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I broke one of my own rules yesterday--don't wear dressy shoes with a casual outfit. However, I was going through my shoe collection, trying to get it under control. This involved some vetting, or re-vetting, if that's even a thing. As a result, I wound up wearing black patent pumps to the grocery store to purchase some comestibles. They are 11 cm, and definitely keepers. I felt the need to re-vet because I actually had to wipe the dust and cobwebs off of them, so it's possible that I haven't actually worn them since Christmas 2024, the last time I distinctly remember wearing them. But is it too much for a non-dressy outfit?

Since I have the time on my hands at the moment, I finally dove in and attacked my shoe problem. As a result, I now have a little bit of shelf space where I had none before. I am prepared to do a new shoe inventory, the first in two years. There are significant changes since then. For now, I want to share with you a pair of sandals that I actually threw away. You would think I'd have noticed this defect before, and I guarantee they weren't always like this, but how did the heel of this shoe become so badly bent? I cranked on it pretty good trying to figure it out, and the heel is quite securely attached. The only thing I can think of is that the shank has become twisted somehow without actually breaking, which wouldn't surprise me a bit, because they are (or were) Michael Kors, a brand I've had long experience with, and they all have weak shanks. What do you think?

Although I started off the day yesterday with a whimper, I am happy to report that I ended with a bang! Yesterday morning, I decided I was too tired and too cold to bother with my "high" shoes, so I walked in my mid heeled boots instead (9 cm block heels). By mid morning, the sun had come out, and the temperature rose to almost -5º, so I put on 10 cm clogs and walked to take care of some business with our county government. Before I went to sleep last night, I got a notion to keep the momentum going and walk in my 12 cm oxfords. As of this writing, my calves are not screaming too badly, just feeling a little tired. I'm still not very good at the 12 cm.

Giege, I've had starring looks when I'm in heels and a skirt but never a confrontation like you had. I would just ignore his comments and go about my business as usual. I never heard the phrase "smoked my behind". There are a lot of crazies out there. Happy Heeling, bluejay

I’ve never run into a situation like this where someone went off their rocker about my wearing boots or heels, but as a cyclist I have encountered a few crazies. It’s best just to keep going and ignore them

I haven't run into this situation in quite some time, but it never feels good. I can certainly empathize, and as others have said, you must move on if you want to keep your sanity. This fellow was obviously somewhat less than sane.

I agree with you 4” heels are comfortable and great for wearing all day.

I read this as if "Person X" is generally a person who's out for confrontation. If he wouldn't have confronted you for your outfit or whatever he probably would have for something else. I can imagine that you get attention for dressing more feminine, but that shouldn't keep you from doing it if it's what you want. I also get attention for my outfits although they're actually normal in my view, but I guess it's the heels that drag the most attention - which is also my intention. I vary my outfits mostly by the shoes. But what seems different is that I don't get confronted. People like your "Person X" are the ones who discretely but noticabely roll their eyes and make comments about me behind my back. I learned to ignore them as I don't want to have anything to do with them anyway.

Almost nobody believes me that any heels can be comfortable, not even speaking of 4 inch heels...

You're brave wearing pumps in these weather conditions! Right now we have temperatures above 0 again where pumps could work but I still rather go for boots 😉

And they are comfortable - as long as you buy decently made, decently fitting heels there is no reason to be uncomfortable. My 12cm heels may be a challenge for me to walk in gracefully, but they are not uncomfortable, at least not in a painful sort of way.

It’s too bad. I have a few pairs of pumps and a pair of boots from them. They seemed to be good quality, and even the 15cm boots are as comfortable as the height could be.

Yay! I did it! I definitely should have worn my balaclava, though. It is still not anything approaching warm out, especially with a 20 km/hr wind that has kicked up in the last 30 minutes. Part of my problem is that I do not own a pair of boots that exceed mid-height (to us, anyway), so I am forced to wear pumps if I want to go truly high. In this case, with an effective steepness of 10.7 cm. I can definitely tell that it's been over a week since I've really walked in anything actually high. Keep on keepin' on, my friends.

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day who said, "R. doesn't believe me when I say that four inch heels are comfortable." My response: "Yeah, I'm the only one who believes you."

I know what you mean! I’m tottering in my 12cm boots this morning, feeling very unpracticed. Utterly vile weather outside - horizontal rain, 80kmh (50mph) gusts, a temperature of 1°C (34°F) and a windchill of -13°C (8°F). Just had to go out - not in heels! - for a half mile walk up the flooded towpath with a dolly to a boatyard where I could buy a couple bags of coal. I was getting low and this was no day to run out. Now back aboard by the fire and feeling much more civilised in my heels - even if I totter about the galley as I make my coffee …

I'd personally rather spend my time practicing in heels. Which I should force myself to do this morning, since it's a sweltering 16º (-9º C) out there. I'm not even being sarcastic. -9 I can kind of handle. -20 is for sled dogs. Speaking of training, I can tell that I've already lost something it took some effort to gain, and it's only been a little over a week!

Well,I don’t know how your computer works but mine resets to the default American English at the drop of a hat. And although I turn it off, it seems to reboot itself as and when. And is any of this really worthy of our time?

... but can (and should) be over-ridden, especially if not set to the desired (local) language. It is the servant, not the master.

Are you unaware that autocorrect does whatever it pleases

Indeed, and as you have 'practised' your current heel-wearing in England, you ought to spell it that way! 🤯

I sent Steve an email last night - no response as yet

The hand warmers were for @pebblesf standing outside at an outboard engines swap. I could see them also useful when ice fishing. Or skiing when it's -10 F, or after surfing in 50 F ocean water.

They have, its called a mylar blanket.

I will try and keep that in mind. By the way, fun fact here: did you know it is impossible to tickle yourself? Leggings work really well for me because I am strange in that if my legs are warm, I can tolerate a lot of cold elsewhere. To some degree, not so much my feet as that can be another weak spot, but people are often surprised how little I wear on my top half. Like I almost never wear a jacket instead just wearing a sweatshirt over a T-shirt, and I am fine down to 0 degrees (F). But this is because other people don’t know my legs are protected by leggings, I look like I am wearing just jeans and a sweatshirt, but in reality, my legs are really warm so I’m fine. It is why I never saw the purpose of a vest. ‘It warms your core’, they say, but for me it would serve no purpose except paying for a garment that is half-useful with its sleeves lobbed off. I am surprised that someone has not come up with reflective leggings or a base layer as a way to retain more heat though. I use radiant barrier underneath all my floors; it is basically tin foil on both sides of bubble wrap. It is only a quarter inch thick (6 mm) but retains 95% of heat by breaking the reflective heat loss. I use it as insoles on my boots to keep my feet warmer in the winter. Sadly, it has an R-factor of only 1, but that is a misnomer because of the way the R-factor calculation does not account for various factors of heat loss. (Kind of like how horsepower is a poor way of calculating true power of something). I would think having a reflective base layer would retain even more body heat making a person warmer with no extra weight or bulk being added?

Awwwwww, don't be too hard on yourself. I have found EVERYTHING slows down in the winter. Yes, that might be in wearing high heels, but other things as well. It's not a bad thing. I learned that growing up on a farm. With no field work to do, we could slow down in the winter and enjoy other aspects of life more. Like playing pond hockey or going snowshoeing. I normally go for my walks daily, but with temps below zero and high winds, I have been putting it off. But that is okay, we are on the other side of the equinox and so the days are getting longer, the sun is higher in the sky, in another month things will be vastly different, and February is a very short month.