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iPhone, figured it out.

I wasn't looking for a new pair of shoes, but I have always wanted a pair of high heeled penny loafers. I thought I had found such a pair a year ago when I bought some New Religion shoes of that description, but they had a fatal flaw: No matter how many fitment devices I used, I walked out of them every other step. So I got rid of them. Then, a few weeks ago, these Stuart Weitzman Mocup loafers in olive green suede appeared in my Poshmark feed. Not my first pick of colors, but a unique addition to my collection. The seller kept dropping the price over a period of time, and by the time the price got down to $27, I couldn't resist. And this for Stuart Weitzman! What I did not realize is that these shoes have evidently never been worn. Not a mark on them anywhere, top or bottom, even though they did not come in a box. They are rather more attractive in person than I thought they would be from the photos. Their appearance is super narrow, even though they don't necessarily fit that way. They have a 5 inch heel with a 1 inch platform, which at one time was a staple of my collection. The heel is 3/4" wide, and is simulated stacked leather. I wore them outside right away, which is something I used to shy away from doing until I vetted them properly. I can kind of tell fairly quickly nowadays. I wore them for several hours with nothing negative to report.

I got these round toe boots from Macys, couldn't resist for $35. Leather with zippers, fit nicely over the jeans and adidas pants. I kinda like the way the boots look with the adidas gear, what do you guys think??

My green stilettos to match my green cloths at work.

The concept of this blog seems very simple, but how to begin? At least I managed to come up with a wacky title. I have been meaning to feature the following shoes for a long time because they are among the first heels I ever purchased with a serious intent to wear them in public. They have also turned out to be, thus far, my most durable pair of heels. Though I have mentioned them many times in passing over the years, let me formally introduce you to my Nine West “Sizzle” oxfords in plain black leather. I purchased them on January 4, 2013. Going back through my records, I evidently paid $99 for them from Amazon. This was probably pretty close to full price, which is something I never do anymore. However, in retrospect, I can’t say that I didn’t get my money’s worth. My motivation for buying these particular shoes has been lost to the sands of time, but I can tell you that this was my second pair of this model. The first pair I had was black patent, rather than just plain black, and was U.S. Women’s size 9. I always thought that they were a bit too tight, and so I got rid of them and got the instant shoes in a size 9 1/2. I did that often in those days, that is, bought stuff in 9 1/2 or even 10. I am not sure why, but I would never make that mistake today. I am pretty clearly and solidly a size 9. As a result, I have to wear thick socks with these oxfords. This is simultaneously a plus and a minus. I hate how the shoes are really too big, but on the other hand, the cushioning provided by thick socks may be the secret to why they are an any occasion, all-the-time shoe--in the winter, anyway. Just so you know, just so you do not doubt my proclivities, I never wear these, ever, from about mid-May to mid-October. What would a Melrose expository post be without statistics? Here are the numbers: 4 3/4” heel, 3/4” platform, for an effective steepness of right at 4 inches. Diameter of the heels is about 3/4”. I have had them reheeled three times, and am very, very close to needing No. 4. I have walked 191 documented miles in these, plus any number of undocumented/incidental miles. I feel like they are going to fail sometime on the next reheel, and I will be sad when they do. I think I have worn these in every situation that I normally encounter in life, and some that I don’t normally encounter. I have worn these with men’s suits to church, and I have worn them with jeans for my neighborhood constitutionals. I know I have worn them on at least one occasion to work the “big” farmer’s market, which involves standing for five hours. I have worn them on a walk that exceeded 5 miles, 6.1 to be exact. I have only ever done this with 3 pairs of shoes over the past 11 years. After all this use, they still shine up pretty well!

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9ydbt4t9rrw25z2yoilk4/2024-05-23-15.53.21.jpg?rlkey=9bxtw0fte0pno0bah3f13euxb&dl=0 Recently got some So Kate 120mm booties. I’m a bit out of practice for heels this height, but I plan to wear them out for dinner for our tenth anniversary in September, so I’m getting lots of practice.

