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Merry Christmas, everyone!

I realize that I do not need to share the excruciating details of my everyday life on this forum, but I had an encounter this evening that made me wonder if, while out in a pair of heels, we do not notice others who may notice us? A bit of a backfill is needed. My employer mandates that all employees have to exhausted certain types of Acquired Benefit Time (i.e. personal days and/or vacation days) by the end of the calendar year or lose it. As Christmas and New Year's Day fall on Wednesdays this year, about 99% of the staff take extra days off throughout December. I am, unfortunately, that one percent that still has to make my way into the office. As we approached the end of 2024, my bosses began sending emails to their staff indicating on what days they would/would not be in the office over the last two weeks of December. Given that I was the only poor soul who was not taking any time off over the holidays, I decided to make the most of all others being away by designating the last two weeks of the year as "High-high heel days." I decided that I was going to wear those 4+" heels into the office with some outfit that, until very recently, I would never have otherwise considered doing so. I very much wanted to make sure that I was comfortable doing so now so that I could do so again in the future. This past Tuesday, for example, I wore an exquisite knee-length leather skirt with my 4.5" Jessica Simpson - Tulip (model) boots. Today I wore a delicious animal print, just above the knee skirt with 4" wedge boots and a black turtleneck. As a whole, the ensemble was quite haute couture if I do say so myself. After the end of the workday, I headed over to the local wine bar in town as the place has a Friday after work special. After sharing a drink with a friend and colleague from another department that is the monstrosity of my employer, I decided to engage in my favorite, least desirable activity - weekly grocery shopping. FWIW, my colleague raved about my outfit and I told that if she continued, she was going to make me blush, which was not that hard as I was already wearing a nice rose colored blush! As I made my way into the hair care products aisle, I encountered two younger aged women, who I would place in their early 20s. I took notice of one of them because she was wearing very casual, just over-the-knee, 2.5" block, black microfiber heel boots, with distressed jeans. I grabbed some hair conditioner and made my way to the end of the aisle where I encountered the two women. The woman wearing the boots then says to me words along the line of "I love your outfit - you look fabulous!!" "Oh, thank you ever so kindly!!" was my response, which is my standard response and I truly do mean it. The same woman told me that she loved the skirt and I find that making small talk when given a compliment has been received is a means by which to show sincere appreciation of such. I told the women that, in fact, I found it at the local second-hand store, and was amazed to find an item so cute and in my size. Seeing that it fit me so well, I "had" to buy it for the few dollars marked on the price tag. The woman continued to compliment my outfit and then told me that as soon as she noticed me turning into the aisle, she was "checkin' me out." I told her that I honestly did not notice her doing so and again, thanked them both for their kind and encouraging words before heading to the next aisle. In all, I would estimate that I was in the presence of the woman for ~15-20 seconds before she made any compliment to me. Needless to say, it is encounters such as this that I truly enjoy and reinforce my confidence. The fact that I did not notice the woman looking at my outfit made me wonder if, after a certain point of routinely being out in heels, do we drop our guard and not even realize it? Do/can "we" become so confident that over time, we no longer notice who notices us? I suppose one could argue that it is a defence mechanism for any of us to focus on what we are doing when out and about in a pair of heels so that we do not notice others reaction to our presence, if they actually should have one. There have been may posts on this forum regarding whether or not others actually notice "US" when were are out and about while wearing heels. I would venture a guess that the consensus is that no, many others do not notice us when we are wearing our heels and if they do, they care little about such. So, I have to ask if we become like "them" and after a while, take no notice of those who notice us? I can certainly say that I have reached the point where when I am out in heels, I do not notice what anyone's reactions may be as doing what I need to get done is the focus. Thus, if someone should notice me, my reaction is..."And?" The wedges were supremely comfortable but as I had been in them for 12 hours when I finally got home, although my feet and calves were not screaming "uncle" they were tired. I think @Tech will be awarding me "Best Dressed of 2024" any day now!

When I repainted my first place I wore my tallest heels trim the edge where the wall and ceiling meet. A step stool might have been more comfortable, but this was more fun.

