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Hi all, After a long time of meaning to post but never executing, I thought I'd just start a new threat to document my adventures in heels. Nothing complicated, so dont expect wonders, but just sharing pictures and this and that. Our neighborhood is pretty progressive, and over the years, they've gotten to know me in heels. This past week, we had some cooler weather at first, so my wife and I were at the local brewery in booties: That said, boot season is pretty much over in this part of Texas, and towards the middle of the week it was already sandals weather again, so we wore these beauties from Jessica Simpson. Clearly, I need to work on a better angle, but I don't like making a scene taking pictures, so under the table / bar snapshots are mostly what happens... Case in point, this was yesterday's choice.

I haven't bought any new shoes in over three months. However, I have several pair purchased in 2024 which have not made it onto this thread. Up for your consideration today are my red Genshuo pumps in fake patent leather. I also have these in beige/tan/nude, whatever you want to call that neutral color. I originally bought the beige pair to replace my Steve Madden Klory pumps, which had developed a wonky heel. Because I have several pair that are similar, I suppose ebay's algorithm pushed inexpensive pumps to my feed. I bit. Not a week later, I saw the red pair and had to have them. This shade of red is just brilliant, and that in combination with the super slim heel got to me. Speaking of which, the heel is a full 4 3/4" tall, so I can say I have 120s, though I think a true 120 would actually be more like 125 mm in my size. The heel width is quite slim at around 7.5 mm. The problem with these shoes is that they are really too small for me. I usually take a 9, but I could probably use a 9 1/2 in these. I don't think they make half sizes, but at any rate, the shoe stretcher has allowed me to wear them in reasonable comfort. I wore them to church (red for Pentecost Sunday), and had them on for about 3 hours. I could have gone longer, but that was plenty, especially considering that I'm not really ready for heels that high. I can walk, but reviewing the livestream footage, it's not especially pleasant to watch. I'm not awkward enough to be embarrassing, but not graceful enough to meet my standards. Workin' on it. One last note. These are the quietest stilettos I've ever worn or heard. They are eerily silent, even on tile floors. That just seems wrong.

My very first heel purchase,,,,,,,, and I still have them and wear them!!! Steve Madden Kyle patent leather hidden 1" platforms with 5" heel

Still no interaction between me and my high school classmate. I can't really blame him, he's got some major health issues going on right now, but it still seems strange to me that a guy I actually hung out with back in the day would boldly ask a question, and then not really react to the answer. On the other hand, the last time I actually saw the man, in my mid 20s, I was playing a gig at a bar with my band, and our drummer, 6 foot 4 and an imposing presence, had threatened to do harm to him. My last in-person mental image of him was his backside as he was running out the door. By the way, he deserved it. In other news, I'm still working overtime at the data center, and I have been getting up very early in the morning so that I can get my walks in. It's the only way. If I try to do it in the evenings, it ain't happening. I'm not good for anything after supper. I posted in the "New Shoes" thread, but I'll share some more photos of my Pentecost Sunday outfit. There's nothing really special about it, other than the red color, which is the liturgical color for that day. Now we're back to Ordinary Time until Advent, so everything will remain green for a long time. I've never felt comfortable taking pictures of myself, but I've tried some new poses that I picked up from social media. I hope I don't look like a complete idiot.

I woke up before dawn this morning, noticed some interesting blue hour conditions and decided to go out with camera and tripod. On a whim I decided to be brave and wear my midi skirt and chunky heel boots. It was four thirty and no one was around. I was setting up a shot when I heard a cheery voice behind me - a woman out walking her dogs, with a camera slung over her shoulder. A fellow photographer as it turns out. She must have noticed I was wearing a skirt - the heels were less obvious - but made no comment or gave me any strange looks. We chatted about light and photography. The conversation was as natural as if I’d been in my usual hiking boots and jeans. I went from feeling momentarily embarrassed to prolonging the conversation. It was just two photographers chatting we now follow each other on Instagram

