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I've never had issues with stilettos at the Depot. Many times, never a problem. As for masculinity, it takes balls to do it and many of us do.

Oops, went Christmas shopping and forgot to hide my heels! [it's a skirt] Was wondering around the plaza for about 3 hours. No one said a word, although I saw some people do double-takes. Heels are 4.5".

Shoes that I wished were better made. These are close to being great heels. Just know if I wear these the heels will fail tips forward. Too bad, they are comfortable and great looking

I can't believe I missed your post! I also live in a smaller town in what used to be a "purple" state, now clearly a "red" state for the moment. I honestly think politics have little to do with how well one is accepted in a community. It's not nothing, but it's a small factor in the grand scheme of things. I have visited much more politically conservative places wearing heels, and never had a problem, at least not a violent one. This includes eastern Ohio and northern Georgia. I did get yelled at from a passing lifted pickup truck in Georgia, but nobody actually threatened to kick my ass.

I have woren by JS knee high stiletto boots to home depot. Picked up some 2 by 4's. No problems. Some double/triple takes, but no problems.

Indeed... Sounds like you have made great strides and get to enjoy wearing your boots without being too self concious. I feel so fortunate to be in a similar mindset, can wear my boots most anywhere. I know I have made great strides when I realize that I have forgotten I'm even wearing them. Nonetheless, your caution is well founded. Many men have tender egos, and their "masculinity" is easily threatened, it is always best to avoid situations or places that might put you at risk. Don't think I would wear my stiletto boots to home depot, but have no problem wearing my 3" block heeled ankle boots.

14 cm high heel Hey Si Mey mules customized as strappy sandals with long laces, for better support.

I visit a small boutique shoe store about once a month. I once asked the store manager if she had other male customers and she told me she had a few. Judging by the interactions I have with DSW stores, it not uncoommon.

Hi All, Haven’t been on in a while. This topic was covered at some point but it’s always worth discussing anew. Whilst it is rare any one of us will actually see another man wearing obvious high heels, unless I happen to be in Iowa, it happens more often than you think. Some years ago I asked employees at a Steve Madden store in a Milwaukee mall this same question. Two employees, both women, said during the course of a shift they would see men wearing heels about 6-7 times. Granted this was in 2011-2012 when heels were higher but before the shift in opinion toward transgender men/women. This is only what they saw and far removed from places like NYC, LA, or other places where such a sight is more commonplace or expected. A follow-up question I’ve posed to various retailers was the number of heels being sold directly to men either in-store or online. What I gathered was of heels over 5” and in sizes 10 or larger some 15-20% in-store and 50% online were being purchased by men. This may explain the browsing interest by nonmembers. I have noticed things such as young men wearing nail polish or more obvious earrings or skinny jeans or even carrying handbags occurs all the time but many just don’t overtly react to it. The wedges mlroseplant saw me wearing have been in my closet since at least 2010 and other members here have seen me in them. I could walk past 100 or more people and most may not even notice. A small Iowa town has accepted mlroseplant and his heeled footwear as a normal part of the background. I think much of the world is also evolving. As for those timid souls waiting mass acceptance I would only offer this maxim: “be the change you want to see in the world”. Words of Gandhi HinH

Yes the day is not over yet. Now 11,876 steps. Nothing can be done with broken toe and trainers kill to walk in as my toes are more flat. Looks like im stuck in heels for 6 weeks all day and every day lol Well 12 hours done in heels total 15,809 now no shoes on. broken toe swollen got two more days here yet before going home to UK. These are the heels warn

I’m a big fan of chunky heeled ankle boots. Love them

So true. Men with nice legs look great in heels, why not show them off! I remember the first time I slipped into my sister's red go go boots as a kid, I loved the way I looked in them. And even today, I think I look pretty good in my stiletto boots with nice fitting levis/jeans. I think the contrast is confident and looks a little powerful. It makes me feel good when I get the rare compliment from a guy asking me if it is hard to wear high heel boots, I always do my best to encourage them to try a pair.

