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I've given some further thought to the question of the 'standard' for heel measurement. The consensus seems to be that Eu38 is an appropriate standard, given that manufacturers often (usually?) quote heel heights for that size. From internet information about foot measurement in relation to nominal footwear sizes, I have compiled a table (as below) which shows the heel-height factors to be applied when converting from one size to another, based on the standard Eu38. (I freely accept that my source information is not necessarily definitive, as footwear sizes do vary between manufactures and styles, that Eu/UK/US size equivalents may be disputed and that, as the table shows, some foot length variation is also accepted. But let us take it as a working hypothesis.) As you can see from the table, the index for Eu38 is set as 100. So, to get the corresponding 'effective heel height' (steepness) for another size, we multiply the height of the known heel by the index number for that other size and then divide by the index for the subject's actual size. Taking Shyheels's boots as an example (which I assume to be size Eu 45-46 = index 119), he quotes the actual height as an impressive 147mm. The equivalent in Eu38 would be 147 x 100/119 = 123.5mm. Not quite in agreement with the '120mm' claimed by Italian heels, but not that far off. Likewise, my friend's Office courts that I pictured are Eu42 and have a heel height of 131mm. He tells me that the identical model in Eu38 actually measures 125mm - but my table would suggest 120mm (131 x 100/109), so another discrepancy. We are, I think, on firmer ground with mlroseplant's 'training shoes' in Eu40 with an actual height of 133mm, which would indeed equate to the 125mm he claims for Eu 38; (133 x 100/106). Anyway, I leave the table for your adoption or dispute, as the case may be: Shoe size Nominal length Mean length Index Size UK3/USW5 (EU 35-36) ~22.8 cm 22.8 cm 94 Size UK4/USW6 (EU 37) ~23.3 - 23.7 cm 23.5 cm 97 Size UK5/USW7 (EU 38) ~24.1 - 24.6 cm 24.35 cm 100 Size UK6/USW8 (EU 39-40) ~24.9 - 25.6 cm 25.25 cm 104 Size UK7/USW9 (EU 40-41) ~25.4 - 26.2 cm 25.8 cm 106 Size UK8/USW10 (EU 42) ~26.2 - 26.9 cm 26.55 cm 109 Size UK9/USW11 (EU 43) ~27.0 - 27.5 cm 27.25 cm 112 Size UK10/USW12 (EU 44-45) ~27.9 - 28.3 cm 28.1 cm 115 Size UK11/USW13 (EU 45-46) ~28.8 - 29.3 cm 29.05 cm 119 Size UK12/USW14 (EU 47) ~29.4 - 30.2 cm 29.8 cm 122

Indeed, nobody needs to be around people with a mediaeval mindset. in point of fact all the women I know who love heels are really interesting intelligent people. I don’t know any (other!) men who wear heels, other than on this forum, but again they all seem to be people worth knowing. From what I can see a love of heels seems to indicate an appreciation of style, elegance and a sense of fun.

I'd sooner drive a 1977 AMC pacer than one of those tesla "pickups", what a joke they are

I had one car that was at 250,000+ when I totaled the front end in a accident caused by a mountain lion crossing a freeway. My next one blow a rod when the oil pump failed at about 160K. I now drive a 4-wd RAV4 which has 120K+ on it currently. The new ugly, dumbness 'truck' of the day is the Tesla 'pickup'. It seems the same people who bought the hummer also bought on of these.

Totally true for me. High heels seem to come with a lot of prejudice in people's minds. Many people have told me that they were surprised about how I actually am when they got to know me better. So I would say that wearing heels gives you a bad first impression amongst many people. But that also has it's upside, as it automatically gets you away from the people who aren't worth it 😉

A great pair of boots! And the red for sure screams "unhiding", so you did well 😉

I live more on the country side, but still have most of the daily needs in reach by foot or bike. Living without a car would be possible, but sometimes very inconvenient. I like that mindset! My car is 19 years old and I'm not planning on replacing it. If I look at new cars I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything, more the opposite. So I'm trying to keep it well maintained and maybe also drive it to the last mile 🙂

Those "hummers" were a bummer for sure. I suppose some folks have enough money to afford tossing money away on stupid vehicles like Hummers, not to mention their never ending thirst for gasoline. I tend to keep vehicles forever as well, but that is only possible if you are somewhat handy and can tend to basics yourself such as oil changes and basic maintenance/repairs. I can understand how many would prefer to buy a new car every so often, trading in a low mileage well maintained vehicle that might even have a bit of original warranty left on it. Today's vehicles are super complex, and very expensive to repair.