A very simple, but true story. Attending a conference with my coworkers, I wanted to make a statement with my professional attire. I decided to wear my prized Christian Louboutin Hot Wave heels, the iconic peep-toe Hot Chick. Knowing the allure these shoes hold, I aimed to turn heads. As I sat in the lobby of the Marriott Marquis, I dangled my foot, arching it just right to create an enticing display. Many men glanced my way (dozens), but one in particular stood out. In a rush, he excitedly pointed at my shoes and exclaimed, “I have them too!” He quickly flashed his own red-bottom dress shoes, also by Louboutin, before tripping over himself and hurrying off. Later that evening, during the inevitable happy hour, I was still rocking my 130mm Hot Waves. Seated at the bar, enjoying a bourbon, I crossed my legs to showcase the heels. Off to the side, a man was staring intently, clearly captivated. I continued to flaunt the shoes, emphasizing the arch and silhouette of the 130mm heel. He was so distracted that he barely paid attention to his colleagues. Before leaving with his group, he approached me and said, “Nice Hot Chicks.” Though he got the name slightly wrong, it was clear he was enamored with the shoes. Unfortunately, it was a missed connection. I never saw him again and have no idea who he might be. Yet, with his evident interest in these rare heels, I suspect he frequents the same communities and forums as I do (HHPlace, Reddit, etc.).

Several interesting events happen this week. On Wednesday I stopped at the Post Office on the way into work. As I past a woman getting to her door she stopped and told "I just love those boots" (Impo boots with 3.8+" skinny heels) "I wish I could walk as well as you in them." That's just normal for me. It's what happen on the way out that makes this an event. When I was about 11 meters from my car, I felt something wrong...looked down and the platform had separated from the top of the shoe. Got to my car, took off the boot and drove home. Lucky, I was only 4 miles from home. Went home and changed into my Jessica Simpson faux suede knee highs. I have since glued the shoe together. I wonder how many miles I have logged in those shoes over the last 6 + years; 50?, 100?, 200? Today, was a meetings day, again had the JS knee highs (rainy/windy day). After one meeting, a woman told me she always likes walking behind me because she likes the heels I wear. We discussed shoes for a few minutes, she and another woman were fans of JS shoes. Sheepishly she confessed that she owned over 50 heels, I told her "that's ALL, I have around 100." We laughed.

This is so true! I remember the first few times I wore heels in public. I was so focused on what people might say, or what types of looks I might get, that by the end of it, I was like “wow, no one really even looked, or seemed to care at all, one way or the other”. Psychologically, I think I prepared myself too much, for negative reactions, ridicule, or even dirty looks, and when none of that happened, I realized that the whole event really wasn’t as big of a deal to everyone else, as it may have been to me. It honestly felt like all of the mental preparation and courage I summoned leading up to my finally walking in public wearing heels, was a gigantic nothing burger! In a strange way, It was sort of a let-down, almost making me feel like all of the excitement I had been building up in my own head, along with the thought that others would be ready to laugh, ridicule, point, or whatever, gave the whole thing much more importance than it actually deserved. What I got from my first experiences wearing heels in public, is that most people either, don’t care, or are not paying attention (mainly because they are probably too wrapped up in their own routines and their own distractions). I truly believe more guys would venture out in heels, if they realized that 99.8 of the “barriers” and negative reactions they expect and prepare for, or that they imagine that actually prevents them from experiencing and exploring wearing heels in public, basically come mainly from their own thoughts, and not the public/society itself. As far as reactions go, over decades of wearing heels in public, I’ve gotten maybe three or four dirty looks, maybe double that amount of looks of confusion or “double takes” (like when someone sees something, looks away, then quickly looks back, as if to say, “did I really just see what I thought I saw?), and I should add that many of those were woman, who followed it up with a kind smile! As far as comments, I’ve gotten literally dozens, from males and females alike, mostly all positive! Definitely nothing that would have ever kept me from going back out in heels again, that’s for sure. Bottom line is that most people could care less, and the ones that may notice, are mostly kindhearted people, and not as judgmental as one may think.

Here is the outfit from 2 weeks ago, and yes it was f'ing cold !