I had intended to let my shoe collection remain at its present size for a while, but I ran across these Steve Madden Klory pumps in a color I don't have, which I'll call coffee colored. Coffee if you have added a little bit of cream, that is. Some might call them brown patent. The seller shot me an offer of 20 bucks, and I could not resist. I wore them yesterday for the first time, and they fit just like my other Klory pumps. Not something I would want to wear all day, every day, but good enough for cheap shoes. I have three flavors of Steve Madden pumps (four, if you count D'Orsay style), and the Klory model is my favorite for style. It features a 4 5/8" heel, making it just short of Louboutin So Kate territory, but only we would notice. The heel is 5/16" thick, and solidly built. I do not regret this purchase.

And now, it is time to reveal the week's truly interesting event--my "new" motorbike, which broke down after only having owned it for one week, is now back in service. Actually, that's not the news. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. I just wanted to see what it would look like. I don't hate it.

I am not the one to believe that lasting long term change happens overnight but occurs over time even if such is triggered by a single and identifiable event. My very recent travels witnessed an incredible situation that compelled me to express my thanks to many members of this group. Without them and their posts, I would not be writing this message. In order for my story to make some degree of sense, a bit of explanation is needed. I, like many members of this group, have loved wearing high heels for as long as I can remember. Since I acquired my first pair of heels as a pre-teen, I have purchased dozens of pairs (shoes and boots) but, admittedly, I have always parted with them as I struggled to come to terms with who I am while never accepting my genderfluidity. There would be times when I had a pair or two on hand but also long durations (years) of when I had none. During those instances where I was without a pair of heels, I was always “shopping” for the next pair of killer heels and when I landed upon those that were a “must have,” I gave in to temptation and purchased them. This repeating pattern continued for decades, both before and after I was married. Fast forward to 2016 when my wife accepted a job in The Netherlands and we decided to relocate there following such. Sadly, however, a short time later I realized that I was completely shut out of the professional level Dutch job market for many insurmountable reasons. I returned to the United States in mid-2021 to put my work experience and newly obtained Masters degree to work for me. My wife, however, remained and still resides in The Netherlands. Shortly after returning to American soil, I began purchasing heels with the intent of building a “to die for” heel collection. As I began “collecting” new pairs (or at least new to me) the desire to wear them out in public became increasingly difficult to resist. Despite such, however, I was not willing and/or ready to do so, or only do so under very restrictive conditions such as on a cool/cold night on a short walk around my neighborhood. I began researching the topic of men wearing high heels in public, and started reading of the stories and experiences of other male members of this group. I read many posts regarding those first steps and realized that if others can do it, so can I. Thus, in November 2023, I took my first steps out in public while wearing four-inch, block heeled boots. With time and more instances of doing so, I became ever more confident to the point where it is now routine for me to do so, even to the office. I realized that the most important step of this journey was to tell my wife and be completely honest about it. So, a few weeks after my first outing of wearing heels in public, I did so and despite any fears I had, she was fully understanding and comfortable with it. Of course, a few questions were asked (and answered) but no judgement, shock, or disappointment followed. I told her that regardless of what I am wearing and where such may occur, it does not change how I feel about her or why I love her. What I wear or how I express myself is irrelevant to my commitment to our marriage. This past mid-April, I made my annual spring trek to The Netherlands for a week-long visit. I very much wanted to travel in a pair of heels but as my suitcases were packed with items she needed/wanted and cannot get there, as well as goodies and treats “requested” by our friends, I had very little room for my own clothes. Given this and the normally rotten Dutch weather at this time of the year, all of my clothing had to be practical items – no room for heels of any kind. Likewise, as I had not yet shared a picture of me wearing heels with her, I felt I should show her pictures before she actually saw me in heels so as avoid any shock/surprise on her part. She had seen me with polished fingernails and my ears double pierced during our weekly video chats. During my stay, I showed my wife several pictures of me wearing heels as part of a work outfit, and told her that I had also recently attended drag events and wore heels to them. Given that my wife and I have the exact same shoe size, I asked if she had any pairs of heels with which she was willing to part. I specifically asked about two pairs of ankle boots I knew she seldomly (if ever) wore and if I could take them with me. She promised me that before I began my trek back to the U.S., she would allow me to “raid” her shoe closet and take any pair of heels that she did not routinely wear. So, on the last evening of my visit, we went through her shoe collection (probably over 100 pairs) and I identified the two pairs that I would love to bring home with me. One request met with little resistance but I had to promise her that if she wanted the other pair returned, I would do so at the next instance we were together. Well, six pairs of heels latter, some of which have yet to be worn, others only worn once, and some at her suggestion, I am returning home with an expanded collection. Not only that, but I also have a hot new leather skirt as well; I told her in a highly excited voice that the skirt will be worn for our anniversary dinner this coming Halloween. My wife did mention that she loved my work outfits. The point to all of this is that if other members of this group/forum did not write/post about the first time they headed out in public while wearing a pair of heels, I doubt I would have ever had the courage, motivation, and inspiration to do so myself. Simply reading about how the other members of this group/forum did so and what they felt before, during, and after doing so, was what I needed to let me know that my wearing of heels out in public will not cause the world to come to an end. I had always believed that my wearing heels out in public would never occur but now, however, I probably wear heels out in public more often than any other footwear. Thus, to every member who wrote his about his first experience wearing high heels in public, I offer you my deepest and sincerest heartfelt thanks! If this story does not convey the fact that true love is greater than and blind to what we wear on our feet, hips, or torso, then I do not know what is.