I want to offer a response that might be a bit different that much of the other comments in many of the posts I have read, including this one. First, I want to express the fact that I am, to a large degree, envious of those men who wear heels out in public that are not hidden by long pants. As I just starting going out in public while wearing heeled boots, I truly desire that someday, I will be sufficiently confident in myself to wear such footwear in public where all can clearly see the heels I am wearing. Right now, I am not close to that point. One of the reasons I do not feel completely comfortable in wearing uncovered heels is related to where I live. I reside in the capital city of a larger “blue” state but the city itself is rather small with a population of ~115K. Given that the city is more or less in the middle of the state, it can feel rather rural as farmland is but a short drive from my residence home. The areas outside of the capital city are deeply “red” and when I am out at certain stores, identifying those who live in these areas is rather simple – you think they came off an assembly line. When I am out in a store or event and wearing a pair of heeled boots, I have learned not to care a bit about what anyone else should think of me should they notice. I, probably similar to others, have had a few negative comments come my way from narrow-minded people. I do not worry about those insomuch as I do about the potential of being harassed and/or threatened by those who would deem my choice of footwear to be “abnormal” for whatever reason. If I still resided in the very large city that is within my state, my feelings would be different about when and where I wear a pair of heeled boots. Given my concerns of threats of violence being leveled against me by a very less tolerant rural population, I am extremely careful about when and where I will wear a pair of heeled boots in public. There are a few upscale stores and museums near me and I do feel comfortable in my boots within these places. I would not, however, take any of my five-inch pointed toe boots into a home improvement store. It is sad that I feel this way but it is the reality of the times and the places where I live.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm doing random heelings it's been 1.5 years now and having almost the same no-big-deal thing. I rarely got compliments from strangers, 3 to be exact, all from men. I've got one laugh from a girl on a group of teenagers at the street in plain daylight but not sure it was on me. I've got stares from a right-wing radical group at a McDonalds restaurant once. No problem in the end but I know I was on their radar. I was with wife and kids so I found it threatening for them. Anyway, I try to be careful where I go and avoid heels on small villages where I can find trouble. Don't know how it goes in England but I see you're doing the experiment

