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I attended a neighborhood block party a couple of days ago. Yes, one of those stereotypical American events where they block off the street for an evening and all the neighbors have a get together, usually involving lots of food. Anyway, when I was about to leave, somebody finally commented on my shoes, which were tan Alaia sandals with broad straps and 4 1/2" block heels. It turned into one of those "How in the world?" kind of things. I said that I'd been working at it for 12 years, and I almost know what I'm doing now. What I should do from now on is ask something like, "Just exactly how interested are you in the subject, because I could go on at some length telling stories and explaining my methodology." I always feel like I give very unsatisfying answers because I am quite sure nobody wants to talk about the subject for more than about 30 seconds. Here is an old and very bad quality picture, just so you get a vague idea of the shoes I was wearing.

Hurrah! The more the merrier! I did in fact get out my very elegant chocolate-brown 12cm stiletto knee boots yesterday afternoon and tried them on - for the first time I well over a year. Well! Those extra two centimetres do many a difference! I'd forgotten! I tottered about a bit, as a means of reacquainting myself with this loftier height. I love their imperious aesthetic and was pleased to be wearing them - and with the benefit of this little support group that seems to be forming, I'm going to stick to it!

If I may, perhaps I'll join you guys as well. My problem is not necessarily laziness (though I'm definitely lazy about other things, like cleaning out the garage), but the fact that I don't want anyone to see me until I have gained a certain amount of skill.

For that price, what's the quality like? The description warns of strong chemical odors upon unwrapping the package. That's always a good sign.

You guys all know that I like to wear skorts with my heels. I just bought a faux black leather skort on Amazon. I really like it very much. It fits me to the T. It felt great first time wearing it with my white women's tunic top and a pair of white double band sandals. I felt totally confident wearing this ensemble. I think that I may get other colors of the skort, like white and hot pink. I'll put a link to the skort I bought on Amazon.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3PP7P3X?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1&psc=1 Happy Heeling, bluejay

Absolutely! I might even give mine a try this afternoon … small doses and start building up! No time like the present! I’ve been meaning to do this for some time! Let’s see how we do

Oh, all the best afterwards! I'm really excited, I didn't think I'll start that soon, but you gotta start at some point. Let's see how far we'll come.

I shall do the same! Except 12cm in my case. I just had a birthday so it makes it easier to sound like a New Year’s resolution! Train to walk gracefully in lofty 12cm stilettos …

Yeah, totally! I also have my go-to shoes that are comfortable and go with many outfits. Perfect for everyday life and work. You're right, its probably worth the effort, and I'm also motivated. Guess I have to make a New Year's resolution now in August 😄 - training for getting better in 13 cm heels

I totally get the laziness and routine when it comes to taking the easy way and choosing heels you know are easy to wear. I have some chunky heel ankle boots (8cm) that I wear a lot - they look nice, and I like them, and wearing them is easy. And for stilettos, the 9 and 10cm are again the easy option. Moving up to 12cm - possibly via 11cm - requires commitment and effort. As with the 13cm ones for you. I’m sure it will be worth the effort - in both of our cases. But actually summoning the energy to do it …?

That would definitely be a nice accomplishment, there are so many good looking 12 cm heels and if you then can wear them comfortably - even better! Thanks, I haven't yet decided on really putting effort into that, but it's actually a pity that I mostly go for the 12 cm or lower ones because of laziness and routine probably, while I have the 13 cm sitting in the closet. With some more training they'd sure become more comfortable, and it would be nice to get more use out of them.

That’s a good idea. I would love to be able to walk well in 12cm stilettos. I really like the aesthetics of them. An 11cm heel would make a good compromise as I work my way up. I have 9cm and 10cm stilettos both of which I am quite comfortable in - to manage 12cm would be a nice accomplishment. Speaking of accomplishments, good luck with the 13cm heels! That will be very impressive to master the art of walking gracefully in those.