I've been browsing this site for a long time. But after my most recent escapade I knew I'd have to share. I want to make a post detailing my history a bit as I've found other smiliar stories and experiences informative. In the meantime though I will share my boldest public outing. So the plan was simple go out in the early AM in flats. Walk to a remote area change into heels, walk around a bit. Change back, walk home. Easy. My biggest problem though is what pair of heels? I bought some bright pink mary Jane's with a slight chunky heel and a nice t bar strap. About 3 and 3/4 of an inch tall. I only intended to wear them at home because they were so blatantly feminine and bright. But they fit well and I can walk in them comfortably, they also can be walked in without being incredible loud. That is if you walk with good technique. I figured that I wouldn't even see anybody and for some reason I picked them for my walk. So I got dressed. Threw a hoodie on slipped into some old ratty sneakers grabbed my heels and head out the door. This was nerve-wracking. But I tried my best to bolster my confidence. Why would I a man be walking holding a pair of bright pink heels? Maybe my GF left them at my house and I'm dropping them off, who knows. These are the mind games I play so I don't feel so awkward about the whole thing. As I walked I ended up at a small stair set. I sat down and took off my sneakers. I slipped my heels on. I took a couple steps and they sound alright and I can walk alright. However I began hearing voices coming closer and closer. I panicked. I frantically tore my heels off and just in the nick of time I was able to get my sneakers back on and as they rounded the corner I began to walk away. At this point my mission felt fubar. For some reason there was a relatively high amount of activity for that time of night. I began to feel discouraged. I also grew paranoid that it was some kind of security and they'd follow me. Thankfully I kept walking and they didn't. I wanted to call it quits but I couldn't turn back and possibly run into whoever that was, so I kept marching forward. Again I saw a man perhaps leaving a late shift or arriving for one. Again the activity scared me. But I doubled down and kept walking. I had now made it to a large parking lot and I knew that there would be nobody there. So I found a big set of stairs sat down and put my heels on. I left my sneakers sitting there and begin to walk. If I walked either heel to toe or tried to land my foot evenly my heels weren't too loud on the concrete. I felt my confidence begin to return. I felt comfortable walking and with my jeans partly covering my feet I felt reasonable safe. So in a spur of the moment decision I decided to go back for my sneakers, but not to change back. I picked up my old sneakers and found the nearest trash can and tossed them. Now I couldn't chicken out. I'd have to walk the mile back home in heels. Well unless I wanted to do the walk of shame and walk barefooted on the wet ground. I felt relatively confident, I knew the area well and I could navigate the quiet darker places and I'd only have to risk one section on the way home. So things went smoothly, well besides the fact my feet already hurt and I was was only a quarter of the way. I couldn't change my mind now! So I was beginning to reach the tricky portion of my walk. I knew that this was a sort of choke point between two sections of town and I would be more likely to see somone there. Surprise surprise as I was thinking this I rounded the corner and a young man was walking right my way about 20 feet ahead. I had no time to panic or hide. I just kept walking. I even instinctively made eye contact and nodded but they just stared straight ahead and kept walking. I was a hooded dude in jeans and pink heels I wonder if he even noticed haha. Either way I survived and the rest of the walk was uneventful. My worst case scenario happened and it was fine. So that was my little adventure. I have more to share in the future. If any of yall got questions id love to hear them. Thanks for reading. Also I've never been very good at writing so hopefully I conveyed this story decently enough and any grammatical stuff wasn't too egregious. -Goose

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.

Some time ago in another thread, the presumedly long discussed and possibly resolved issue of what constitutes a stiletto heel surfaced for yet another round of unnecessary debate and comment. I posted that although I love stilettos, I could not imagine that I would ever wear a pair of such heels out and about, let alone to work/the office. I believe that I had legitimate concerns regarding how appropriate they may be for a professional environment and the possibility of breaking a heel while simply walking from place "a" to place "b." Well, much to my surprise, all of that changed today as I wore a pair of 12cm stiletto ankle boots to the office for the first time. June 19th is a holiday here in the states and I expected that just about "everyone" would take off on the 20th for an extended weekend. Given that I still do not have a substantial amount accumulated time to take away from my job beyond holidays and weekends, taking a day off now would have a direct impact on travel plans for the remainder of the year. Thus, I decided not to do so and head in to the office for the day despite how much I just wanted to stay in bed this morning. As I recognized that very few other people were probably going to head to the building, I started to warm to the idea of wearing a pair of very high stiletto ankle boots to the office for the day. I saw this as a "test" to see how I enjoyed it and determine if there were going to be any "problems" if I did so. I decided to wear a pair of very long trousers as to cover almost all of the heel and a simple top for the day (and yet, is was still houte couture). In sum, the experience of wearing such heels was incredible. As 12cm is the very limit of what I can reasonably handle, it took me some time to get the mechanics of it down so that my cadence was smooth. I had to remember to stand up straight, bend the knees a bit, and walk at a much slower pace so as to take longer strides. Although, I more or less "had it down" by day's end, I think it I still need a bit of polishing/practice. An errand followed the end of the work day on the way home and once I got into my place, my knees were feeling it but everywhere else was fine. Needless to say, I immediately started planning the next time when I will be wearing a pair of similar heels to the office. In all the experience was utterly intoxicating! So yes @mlroseplant you were correct in your prediction that I would eventually be wearing stilettos to the office! A note on the photo - at lunch, I felt the need to get out of the office as reviewing dozens of pages of intricate financial documents can only be fun for so long. I walked over to the small park across the street and sat on a bench for a few minutes to clear my mind. The mere fact that I was out in a place were the world could see me wearing my stilettos is that to which I can find not adequate words to properly describe. For some reason, I continue to have issues of posting photo to the original post....

