesis, and perhaps check on this myself when I get a chance. When we are saying, "fluid heel-to-toe motion" (or lack thereof), what springs to my mind from my own experience is lack of controlled heel-to-toe motion. Or not very much control, anyway. So that what you get, as best as I can put it without video or sound, is a ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk. Does this seem familiar? I have another separate issue when I get up that steep, which I will save for later, as I have to work again this Saturday. @higherheels Thank you for the measurements on the heels. I have actually seen a tape measure put to Hot Chicks in my size 40, and they are 13,7 cm. So I guess your boots in size 40 would be something on the order of 14,6 cm, which happens to be the exact height of my Pleaser mules, which I can barely make it across the room in. If you manage to master the boots before winter's end, mad props to you! This month, incidentally, I'm going more for mileage than height, while the weather is still relatively nice. But I'm trying not to wear less than 10 cm on my walks.

Exactly! And when I do stand up the angle feels familiar. Those boots of yours will be really good practice for the Hot Chicks. Aside from looking quite smart in their own

I measured them now. The Hot Chicks have a 12,7 cm heel and the boots 13,3 cm. So if you upscale this to a standard size, they'd be probably like a 13,6 cm heel. @Shyheels I also feel that sitting helps, it's like stretching

I love sweater dresses as a whole. My favorite dress of my wife's is one. You would have to know us, but we banter back and forth a lot and often make these silly bets. Well, we were at the local mall and eating at the food court and beside us was a small woman's boutique. Way up high they had this sweater and so it began. I said it was a sweaterdress, and the wife said it was way too short to be a dress and was just a long sweater. So after eating we asked the clerk and sure enough I was right, it was a sweaterdress. A good clerk, her next words were, "would you like to buy it?" Sure enough, one in her size went home with us. I actually see it in several pictures now. We buy and sell a lot of property and on one such purchase, we are pictured with her wearing it. She likes it because she can tame its truncated hemline with leggings for a demure look, or go sassy and leave it short pairing it with pantyhose/tights.

Good luck to you, I have many pairs of Steve Madden, from traditional looking pumps to platform sandals. I have found them to be pretty good for what they are. Like every other affordable shoe manufacturer, they've gotten away from using leather like they used to. At least their synthetic pumps, of which I have quite a few, are actually decent.

I think you might be right. I shall work on that. I really, really want to master these!

@Shyheels Which issues do you have with walking heel to toe? My new boots arrived yesterday! Already wore them a bit, so far I can say they fit perfect and look great. Walking was difficult on the first try, I could feel the extra height to the Hot Chicks. I'll definitely keep them, but it will probably take a while until I can actually wear them out. First have to wear them at home a lot to break them in and also get used to the height. My goal is still to use them as a Hot Chick replacement for winter, so I have to hurry up to be ready soon for wearing them out 🙂

They should be if they’re following company policy and socially Quebec is the most liberal area of Canada. The positive is you should be most welcome and Quebeckers are the longest-lived and the happiest of provinces. The negative is they have the least disposable income and general taxation is onerous. Your individual experience has most to do with the quality of employee you first meet. Remember the first rule of retail: move the merchandise. That’s most effective when positive employees meet positive customers. HinH

Well I finally got back into my 12cm heels - oh dear, it’s back to beginners. I was very glad neither of you guys were there to see me. In my defence, my boat has a slight list and so the floor slants sidewise - not a lot but enough so you can notice it, especially when you are trying to walk gracefully in lofty stilettos. it really is tough trying to learn the art of walking in 12cm heels when you live in a narrowboat out in the countryside and the muddy towpath is just not a viable walking option for heels - or nice shoes or boots in general.

There was a young lady in church who wore 8 cm black pumps yesterday, with slim, near-stiletto heels. She was one of several new members of our church who were welcomed in. I did mention to her that I was glad to see someone else wearing heels besides me. She reacted in a friendly manner, but in a rather noncommittal way. In other words, it was not a conversation starter.

Couple of days ago, I had to go to Home Depot to get a tube of concrete adhesive. I decided that I would wear my Buffalo Bills sweatshirt dress by Erin Rogers. It was a bit cold outside so I added a royal blue puffer vest. With that I wore my white knee boots with a 4" stacked heel and carried my Buffalo Bills cross body bag. As I approached the entrance, a woman on her way out said to me " I love those boots you're wearing". I replied so do I, thank-you for your compliment. Another great comment for a guy in heels! Happy Heeling, bluejay

Well done! I’m curious to hear what they’re like. As I say, they look really nice! And, yes, a challenge!