Well, I guess I feel that not as many folks notice our heels and boots are we once might have feared did notice! Again, I always notice footwear, so mistakenly made the assumption that most others do too. But, on the other hand, I feel that more folks notice than we are aware of. Most folks might notice but don't want to be rude or stare, and they are way too busy to deviate from their immediate missions while out and about. I might not notice folks checking out my boots intentionally, mainly because I want to give them the opportunity to look (hopefully admire) without "being caught looking/staring" by me. Generally, I can usually sense when someone is taking a second look though. For me, I know I am relaxed when out and about, when I almost forget I'm wearing boots.

Back on the subject of feminising the male wardrobe, I have been giving thought to my taste in boots. While I like the racy elegance of stilettos, my personal style preference is for block or chunky heel knee or ankle boots. But at the same time, I dislike cowboy boots or Chelsea boots - which also have chunky, albeit not quite as high as I like. it’s not purely a matter of height but of design and lines. It’s the fitted feminine styling and elegance - as a matter of aesthetics not because I feel feminine myself.

I do have base layer thermal tights from cycling which are proving quite handy living on the canal in winter

He was like a lawyer still arguing his case after it’s already been settled in his favour and everyone in the courtroom has gone home.

The guy looks pretty good. Edgy, but not outlandish. However. . . (long pause) . . . I do admit I had to fast forward through most of the video. That's too many pictures in a single album by about a factor of 10.

Thanks! Can't wait to go! Super excited! Thanks! Can't wait to go! It's a place that my wife and I have wanted to visit for quite some time - super excited to finally being able to do so!

I too have been thinking how nice it is to see a topic near the bottom of the board take off - and such a good topic too, so germane to the overall tenor of the site! As to feminizing the male wardrobe, I have taken a step I’d never thought I would take and have bought myself a skirt - a midi pencil skirt. Here I need to give credit to @CAT for being a positive influence with his outfits, although our tastes are very different. I’ve always liked the look of long skirts paired with tall boots and have increasingly wanted to have something other than skinny jeans with which to pair mine. And so I decided to give it a try - and also to experience the novelty of wearing a skirt, something I’d never tried. in short, I love it. In fact I’m surprised by how much I like it and even more how natural it feels wearing it. Again, it’s a longer skirt, down to my calves which is something that suits me. I’ve never been a fan of mini skirts and have no desire to wear or try one - it’s just not me, and not because I’m being self conscious. The midi pencil skirt though very much is me - surprisingly so. I feel very comfortable wearing it, physically and emotionally. And it works really well with my boots. I can definitely see myself acquiring more of these skirts. I really like them.

These days, we can easily get by with wearing colors that would have been mocked 20 years ago. I see pink shirts and even pink hard hats all over constructions sites on the regular. What has not changed, and probably will not change, is the general coverage of clothing. I'm not saying it's good or it's bad, I'm just saying that even in a modestly dressy situation, a man must be pretty much covered up except for his hands, neck, and head. The most he can get by with is a short sleeve shirt, and even that's out once you get to anything more dressy than business casual. Until and unless it becomes common and acceptable for men to wear skirts, I must keep what may be my best physical assets covered up. Even in casual situations, I still push it pretty hard with my shorts. Those are still the subject of derision every once in a while.

I wouldn't worry too much about wandering conversation. We are too few to be concerned about staying exactly on point. I can think of many examples of threads where we have sometimes strayed for several pages into such topics as electrical wiring methods or vintage outboard boat motors. And while I would not like to completely abandon the subject of walking, I find that if one creates a special thread to accommodate the conversation which has wandered away from the original subject, 99 times out of 100, the conversation dies very quickly, and usually in both threads. Therefore, I do not wish to stop the ball rolling, so to speak. Being a church musician is kind of a strange job in that you never have the time to get really good. Unlike preparing for a regular concert or recital, you've got to keep cranking out new material, week after week after week. Because of this, I sometimes have a difficult relationship with sacred music. I am familiar with about 90% of the hymns in the traditional hymnal, so if I don't have time to practice on any given week, those come last on the priority list. I know I can wing those for sure. What this means is that sometimes I find myself simply reading the words and not really thinking of it too much. It is not my preference, but it sometimes happens. I don't think it's part of the human condition to be "on" 100% of the time. There are times that we need to coast. The same goes for looking graceful and elegant. I think it's impossible to do it 100% of the time. I am made painfully aware of that on a weekly basis thanks to the church livestream. Not only do I have to play/sing five new songs every week, I have to be careful what I say in the background during the service (microphones are everywhere), and I have to be careful how I look and how I carry myself. That stuff is recorded and kept forever and ever, amen. If I have dropped my pencil and have to bend over to pick it up, a camera will see it. Potentially, the whole world will see it. This makes me think about things I never thought about before, such as how exactly am I going to bend over and pick up that pencil? How exactly am I going to walk in front of the altar to confer with my bandmates or to greet the organist? And why did I wear these stupidly high heels today? This is one of the several reasons that I have become much more interested in the mechanics of walking than I used to be.