Hello! I have found and followed many pair of boots during years but this year I have found where to get them. I wanna show you those prettiest things. 😍 Just tell me if I have not correctly made this post. I wanna have all of them. I cannot resist!🥰 First boots I am trying hard to bring them back home since two months: Ann Klein Silence 10M The next one is coming towards me: Here are other boots.Putting them all here:

In a nutshell it's a high gloss coating applied to leather. There are different types like acrylic or polyurethane. It waterproofs but also reduces the natural stretch of the leather so it doesn't mold to the foot in the same way. Edit for details.

Just purchased these for an insanely low price, £1.75 brand new. Was such an amazing bargain, would have been crazy not to. Theyre the Stessy from Aldo. Im just not sure what to wear with them 🤔 🤣

There’s a men’s fashion Instagram account that keeps popping up in my feed and it’s rather interesting. Yesterday they had a post about men’s fashions becoming more feminine - specifically mentioning skinny jeans. The chap whose account it’s, and who deals in bespoke suits, was very much against this. I posted a comment saying that I thought it was time to lighten up, allow men the same degree of freedom, fun and theatricality women took for granted. I was pleasantly surprised to have 75 (and counting) likes and only one (polite) disagreement

Between 85 and 100% of what I wear comes from the woman's side, but other than my heels, I don't look feminine. Even with gel fingernails. More colors and fabrics to play with, better fit.

I hear ya for sure. But, I have found/noticed that a mix of subtle "feminine gear" along with decent "masculine gear" can be a great look indeed. Just a guy, happy to be a guy, wearing a touch of "feminine gear". I find this to be a very confident/powerful look indeed. Needless to say, many guys have nice long/lean/toned builds and look great in even more feminine gear, not a look I can pull off for sure... I recently bought a few pairs of women's nike leggings/work out gear pants from a thrift store, just to get a better idea of what size would work for me, and just how I would look. I enjoy wearing them, but afraid to see an actual picture of me...Afraid I might be "overstepping", writing checks my old dad bod just cant cash!

After four days in a row of practice, I believe I am back to normal. The super cold weather has left us, at least for now, and I can stand to walk outside again. It may be that I will feel like taking some pictures again soon. It's kind of too bad I missed the last couple of weeks. I wore knee high boots to church two weeks in a row!

I have been thinking about this post for a while and promise to try and keep it on point. When I started wearing heels, the height of the heel was what was important – the higher the better and I always went for 4.5” – 5.” The style of the heel did not matter whether it was a stiletto, block, wedge, or some other form. I loved such high heels because there was a certain irresistible and indescribable feeling of just being able to walk on a heel that I found to be so horribly alluring. Fast forward to November 2023 when I started wearing heels out in public. I started with 4” block heels in order to get comfortable with doing so and to date, have only worn a higher heel out to an event just once. When I started wearing heels to work earlier this year, 3” – 3.5” seemed to be a good start but for me, 4” is the limit for my own personal reasons (do not want to restart the what is/is not work appropriate debate). I have always felt that I wanted that which I was wearing to compliment the heels I chose for the day. I never felt comfortable wearing “guy” clothing with heels and as a result, began wearing feminine clothing with any pair of heels while out in public. To me, and speaking only for myself and not to offend anyone, most heels are alluring but “guy” clothes are boring and drab, thus, the two types of clothing are not compatible for my tastes. As I realized that my style of clothing to wear with my heels was starting to take shape, I began shopping for heels that matched the outfit in terms of color, style, and practicality; heel height became secondary. Thus, the height of the heel started not to matter so much anymore. Not to get off-topic, I will wear “guy” lounging clothes around my place when I have a new part of heels that need a bit of “breaking in” time before they are worn out in public. Soon, I began to feel a sense of comfort and fulfillment in the entire outfit even if I was only wearing kitten heels provided that what I was wearing with them reflected my sense of ‘haute couture.’ I, for example, love the look of tailored wide-leg pants with either a kitten heel or a shorter heeled animal print pump. Such reflects a certain sophisticated and classic elegance, a ‘je na sais quoi’ about it. The summers in my part of the world, however, can be quite unforgiving on some days which wreaks havoc on my feet; heels that fit today will not fit tomorrow if it is hot and humid. Fun and useless fact – one acre of corn stalks releases 2-3k gallons of water vapor (humidity) when they are short of maturity. When the heat takes hold, I opt for my Vans as I have several pairs in many colors which allow me to easily match those shoes to either my pants/skirt or top. Likewise, I have a very comfortable pair of loafers that are probably one of the most comfortable pairs of non-trainers I own. When I go this route of shoe choice, I still feel as great as I do when I am wearing a pair of heels out in public provided that the outfit looks great and my accessories match. Thus, I have come to realize that as much as heels are an expression of whom I am, I can still do so without having to wear 5” stilettos or the like. So, I have to ask if the height of the heel really matters?