So you both are the total opposite -mlroseplant still wearing sandals in november, Shyheels wearing boots all year, I love it! I am very boring in that matter 😉

At least with 12 cm boots, you won't lose too much ground over the winter. Whether I continue to progress over the winter depends entirely upon the weather and my motivation. My high heeled boots are much lower than what I would typically wear for shoes or sandals.

Was in Glasgow yesterday, the amount of heels, mostly blocky and chunky ones was pleasing. Lots of ones in the up to 50mm range, I don't class them as much. However, the ones in the 50mm to 105mm range was pleasing, about 20-30 women, one even marching past my lazy bum. I was not in heels sadly. Again most were in chunky and blocky heels, however there was about 5 women in stilettos, one in a black pair of patient pumps, the rest were in boots as it was so wet. As the weather gets colder, there is more chance of heels. I know that from previous years. Im intending to go through to Edinburgh next week sometime. Im planning to be in heels, I'm hoping to see many women in heels too. Im also looking at a pair of heels for wearing with my suit for a friends wedding in February. Im going to have to ask the bride if it be okay if I do so. Im thinking about showing to friends that I like to wear a heel when I can.

I was at a modest family function yesterday morning - a granddaughter's third birthday party in a village hall. The guests were mostly couples in their early thirties with their children aged from 2 months to about 8 years. Of the dozen or so mums present, all were wearing trousers (except for one in leggings), and all were in nondescript flat shoes or boots. Whilst it wasn't a 'dressy' occasion in the accepted sense, it was disappointing to see that none of the women had made any real attempt to depart from very casual 'weekend' wear. And the men were but little smarter; I was almost the only one not wearing trainers.

I don't normally warm up before wearing "regular" heels, but I often think that maybe I should. There comes a point, however, at which I can't walk properly. This begins to occur somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 cm. I haven't really looked in a mirror or filmed myself, but I feel 95% of it is that I can't straighten my knees all the way. Many times, 10 or 15 minutes of pacing around will correct that problem.

@mlroseplant No, I don't do any warm-up before going outside. But I put them on first before the rest of the clothes, so there's already a bit of standing in them before walking. What makes a difference is weither I been at home barefeet all day or already been out in heels all day. Even if I only wore lower heels like 8 cm all day, the transition is easier.

@higherheels, do you find with your Hot Chicks that you need to warm up extensively before actually walking anywhere? I find that with my higher heels that I have to sort of pace around the house or the garage for about 10 minutes before my ankles limber up enough to take on the real world. I failed to do any of this preliminary warmup (preflight? 😆) the other day when I tried out the Bakers oxfords. I think I might give it another go this weekend.

Being as my "training" shoes are in the shop, I was looking for alternatives, and I settled upon a pair of Bakers oxfords, model name Reissa, that I've had for a very long time. I won't say that I forgot about them, but I haven't worn them in years because I don't love the way they look, and I've always had trouble walking in them. I've always thought of them as having 13.5 cm heels with 2 cm platform, but they somehow feel steeper than those numbers would suggest. Now that I've kicked it up a notch (aiming high), I decided to put them on for a short walk. Much to my shagrin, I still have trouble walking in them, and I decided to cancel my walk, for fear of somebody seeing me struggling in these ridiculous shoes. Why are they so hard to walk in? I went back to the basement, took the shoes off, and pulled out a tape measure. Surely there had to be more to the story. There was. The platform, as you can see, is hidden, and there's no way to determine its thickness except to feel where the footbed is on the inside of the shoe, then transfer that mark to the outside. When I first measured them, I failed to do this at the heel as well, which in this case turns out to be significant. On this particular shoe, the footbed maintains its thickness all the way up to the top of the heel. In fact, the wearer's heel rests a good 1/2 inch higher than the point where the top of the shoe's heel is attached on the outside. Effectively, the shoe's steepness slightly exceeds 13 cm. That accounts for a good deal. No wonder.

Well today, I came into possession of a pair of Missy Rockz Army Rockz 8.5cm. They are beautiful, stunning and comfortable to wear. My first stiletto heel too. Even though they are only 8.5cm. They give great energy to heel wearing. They fit tight, took a chance on the sizing. Indoor use at first.

PSA to those who live near oak trees and who are at a latitude where it is now autumn: Platform heels and acorns do not mix well.

This week was a bit of a change from the normal for a Sunday morning. Once a year, we move our entire church service to the local college chapel and have a combined service with the students and faculty for their Homecoming weekend. Among other things that are different, I don't have to play for the service, but I do have to sing with the choir, which is a combined choir of the college choir and my church choir. When I showed up in my gold Nine West Wilia3 mules, I immediately got some compliments from the college kids, and also from the college choir director, who was singing in the tenor section with me (our church choir director was leading the whole group). He said, "Those are some great back row shoes!" I had never thought of it that way, but it's true. At 5'5", or 165 cm, I need the extra height to be able to see over the taller sopranos. The tall ones always wind up standing right in front of me. That's just how it works. I was very surprised at how many people commented on my shoes in the course of two hours or so. I would say that it's because I'm presenting myself to a new set of people, but that's not completely true. We do this every year. The student body completely changes every four years I realize, but the adults more or less remain the same. Anyway, it was a pretty good Sunday.