My latest purchase is these pumps by Shoe Republic LA. Some off-brand made-up name, I suppose. I bought them because they were advertised as having a 5 inch heel, they were 20 bucks, and I thought, "Well, let me see if I can learn to walk in them." As is so often the case, most people are not hung up on extreme accuracy with such things, and it turns out that the heels are a mere 4 3/4", making them only nominally higher than all of the Steve Madden pumps I already have of that ilk. The width of the heel is definitely on the narrow side, being slightly less than 5/16" or 8 mm. Despite my initial disappointment with the absolute height of the heel, I tried them on and walked around in them for a little while, and I think they're going to be all right. They are about the smallest, tightest shoes I'd ever want to consider actually wearing outside, but I think they will probably straighten up and fly right eventually. Once my toes uncurled inside the shoes they didn't feel too bad. The question is, where am I ever going to wear them? They are outlandish enough that I'm not really sure.

My latest purchase, yesterday from DSW I got them at a great price. $18.65. There was a 50% off on all the clearance prices and I had a $10.00 reward. Happy Heeling, bluejay I've added better pic of my new booties: bluejay

Yeah...I know I'm breaking the rules here, but this outfit was just "too cute" not to share....My leather skirt and 4.5" Jessica Simpson "Tulip" boots. Although I adore these boots and I bought them unworn, the interior lining is quickly deteriorating due to their age (maybe 10+ years?). I have already started planning out their replacement. Regardless, what a thrill it was to wear such high heels to work. Received several compliments in the ensemble as a whole!

Mirose, that guy your referring to is Steve from Ohio. He sold his hosiery business several years, ago to someone from Canada. I have several pairs of his hosiery and I like them a lot. They are definitely for a guy as they have a fly in them. They are 80d. They are not very heavy. If you guys are looking for a heavier pair of tights get fleece lined women's tights or leggings. Happy Heeling, bluejay

You don't have to wear skirts to wear leggings. All you need is cold legs.

I suppose it is wise to consider that silence doesn't necessarily equal tacit approval. The main point I was trying to make is that the internet allows people to be their worst selves, evidently without guilt. This refresher course in human fecal matter has definitely swayed my personal needle toward not making a "How to Walk in High Heels" video. Who needs that kind of abuse?

I take a similar view. If I can’t say something positive I say nothing at all. Everyone’s tastes are different and the fact that we all wear heels, of whatever style, a.ready puts all of us well out of the bell curve. Obviously if a member announces in a post that they’re planning to wear their pink patent thigh high stilettos on their golfing holiday in Dubai one would be doing them no favours by staying silent

I've had the same comments made to me many times over, that I have legs that most women would love to have. That's why I like to show them off! Happy Heeling, bluejay

Same here. I've been told many times, especially in shorts, that I have legs most women would be jealous of.

That’s exactly my style as well - stylish boots and jeans. It’s a great classic looks and he does it well. Precisely the sort of image that will help society at large accept men in boots and heels.

LOL...I have several of those boots and wear them the same way with just different tops. Just don't wear my suede or leather in the snow.

Heading to France - Loire Valley via Paris, for a week in late April/early May. I anticipate a lot of walking so I'll be in my trainers but expect to be arriving and departing in heels of some sort.

Nice!! I’m quite a fan of purple - pretty much my favourite colour. Lots of purple tops but no purple trousers yet

I suggest that this is simply an example of supination, where when walking the foot tends to lean outwards, thus giving the 'bow-legged' effect. A high thin heel will amplify if not cause this, as it introduces an element of instability that is scarcely present when walking nearly flat-footed. I experience this myself, especially if walking in a heel that is thin and/or higher than about 4". But even in 'normal' footwear, my shoe heels wear more on the outsides. My understanding is that a degree of supination is very common; its opposite (pronation) much less so. Our legs part much more readily than they move together (as any woman is aware!).

