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That’s an excellent point! A lot of sports are - or can be - bad for you. And yes, heels have risks like any sport or form of exercise, but they have benefits too: filter calves, better balance, and easing of back spasms (I’ve found) if you suffer from them. One can’t look just on the debit side for heels, and just on the credit side for sports and exercise

Hasn't had any problems with the ankles, but the blisters sure do suck. Yup, been there, done that. I carry bandaids with me at nearly all times, and sometimes even then, it doesn't work. 2024 was the Year of the Band-Aid, but this year, not so much, despite the fact that my walking mileage is nearly 50% more than last year. I have some theories about why, but no concrete evidence to back it up. The article did not really go into specifics about the negative feedback she got from "mostly male" commenters, but I can imagine. Some guys just love to tell a woman what to do. It's part of some people's culture. "Oh, that's really stupid, hon, you're going to get hurt." You know what else will get you hurt? Playing American football. This is the same conversation I had with my "sports medicine" chiropractor when he told me that wearing heels was super bad for my body in general. Not as bad as playing football. I would advise your patients to quit that immediately. End of conversation. It's never come up again.

For sure! Don

I've heard stories of climbing Helvellyn (just over 3000 feet) in stilettos for a dare. Coming down again in heels sounds truly daft. At least this woman in Colorado changed into trail shoes for the descent.

I smell an advertising campaign. Glad to see p1ng74 posting again.

I remember seeing this story a while back. It’s certainly an impressive feat - as indeed climbing all the 14,000 foot peaks would be in any sort of footwear. But I don’t see what is being accomplished here in any broader sense. I don’t see how it’s altering or challenging stereotypes or doing much of anything besides getting her some odd-spot publicity. I like wearing heels, but I just don’t see the desirability of climbing mountains in them. it would be like me deciding to perform the Swan Lake Ballet in my Scarpa Mountaineering boots. It might be possible, but what would be the point?

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/erin-ton-colorado-fourteeners-high-heels I’m particularly impressed she is in sandals. Mink has created custom heels for her and I guess they hold up to the job!

Very well. I did not get a photo taken of my church Outfit Of The Week, but I did manage to fall asleep in the afternoon, so that I was forced to go out to dinner, being as I woke up too late to begin cooking supper. It was nice enough weather to eat outside, and I was forced to look at our reflection in the storefront windows the whole time. It's all I got. Oh, by the way, somebody I know walked past and said, "Beautiful shoes, as always!" I didn't get turned around in time to see who it was. That sort of comment drives my wife crazy, though she keeps it well hid these days.

If he did, he evidently did not write about them. Pity. Have a good week, y'all!

Please do keep this thread going, melrose. It is appreciated, enjoyed and does indeed prompt considered response - on tangential issues as well as to the specific subject matter.

Congratulations on the milestone! That’s a lot of walking in high heels. I’ve never kept track of any of my mileage. You would have some interesting insights on heels and durability and the training necessary to be adept at walking in them. i like this thread by the way. Although I might not respond I always read and enjoy your posts.

Yes it’s encouraging. I think too that my recent efforts to try to learn to walk in 12cm heels has paid dividends in my being suddenly much more at home in 10cm heels

Leave for my next tour on Wednesday. I am doing three - this is not my main line of work but rather a useful side hustle. The first one was in Scotland and that was where Charles II was relevant, him being a Stuart king and his coronation portrait (in heels) hanging in Hollywood House. My other two are in the Lake District and along Hadrians Wall - not much relevance for bringing up Charles II. And I don’t think Wordsworth wore heels.

I have reached the "mile"stone last week of having walked 2,500 documented miles (around 4,000 km) in heels. To be clear, it's taken me over 12 years to do it, but needless to say, I've worn out and broken a lot of shoes in that time. Sometime within this month I will break some records concerning shoe durability. I may make it a special new topic to announce such, as no one seems to respond to this thread anymore. It may be getting a little bit long in the tooth.

I did much the same thing after several days of being sick. I broke out the mid heels to sort of ease back into it. Yes, one feels like one can zoom around in mid heels.

When did you say your next tour group gig is coming up? Does it cover more or less the same territory? If so, will you make the same comments to the next lot about Charles II?

Back home again after three days of scrambling around in work boots with a very heavy camera bag. Rather than plunging back into practicing in my 12cm stilettos I'm taking a day or two at leisure, in 8cm block heeled ankle boots. Gosh they are easy to walk in! And yet still satisfying in terms of being in heels.

Not really. They were all pretty relaxed within their own spheres. Nobody ruled the roost. It was just the ingrained Pavlovian response to the notion of a guy in heels - in this case King Charles II, long dead. They were all quite decent sorts and if they'd seen a chap in heels they might have smirked to themselves, and each other , but nobody would have done anything mean or said anything out of place. Whatever inner thoughts, leanings or curiosities they might have felt about heels - if they had any at ll - would have remained within themselves.

Herd mentality. You were leading a tour of lemmings. There must have been a head lemming in this tour group and they all had to say the same thing.

Indeed. There was an element of “thou dost protest too much” about this. I’m sure there is an element of fascination here, and a secret longing simply to step away from the rules of the herd.

I agree, neutrality is probably the best course for this job. Keep in mind, they were smirking/sniggering/mocking on the outside, but am guessing many of them were intrigued on the inside...

I'm not a fan of the white sock look. Maybe with a darker sock.

Love those boots, great outfit

Gige, I like the pic without the socks. It's more natural looking.However if you like the look with the socks go for it! Happy Heeling, bluejay

I think you're placing way too much importance on a pair of socks. Within this truncated view, I do not immediately think either foot is too young or too old. I totally get what you're saying about feet changing size. I've always been frustrated by the common narrative that one should buy his shoes in the afternoon, when feet are biggest. It just so happens that my feet are biggest in the morning, and that's a fact. Why this should be so, I have no idea, I only know that it is. Also, I have a list which tells me where I need to place bandaids to prevent certain shoes from eating holes in my feet. Even that sort of comes and goes to some extent. I hate to admit it, but usually my most reliable shoes are boots as far as blisters and other such injuries, and I know it's because I always wear socks with boots. If only I could love boots. . .