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Some great news here 🙂 @mlroseplant Great new heels! I'm sure you will manage them soon after a bit of practice. I'm totally with you that it's not that much about the shoe itself but the ability to walk properly. Here we all have our standards of how much skill we want to have before wearing them out. What I don't really have is that there are better and worse days, at least not for the heels up to 12 cm. Maybe that would happen if I'd take a few days or even weeks off. For the 13 cm heels however I could feel the difference when I was wearing them more or less. I wore my 13+ cm boots out 3 more times and can say that I'm finally done with practicing at home 🙂 It's really fun to wear them out and I'm glad I have some winter time left to do so. Afterwards I'm also looking forward for the Hot Chicks again, I wonder how easy they might feel then 😄

All, A few more pics of me in wedge sandals. Top is a hybrid look of a man’s polo shirt with cuffed skinny jeans a nice shopping outfit or just going out in the evening. The second is shorts with a regular tee shirt. I did wear this to a picnic where I was invited and encouraged to wear my heels. The point is to enjoy what you’ve bought. They’re not tree ornaments. HinH Here’s I am in cuffed skinny jeans with my 9W “Leggy” sling back wedges which have 5.5”/16cm heels. I have worn these wedges many times with skinny jeans and bootcut jeans as well as with shorts and dresses. Have also taken them on trips more often than not.

That's a very detailed inventory you did! I never actually did an inventory of my heels. If I find that a pair is worn out or I don't like it anymore (which never really happens...) it has to go. And new pairs come by themselves anyways 😀

Here are my latest acquisition. I got these for less than $20 in a thrift store. The brand is Fashion Nova, And they go up to just above the knee. They are an almost half black, and half grey, suede like material. and they have a 4" block heel.

I finally got a chance to walk around in a photograph my new shoes from Highest Heel. The weather actually approaced 0º yesterday, so I didn't feel like I was totally freezing every time I stepped out the door. The verdict is, I think they're quite attractive, and they seem to fit well. I cannot say that with 100% confidence because I never actually left my driveway, nor do I think this will happen anytime soon. Let's put it this way: No one but the across the street neighbor can watch me walk in them just yet, I won't allow it. Over the last couple of days, I've spent several hours each day in 11 cm shoes, but these 12.5 cm are a whole different level. To be fair, I didn't feel like I had it together anyway yesterday. I was not walking well in the 11 cm, much less the higher ones. I guess it was just one of those days. I was walking just fine at the jazz festival on Saturday in the same shoe (same model, different color), and I walked just fine at the grocery store on Friday in the same exact 11 cm shoes, but I could not seem to find my feet yesterday. Here's the specs: Model name of this shoe is Hottie (I wonder if it's a nod to the Hot Chicks), they are not real leather, but appear to be of reasonable quality, with a similar look and feel to my Steve Madden patent pumps. The actual heel height measures 13.3 cm, and when I run it through my 0.94 formula, I get the 12.5 cm equivalent to size 38. These are labeled size 9 USW. The heel width is 8 mm. Pretty narrow, but not super freaky fetish narrow. Here are some photographs: 1) A closeup, 2) the shoes with an outfit, and then for comparison, 3) the 11 cm shoes I actually wore to church with the outfit. Except for the height difference, I think the shoes are almost a dead ringer for the shoes I've already got.

Fashions definitely come and go. Some stick, and some don't. And everything seems to come back at some point. What's old is new again, is what they usually say. I forgot that in the 70's men wore short shorts. When is that coming back?

I have a problem that I didn't have before. On the weeks that I actually get a photo taken of my church outfit, I am wont to post it on my usual thread "Ruminations, etc." Now that we've got this higher heel challenge going, sometimes these subjects overlap. After warming up in my training shoes in the snow, I wore these effectively 11.3 cm pumps to church. I'll post the whole outfit (or at least what you can see with my winter coat) on my other thread. Like we keep saying, take a cm or two off the height of our "training" heels, and it's actually pretty easy! Nobody but you folks believes me, though. Brand of these shoes is GenShuo, and I really cannot complain about the quality, for what they are. They seems every bit as sturdy as my usual Steve Maddens, and they offer just a smidge more height. They obviously are not expensive shoes, but they aren't ridiculously cheap, either.