About a year ago, a new employment opportunity compelled me relocated from a very large city/metro area to a smaller city which is the capital of state in which I reside. I moved into a spacious apartment and one of the goals I set for myself was build a “to die for” high heel boot collection. Once the boots started arriving, I would spend hours wearing them around my place but, sadly, the limited confines of my living quarters filled me with an overwhelming desire to get out in public with them. I live in a large, multi-building complex but despite this, there is little outside activity on the part of other residents during the cooler months other than going to or come back from their places of employment, errands, or other activities. It has always been my dream to walk about in public while wearing a pair of high heeled boots and until recently, I thought my dream would never be more than just that – a dream. About two months after I moved into my new residence, I decided to take advantage of the lack of neighborhood activity and “chance it” by taking a quick walk in a pair of heeled boots to my car, parked about ~50-60 feet from the front door of my residence. This first trek was successful and others were to follow, but they always occurred under the cover of late-night darkness. Likewise, I would cover my boots with long pajama style pants and walk on my tip-toes so as not to make any noise and possibly bring any attention to myself. Upon getting my into my car, I would quickly scan the area to see if any of the other residents were around and may have noticed me. Each and every time, however, I was never knowingly observed on any of my quick treks to my car and then back into the “safety” of my residence. These quick trips to my vehicle and back soon expanded to my mailbox and trash dumpster, which were about 150 and 175 feet, respectively, from the door of my residence. These short walks were still the same as those that proceeded them – long pants covering boots and under the darkness of late nights. Then, on last New Year’s Eve, I decided to be “highly adventurous” and after putting on a deliciously beautiful pair of five-inch heeled ankle boots I had just received earlier that day, I walked to the trash dumpster – boots uncovered. What truly made my heart race was the fact that a unit within one of the buildings was having a New Year’s Eve and as it must have been warm within, all of the doors and windows were wide open – and I strolled right past them with the mesmerizing sounds of heel and toe striking the ground. Also, given the height of the heel, my pace was much slower than normal, so if anyone saw me, they would have clearly seen me! My job is considered a “hybrid” in that I have the option of choosing what days I want to work from home and what days I head into the office. Over the following months, I developed a pattern of what days I would work from home and on those days, I was in a pair of heeled boots before I even turned on my computer. I will admit that there was a thrill of being in a meeting or conference where my colleagues or supervisor could see my face and shoulders but not see or know about the gorgeous boots I was wearing. With the arrival of summer, however, the boots went on holiday. With the onset of the cooler autumn weather, the boots returned with a few new pairs and again, so did the longing to wear them in public. As the days grew shorter, I took my late-night treks to the trash dumpster but each and every time, the route to and from was a bit longer than the last; the lure of longer walks in my boots was becoming more and more irresistible. Late one evening, I had on a pair of Guess “Talore” ankle boots and decided that the time for a long walk in those had arrived. As they feature a rubber sole and heel, and are rather comfortable, the sound of heel and toe striking the pavement was going to be minimal, if at all noticeable beyond my ears. I made my way to a sidewalk outside of my complex and took a 30 minute (~3/4 mile) walk to a logical turn-around point and back to my residence, feeling a heightened sense of exhilaration when I returned. I quickly realized that having just one pair of boots suitable for “outside” use was insufficient and I subsequently I purchased a pair of Steve Madden “Rockiie” boots and Jessica Simpson Tulip boots from a popular online used/pre-worn clothing site. Shortly after both pairs arrived, I noticed that the Rockiie boots looked similar to cowboy boots, and reasoned that with sufficiently long pants, all but the absolute bottom of the four-inch heel could be covered. Likewise, as the front looks similar to any western style boot would, no one would be able to determine the make or style of them just by looking at that portion of the boot. A quick trip to a nearby “superstore” found me the slightly longer pants I needed to cover just about all of the heels. That evening, I had prepared dinner and after finishing my meal, I noticed that one of the ingredients I used was a bit thin and realized that I needed to double what I had initially used. I did not, however, have this item on hand, and it was not too late into the evening and the local grocery store was still open, I decided to quickly head there to get that which I needed for the next evening’s leftovers. Then it occurred to me – why not do it in my Rockiie boots with the new pants covering them? I decided to do so an put on the longer pants and aforementioned style of boots, and headed out to the store. I am sure some readers know that driving in heels is difficult and is much more so when the vehicle is a manual transmission, like my vehicle. Nonetheless, I made my way, with some degree of difficulty, to the parking lot of the store and stepped out of my vehicle. I had two stops to make: the first was to drop off recyclable plastic bottles in the front entry area of one store, while the next was to purchase an ingredient at the second store. I stepped out of my vehicle and got about half-way to the entrance of the first store when I stopped – there were “too many” people around and I was not ready to handle any judgmental looks or responses. So, I returned to my car and headed home feeling somewhat defeated. Upon returning to my residence, I took off my boots and pants never wanting to wear them again – I just could bring myself to go out in public in a pair of heeled boots. I waited for about an hour and upon learning that the stores were still open, I pondered taking a second stab at venturing out in public in my Rockiie boots. I put them on (with the pants covering them) and headed back to the stores. When I arrived, I took a deep breath and thought that if I cannot do this now, I never will be able to do so. I walked to the first store while feeling the elevation of the heel, and hearing the sound of the heel and then toe striking the pavement – both so incredibly delightful! I entered the first store, put my recyclable bottles in the appropriate bin, and headed out about 15 seconds after I entered. Well, guess what, the world did not come to a halt! Feeling good, I walked back to the second as just before entering I said to myself, “Well, here goes nothing” and entered. The store was rather uncrowded and I was able to quickly find what I needed. I do not know what possessed me but rather than head right to the self-checkout lanes to pay for the item and get out, I decided to take the long way to the registers and walked all the way around the store. There were some other shoppers I encountered and took a detour down other aisles to avoid them as I was still fearful of possible reactions to my footwear. Regardless, I eventually made my way to the register, back to my car, and back to my residence. I did it! I finally been able to walk in a public in a pair of heeled boots! It was a dream come true and I could not wait to do it again! I realized, however, this was only a test and I needed to have more encounters with people to truly see if I could do this...those encounters would soon follow.