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Yes, walking downhill for some time almost feels the same as wearing a higher heel than you actually are. That's definitely a progress! I feel that too. Quality and fit is very important, especially in these heights. I can understand that you don't really have motivation to wear these. Yes they're very well made, for sure can't complain about that. The downside is that they're very sturdy and take a long break-in period, and the toebox is very tight. So not a very comfortable shoe in general, and if you add the 130 mm heel even less 😉 But I'd always choose them over some lower quality ones with a looser, more comfortable fit. They might feel more comfortable on the first try-on, but definitely not while walking.

I like purple and I know what you mean about four inch heels feeling all of a sudden so much easier! The challenge is certainly bringing benefits

Italian Heels are nice, well made and of real leather. They come in a huge range of sizes and colours and have charts to help you pick out the correct size. I have two pair of their Tina knee boots - in 10cm and 12cm. I like them. They fit well and are comfortable even if the 12cm ones are a bit challenging. My Jean Gaborit boots are much nicer - buttery soft leather and fully custom fit - but then they cost four or five times as much.

I did manage to get a photo taken this week of my church outfit. I can tell you this: While I am caught up on the laundry, I am WAY behind on the ironing. I am to the point where I have to scroll through my camera and see whether I'm repeating an outfit from two weeks ago. I decided that it had been a while since I'd worn purple, and it had been a long while since I'd worn my Michael Kors black and tan sandals. One thing about doing this steep heel challenge, it makes shoes like these effectively 4 1/8" heels seem like a little bit of nothing (5 1/8" heel, 1" platform).

I have been looking pretty seriously at Italian Heels. I hear they are nice. @Jkrenzer says they tend to stretch out fast, but perhaps that is not a concern for me. My biggest concern is that a size 40 is a size 40. And should I elect to get sandals, as I am wont to do, do I go with 39? 39.5? One thing about buying cheap stuff on ebay is, if it doesn't work out, there is very little remorse.

Yes I’m fortunate in that regard in having a nice pair of Italian Heels knee boots (their Tina model) in 12cm stiletto heels, scaled up to my size. They fit well and are well made. I think it would be quite difficult to try to master 12cm stilettos that were poorly made. It’s hard enough to master these! Let alone imagine mastering @higherheels 13cm Hot Chicks - which are obviously also well made

Funnily enough last night after one of my talks one of the group asked if I knew any interesting little known facts about British Royalty. I launched into the story of Charles II and his coronation portrait where he’s wearing four inch heels. And I told the broader story of men in heels in the 17th and early 18th century. A few were interested but two of the couples glared like I was telling some kind of dirty story. It was unsettling

While I haven't led any tours, I've participated in a few over the years, and it does seem like heels have gradually gone away. In particular, my first trip to Chicago as a tourist was in the 1980s as a high school student. We did many of the tourist-y things, and I can remember many heels being worn by tourists during that trip. I can specifically remember a group from Germany in which several of the women chose to wear 3 to 4" stiletto pumps to do their walking tour. No heels in our particular group, but we were kids. On the last trip I made, seven years ago, I was the only one wearing high heels that I saw. There were a very few pairs of mid-to-low heeled wedges, but nothing to write home about.

I have to admit to having a problem with this challenge. The problem is, I don't technically own any heels of the proper height for it. I do have several pair which are a measured 12 cm, but that's on size 40. Otherwise, I have two pair of what are bordering on extreme heels at 14 cm. I find those to be frustrating for two reasons: First, both of them are low quality, and they don't even feel nice to put on, much less try to walk in. Second, the jump to 14 cm is too much. Even with nobody watching, I feel very silly wearing these things. It seems like I need reminding every few weeks why I never wear these shoes. So I need to procure a nice pair of 12 cm that actually fit me.