Happy Palm Sunday, everyone. It sure was cold and rainy for the load-in yesterday. It was cold and less rainy for the load-out. I had to set my camera back in the garage so it wouldn't get wet. One thing about the major religious holidays is that church attendance is way up compared to normal. Next Sunday at Easter there is a chance we'll have a packed sanctuary, which I haven't seen in years. As an aside, my Jewish friend from the Twin Cities just sent me pictures of her Purim service, and it looked well attended also. She wasn't wearing heels, though! I didn't necessarily wear anything different than normal, but I did get caught up on ironing last week when I was sick, so my shirt and pants haven't seen the light of day for some time, even though they are not new. Also having not gotten much love lately (judging from the cobwebs I had to knock off of them) are my BCBGeneration Sassafras boots. I figured this was one of the last chances I'd have to wear them for the season. The only thing I really don't like about them is that they are really too big around for me, and an inch too tall by my estimation. I hadn't been walking for 8 days because of my illness, and I almost overdid it today. I walked 3 miles (in other boots) and wore these boots for about 4 hours directly after. My feet actually cramped up a little bit as I was trying to get the boots off.

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted here. I am still getting out. I just don't feel the need to post as much as I use to. Here is a recent photo I took while out and about.

I finally did it! No, not another outing. There are always those. But I finally checked something off the perverbial bucket list, so to speak. I was on vacation, and I stopped in at a Nordstroms. I live in Canada, so I don't get to some of the American chain stores very often. I went to the shoe department. I was suprised to find that they sold Christian Loubotins. I started looking at the display models. This was the first time I had seen one in the flesh. I had only previously seen them in photos. It was also the first time I had held one in my hand. I am usually an EU40 for size. As luck would have it they had a black peeptoe on display in my size. So it turned out to be the first time I had tried one on my foot. I couldn't wait to put it on, and so I did. It was a little tight but it fit. Then I found a different shoe in a 41. So off went the 40, and on went the 41. Perfect fit! The salesmen came by and asked if I needed a size. I was tempted to ask him for the mate, but I didn't. I told him I was just looking and I had never tried one on before. He told me they are not the most comfortable shoes, but they look great, and that is why people by them. Once it was on my foot, and I looked in the mirror, I was sold! I felt like Cinderella putting on the glass slipper. But then came the letdown. The $800 price tag lol. But I can now say I have had one on my foot. And in the off chance I ever do buy a pair, I will know to go up one size. I had heard a lot of people say they run small. And now I know for sure.