Oh, I think you can ABSOLUTELY assume that the quality of direct Chinese shoe imports is going to be low, because that assumption is usually correct. If it turns out to be incorrect, that's a pleasant surprise and a bonus! Here is one example of such a surprise below, and I can also catch up on church outfits at the same time, as I'm a couple of weeks behind. I had forgotten that I have actually had one good experience with stuff ordered directly from China, and that is my Onlymaker platform sandals. At least I think they're Onlymaker--the shoes themselves are unlabeled and unbranded, except for the size. The only reason I got them is because I thought they would be steep. I was promised a 15 cm heel with a 3 cm platform. Cool! 12 cm! At least they'd be good for practice. When the shoes arrived in a rather miniature shoebox, they looked pretty much like the picture, but had 3.5 cm platforms, so the total steepness is a mere 11.5 cm. I already have plenty of shoes with that gradient. Oh, well. However, despite being on the clunky looking side, I've become a little obsessed with these shoes lately, and I've worn them out several times. They are very shiny. Pictured here is from October 12th. The second photo is from last Sunday the 19th, featuring my BCBGenerations neutral colored strappy sandals. One thing about the Aiming High challenge is that these thin heeled but not quite stiletto sandals are a doddle to walk in, with their steepness being barely over 10 cm. I shall be interested to try my steeper pumps soon (up to now they have been put away for the summer), just to see if I have in fact made any progress.

That sounds very clever and cool indeed! While I wear color on toes almost 100% of the time, I’ve not mustered the gumption to venture beyond clear gel. However, the aforementioned nail tech drops yet another hint from time to time.

Speaking for myself, I find that walking around for a few minutes in my 10cm heels is a good warm up for wearing my 12cm ones - although if I do I have a way of becoming distracted and forgetting to change boots.

It’s interesting. It would be fun to know what their perception of heels is, especially stilettos. As you say, it’s not something you can sidle up and ask without looking like a creep. But from a sociological and cultural viewpoint, it would be an interesting question.

I have sighted two pairs of stiletto heels last week. The first was part of a Halloween costume, which almost doesn't count, but I think it counts considering the circumstances. One week ago was the last football game of the season at the high school, and therefore was also the last marching band show. The band kids did not wear regular uniforms for this last show, but instead wore Halloween costumes. There was one girl who dressed as a witch, and her costume included stiletto heels. To be sure, she wasn't marching in those heels, she was in the frontline percussion section, playing a xylophone. Nevertheless, she pushed her own instrument on to the field, and then pushed it back off and down the running track, a distance of approximately 150 m each way. The second sighting was at our joint church/college service last week. There was a communion server, age 20 or so, who was wearing stiletto heeled booties and a skirt. I sort of wanted to interview her a bit on the subject, but as an old man, I can't really get by with that. It was fairly obvious to me that she wasn't really used to wearing heels all that often. It was also obvious that she hadn't acquainted herself with an iron in quite some time, if ever.

Sometimes when I’m wearing my 12cm boots I think of your Hot Chicks and try to imagine that extra centimetre of elevation. It would certainly defeat me

That's a cool pair, I somehow like the style. Yes, they seem to be as steep as my Hot Chicks. Glad I'm not the only one feeling a big difference between 12 and 13 cm 😉

Before I get to the winner, I should go through a few honorable mentions, and maybe some up-and-comers. One pair that deserves a mention is my Prada wooden mules. I call them my "rain shoes" because of the big 4 cm platform--they keep my feet out of the puddles. I must have walked on enough rainy days that somehow I've accumulated 62 miles on them (100 km). Although they truly work for their intended purpose--they do, in fact, keep my feet out of the puddles--the drawback is that they are susceptible to the usual platform weakness. Every imperfection in the pavement, every small, hard object that you might step on, such as a pebble or twig, causes an amplified lateral reaction compared to a single sole shoe that threatens the integrity of your ankles. It might also cause you to look foolish in front of others.

