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Certain shoes with similar heel heights also feel different for me. I think it comes from all the other differences they have combined.

Hopefully the boots can be fixed, especially if it's not as wonky as my Michael Kors sandals got. @pebblesf My cobbler, Marty, will gladly fix loose heels, but declines to touch anything having to do with a shank. I can understand why, because he's busy enough that he probably doesn't want to mess with it. It's a rather involved repair. As far as photographing heels to get an idea of their steepness, it is a very tricky business. If you've ever noticed in my own photos, I tend to pose in what is perhaps a less than natural way for the express purpose of showing the heel height. Whether this is actually necessary with y'all is perhaps open to debate, but it's something I've got in the habit of doing. A 10º difference in angle with make a heel look way different than it actually is. In addition to optical delusions (as I like to call them), I have run into several situations where I cannot get the ruler to agree with the feel of the shoe, and sometimes the look as well. I have some shoes that measure pretty tall, but do not feel it or look it. And yet the ruler doesn't lie, right? I also have a couple pairs that feel insanely steep, but I can't manage to get the ruler to reflect that. I guess I should worry less about numbers, maybe. My latest training shoes, pictured above somewhere, measure 13.3 cm, which translates to 12.5 cm in size 38, and they feel to me exactly like those numbers would suggest. I need to pace around in them for a good 5-10 minutes before I don't feel completely stupid wearing them, and even then, though I haven't measured, I feel like I can only get the heels about 1/4 inch (or 6 mm) off the ground, standing on tiptoe. I feel like until that distance improves, there's only so much improvement I can make.

Yes, I have to walk a bit from the parking lot to the office. While at the office I don't walk that much, the longest distance there is normally going for lunch. Of course I also have several walks when not at work.

Working from home as I do, I have no commute. If I go out shopping it’s a minimum of about 8000 steps, most of that on a badly rutted or muddy towpath. If it’s dry or frozen I’ll do it in chunky mid heels but for wearing stilettos I need to take them with me and change at a park bench or bus stop in town. I do sometimes but the time and hassle factor is a disincentive

Yes. I suspect that single extra centimetre makes a whopping difference. When I was tottering about in my 12cm boots I tried imagining what that extra centimetre’s height in your Hot Chicks would be like. Definitely too high for me even to attempt. That said, I think when I either fix my present boots or buy some new 12cm heels I will start making decent progress. Seeing the tilt on that left heel when I was examining the boot on the tabletop explained a lot of my difficulties so far. I’m really looking forward now to giving 12cm a proper try. until then I’m getting plenty of time in my 10cm heels

It sounds like you have a reasonably active day, and the figure of 15.5 km sounds about right, particularly if you've got a bit of walking to do to make it to your office from home. I haven't been to Germany in a very long time, but my recollection is that you guys walk a lot more in general everyday life than we do here in the U.S. Were I to track my "incidental" walking in high heels, I'm sure it would be very little. Since I can't wear heels at work, I very much have to practice on purpose, which is why I do have a rather accurate log of how far I walk. At work, I never really bother to keep track of the distance, but sometimes look at the step count for fun. It's very easy to tell which days a truck came in and had to be unloaded!

I suppose I should break out my few sweater dresses and try them on while I have some free time. I think I wore one of them one time out in public. That's one of those things which does not really take up a lot of room in my house, but yet, if I'm not going to wear them, why do I keep them around? We'll see.

Yes it's difficult to tell the exact height from photos. I also wouldn't skip to 13 cm in your case if 12 cm are a challenge. As for me, the Hot Chicks were a real challenge when I got them, and I had no issues with 12 cm.

Here’s a case where appearances are deceiving. The actual height of those heels is 14.7cm as per Italian Heels chart on heel height relative to size - the height based on a standard 12cm heel for size 38. The photo was taken in August in a hotel room while I was on assignment, and shot with an iPhone so perhaps the angle from which it was shot - the phone was propped on a chair - might have skewed the perspective. i have a pair of 10cm heels in that same model, which I am wearing right now. i can tell you as fact that 12cm heels are plenty challenging for me, and that I feel no need to up the ante to 13cm - nor is there much likelihood of my finding decent quality 13cm heels in my size even if I wanted to.

They indeed look a little lower than 12 cm, but this could also be a optical illusion.

I know that, like me, you have large feet, but those heels look lower than 12cm. I'm not doubting the measurement, nor the challenge of mastering them, but you could perhaps set 13cm as your next goal! I do hope you can get a satisfactory remedy for the wonky heel, and without it costing too much. Let us know what the cobbler's reaction is on seeing them.

Thanks! It's just my normal everyday walks mostly to, at and from work. So I'm more surprised that it sums up that much.

I’m very impressed!

Haha no, that would be too much 😀 Most of that was in 9-11 cm heels, and only a bit in 12 and 13 cm.

Wow! What height heels were you wearing for most of that. Surely not 12cm or 13cm! I’m guessing mostly 10cm - which is hugely impressive.

I finally did it - I tracked my walking for the last week. I walked 15,5 km. So if I sum that up for one year it would be 806 km. That's not totally accurate for sure, but I'm surprised that it's actually close to your numbers.

I wore my 10cm ankle boots for several hours yesterday while rejuvinating the latest outboard I pulled off my buddy's junk pile, felt great, very comfortable

Thank you. They are Italian Heels’ Tina model. I have a pair of these with 10cm heels that I am wearing right now. I don’t think it was anything I did which caused the problem - not my walking style or anything - I think it is just a materials failure. A pity because I really like these boots. I was really hoping to master 12cm stilettos - and I have had such good support from @mlroseplant and @higherheels At least I can see that my lack of progress was t just down to ineptitude! For the time being I shall work on becoming very polished and graceful in 10cm heels

So sorry to hear this, nothing more upsetting than heel failure on a great pair of boots. What brand/style are you tall heeled boots? I often wonder if my walking style has something to do with heel failure. Those boots are amazing, and fit so nicely, so sorry about the heel... Sure hope the repair works out, cobblers around here won't touch a broken/loose heel..

I see people using GPS to drive to the store they have been driving to for years. But there is a use when you get info on traffic jams. I only use my car's mapping when I take a route I have never taken to avoid a large traffic jam. And I have a flip phone.

Here for the record are my challenge heels - my 12cm knee boots

Let us know how it turns out. Fortunately I don't have much experience with defective heels. And if so, only on cheap ones which weren't worth the repair.

That is very disappointing indeed. Over the years, that has happened to me a number of times (usually just flat-out breaking rather than twisting). The problem is, I don't know what you can do about it, other than never wear the shoes. I'm sure this could theoretically somehow be fixed, but by whom, and for what price? I hope you find something soon.

I’ve just been researching the possibility of repairing my boot and it seems it is possible if you take it to a good cobbler - so I’m taking a bit of heart. It’s worth a shot!

Oh what a pity! Hopefully you'll be back with some new boots soon. Unfortunately 12cm+ heels ain't that widely available for good prices as the lower ones are...