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There were some responses to various threads on which I wanted to comment but, admittedly, I am too lazy to go back and try and find them. Thus, I going to throw out a melange of thoughts here - think of it as High Heel goulash. First, someone had mentioned the idea of more men wanting to wear heels in public but for reasons unknown, do not do so. For a time, I was an assistant administrator of a group promoting men wearing high heels in public on a different social media platform. I happened to notice a few trends worthy of discussion based solely on my observations, and not on research or scientific data. It appears that the number of men who actually wear heels in public is but a very small percent of those who want to do so. It seems that fear over some sort of negative reaction, consequence, or the expectation of "men being men" was the greatest hurdle to doing so. This is completely understandably as the idea of men wearing heels or dressing "en femme" is still taboo and may always be to some. Although I could not make any sort of reasonable estimation, I would believe it is fair to say there are a fair number of men out there who will forever hold a secret desire to wear heels out in public but the fear of reaction to such prevents them from doing so. One of the reasons I stepped away from this group was due to the fact that, although it was created with the purpose of getting society to accept men wearing high heels, very few of the contributions to it were of men wearing heels in public. I came to believe that many of the members held a deep fantasy of wanting to wear heels in public and this was as close as they could get to doing so. Next, I seem to recall a thread somewhere about whether the excitement of wearing heels in public fades after a while. I given this a lot of thought and my answer is "Yes" and "No." My wearing heels of any height in public is now my norm, so yes, the thrill of doing so has faded to some degree. There are still times when it is exciting such as when I am wearing a new style of heels or outfit. Recently, I started wearing open-toe heels (and Espadrilles) in both public and to work, and it was exciting the first few instances of such as I believed that I would never do so. Now that we are heading into the autumn and the cooler weather, boot weather will soon be here and I am excited to finally be able to wear a skirt to the office (As previously noted, my office is so over air conditioned, heavy clothes are required in the summer to remain warm and thus, my summer skirts are "too thin" to be worn there). So, I suppose it is fair to say that the thrill of wearing heels in public does diminish when it becomes the "norm" or is, in fact, expected. For me, however, the thrill of wearing heels in public is still exciting because before I head out to wherever, I take a look at myself in the mirror and love what I see. Likewise, I park my car at the farthest end of my building's parking lot and at the end of my work day as I head to my vehicle, I see my reflect in the other cars I pass along en route. Simply seeing my outfit or even knowing that it is "cute" still develops a tremendous emotional charge for me. I adore the look of wide leg pants pair with a pair of kitten heels and knowing that I am wearing such is an addictive rush. Also, when I receive a compliment on either my outfit as a whole or even part of it, it makes it all worthwhile. Finally, somewhere a member had posted a response about Hunter rain boots. Do not get me wrong, I have the greatest appreciation for knee high rain boots and appreciate their practicality. I, however, would only wear them as a means to keep my feet dry when it is wet outside and to prevent me from destroying a pair of heels by having to navigate around puddles of standing water. Well, sometime ago I saw these and when they went on sale, jumped on getting a pair - style and practicality all in one!

For me it started in the 90's. If only because my feet were just too big for what was available in retail in the 80's. And when I gained the ability to live and more importantly travel by myself as a student in the 90's (we got free public transport as students in the Netherlands back then) I was finally able to go to fetish shops in Amsterdam that had shoes in sizes bigger then EU41. They were also all 12 to 14cm high, but what did I know at the time, so that was what I got used too with practice.

Although I've had a fascination with heels since childhood, I did not actually start wearing heels for real until age 44, in 2012. I started with clogs before that, but the first time I wore shoes with an obviously elevated heel was in May of 2012. They were also clogs, but with about a three inch heel. I stuck with clogs for quite a long time before I tried some other styles, and today I will wear just about anything that I find attractive.

I acquisitioned my first wife’s shooties (shoe-bootie) one day in the late 70’s because my dress shoes didn’t look good with the suit I had on. I was in my early 20’s. They became my dress shoes until I wore them out in the late 90’s. Great leather shoes with a 2.5 inch heel. Then in about 2008 I needed water shoes for a trip to Hawaii. They ran out of men’s in my size. So, I tried the women’s size 10 and the men’s size 10. To my surprise the women’s size ten fit better than the men’s size 10. In 2011, I researched shoes that fit my feet and it turned out to be women’s. Haven't bought a pair of men's shoes since then. I started with 1.5 to 2.5 inch booties. Today I only wear women’s shoes. Mostly 4 inch heels everywhere including board meetings.