Sounds like a sensible move. I’m still keeping to my warmer heavy suede OTK boots with the 8cm heels until I can get the heating sorted on the boat! I’m reluctant to start burning coal and dealing with the sooty mess it entails and my central heating system is not working. So lower block heels it is for the time being

I finally bit the bullet and took the ugly shoes in to be reheeled. Yes, it will cost me about the same as what I paid for the shoes, but I do think they make good training shoes. I also took in three other pairs to be refreshed in the heel department. Two pair are pumps that I basically haven't worn since last spring, but had enough "incidental" mileage on them that I didn't think they would make it through the winter, or at least not in presentable condition. In the meantime, I'll have to practice on something a little lower, or risk my one pair of stilettos that is in that height range.

Yes, I think you’ve found yet another practical use for high heels! As “back row” shoes in the choir! And nice to be finding acceptance and receiving compliments

One mile is quite a bit, congratulations! I don't really like the look of them, but don't find them ugly either. For sure they're OK as training heels.

Dainty, those are not. I agree, you have to look at them as training heels. I’m guessing they would be good for that. With those you could practice at the 12cm height but still have a sort of off-road heel that could possibly manage cobbles or a rough towpath

Several months ago, I bought these rather clunky shoes for a mere 18 USD. The price point was the motivator, but the real reason I bought them is because they are steep. They are very nearly the equivalent of 12 cm on size 38. I am not sure just exactly how ugly they are, but they are serving the purpose. After walking a mile in these babies, I can really feel it! In real life, they are not the greatest. I have to wear bandaids with these shoes, or they eat holes in the tops of my feet. The liner is deteriorating, so when I take them off, my feet come out all blackened. I need to get them reheeled, but I'm reluctant to spend money on them. I guess I need to look at them as a tool, rather than something I actually find attractive. The silver part is actually kind of cool, but that's about it. Sundays are often my best training days, because I can often spend the entire day in heels. I did not wear these the entire day, by the way, only for a one mile walk. The rest of the day I spent in 10 cm.

It’s a separate unit, run by diesel. It heats the hot water as well. It was very welcome this morning when it was 3°C and raining. Even so I’ve opted for the warmth of my heavy suede mid-heel OTK boots instead of the thinner leather of my stiletto boots. So much for training today …

I’ve got two forms of heat - a coal stove which is my main form of heating during the winter, and a central heating system, diesel fuelled, with hot water radiators. I don’t want to start burning coal just yet and so have been using the radiators to take the morning chill off. It’s pretty chilly today so I’m tempted to light the fire. Thank goodness for tall warm boots!

I think confidence, in no matter what social norm you are defying; becomes emboldened on an increasing trend because freedom is scary. Wearing high heels, wearing leggings, wearing skirts and dresses all set boundaries… yes set because it sets the boundary further back then what people expect. It is further back than what people’s own boundaries are and says, “for me, it is fine for men to wear these things”. That challenge to their boundary is infuriating, but it brings on this huge question; What are you going to do about it?” For some of us we quickly learn… NOTHING. People do nothing. Most we find… just accept it. The worst offenders though… yep, they are all just talk. Big deal... So then you realize, “if they are all just talk about wearing high heels, then most others things they will be all talk about as well”. And they will. Some of this knowledge naturally comes as we age, but for those who have taken bolder steps, quickly learn they can be bold in a lot more things. Sadly, for some; when we set boundaries… meaning we push them back and include more areas than most would like wearing high heels, it becomes a mirror because they realize they cannot confront their own fears. Deep down inside they want the confidence that many of us have, but just cannot find it in themselves to just not care what others in society think or say about them. That is downright angering to them because they are frustrated with themselves. I set some boundaries this week and the result was predictable but sad. A real estate agent wanted me to extend the contract or they would level a $1000 service fee on me. I said no. No extension and I am not paying your fee because that is extorsion. They replied they worked hard, to which I said, “real estate is a service-based industry and is results based, not work based”. They countered that I was bullying them, but the truth was I countered in a way they did not expect, nor could they argue against it. And that is what you get when you set boundaries: anger. They claim only 5% of people have this level of confidence, but its because we are two steps ahead of people. I knew I did not need to pay that $1000 BS fee because to clear up the issue would mean going to the real estate commission... a ding on their license to sell property. $1000 is not worth it for them. Just as people who wear high heels know, no one is going to do anything about them wearing high heels...even in church. News flash: there is no consequences for defying most societal norms other then getting snide comments that are meaningless. Freedom is always great for any person, but whether extending freedom of speech, freedom of dress, or even freedom of wearing whatever shoes you want: it becomes very scary to other people. They are not mad that you are embolden enough to wear high heels in public; they are mad because they are scared to go against social norms themselves.

Passing through Leeds train station today. Although the overwhelming majority of people are in trainers, there are a surprising number of heels being worn including stilettos. Nearly all the heels being worn are boots, and generally chunky heels There are sure a lot of ugly boot styles out there …