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It also depends on your university. I went to a university on a hill, about 750 feet in elevation between different locations on campus. Steep gorges, steep hills, redwood trees droppings, uneven pavement, deer, quail, and mountain lions.

I think it depends too on where in the 1980s you’re talking about. The early eighties was still in the shadows of the seventies, but by the end of the decade fashions had changed considerably. When I was in college I don’t remember anyone wearing heels - clogs were a big thing, but not heels

I woukdn’t fancy wearing them on the towpath

Hey thanks for everyone's help. Being a novel this can certainly be tweaked, but in taking into account what people said, I rough drafted it as such. In some light banter on the phone where she was talking with the Code Enforcement Officer while standing next to a building contractor, the CEO made mention of seven inch heels. She scoffed that the builder could not build a house level, so that was out of the question. Later in the novel when he comes to her office with heels purchased for her, he buys four-inch heels. She makes note that she typically wears 3.5 inch heels to work. In that scene she quickly comes to realize he has increasingly creepy affections for her by making a contractors life deliberately a living hell. This results in a fight where she tosses the bought heels back at him in total disgust. Here it sounds ridiculous but over 3000 words works well. In novels there is a technique known as lampshading which is a quick fix to explain an anomaly in prose, and here I lampshaded this all by having her explain that high heels and short skirts only works for male buyers, and goes against sales if it is a couple. Just a quick way to show some of her own flaws that she will do a lot for a sale. Does it work or not? It is hard to say, it is a writing technique that semi-works, and readers tend to accept any answer as, "yeah, I guess", and move on. But feel free to add more advice. I can always change the novel

One of these days I'm going to drag out the story (again) for those who haven't heard about the time I wore way too high of a heel too early in my high heel journey. I'm not surprised you faded pretty early if 12 cm was your first pair. People point to the 1980s as being a good time for heels, but looking back through my old photos and watching old music videos, it was and it wasn't. Yeah, elevated heels were much more common back then, but I don't think I actually saw in person anybody wearing what I would call actual high heels. Taller mid heels, for sure, but 4 inch + was just not a thing in real life around here. Not even in college. The heels I thought were so tall at the time just weren't all that high compared to what I wear every day. I actually went shoe shopping with this girl one time, and she bought some black patent leather pumps which were about the highest heels I'd ever seen somebody actually wear. I never got the chance to actually measure them, but I'd estimate them to be right at 4"/10 cm. She wore them somewhat regularly, but then the next year she chose to study in Europe and I never saw her again after that. That is not 100% true, but close enough for this story. Here is something similar in style and height to what the girl bought when I was with her. As I said, hers were black patent rather than suede.

Even though our town streets and sidewalks are in more of a state of disrepair than in years past, they are still quite acceptable. However, it's much better if one sticks to routes one knows well when the days grow short and it's dark during the walk. As far as rain, here are my favorite rain shoes. They keep my feet out of the puddles. Not much good for mud, though.

I'm going to put my vote in the 4 inch/10 cm camp, if you want to make the story believable. In my area, Latina real estate agents wear heels. Others do not.

Going for a walk in high heels is impossible around here. No sidewalks, old pavement (alligator cracks), uneven pavement, dirt paths, sea weed, ....

The basic real estate pump, 4 " black leather, but not patent. RE agents do not wear high heels to sell SFH but will to sell high rise condos.

Absolutely. But apart from the creepiness of the character, something "appropriate" relating to this story would be: Black or red peeptoe pumps with a 4 inch heel, or maximum of 5 inches (no platforms). Price between 100 - max. 150 $.

They are quite soulless - pardon the pun. My first heels were altogether more memorable - a very elegant pair of chocolate brown stiletto knee boots with 12cm heels. I’d always fancied a pair of boots like that. Trying them on was exhilarating - until my calves seized up in knots! Welcome to the world of high heels!

Yes indeed. Living along a towpath as I do, going for a stroll in stilettos is just not sensible. Even chunky heels are at risk and in the rain ..,

Seven inch heels are well into fetish territory - if that’s the message your character is meant to convey, by all means but it would be decidedly creepy. He sounds a bit creepy anyway but if he’s hoping to disguise it then definitely lower the heels to no more than 12cm or just under five inches. Even so in real life such a guy would make women uneasy - and understandably so

So, I am asking for help. I am writing my latest fictional novel and I am looking for a pair of heels to be described in my book that is being given as a gift. A little background here is this. The woman is a real estate agent and dressed fashionably all the time. Early in the book she converses with a code enforcement officer where a little mild innuendo banter takes place. She asks for a favor, and he says he will do it, but only if she wears her highest high heels for him. Older than her by 20 years, as time marches on in the book, he gets creepier and begins to show his affection for her. Except she has feelings for a client now. He gives her an unexpected gift which is high heels, but what should the gift consist of? What would be an ideal heel height? What would be a good price point? In other words what sort of shoes would someone want to buy for a lady he was interested in. Something a bit suggestive, but not overly slutty. The more details you can give will be better, like color and style such as peep-toed or sling backs, etc. I am really not sure what would work in this situation. There are no bad answers here, just asking for some expert help. I struggle to correlate centimeter heel height to inches, so if it can be stated inches, all the better. I was thinking 7 inch heels, but wonder if those are over the top as a gift in this situation?

Even though it was a pretty thin month on walking (I managed only 25 miles in July), I realized that pretty much all of my walking shoes needed reheeling. I took half a dozen pairs up to the cobbler all at once. For the next week, I will have to make more careful choices about what to wear on walks. I have definitely changed my tune about wearing and keeping heels in the last 12 years. Before, I always said that if I can't walk two miles in reasonable comfort, I won't keep the shoes. Now, although I will not accept uncomfortable heels, I do not put every pair I own through that particular rigor, particularly if they are really meant for dressier occasions. What I did not take into account at first is the fact that although I may be able to walk in stilettos for two miles at a clip, the shoes might not be up to the challenge for too many cycles of that. Even if they are, it is so easy to put your heel down a crack in the sidewalk, thereby pretty much ruining them. Replacing heel tips every 10 miles or so is irritating as well.

My very first pair of heels was pretty similar to those. It was 1984, after all. Even back then, I never thought of them as high. I have no nostalgia for them at all.

If they were red they could be emoji heels 👠

That's an accurate description 😀

They really scream 80s. Not my style, I'd even rather choose some flats than such pumps.

Jean Gaborit boots are lovely - well worth the expense

Fernando Berlin makes all kinds of awesome boots in tall sizes too: www.fernandoberlinboots.com Arollo has some of their boots available in big sizes: www.arolloboots.com Nice italian heels are sold by Shoebidoo Shoes: www.shoebidooshoes.com Be advised that Italian shoes and boots tend to run large. Typically you could fit one size smaller than your normal (non-italian) fit. For more customized heels: www.sanctumshoes.com If you like real designer boots (expensive!) then have a look at Jean Gaborit: www.jean-gaborit.com Happy shopping!!

What are those called? Cat heels? Very dowdy, nothing like the dangerous glamour of true stilettos

I did a little image search, and found these pumps from the 1980s. So many women/girls used to wear these, and now they seem very unimpressive. Not quite kitten heels, but too close to it. To be sure, they are far better than Adidas rubber slides worn with socks.

They are an offence. One of our former prime ministers used to wear them - no, not Boris Johnson, but Theresa May. It was not a great look.

Over the years I have done an about-face on my opinion of many things, but my hatred of kitten heels is not one of them!