My New Freelance stiletos Their high quality make them confortable and easy to walk with

Hello everybody, may I bring my litle contribution here? It's my outfit yesterday. Heels are from Freelance, top and short from NafNaf (all are french brands) Another look I wear this week, with Carrol pants and pink sandals.

Here are my latest. I saw these at a local thrift store weeks ago. The fit was a tad tight in the toebox. Nothing major but just enough to where I thought I might not be able to wear them for any length of time, so I decided against them. They were a size 9. I am normally a size 9.5 to 10 but depending on the shoe style and brand, I can also fit into some 9's. I definitely regretted my decision later because it was love at first sight. And I loved the toe cleavage they provided. And they were in pretty good condition. They looked like they were only worn a handful of times at the most. As luck would have it, I went back today, and they were still there calling my name. I tried them on again, and this time, they fit a little better. I could not pass them up twice, so I happily paid the twenty dollars, and they went home with me. I'm hoping that the first time maybe my feet were just having a little swelling problem that day. Or maybe after some wearing, they will stretch themselves out a little. The shoes are Jessica Simpson brand with a thick ankle strap, and the heel measures 4 and a quarter inches.

Here is a new one from my travels today. The weather is getting a little bit nicer here, so I decided to wear a pair of white sandals I purchased recently. With the thicker heel on these, they are very comfortable to wear, and quite easy to walk in for longer periods of time. I was wearing these for a good 4 to 5 hours today with no trouble at all. I like how well they paired with the lighter color of the jeans. It was a little cooler in the morning so the jacket paired nicely. By the afternoon, it was nice enough that I could remove the coat. I could see these heels being a part of many of my summer outfits.

Just came in, JS Xona. They fit but are snug, so I will wear them around the house to break them in before spending a day in them. I'll post a picture with these and shorts in a week or so. Looking at another JS wedge sandal now.

Another one from my travels today.

This is JS Dany in the sand color I’ve wanted for a while. DSW still has this at $110 but typing Dany in the Dillard search box shows these and the black at just $35 as they’re on clearance. Got the 11 and they arrived in just 52 hours. Fit like a glove. This Dany has a 6.25/16cm heel whereas the Devalyn has a 5.5”/14 cm heel.

After having received virtually no notice or comments about my boots, I received two comments in the past week - and both times with the same pair of low-heeled knee boots that I wear routinely around the locks and towpaths. I got into conversation with a couple of dog walkers at a towpath cafe who remarked on them, in broadly complimentary fashion, asked me if they were riding boots (they're not) with the wife adding in a kind of leading way - "you know, a woman could wear those ..." to which I responded "Anybody can!" The other was a rather jovial guy, in a fairly well lubricated social situation, who asked if I was off to a Freddie Mercury tribute show, to which I responded by saying, "No, I usually wear heels to those .." Odd that it should be these that caused comment as I am very often in skinny jeans with chunky heeled ankle boots with 3.5" heels - very visible - and nary a word.

ok, will try through flickr, now that I changed the dumb file format OK, there we go. They are leather, love the tall shafts, pointed toes, classic styling. Wish the heels were a little higher, but I messed up my knee so these are very comfortable...