I also have three types of leggings, but they are all the same cotton legging, except for the length. I have worn leggings outside my house as pants, but very few times in my life. I use leggings as underwear 99.9% of the time. I've got ankle length, for when it's really cold, I've got capri length for use as everyday long underwear, which works very well with my work socks and boots, and then I've got shorties, which are several inches above my knee. Their sole purpose is to wear instead of regular briefs when I wear bib overalls to work. They prevent chafing on my inner thighs, which is a real problem for me in the summer months. Back to the original topic, I just received a product called "Hard as Hooves," which is a cuticle/nail moisturizer. It's not quite an oil, but it's very slippery cream. You are supposed to apply it three times a day to your nails and massage it in. We'll see if I can get my nails back--they're down to a scant 1 mm. At least they're not broken below the quick.

No American vehicle trend to me was more dumb than the Humvee craze of the early 2000's. Not only was it a gaz guzzler, it was not even a pickup and could carry anything other than people. And despite having a crazy ability to go off-road, those that bought them would never take them off-road anyway. It was all a status thing, which as all of you should know by now, I am polar opposite on. I could care less what other people think of my choices as long as I have thought things through and made a decision on what I feel is best for me. For now, I like my Honda CRV, but I also buy my used cars outright and try to stick with models that go for a long time. I literally drive my cars to the last mile. When I am done with one, they go to the crusher to be turned into scrap metal. Typically, I try to get 250,000 miles out of one before they ultimately die.

Two more views of outfits with wedge sandals. The top one is a Soda brand wedge sandal with a full 6”/15cm heel and the bottom is a Nine West Vintage America wedge sandal also with a full 6”/15cm heel. Let the look match your venue for that day. HinH

It’s not that they can’t be worn with jeans which tend to be used in more casual situations rather the actual height speaks more to clubs and parties than shopping or errands. As to advertised heel heights measurements are usually taken of a size 8 or 9 shoe. If you order a size 12 as I did then you could normally expect the actual heel to measure about 3/4”/2cm higher than that size 8 or 9 shoe. I learned this from an independent shoe retailer and reading various industry publications. So, yes, a full 2.1” higher was surprising. I’ve worn up to 6” heels with jeans for day trips, errands, and while traveling but an 8” heel is something different. Yet the photos just don’t make that heel look that high but believe me it is. If you search YDN shoes on Walmart’s site and choose the highest heel category then you’ll readily find them. Their sizing helper is good too. When asked for a comparative brand and size I chose Jessica Simpson wedges in size 11 and it recommended a size 12 in YDN heels. The size 12 I got is a perfect fit. They do not bind anywhere and are stable to walk in. Ordered them on 15 Jan and they arrived 4 February. I noticed many Walmart offerings in sizes above 12 so some here may find their useful. HinH

For sure, my favorite "classic styling", they fit his legs so well, love the color, they look great over the jeans. So envious!

Your photos are great, but I surely understand how you feel. On many sites, guys will add ten/twenty pictures of them in the exact same outfit, almost like a little movie except "frame by frame" photos. In most cases, that is way too much. I feel bad because I usually only look at the first photo "assssuming" the rest are more or less that same. Hmnm, hard to comment about this. While I can understand why others would question the heels being included in the photo, I also understand why you did include them.

Some of those trucks are literally as wide as my narrowboat!

I have never really felt the desire to drive a pickup as my main vehicle, but many around here do. That and these giant SUVs. @CrushedVamp, I have done the car-and-small trailer thing in the past. It works ok, especially if you only need a truck occasionally. I got rid of the trailer when we bought the cargo van for my wife's business. @Puffer It is never fun to load sheets of anything in the wind, particularly if you're barely over 9 stone.

I figure it is a question that cannot be answered. I get different reactions with different shoes. For example, with my burgundy Mary Janes, it's always, "Oh, those are so cute. Those are adorable!" With some of my open toed stiletto mules, maybe I get a completely different reaction. I think a lot of it really depends upon more than just the shoes in question, but on the total package. I have no idea what people would think of my challenge shoes, should I ever get the hang of walking in them.

Those are certainly loud and proud. I approve!