@mlroseplant You did great! 1,6 km in these heels sure isn't for beginners, and the snow doesn't make it easier. @Shyheels A different approach to practicing in heels, sounds adventurous 😀 I reached a milestone on the weekend - I wore my 13+ cm boots out for the furthest distance so far, to a location where I also wore the Hot Chicks before. It was around 200 m one way, a bit more than my usual walk around the block. The walk there was fine, on the walk back it was a bit more uncomfortable. I feel like I can finally step back on the practice walks and wear them out more for the "real things" 🙂

I finally pulled the trigger and went for a walk in these shoes on this cold Sunday morning. The current temperature is -13º C, which is typical for mid January in Iowa, but I wanted to see if I could do it. I still haven't got a true measurement for the steepness of these shoes, but I am confident that the steepness is equal to or greater than 12 cm, de-rated and temperature corrected. Only electricians will get that last reference, I'm looking at you @CrushedVamp, although maybe you don't have a similar rule on the high voltage side of things, being as you don't try to stuff as many wires in a conduit as you can. Is it early on a Sunday morning here, and I didn't meet a single person on my walk. No dog walkers, no joggers. Only one car passed me in the street. That was my plan, because although in the end, I don't think I did too bad, I didn't want anyone to see me walking in these shoes. It was a vetting process, for sure. As usual, after about 1/4 mile, I began to find my feet. Really, a mile (1.6 km) was not too far. Maybe I'm beginning to get the hang of this. The attached photo shows circumstantial evidence that I actually did this. Also, I almost fell on my backside a couple of times, due to the dusting of snow that we got. It looks like somebody preceding me was wearing Birkenstocks, innit? How mundane.

I can remember very clearly the first time I experienced this phenomenon, albeit on a slightly lower scale. At the time, I was wearing around 9-10 cm pretty much all the time, and got to where I felt pretty good at that height. Then one day I wore those 7 cm sandals that I just got rid of, and I thought, "Man, I can really zoom around in these things!" I almost started running everywhere, because I could. I never much advanced beyond the 9-10 cm range until recently, thanks to this challenge. I don't want to say I can zoom around in 10 cm, but they feel much less like heels than they used to.

I fully understand what your situation was @mlroseplant, especially in light of the photo being for an entirely different reason than showing the high heels you happened to be wearing. I must say, most of your photos of you in heels come out really, really well. Your pictures often show your great heels, but also your overall outfit well with quality photos most of the time on here. But photography is interesting… sometimes taking lots of time in setting up the perfect photo works really well and a stunning photo is made, and sometimes just turning around and snapping a quick picture captures the moment in time just perfectly. Of course, the opposite is true as well and especially so for candid photos, there are twenty poor ones taken for every great photo made. I tend to like candid photos. It can be fun to set up the camera for the perfect shot, but also fun when stunning pictures come from the spur of the moment. I have plenty of examples of quick shots being surprisingly stunning, but being a high heel site, my wife and I were doing a themed photoshoot, and while most of the pictures were taken with her painstaking posed, as she sat on a bridge for a break, I saw her seated, turned around and snapped a quick picture. It came out extremely well, really the best picture of the seventy or so we had set up that day. So, it just shows you never know, some of the best pictures cannot be planned. This is a photo of her on the bridge with some high heel knee boots.

Hey all. Got these platform sandals from, of all places, the Walmart website which could be useful for larger sizes. Chose a neutral color for more outfit flexibility. What surprised me was the advertised 5.9”/15 cm heel height, typically measured in size 8/EU 38, actually measured 8.0”/20cm!! That rules out wearing with jeans for day trips or maybe to a picnic. They do however do look fine with a dress or skirt. This is not a brand I was previously familiar with. Just be alert certain brands may be higher than you were led to believe. These sandals appear to be sturdy and well-made.

Shyheels, Saw all the chatter then saw the photo of your knee high boots. They certainly look nice and I would consider something like this. I’ve never worn boots tucked into jeans like this rather have worn knee high boots with dresses. These look great on you. I don’t have flat sole boots like these but the overall look of your boots is classic indeed. HinH

Haha, you are not wrong! We drive everywhere. It's a shame that it's that way, but it is. A car is not a luxury in the U.S., it's an absolute necessity, outside of maybe New York City or Chicago. Having said that, I've never known anybody to actually move their car during a trip to the shopping mall. The more common experience is to forget where you parked. But who goes to a mall anymore? That's so 1990s! I'm only 90% kidding.

Yes. I suspect that single extra centimetre makes a whopping difference. When I was tottering about in my 12cm boots I tried imagining what that extra centimetre’s height in your Hot Chicks would be like. Definitely too high for me even to attempt. That said, I think when I either fix my present boots or buy some new 12cm heels I will start making decent progress. Seeing the tilt on that left heel when I was examining the boot on the tabletop explained a lot of my difficulties so far. I’m really looking forward now to giving 12cm a proper try. until then I’m getting plenty of time in my 10cm heels

I wore my 10cm ankle boots for several hours yesterday while rejuvinating the latest outboard I pulled off my buddy's junk pile, felt great, very comfortable

Yes, they can’t read a map or tell time on a traditional clock. If we brought those two things back, plus stick shifts on cars and cursive writing we could take down the whole western world

Wow congratulations! Mastering 13cm heels puts you in some pretty rarified company. Even among high heel aficionados very few can rock 13+cm boots or Hot Chicks! Well done!