Another week, another church service. I was feeling rather more ambitious this week, and wore my @Jkrenzer approved shoes. I do believe that my Steve Madden Daisie pumps were the ones that got me started off with my smallish collection of traditional pumps. I do not often wear pumps, partially because I do not have that many venues really to wear them. Also, my budget does not include funds to buy real leather pumps, so my time in them must necessarily be limited. Having said that, I spent about three hours in these yesterday between church and grocery shopping. As noted elsewhere on this forum, these are a little bit difficult on the polished tile floor of my local supermarket. A heel tip replacement to hard rubber would improve things markedly. However, after it was time to change clothes and shoes, I was not ready to take them off. They are actually quite comfortable for 4 5/8" stilettos. I am on the verge of being able to walk in them. I can fool most people. One of the things about playing in the band at church is that, in time of need, I can sneak off to the bathroom during the first part of the sermon. I would estimate I do this about 20% of the time, depending upon how much coffee I have consumed on any given Sunday morning. The only person who can see is whoever is serving as liturgist that morning. Yesterday morning, I quietly opened the sacristy door to make my temporary escape, and the liturgist stopped me and whispered, "You're going to walk down those stairs in those shoes?" I whispered back, "I know! I'm taking my life in my hands, aren't I?" The stairs back there are very steep. Then she mentioned it again after the service. Well, you know, 12 years of more or less constant practice never hurt a thing.

These ‘ASOS DESIGN heeled chelsea boots in black faux leather with chain detail’ seemed to me to provide the right balance between enjoyment and discretion and I could no longer resist them when a double discount was on offer. I usually wear a UK11 or 12 and opted for 12 (securing the last pair, it seems) to allow thicker socks if needed. First impressions were favourable – a 3 5/8” heel, a zipped shaft taller than the online advert implied, and an almond toe. The fit was good and comfortable indoors. The ‘round’ heel may not appeal to some, but it is not really noticeable. Likewise, the gilt chain detail is perhaps rather too ‘blingy’, but could be removed. The hollow plastic heels were, as expected, rather noisy – and the plastic top pieces will obviously wear and need replacement. I decided to modify them before wearing them outdoors. The top pieces (held by four pegs) were carefully prised off and fitted with discs of 1/4" composition material, glued on. (I used a hole cutter, without its centre drill, to produce discs just a tad too large, which were then reduced and smoothed on my grinding wheel before glueing.) To dampen noise, I filled the hollow heels with compacted sawdust, with pieces of crimped drinking straw inserted temporarily into the peg holes to stop sawdust entering. The top pieces were then pressed in; the fit seems firm enough not to need any adhesive. The composition layer can of course be removed when worn and replaced. Adding the extra layer to the top piece has increased the heel height to 3 7/8”. The balance of the boots has not been affected; indeed, they sit rather better with the extra height. I wore them outside briefly with thick socks and bootcut jeans and they seem comfortable enough. The pics show the boots as received, as worn with bootcut jeans, and the stages of heel modification.

Been a bit since I have posted here. Still no changes, pretty much daily work and heeling for me. Today I thought I'd share these images. These are my ridiculously low cut Hey Si Mey pumps. Actually very comfortable shoes.

Hi all, After many many, many years of just reading, I feel I owe it to you all to finally introduce myself. I first stumbled into the high-heel topic as a teenager, but at the time still from an "onlooking" and not "self-wearing" perspective. About 12 / 13 years ago I told my then-girlfriend that I wanted to try out some wildly-ambitious ballet boots, like the ones I had just bought her. That didn't exactly go over well, but eventually she said why not. We still have a pair each, but the ambitions have normalized over time, lol. Over the course of time we added more and more "wearable" heels to the collection, and have pushed the boundaries of where and when to wear them. Today, we're happily married for 9 years and have a decent variety of matching options from a wide variety of brands. I look forward to sharing some of our adventures and interacting with you guys, who unknowingly gave me so much encouragement for all these years. Best regards, Clarity

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!