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!

Hi! Haven't been here in ages. Been busy, and in general been pushing myself to wear heels more and more, but a lot of anxiety has gone away and have been enjoying a lot of my outings. My outings tend to be about once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. Usually to a nearby caffee shop, restaurant, or mall. I try to wear heels whenever I possibly can, but family cannot know, so it takes planning. A few years ago I tried mini-skirts, and now have quite the collection of minis and (ladies)kilts, all of which I love. But it was minis only. One or the other, either a mini, or heels, not comfortable with both. Recently though, for whatever reason, I bought a maxi skirt, down to my ankles, a nice flowy-one, nothing tight. Went outside in it and just loved how the wind picked it up and fluttered it around my legs, and I didn't worry about it blowing up and showing something I didn't want shown. And it was cool, meaning in the hot weather! That outing, in a maxi flowy skirt made me realize I have been missing out and given the length, I would actually be comfortable wearing these with heels! So I did. The day in question, I ended up wearing an ankle-length maxi skirt, black, with some buttons on it. I also wore a 4" pair of leather pumps (oh so comfortable!) and a nice white t-shirt. It looked good! I loved it! So, I enter the mall, not anxious but a bit reserved as this is new territory for me. Went to a store, browsed around looking at skirts, trying on a few things. It was fun. Then I decided to go the other end of the mall, grab a coffee and do some work. As I'm walking along, I notice a loud group of teenage girls in a store, and as I walk beyond them, one yells out "Love the heels, girl!". I didn't know what to make of the "girl" part (as I have stubble on my face, and am clearly a guy). Smiled at them and kept walking, walked right into a washroom (nature called). Did my thing, and as I am starting to exit, I see the same teenage girl pop her head in (into the male washroom!), and go away giggling. Her friends were yelling at her that it's the male washroom. I didn't feel comfortable, so stalled a bit, and then exited, hearing that they went into the female washroom. Then I made my way to my destination, (on purpose) walking by some security guards, just in case. Did not feel comfortable at all, and was questioning my choices. It has never actually happened to me, and I have worn heels to these types of places now countless of times. So am somewhat at this point. I bought coffee, sat down in the food-court, pulled my laptop and went to work for an hour or so. People came and went, I'm pretty sure some people looked, intensely, but whatever. After I was done, I started to head back through the mall to my car, and popped into a store that I frequent, because I love the stuff they have (sort of gothy, a bit on the fringe of fashion). Was checking the sales, specifically hoping a skirt I have been eyeing has gone on sale (unfortunately not), when one of the sales-ladies walks up to me and starts talking: Her: "Excuse me, but every time you come into the store..." Me thinking: oh oh, what did I do to deserve scolding? Her: "the sales-people are always very curious what sort of heels you're wearing, and checking them out." Instead of talking about with the other sales-people, she told me. "You always seem to be gliding around the store in heels" I thanked her, took that as a massive compliment, especially while wearing a maxi skirt and heels for the first time. Before I could follow up, she was interrupted by another customer, and went away. I browsed around a bit more, and had to leave. So... Good and bad experience. I'll chalk up the bad experience to teenagers trying to show off to one another and sometimes behaving shamefully especially when in a group. On the other hand, seems like people do notice, and remember... Thanks for reading!