I’ve got legs that look good in stilettos - if one was to see a photo of just my legs, in skinny jeans and boots, one would assume, from the presence of heels, that the photo was of a woman’s lower half and think nothing of it. its one of those things that make me realise that men do not look intrinsically bad in stilettos. It’s the unexpectedness of it that is unsettling, not the look itself

Mirose, I bought that pink suit on Amazon a few years ago. You're not the first one to ask where I got that pink suit from. As far as the other colors I got them over the years from various stores and possibly on line too. When you're looking for a particular color just google it in. When you're looking for something in particular you can usually find it on line. Happy Heeling, bluejay t Shyheels, I don't like wearing midi or maxi skirts. When I wear skirts or dresses (sweat shirt dresses in the winter, which I have in a rainbow of colors too) I like my hemline to be just above my knee. When it's cold out, I wear them with tights (sometimes fleece lined) or with leggings. In the summer bare legged or with pantyhose. I also like to wear skorts in the summer. With the shorts on the inside of the skort, I like to wear them with a mini hemline. I also love to wear fishnet hose too. I'm not afraid to show off my legs and I'm very comfortable with that look! Happy Heeling, bluejay

I'm sure they would be shocked if you showed up in a three piece suit...

Even small shoe and boot making companies struggle. I know the people at Jean Gaborit, a French custom boot maker, and while they make absolutely beautiful boots at quite decent prices given they are entirely custom made in their workshop in France, they struggle mightily in a world dominated by huge corporations churning out cheaply made stuff in China and the Far East. It’s not right.

I last wore a tie three or four years ago when I had lunch at The Ritz. It was obligatory. Men must wear coat and ties. No exceptions. I bought a tie for the occasion. The lunch was worth it. Before that it would have been decades since I wore a tie. I don’t remember any specific occasion. I still own my Ritz tie - it’s at the bottom of my sock drawer, still knotted. I wear shorts only when I’m cycling or to the gym and even then I prefer standard or ¾ length shorts, never short shorts. If I was ever to try a skirt, it would have to be along those same lines - a knee length pencil skirt or midi. I admit it’s tempting for the experience sake. As to feminisation, the femininity of my boots is certainly part of the appeal. Cowboy boots with heels (or without for that matter) do not appeal to me. I very much like the feminine styling of my boots. Whether it’s because it adds a touch of the forbidden, or is provocative, or I like the idea of stepping out of myself - I’m not really sure. Probably a mix of all these things and more. But it’s there. I like their femininity.

I just noticed this post. Totally agree. Women’s fashion has far more choices, colours and capacity for self expression than men’s. Male fashion is all about conformity and is quite puritanical. I’d much rather be one of the Cavaliers

I think you’re right. People do notice but in these days of ridiculously heightened sensibilities nobody is going to want to risk putting a foot (or eye) out of line., let alone express a compliment to a woman, no matter how tame the wording might be. One just does not know how it will be taken, and when even the use of the wrong pronoun can ruin someone’s entire life why risk your career, live savings and possibly your liberty by telling a woman you don’t know that she looks nice?

I think this exact situation is where my boots are most noticed, crossing in front of stopped cars. I often want to look at the occupants and judge their reaction, but don't...

I've had it happen many times where a driver wants to stop way sooner than necessary to let me walk in front. Happens in the grocery store parking lot all the time. The good thing is, I most probably won't get run over by accident. Someone might try to run me over on purpose, however. You just never know. Some people are naturally angry.

Sometimes you can't help but notice them noticing you. Example: this afternnon, the guy in a car that slowed down and stared at my feet as he passed. You can't not notice that.