@Shyheels: If you're doing fine in 10 cm heels I'm sure you can also make the 12 cm work. But as you said, it sure would require some effort. A 11 cm heel would make a good training shoe. I'm also thinking about putting some effort into getting more comfortable in my 13 cm heels as I really like them, but don't wear them often.

After undergoing 3 ankle reconstructions. I had done many (10000000s) of ankle lifts, so after tearing my calf (3" X 5") walking in 4 inch heels was child's play. I still have the large gap in my calf.

I wonder if maybe the initial cramps I suffered were because my calves were strong as @higherheels originally suggested - I’ve always done a lot of sports that require strong calves, to the point where if I was going to the gym I would actually have a hard time finding an exercise that would really work my calves - until I tried wearing 12cm stilettos! The 10cm would do it a bit but the 12cm heels were the killers. I suspect it was the combination of strong calf muscles and the unaccustomed isometric exercise of wearing lofty stiletto heels that was the cause. i seldom wear my 12cm heels much as i like the appearance. I’ve never developed the skill to wear them gracefully and so I always opt for other boots. I should make a concerted effort - although I expect at the start I’d experience those savage cramps again

It's interesting how everybody has a different experience doing more or less the same thing. I really don't ever remember having trouble with my calves over the years. I can feel it even today if I take a rather long walk in 100 mm or better, but it is not really something I would call pain. They just feel tired, same as you would after doing anything physical. What still gets me if I overdo it, such as wearing 110+ mm for 6 hours, is arch cramping. It doesn't necessarily happen when I am wearing the shoes, but rather an hour or two after I take them off.

I've had just a very few similar experiences over the years. None of the shoes were very expensive, and I just let it go. I'm not going to start a feedback war or anything like that over 25 bucks.

There are definitely benefits to wearing stilettos - balance, muscle tone, posture, strong ankles It ought to be better known!

Ah, that makes sense. I probably didn't have this issue because I first started wearing heels and then hiking. They're definitely a good workout. I saw many times while hiking that others bent or almost bent their ankle, that never happened to me. I blame it on my ankles being strong enough from stilettos 🙂

Got another pair of shoes off of Poshmark. My first "bad" experience there. The two weeks to ship should've been the only red flag I needed. But I loved the look of them and thought it was worth the wait for less than $20. Then they arrived. The tops were flawless. The soles were atrocious. It looked like they had been removed and reattached with a hot glue gun with glue oozing out the sides. None of this was visible from the angles that the half dozen images were taken from. I almost rejected them, but for the price I'll just keep them for around the house. They fit well, and from my perspective while wearing them, it's not visible. Lesson learned... I hope.

Yes they are extremely good value - especially for a full custom boot maker! Plus their styles are really classy and the leathers and workmanship are first rate.

I agree! I have 3 pairs of boots made by Jean Gaborit. None of those have high heels, but the quality is very good. I bought a pair of JG thighboots 21 years ago and they are still in great condition. Also, they appeared to be only company willing to make me a pair of kneehigh boots suitable for wearing in public and for a price that didn't require a second mortgage on our house...

I’ve done lots of running, cycling and fencing in my time - so my calves are strong and flexible. I think the difference is that wearing heels is an isometric exercise instead of an isotonic one like, say, doing toe raises at the gym. My calves were not used to being flexed and then held in this one tippy-toe position for extended periods of time. And when they were asked to do so they cramped up after a few minutes until I gradually got used to it. i know what you mean though about how wearing heels can help with strength and flexibility for hiking, and vice versa. I sometimes think that if more guys knew how good a workout you can get from an hour in stilettos, there would be a rack of them at the gym!

Interesting, maybe your calves were almost too strong, but not flexible enough. I'm hiking a lot and feel like the required strength and flexibility from wearing heels also helps there and vice versa.

Nope! It startled me how intensely my calf muscles cramped up in 12cm stilettos! It seemed almost unfair! I'm a cyclist. I ride hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometres every year. If anyone had fit calves surely it was me! But wearing stilettos, as I quickly discovered, is a lot different than cycling! Because you can do one doesn't mean you can do the other ...