Hello everyone ! I've been a high-heeled shoe enthusiast for years. As a photographer who loves to showcase feminine beauty, I was sometimes disappointed by the shoes worn by the models who came to the studio. So I bought several pairs of 12cm heels in different sizes to give them something feminine to wear. Then I wondered why some women liked to wear heels and why some men, like me, liked women in heels. I started by watching documentaries on the subject, I read books, I informed myself and then, to share this knowledge, I created a blog. My ex-girlfriend was my photo model, posing in the heels I'd bought. I can't help but look at a woman when she's wearing heels, so I include them in every one of my photo shoots. Later on, I drew a few pairs, just for fun. And now I'm wondering whether I shouldn't embark on the adventure of having them made in Italy, just to see if my tastes are shared. I still have to create a brand, launch a crowdfunding page... I'm not here to promote myself, just to share discussions on that most feminine of accessories: the high-heeled shoe. I'm looking forward to sharing my ideas, thoughts and emotions on 12 cm of happiness !

I too have been harassed by teenagers, though not for a long time. What I find it that when you engage them in a friendly way, they tend to melt pretty quickly. It's also nice to know that people actually pay attention to outfits you have gone to a great deal of trouble to create.

For years, I've been on a mission: to find a truly extreme high heel that combines height with elegance. The kind of shoe that commands attention and still adheres to most dress codes. My search for anything above 80mm that was also a closed-toe design proved surprisingly difficult, until I discovered the custom design process at ExtremeHighHeels.net. This is where "Miss Arches" was born. My vision was clear: a sky-high stiletto with an incredible arch, but without a clunky platform. Platforms, while adding height, often detract from the sleek, classic lines I was after. I wanted that dramatic, almost gravity-defying curve that only a true no-platform heel can deliver. Crafting the Dream: Design & Engineering The team at ExtremeHighHeels.net helped bring my ambitious design to life. The goal was to maximize the arch, creating that stunning visual, while also ensuring as much wearability and durability as possible for such an extreme heel. We opted for premium leather for both the upper and the sole, ensuring a luxurious feel and classic aesthetic that meets most formal dress codes. Beneath the surface, these shoes are built to last. They're constructed on a lasting board with triple reinforcement and a steel shank, providing crucial stability and support for such a daring height. In principle, this makes them incredibly durable. The "V" and the Walls: Form Meets Function One of the key design elements we incorporated was the V-shaped opening and slightly higher side walls. My thinking here was all about support. With a heel this extreme, every bit of added stability helps. The V-shape offers a sophisticated aesthetic while gently cradling the foot, and the higher side walls aim to provide a more secure fit, reducing the chance of the foot slipping laterally. It's a subtle but significant detail that I believe enhances both the look and the wearability. "Miss Arches" isn't just a shoe; it's a statement. It's the culmination of a quest for the ultimate in height and class, a design that truly makes the arch pop and the wearer stand tall.

Still waiting for the heels show above. I only write in this space when I get new shoes or when some unusual thing happens. The last few days I have been at a statewide convention with 300+ people. I wore three different heels, by Steve Madden mules/wedges, Vince Camuto mules, JS knee highs. I must have had over 20 conversation with women about heels in the last 2.5 days And not the usual 'I can't wear heels" types. Although one woman told me use to wear high heels until she had a baby and her feet swelled. Last night at a 'party', one woman asked me if my feet were sore (she had seen me in heels for at least 14 hours) - "No." Many of these conversations were more than "I just love your shoes", some lasted 20+ minutes and continued during the following days. And I saw a lot of heels as well.

As a final followup to this thread, I have now worn the Elisabet Tang/GenShuo pumps out in public, and I can say that they're pretty decent for the money. I don't know if you pulled the trigger on that lot of them a month or so ago, but I think they would be well worth the money, provided that they actually fit. Both pairs I got had to spend some considerable time on the shoe stretcher. One thing that impresses me is that despite being fairly aggressive with the enbiggening device, nothing came loose, nothing broke, and the material didn't pucker permanently, as is often the case. They look and walk better than they have any right to at that price point.

Mirose, I also wore a pair of red pumps for Pentecost Sunday church. Mine were not stilettos but were a 3" small block heel. With my red suit coat and white pants I got several compliments on my ensemble, last Sunday. Happy Heeling, bluejay

I think I got my first heels when I was 16 and able to drive. I went to a Payless shoes, and the only memorable part of that trip was me awkwardly feeling I -had- to spew out my fake back story the clerk did not ask for. I kept those shoes and a stack of Mad magazines in a metal lock box in my closet. I think my parents were worried I was doing something illegal as when I returned from a trip to Michigan the magazines were in my closet, no box or heels. Sometime in my tween years I figured out something was up with my gender identity. I liked some girl things, and did not understand why your gender limited your life experiences. By 13 I was hitting a crisis point, and decided to just ‘be me’, and live on my own terms. Back around 1990 non-binary was not a thing. If it had I might have been far more comfortable mixing up my appearance in public.