Here we are at the end of another year. I wonder what 2025 will bring? I am not one to make New Year resolutions, but I have been thinking loosely about things I would like to accomplish in the coming year. For one thing, once the weather improves, there are some repairs/improvements I need to make to my house that I've already put off at least a year longer than I should have. Another goal that I've had in the back of my mind for a while is to make a "how to walk in high heels" video. There are two main reasons why I haven't made one yet: First, it's very unclear that I currently have the production resources to make the sort of video I would like. Second, I don't think I've mastered the art to the level where I feel I could instruct others competently. Part of the problem is that, even if I am doing everything what I would call "right," I still don't like the way I look, and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it, because I am physically bowlegged. I can try to compensate for it, but the fact is, my legs will never be long and straight. My knees can be physically touching, but my calves will always have a gap between them that is disproportionate to the rest of my legs. So, the video will probably never happen. The other high heeled goal, mentioned elsewhere, is what do I make my walking goal for next year? I did 350 miles this year, and I feel pretty good about that. It may seem silly to some to make an artificial athletic goal for something that is essentially an aesthetic fashion accessory, but I can tell you that if I simply walked in athletic shoes, I wouldn't walk nearly as much. I just like walking in heels. I am hesitant to up the ante and say that I'm going to do 400 miles next year, because so much of it is dependent upon my work situation, which is far from stable at the moment. I had planned 300 miles for this year, and the only reason I was able to make it to 350 is because for a good while my work schedule allowed me to go 1 - 1.5 miles every day before work. After a while, that adds up. To finish this post, here is last Sunday's church OOTW. I decided to go with a sort of monochromatic look, as I often do. I did not wear matching shoes because I just didn't feel like it. And besides, I hadn't worn these Coach Cammy pumps in a little while, and I was not feeling energetic. The Cammys are a mere 4 inches, and they are super light. As long as I remember to put a Bandaid or some tape on my right third toe (the right shoe rubs me there for some reason), they are all day shoes without thinking about it. I got a couple of compliments about my outfit, but nobody specifically mentioned the shoes. I guess there is no real reason to, as they are styled very conservatively. Happy New Year!

I had a similar experience to Giege yesterday, while shopping at DSW shoe store. I was wearing a sweat shirt dress with a hemline above my knee, with winter white knee boots, when I encountered a woman maybe in her 40's who said that I looked great. I was also wearing leggings too. As always, I thanked her for the compliment. Upon check out, with two finds from the clearance rack, I told the cashier that I loved her mani, which was very appropriate for the Christmas season. Each one of her nails was done with a different Christmas decoration. I had to show her mine with the Christmas Tree on one pinkie and the candy cane on my other pinkie. She replied " I love them". Makes you feel great when you get those kind of compliments! Happy Heeling, bluejay

I had my monthly manicure today, I had 3 compliments in the first 2 hours afterwards. Now do I notice others noticing me? Yes; for example from this afternoon: I notice the woman at Costco whose eyes dove straight to my feet as we past each other (I have great peripheral vision). I may not notice every one, but I do see many double takes or stares when they occur in front of me. And for those that know me, I know many will look just to see what I am wearing that day.

I’d like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas. And a happy and prosperous new year!

Resurrecting another old topic here. Since it has often been very cold here, sometimes I give up on actually walking outside and practice walking in heels inside. You would think that after all these years, I would have a great sense of balance. It turns out that when put to the test, I do not. I struggle to walk slowly, and have trouble balancing on one foot casually. If I think about it in advance and am prepared for it, of course I can do it, but if I walk super slowly and suddenly decide to pause mid-stride, I'm absolutely terrible! Even the pose shown here is not accomplished without thought. Some days are better than others.

I remember reading a quote from some famous classical musician - I forget the name or the instrument he played. He said, if I don’t practice for a day, I notice. If I don’t practice for two days, the critics notice. If I don’t practice for three days, the world notices