It makes sense to have different pairs of leggings, but who ever said I was intelligent? :-) All joking aside, I only have one type primarily, tight-fitting soft leggings, but I am not against getting different kinds. But of course what people call leggings is open to debate. I saw one woman in Walmart who kept mentioning her “leggings” to her girlfriend, but it was clear to me they were clearly black pantyhose and not all that high in denier number either. I would say perhaps 40-50 so not sheer, but not tights either! But I think she was mentioning it publicly just as a rouse to get an arise out of people as I swear, I have seen less camel in the Saraha. As for the lobster leggings, you may have a shot with your entrepreneurial endeavor as the people here are amazing accepting. There is a disproportionately high amount of gay people here as seen from businesses and pride flags flying from people’s houses. But the great thing about people here is… no one cares. The worst part is… no one cares. Last week a box went flying out of the dumpster from the wind and the wife chased after it. The neighbor saw it and said, “you didn’t have to chase that, no one cares what goes in the ocean”. She was not wrong. You would flood a dump if everyone here picked up their yards, or a business would employee half as many people if people showed up to work every day. As is there are no building codes and a few years ago they disbanded the state police barracks in this area. It is not wild west days here, but very much a live and let live kind of mentality.

While I’m sure that association exists in the minds of many, I don’t think it exists that often in the minds of the people who actually wear high heels - and I mean wear them as a matter of course, as a part of their personal style. None of the women I know who wear high heels wear them because they want to appeal to men - they wear them for reasons of elegance, style, aesthetics and the sense of empowerment they project. And simply because they are fun. i wear them for the same reasons. I like them. I like the cavalier styling - what a lovely break from the Puritanism on the men’s aisle - and because they are fun and a challenge to wear, and to wear well. I too find them empowering although for different reasons than a woman might. For me they feel empowering because I’m refusing to be cowed by the herd, am making my own style choices regardless of the opinions of others, standing in my own two (heeled) feet. i think far too much is made of stereotype its the joy of wearing them I’d like to capture with my camera. Simple as that. It just requires a bit of imagination to find a way to capture it in the shorthand form of a single still image

Thanks for the compliment about the picture. Yet I can commiserate with you regarding high heel photography. I have tried doing some high heels still life’s and such, but as you mention, “what am I trying to convey” comes back to haunt me regarding them. It is a really hard subject matter because we have an interest in them and so for us that is enough, but for others it begs the question: why are high heels in the picture? I did this with my daughter when she was born. My wife loves her high heels, and I love her in them, and so it is natural for me to combine everything with a newborn that just bore out the proof of that love, but for anyone else looking at the photo it is like, “why are there high heels in a newborn picture of your daughter?” Even with other still life’s that did not employ a model of any sort, the question is there… “why are they there?” The answer for that I think is that for many people, high heels do NOT represent something functional or stylish to wear, or a lifestyle, or even a life-challenge of shoe-choice, but rather just being symbolism for s*x.

Those boots are amazing, my favorite classic style, love the color. Looks like good quality leather as well, you look great!

Those are very nice boots! And you wear them well. That’s a nice combination. I’m very much a boots-and-jeans guy. Forget AI. No one needs it. Trust your judgement. After all it was your inner voice that led you to heels in the first place, not the promptings of a computer, so you can’t be too far wrong can you?

Hi! I have no clue where the days/months/years are flying by. Have been heeling pretty regularly (usually weekly, sometimes twice), and have gotten comfortable, in both the emotional and physical sense. Emotionally I get much less worked up, or none at all, when wearing heels, no more anxiety and just get to enjoy it. Yes, it takes mental effort to plan out which cloths I will wear so things match, but otherwise I'm good. Physically am getting better at wearing 5" stiletto pumps for 2-3 hours walking around. 5" boots no problem. Recently saw this boot (in the picture below) and I reeeeally wanted it, they were gorgeous, and I loved the color. $180, and given the number of shoes I have, it's not something that made any sense, so I talked myself out of it. However, a week back, I noticed they were on sale for $70, and upon impulse, walked into the store and asked if they have it in my size. I was doubtful, but the lady brought it out. Took off my 5" boots, and tried these on. They fit perfectly, loved the whole thing, and couldn't resist. YOLO and all that. Few days ago, had a chance to go shopping, and wanted to show off the boots a bit. A bit of chat with AI helped me figure out some color combinations that would style the red well (AI hopefully gave good tips, my style sense sucks, so it can only get better). Ended up with what is in the photo, with a white TV shirt and grey hoodie on top. Obvious I'm a guy, have good facial hair. Felt comfortable. Went to a diner for food, then spent about 3h shopping, book stores and such. Two ladies complimented the boots. I'm sure others looked, but it was comfortable. Guess my unhiding is progressing. Wish family was supportive, but this still is a lone exercise.

@mlroseplant you think your pictures are all the same because you have a set-up that works so you use it over and over. I have a set-up that I use to show me in my heels because I am lazy and it works. The distance and lighting work well there, so why change it @CrushedVamp nice photo. Make postcards and sell it to the summer tourist. You get sunrises and I get sunsets. Each provide an array of vibrant colors.