I bought my first pair when I was in high school in the early 90's. It was a navy blue pair of pumps from Payless with a silver decorative piece on the front. The men's shoes were on the wall directly across from the larger women's sizes. I must've pretended to look at men's shoes for twenty minutes before I got the courage to go to the cashier with them.

The reason I don't see so many heels is because I spent the majority of my waking hours at a construction site. Having said that, I can remember back in the day when a building was nearly complete, the owner would give tours to groups of people (I always assumed that they were employees/bosses at the company). Invariably, there would be several women in high heels during tours through a building under construction. I can recall another job site I worked on where the female engineer would show up every week to check things out in 4 inch block heeled boots. That was the Barilla pasta plant, and the engineer was actually from Italy. That may have had something to do with not only her footwear, but her impeccable sense of style, despite being on a construction site. The concrete floors were in by that time. It's not like she was stepping over clods of dirt in heels.

My first attraction to feminine footwear was for the shiny white go-go boots worn by a very pretty red haired girl in my seventh grade class. I didn’t just admire them, I longed to have a pair too. At the same time I was also acutely embarrassed by the thought that I fancied wearing girls boots. I put such thoughts out of my mind, or at least tried to, although I still really wished I could have a pair of go-go boots and thought it grievously unfair that I couldn’t. It wasn’t an obsession, this curiosity and desire to wear feminine boots - it was the feminine styling, not so much the heels themselves that appealed to me - it was more like something I’d be reminded of from time to time. Some random style would catch my eye and send my imagination wandering down those corridors again. And always with regret that such a thing was impossible. About ten years ago, I had this damascene moment when I realised it wasn’t impossible. It was only me that was making it impossible. I decided that I didn’t want to go the rest of my life having never worn heels or feminine boots, and so I ordered a pair. I splurged and bought some beautiful black suede OTK boots from Jean Gaborit with 10cm slender - nearly stiletto - heels. They were beautiful and fit like a glove, my first feels. And from the moment I stood up in them I knew it had been worth the wait. I never did get a pair of go-go boots, but I want to…

Well today just happens to be a stiletto day, knee high suede Jessica Simpson's. ===== Not even one second look at my knee boots. Must be normal now.

Yes, an interesting, non-judgemental and literate article which could indeed promote the look. The boots themselves are not very appealing - a rather heavy 'shoe' with a wader shaft attached - but I suppose that was to get away from the look of the typical female thigh boot which some men would find off-putting. Maybe something like these would be better - sleeker but still discreet, and with potential for a higher heel if desired:

I just completed my quick 1.5-day trip. And @pebblesf, the airline was SWA. I wore my Jessica Simpson black faux suede with block heels both ways. Stilettos would have been a nightmare of the airport floors. First with jeans and returned in dark red cords. I was one of the very few in colors other than white, black, blue, grey, and beige. Also, I had the highest heels everywhere. I saw some SWA flight attendants in short (2 inch) heels, and a Spirit FA also on short heels at the hotel I stayed at. Almost all the CLEAR and TSA agents complimented me on my knee-high boots before saying anything else. The guy at the car rental also complimented me on the ‘fierce’ boots before I got to his station. At least 20 other travelers also complimented me on the boots. Many, many double takes. Good quick trip. Another trip in a month. Again boots

I also wear my knee boots and OTK boots outside my jeans. As you say, it’s noticeable. Even so, a lot of people don’t notice. And those that do seldom give it much more than a passing glance.

I realize that folks "notice" when I wear stiletto boots/booties, can almost feel the gaze/stare behind me. But that's OK, hoping they are intrigued. Getting on/off an elevator is another place where I realize my boots will be noticed... Often wish I had a way to hear what was said after I got off the elevator, or perhaps better off not knowing. Oh well.. I can truly count the actual negative responses on one hand... Like "shyheels" says, you just have to "own it", be confident, never let em see you sweat....

I did actually wear stilettos in public just yesterday, to my kid's jazz band concert. And even then, I seem to have attracted very little notice, despite there being hundreds of people there. And yet, at the same time, I was a unicorn. I was not the only one I saw who was wearing heels, but I was the only one in high stilettos. It hasn't always been this way. I've certainly been challenged and even heckled in the past.