This post was truly inspired by @Mr. X's recent post regarding the wearing of heels while playing a drum set. As I have also done such in the past and did not want to get weighted down in the minute and boredom of the technique in doing so, I decided to spin off a new thread as his post revived a 1/2 unpleasant memory of attending an event which involved heels many, many years ago. July 15, 1989, was somewhat of an unusual Saturday night as I and my then next-door neighbor travelled across the Chicago metro area to attend a concert by the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. He was touring in support of No Rest for the Wicked, his first album with his newest axe grinder, Zakk Wydle, and we had fourth row seats. Most unfortunately, there were two opening acts through which we had to suffer before Ozzy et.al. hit the stage. One of those acts was White Lion, a band who then, as they and the whole ‘hair-metal’ genre of the 80’s continue to do, fill an area of a needed void. The first act to take the stage was a four-piece, female, glam outfit who called themselves Vixen. Although their music should be forgotten and they reflected just about all that was “wrong” with the ‘hair metal’ scene of the time, which is everything, to two late teenaged guys, they were gorgeous and we did not want to miss their set only for this reason! That night, all of them wore skin-tight clothing and heels, and had hair that extended several feet in the air, held in place by several gallons of hair spray. Being that close to their heels was the only aspect of their show that was tolerable in any capacity. Vixen had a video that received somewhat regular airtime on the difficult and frustrating to watch MTV’s mistitled Headbanger’s Ball (To the European members, think Eurovision but somehow, far worse) on Saturday Nights. The song was entitled Edge of a Broken Heart and although completely laughable by today’s standards, I went back and watched it on Youtube the other day. Although all of the members of the group are wearing tall heels in the video, it was interesting to see how the style of such has changed from the late 80s to today. This compelled me to think about how heel styles have changed over the years and who was at the forefront of such. Clearly, one can identify those individuals or television shows where the fashion du jour was on full display. That which I find to be amazing is the fact that although the idea of high heels essentially remains unchanged over the past few decades, designers can continually find new ways to change the physical design from year-to-year. Thus, it may be easy to place any pair of heels in the decade in which they may have been worn without any clues beyond the heels themselves. It truly stinks, to put it mildly, to know that some styles of heels have a life-style span of a season or two before they are considered to be “dated.” This, I think, is why I learn towards classical styles as what is trendy now will not be so next year and timeless styles are just that – timeless. I would rather have and wear a pair of heels that hail from Jackie Kennedy’s time than from last year as classic styling never goes out of style. The idea of short-lived footwear trends can be represented in a pair of boots I have – ‘Tulip’ (model) from Jessica Simpson. They feature a 5” heel with a ½” platform but the top has a fold-over flap which was the style about 10 years ago. When I wear these boots, I take that flap and fold it into the actual shaft for a more contemporary look or unfold it to give them an over-the-knee look. As for the show itself – Ozzy, as expected, ROCKED! Zakk covered all of the Sabbath songs very well and played those incredible solos performed by the late and great Randy Rhodes note for note. Sadly, however, it was the second time I had to endure the craptacular show of White Lion, who I witnessed open for AC/DC the previous September. The best part of their set was when it ended and the road crew moved their gear out of the way for the main act. Here is a picture of Vixen. If you should watch the video on Youtube, I highly recommend you do so with the mute on so as not to damage your hearing by simply listening to the song (if you could make it all the way to the end).

Here are my latest purchase. I got these in a thrift shop for under $20. If Dorothy's ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz were turned into a pair of high heels, it would be these. They are Aldo brand. The heel measures 5 1/2" with a hidden platform.

LOVE those boots

I also do this, on about the same timeline. If it's really, really cold, I'll break out the wool long johns, but most of the winter I wear cotton leggings that come down to about mid-calf. For whatever reason, my legs get cold before my upper body.

I don't believe I have ever laughed at anybody struggling in heels, but I knew from a young age that some girls were better at it than others. Today, my internal voice is much more likely to say, "Oh, honey. . . let's fix this just as soon as we can." I have never offered my services as high heel tutor, but I have had several students over the years. My success rate is exactly 0%. I must be a very bad teacher.

I spent a day travelling on the trains from Leeds to London. Quite a few knee boots but mainly low heels, although there were a couple that were both high heels and very posh. It really seems to vary on the day, I went to York a few weeks ago and was startled by how many high heeled boots I was seeing.

Last entry of the year! Wore this outfit to a glassblower/artist's open house. Note: Jumpsuit can be very cute, except when one needs to use the washroom. And just in case I "forgot" any month.... an at the office outfit.

Thank's for the shout out @Gige Somehow, you know me too well! I like all kinds of music. But anything 80's, especially hair metal, thats my jam. So while I appreciate the shout out, I have to condem you for crapping on White Lion and Vixen lol. But in all seriousness, I never to got to see the Ozzman. I have seen Zakk twice, though. Killer guitar player! I saw him some years back with his band Black Label Society. And I just saw him this past summer playing in the new Pantera lineup. Would have loved to have seen Vixen in their prime. As you said, all the members were hot as hell. And I can tolerate their music. And White Lion had some decent stuff. Vito was a decent guitar player.