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

To be honest, I’d struggle to get them on without tights. Full nappa leather lining plus slim fit Some others I’ve wanted to share

Burberry prorsum patchwork

Thanks for the help

Now that I have to get back to real life, note that I did ride my motorbike to church yesterday in these heels, and I did not crash. Nor did I draw any attention from the police, at least not to my knowledge. I hadn't worn my Miu Miu sandals in quite a long time, and I'm doing my best to spread the love to all the shoes I've decided to keep. Once again, I have no idea how I managed to walk in these things when I first got them, but I must have done so somehow. I wore these shoes for about 5 hours yesterday, and they were all right despite their extreme height. For whatever reason, Miu Miu brand seems to fit me just right, I only wish they weren't usually so expensive.

Well, I never thought it would happen, but I have started to warm to open toe sandals. I was reluctant because it seemed like such a fuss to do "correctly." Well, without getting into all the nitty-gritty of it, it tried it and I was quite surprised by the outcome! I would be inclined to believe that the maintenance to ensure that the look is desirable is much, but, in the end, worth it for the summer. So, here is my first try at it.

Here is my church outfit of the week, which was kind of a sad one for me because my choir director of seven years has taken another position at another church. This was the last Sunday that my son and I got to make music with him. I think we finished pretty strong, even though once again, we had no rehearsal. This week's choice was totally based around my new Stuart Weitzman shoes, the details of which are cataloged elsewhere. I actually have a pair of pants that matches their dark olive green color more closely, but they're getting a little bit ratty looking lately, so I chose a lighter colored, but newer, pair of pants. My shirt and tie were chosen mainly to not offend the rest of the outfit. I missed celebrating my 12th anniversary of "coming out" in heels. Perhaps "going out" would be better phraseology for shoes. It's funny, I don't remember the exact date for sure, but I remember what day of the week it was, so I'm calling it Wednesday, May 16th, 2012, as the first day I ever stepped foot in front of anybody wearing heels as my own serious footwear. Oddly enough, the location was at my church at a choir rehearsal. Perhaps this is why I think of it now. The point of this last paragraph is not so much to celebrate my own accomplishments, but rather to note that enough time has gone by that the clothes I bought to match my new persona are starting to physically wear out. I have bought quite a bit of clothing over the years, but I have gotten rid of precious little, unlike my shoe collection. Some of that clothing, like most probably the tie I wore three days ago, predates my heeling days, and a lot of it needs to be retired for one reason or another. Perhaps this is a subject for another rumination in the future.

And yet another

Here is one I took today while out and about. The boots are Aldo, in a two tone brown, with a chunkier heel.

Well here we are in london with my partner and her mum and dad. they know i wear heels and seen me in them but mot 4” was a little worried. was walking around the streets and i was just in front of her mum when i heard her say yo my partner “his feet are going to hurt in them” my parter to my surprise said “he walks better in them then he does trainers” omg amazing. Spent from about 13 hours in them yesterday. Busy day today.

Just wondering if anyone has heels that they will only wear at home/indoors due to heel height, comfort, or some other reason. I recently acquired a pair of very high Ann Taylor leopard print heels which are NSFW by any stretch of the imagination (I had to first take them to a cobbler for the footbed to be repaired). I also have a pair of Vince Camuto high heel loafers that also fit into the NSFW category. Thus, I was wondering if any other members of this group have heels that are best left for sitting around at home while looking pretty. Thanks, G P.S. not my photos but from the web

I did something that I rarely do during warm weather. I wore actual enclosed shoes to church. I did so because as I posted in the New Shoes section, I bought some pumps specifically to wear to church (and maybe a few other places). I keep saying that I do not need any more shoes, but I bought two more pair last week. These Steve Madden pumps, and a pair of Frye wooden heeled sandals. Sometime I'll post the Fryes--they're kind of interesting, but I thought the coffee color of the pumps was really beautiful, and the lady offered to sell them for 20 bucks plus shipping. The rest of my outfit was based around the shoes. I often do that, but it was very particular on this Sunday, because I had decided to wear the shoes well in advance. So I picked out some earth-toney stuff I thought went with the coffee color, and then I realized, "Hey, wait a minute. . . It's Pentecost." To some of you, this will mean absolutely nothing. For others, you are chuckling to yourselves right now. Let's put it this way--the red tie is an add-on and an afterthought, but I think it works. I even got complemented on my tie. But not my shoes.