I would agree, many men have a secret fascination, desire to wear heels, but very few actually act on those desires for the reasons you mentioned. It will many take "style pioneers" like yourself to help normalize this traditionally feminine fashion for men. The crazy heels/outfits seen on fashion runways are not all that helpful, most of these styles are way "over the top", nothing most guys would want to wear anyway. I would also agree that the thrill of wearing heels has subsided a bit for me as well. But, that can be a good thing, only because I am not shy or uneasy about wearing most of my boots publicly. I do the same thing, park my car as far out in the lot as possible, so I can enjoy a longer walk in my boots. And yeah, I don't mention my tall Hunter rain boots here much, because they have no heels. Love wearing them nonetheless, the glossy black finish coupled with the tall shafts that fit my "chicken legs" nicely feels and look great. D

I think trying to define "seriously" is, for me, somewhat tricky. For most of my life, I wore heels "in secret" and thus, did so only when the opportunity presented itself. I would not do so if it was only for 30 minutes or an hour because it was not worth the effort. So, my wearing of heels was sporadic and the frequency of such varied. During this time period, I would only wear heels indoors and venturing out was under the cover darkness late in the evening. Fast forward to November 2023 when I started wearing heels in public. Now, the situation is reversed - I mostly wear heels out in public and will only do so at home during my work day. So, I guess it might be fair to say that for me, it has been since the aforementioned date that I have been "serious" about wearing heels although I have always done so. It is worth noting that my wearing heels "in secret" was not as developed as it is now for obvious reasons. By developed, I mean that in the sense of having a wide variety of choices and matching outfits. Do you shop at Shoebidoo in Utrecht? I have bought several pairs from them but delivery is expensive. I would love nothing more than to arrive at Schiphol, get out my OV-Chipkaart, and get on the NS out there. I have come to believe that when it comes to wearing heels in public, we are our worst enemies. It is so easy to think that when "we" step out in public in a pair of heels, the eyes of the world instantly focus on us and what we are wearing. I am sure that every one of us has felt this way - I know I have. In reality, I do not think a vast majority of people notice or care. The "only solution" to this problem is to get out there and do it. In less than a year, I have gone from being incredibly nervous to not giving a (expletive starting with F) what anyone else thinks about it. Always remember the words of Dr. Seuss: "Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

I got another.. pair? Certainly boots but maybe boot is a better term. They are connected together and have a common sole. Not for walking. Reverse shot

It's a very common expression on this side of the pond. Of course, the sound of the actual insects only happens about six months out of the year where I live, so I have no idea how that became part of the slang lexicon. It's been fairly recent, I would say within the last couple of decades.

I agree, although I had to look-up what you meant by 'crickets'. Not an expression I have ever heard so used in the UK.

I would say that my "fascination" with boots and heels began when I was just a little kid. I have often wondered if this "fascination" is something I learned, or was I hardwired this way. Unfortunately, I waited until my late 40s-50s to actually allow myself to admit that I wanted to wear high heel boots and get some.... It has taken me many years since then to develop the courage and confidence to wear them in most any setting these days without the usual self imposed negative feelings. Thanks to all my friends here for your help. Don

I found these by chance - and to my surprise they are (allegedly) available up to size USW15/UK13/Eu47, assuming that they run true to size: Link here: Women Thigh High Boots PU Leather Black Sky High Chunky Heel Over The – Prettyunik The heel height is not specified but looks at least 4". A tempting purchase, especially at the discounted price of £59.99 (with the same boots seen elsewhere at £150 or so), but I will have to pass. Little of the other footwear from this supplier ('Prettyunik', about whom I know nothing) is available in sizes above USW11 or 12.

Quick update

Hey, I do my part with knee high boots.

My wife used to tell me that shoes were accessories. She chose the shoes that matched or accented the outfit she was wearing. Women’s shoes don’t have to have high heels to look feminine. In her more mature years, she would often wear very girly styles with kitten heels and look smashingly sexy. She often told me that she would leave wearing higher stilettos to me because she found them to be uncomfortable. As for me, I love wearing heels. In my. 30’s and 40’s my normal shoes had 5” heels and I enjoyed occasionally wearing higher heels. Now that I’m enjoying my 60’s, I very rarely wear heels higher than 4” anymore. My main interest has always been “Girls Shoes”, not looking like a girl. But, back on point, you’re evolutionary process is probably normal. Transitioning from pure male appearance to a male wearing female garments in public has elements of your being comfortable at the same time as your overcoming your apprehension about your appearance not being acceptable. It’s a long process. Being a female is a complex process. There is a lot more to think about, especially if you want to appear only slightly feminine. One step at a time!