Today I wore my Nine West suede knee highs boots with pointy toes to work. One of the administrators ask me about how to buy boots. She has seen some 'but they were expensive". Yeah good suede boots cost money. This is the third time she has ask about shopping, I think she wants to go shoe (boot) shopping with me....LOL

Someone ripped me a new one on reddit for my reply to a guy's question about wearing his leggings in public for the first time. I responded that he might consider wearing a pair of gym/cycling shorts over the leggings in an effort to help get over feeling self concious about it. I also mentioned that leggings on a guy can be quite revealing, perhaps not appropriate for all occasions or audiences. Someone wrote back saying my advice was the worst ever, and that the world should "get over" the fear of seeing the human form because it is completely natural.... Well, I didn't really respond back but disagree for sure. Like I say, leggings can be pretty darn revealing on guys, no secrets for sure. The rest of the world might not be interested in knowing quite that much about this man's physique and endowment. Just the same way I would prefer not to watch a woman breast feed, especially when she refuses to cover up. I'm not really interested in accidentally walking into a stall while someone is relieving themselves. All of these are natural acts indeed, but not ones most of us are interested in witnessing. I guess sometimes we/guys need to consider the audience. Leggings at the gym, great. Leggings while jogging or biking, great again. But perhaps leggings might not be the best choice for going to the food store, or other places with alot of kids, family type restaurants, etc. Needless to say, I think guys can look great in leggings, but not all of us can "pull off the look successfully".

When I think of feminising the male wardrobe I think more of borrowing from the women’s aisle than achieving a feminine look myself - in much the same way women will happily borrow whatever they please from the men’s aisle and then work with it to achieve the (still feminine)look they are after rather than trying to dress like a man. i like adding what are perceived to be feminine boots to my style, but I’ve no interest in looking feminine overall.

Today I stopped by a DSW store to see if my order was in. It was, but the Journey booties didn't fit. The bad news is that this DSW only has about 20% of floor space for heels, 10% men's dress and the rest sneakers (runners for you Brits). Very, very sad. So far this year I've only not worn knee highs boots to work once. I get lots of compliments on the my boots from both men and women. Random scooter shoot outs - "love those boots" or "great outfit". LOL Today when I picked up my food at a multi-restaurant eatery, the order taker told me nice boots.

That's taking hi-viz to a new level!

My view on fashion is convoluted because it is ironically so simple: who gives a flying flip about what gender it is supposed to be for if its what you want to wear? I wear leggings because they are warm and comfortable compared to sweatpants or long johns. And I think it is great that guys are wearing high heels because they were originally men's fashions. I don't care that women wear them now, but I would love to see it go back to where it is common place for men to also wear them. I really cannot define it, but I just like seeing outfits that are well thought out and coordinate well. I can't define it, but I know when I see it.

My podiatrist advise me to wear at least 2.5 inch heels to deal with my extreme high arches. I go to a nail salon where it is more of a coop, where each nail tech has their own clients and manicure stations, but share space and pedicure stations. Very, very hard to get in for none-regulars. And I get great leg and foot massage, too. I wear open toes throught the year. Not much this month. I too let my nail tech do dealers choice, bt many times I have a design in my head when I come in. After the pedicure I get my manicure. I have damaged figernails so I get acrylic nails with gel color. Ran errands this morning, 4 random compliments on them. Men can get colored fingernails. PS. My podriatrst loves my nail color.

I think we are all more influencers than we know, and you especially. You just have this huge love of high heels that bursts through, a true passion, so I think you influence a lot more people than you give yourself credit for. That includes a lot of people on this site. And never forget, most forums have 99 people lurking for every one that posts a reply, so you might (and others on here) have far, far, far more influence than you think. But that is what being authentic does... it shows others its fine to like whatever it is that they like!

That is all so true. I also think motivation has a lot to do with it too. My wife straight up dresses for me because she loves me and knows I like it. Since she is not dressing for others attention, I think its a look she can pull off. But people also suck. My wife and I are probably some of the most humble unassuming people in the world, but we do like to dress up and most of the time are some of the best dressed people at a venue. Not over the top bling-bling, but sharply dressed. Yet we hear snide comments a lot. Most of the time it is my wife who hears them from other women in the bathroom, or walking past just loud enough to her husband but so that we can hear, and occasion for us as a couple. I think it just becomes unusual as more and more people dress down, and in doing so they either feel guilty about how they constantly dress, or flat out make the wrong conclusions on why we do dress nice. For us, its all about this: "You feel how you are dressed". Spend a week in the wilderness bush crafting it, you are going to feel gross and yucky. But dress nicely, and you feel better about yourself.

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.