Here’s a better view of JS Dany in the chocolate brown. These are size 11 and have a 5.7”/11cm chunky heel.

So here is my first of many to come! Boots by Aldo, dress is Lululemon Define, wristlet is Guess My usual Chicago to Tampa trip. Kinda bummed, only 2 comments about my boots, both in the TSA line, no negative comments. Look forward to talking with people. Will post some more pics soon!

I find myself very short on time this week, but I'll make a quick post about last Sunday's outfit, with a teaser/promise of more to come. Shoes are Via Spiga, and I got along with them a lot better than I did the last time I wore them, comfort-wise. Pants are Loft, and shirt and tie are no-name Vietnamese. They are not actually unbranded, but they have some silly, so-very-Asian name like "Caring Known" or something like that.

It was my knee high boots I wore this morning.

This week's church OOTW. There is nothing notable about it, except for the fact that this is the first time this year I was able to wear sandals. It finally warmed up, but it's only temporary. By the end of the week, we're looking at lows uncomfortably close to the freezing mark. I felt like I wanted to wear tan sandals yesterday with wide legged trousers, but my first choice was at the extreme steep end of my wearable range. Due to some strenuous physical activity yesterday, I elected not to wear those, but went instead with what I call my "pageant" shoes. Their actual designation is Steve Madden Dezzzy (yes, that's with three z's), but their very high heel with thick platform reminds me of the pageant shoes that every southeast Asian girl wears in a beauty pageant. Of course the real pageant shoes usually have a somewhat thinner heel and an ever thicker platform, but you get the idea. I get a nearly 6 inch heel with less than 4 1/2" of steepness. My son just bought himself a motorbike, and here I am somewhat awkwardly posing on it, at his suggestion. No, I did not ride the thing in those heels. A few minutes later in real time---Now that I have actually loaded the photos, I notice that I wore a nearly identical outfit sometime last August, minus the tie. I think it's the same exact shirt, pants, and shoes. I guess you'll have that from time to time if you don't document things, and with outfits, I certainly don't.

I grabbed another pair of heels from Mercari. Officially, I'm an 11W. Most times, I size up to a 12 and get heel grips. It usually works. These, I'm not sure if I'll need a heel grip. Haven't had a chance to do more than try them on and walk around the bedroom yet so time will tell.

Thought I would share this post about a very old pair of Pleaser ankle strap pumps that I have finally decided must be put out to pasture. I couldn't say how many miles I've worn these amazingly comfortable 5 inch heels, talking Melroseplant level I'm guessing. I've re-heeled these at least 6 times. Finally blew out the sole and upper part of the vamps this last week. Surprisingly they are still easy to walk in and sturdy but still long past any visual appeal. I think these definitely paid themselves off many times.