I was thinking back over the tours I have led over the years - and there have been many, well over fifty - and of those I cannot recall a single one of the guests ever wearing heels. Once, years ago, on an Antarctic trip, one of the guests wore leather trousers to one of the dinners on board but that was as racy as anyone ever got.,

I reposted this because I am still wear the worn out pair to run errand around town. I estimate at least 500 miles in that pair. 7+ years old and have worn them estimated 800 times. Have them on this morning, going to the open air market. And even this pair still gets the "I love those heels".

That’s an interesting idea. My own efforts have been pretty tame this past week but I hope to do better next week. I’ve been really pleased though by how working with my 12cm heels has really made me comfortable in my 10cm ones. They feel more like extensions of my feet now instead of something I’m wearing. The 12cm stilettos are still a challenge

Yesterday, I did my longest loop, which involves some hills. I was wearing 10 cm heels (not stilettos). It occurred to me that instead of being slightly irritated at having to walk downhill in heels as I usually am, I should look at it as good training for steeper heels. It's a slightly different physical dynamic, but the effect is basically the same.

People get "use to" you looking a certain way. I get questioned at times why I'm not in heels on those rare instance when I'm not in heels. People notice.

Seems like a very nice encounter - the casualness of it is what is most pleasing.

I had an interesting encounter today. Now let me start by saying I was not on a planned outing today. And I was not dressed in any form of female attire, including heels. Today, we had some unseasonably warm weather for September. So I was dressed in shorts, T-shirt, and sandals, very casual. I was out just running a few errands and hitting some of my favorite stores for some window shopping. I was at one of my usual thrift stores that I hit. And that's where the encounter happened. I usually don't have much luck there. But today, I actually found something worth purchasing. As the lady was ringing up my purchase, she said, "i'm surprised you actually found something today. Usually, you come in here, and you don't buy anything." Then she said, "And I barely recognized you today. You're usually in tight jeans and heels. You're dressed so casual today." I told her the weather was really nice today. And she said, "Yeah, we need to enjoy it while we can." Then I finished paying for my purchase and left. Now I have seen her in the store before, and she may have even rang me up a time or two. But as far as I can remember, this is the first time we have had any meaningful interaction. So as much as we say on here that most people don't seem to care or take notice of us. In some cases, I guess the opposite is true. Food for thought.

Yes a good interview with someone from HHP would be very illuminating. As you say, there are some aspects to this feat which would be worth knowing.

I have to say I’ve not put anywhere near enough miles on my heels to come close, as yet, to wearing them out. That is both good and bad

I am about to set some durability records, which I will write about elsewhere as soon as they actually happen. However, with one pair, it's going to be a nail-biter. I've owned four pairs of this particular type of shoe, and the same thing always happens at about 100 miles--the shank breaks, and they're done. On pair number 4, I've currently got 105 miles, 10 miles short of the record for this particular shoe model. However, I noticed yesterday that one of my top lifts (heel tips) has started to wear kind of funny. You know what THAT means--impending doom! We'll see if they last another 10 miles in the days to come.

It would be very interesting to interview Ms. Ton, HHP style. The news outlets who have interviewed her thus far have not been asking the right questions! I personally am the most interested in exactly how she wound up picking that particular style. I have many different types of sandals, and that would be almost the last choice I would have made, a single strap across the toes with a closed heel and a strap round the ankle. Evidently, it works for her! But why is nobody asking the question?

Snap! I’m doing the same in my hotel room! It’s so nice to have virtual company in this. I’m finding the hotel room a good place to practice - I can get seven or eight steps, enough to count and it’s a nice activity after a day of being on a tour bus!

I've been practicing out in the garage with my 11.5 cm stiletto mules. It sounds strange, but it's the only place I've got where I can walk more than 6 steps in a row, so I can try to perfect my walk the best I can before I take it to the streets.

Yes, I’m done with mid heels too. I’m in my hotel on the tour tonight with my 12cm heels - renewing my acquaintance!

Quite interesting and impressive, but also probably one of the worst acticities to wear heels. Hiking on uneven terrain requires a very good support and tight fit of the shoes, which certainly any sandals won't offer. I do many things in heels but I won't try that, at least not in sandals 😉