Now, back on topic. Seeing a man wearing a pair of high heel shoes evokes impressions of a man dressing as a woman which could be considered as being mildly sexually deviant in today’s society. Since high heels have been associated exclusively with the female gender over the past couple of centuries, any male sporting a fashionable pair of elegant Black Patient leather pumps with five inch heels on his feet would be an unusual sight and could become subject of intense conversation when he’s wearing them in public. While the practice has become increasingly accepted these days, it still largely remains controversial. It seems that in the past decade people have become more likely to discuss the pro’s and cons of crossdressing (which some psychologists believe wearing only heels to be) than to openly condemn the practice. Those men that have been wearing their “girls shoes” openly in public for years can attest to this measurable change in attitude, having personally experienced the “slings and arrow” rebukes, insults and criticisms intensely directed in their direction in the past. The degree that any male desire to wear female attire, whether it’s 100.% passing as a female or occasionally mixing items of women’s clothing, such as shirts, blouses, jackets or shoes, is immaterial. For the most part, the person dawning the clothes is usually doing so to satisfy their own desires and not to try to deceive or fool others into believing they are something they aren’t. The accepted norms for female fashion is much more complicated and complex than male dressing as those of us that have female partners are aware. The choice of clothing to match the event, color and proper accessories accenting “the look”, among other attributes, is intensely important. The main accessory that can “make or break” the overall appearance of the “look” is the shoes. The choices for men are is severely limited - work, play or dress up. Women’s choices, on the other hand, are as numerous as the different species of flowers. Fashionable dressed women work over time selecting “just the right pair” to succeed in accomplishing their dream appearance. The aspect that is most common to both genders, when it comes to wearing high heels, is walking while wearing them. Whether you’re a man or a woman you have identical problems. You have to learn how to walk properly while wearing them. Some men/women are natural wearers. They pop on a pair and trot on off about their business unaware they are even wearing high heels. Others encounter physical difficulties they cannot overcome. It’s those in between that need training and proper instruction. For those “first time” wearers, it is only to human nature to try them on the first time they get their hands on a pair. Once they have satisfied their curiosity and decide to continue wearing them, it would be a good time to talk with an experienced wearer, comparing and discussing sizing and professional instruction, should they feel it would be helpful. Keep in mind that acquiring professional instruction early on would be very beneficial before developing harmful practices and hard to break habits that could lead to physical discomfort. Thoroughly reviewing websites on the internet and using email evaluate course content could be very helpful. Most importantly, be aware that wearing an absolutely beautiful pair of high heels is an enormously satisfying and thoroughly pleasurable sensation that there is. Once you’ve began, you’ll never quit.

Here is one I took recently while I was out and about

Walking in heels. Something I never thought about until the first time I wore them in front of my wife. She was just my girlfriend at the time but we had been dating for several months. I met her on our first day at college. We hit it off from the first moment we met and when it became apparent that we were going to be more than boyfriend and girlfriend, I decided that it was time I told her about my life long love of wearing heels so that if she had a problem with that part of my personality, she could call it quits before we became to involved. One evening coming home after nice dinner at a good restaurant, I decided to bring the subject up. I thoroughly explained my situation along with a complete history description. I even told her that I owned several pairs that I would occasionally wear around my room where I was living. She told me that she had thought there was something unusual about my choice of footwear because my shoes, even though they could be worn by a man, were of styles that could be found in the women’s section of any shoe store. After a lengthy discussion, we decided that the following day I would bring a pair of my heels over to her place and show them to her. I picked her up the next afternoon and we drove to an excluded place out in the country. I chose a great pair of black patent pumps with 5” heels that I had owned for a couple of years, that were very comfortable and I could walk for miles while wearing them without discomfort. I changed into my pumps and we got out of the car and started walking down the road. While we were walking along, I explained that I realized that this desire was unusual and that over the years I had tried my best to stop. But after not wearing them for several weeks, my attitude became troubling and the desire so strong that I couldn’t help but start wearing them. So I decided since I couldn’t stop l would never try to quit wearing them again. Her reaction was one of curiosity. She asked many questions about my parents reaction and my experiences wearing heels in public, One of her comments was how surprised she was that I could walk so well without difficulty while wearing heels as high as these. How long did it take me to learn to walk in them? I replied that I had been wearing heels since before I was two years old while playing in my mother’s clothes closet. So, wondering about how I learned how to walk in heels was something that I had never thought about. Walking in heels was as natural to me as going barefoot. We walked back to the car and drove home. As she was getting out at her place, she said that I had taken her completely by surprise springing this upon her the way I did and that she would have to think about it before she could decide how it would effect us. She asked me not to call her for awhile. She said that she would call me when she sorted things out and had some idea how to deal with it.

Here's a little outfit I put together to run some errands yesterday when I got to feeling a little better.