Yes, doing this with @mlroseplant and @higherheels has really made a huge difference to me. They’ve become virtual colleagues and I think of them fondly whenever I am practicing, even if I am bringing up the rear in terms of my skill level. Their encouragement has been a great help

I broke one of my own rules yesterday--don't wear dressy shoes with a casual outfit. However, I was going through my shoe collection, trying to get it under control. This involved some vetting, or re-vetting, if that's even a thing. As a result, I wound up wearing black patent pumps to the grocery store to purchase some comestibles. They are 11 cm, and definitely keepers. I felt the need to re-vet because I actually had to wipe the dust and cobwebs off of them, so it's possible that I haven't actually worn them since Christmas 2024, the last time I distinctly remember wearing them. But is it too much for a non-dressy outfit?

Almost nobody believes me that any heels can be comfortable, not even speaking of 4 inch heels...

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day who said, "R. doesn't believe me when I say that four inch heels are comfortable." My response: "Yeah, I'm the only one who believes you."

That’s a good age to stop. I’ve never seen a 111 year old who could convincingly carry off short shorts. They try, but there’s just something missing …

I only know them because of their height chart that we already discussed. Of the two I only know Fuss-Schuhe, I have a few heels from them. I can recommend them, they're good quality at a fair price.

I still like to wear short-shorts in the summer with my heels. I feel very comfortable wearing those ensembles. Happy Heeling, bluejay

Bikinis and weight do not correspond so well because women do not wear bikinis just because of what they reveal. Being guys, most of us have never tried to take off a wet, single piece bathing suit while in a rush to go to the bathroom, but watching any lady over 50, or with some weight issues try it, and it will quickly be ascertained why the bikini is so common to see. But drunk people, young children and leggings: those are the three things that always tell the truth! PS: I think my mom made me wear short-shorts during a summer in the late 70's-early 80's when she decided my sister and I should do track. Don't ask me about the year she decided my sister and I should do gymnastics. I am still traumatized by that.

I'll raise my hand on that one. I was too young to do it back then. But I'm making up for lost time now. You think people are too fat in general for that to come back? I challenge you to go to any popular beach in the summer, and check out some of the women that wear bikinis. If we are fat, then they must be morbidly obese. Anything seems possible these days.

If you remember one of our members Steve, from Ohio sold men's panty hose as a business. I have several pairs of his panty hose. I really like them very much with the built in fly. I don't know whatever happened to him as I have not heard from him in over a year. Happy Heeling, bluejay

Always loved go go boots, and remember being mesmorized by them as a kid. Would really love a good quality pair today for sure.

Church OOTW for 01/18/26. I chose red, mainly because I wanted to wear my fire engine red pumps. I suppose it would be interesting to choose black and pair it with red shoes, but I didn't think of it in time. I'm typically ironing my shirt 30 minutes before I have to show up. I got a number of comments on my outfit, but none specifically about my shoes. Like I said in the "Aiming High" thread, what once was the outer limit of my skill now seems almost easy to negotiate.

Algorithms can either be good or bad, but for some reason on youtube I must have touched off one in the wrong way because I am constantly being bombarded by a trend I see starting. Or at least it seems that way. Men in pantyhose, or tights for those in other countries. Talk about changing up a mans typical drab wardrobe. I have no real opinion on the topic. When I first started transmission line work, I was in Montana in the winter of 1998 and it was cold. My foreman’s first words were, “buy pantyhose and wear them as it will keep you warm”. Like me, he was married and a mans-man in every way but openly wore pantyhose when it was cold out. I tried wearing them, and I think they do keep a person warmer, but it was too self-conscious for me. I worried about getting hurt and having to explain to medical professionals why I am wearing pantyhose under my work clothes. I do wear leggings though. They are often called “a base layer” but they are really leggings. My wife hates it, but I am not a front flap kind of guy, just downing the waistband when I need to go to the bathroom, so in order to look like I am wearing pants and not underwear with a flap, I buy the women’s style of base-layer, or leggings really. They are comfortable lounging at home, and keep me warm, although I think pantyhose did a better job of it. Without the flap, they look like black pants and so I can move in and out of the house with some neighbor wondering what I am wearing in semi-public! But it is all over youtube now, a drive to get men to wear pantyhose openly. I have no opinion on the matter except to point it out to people on here for discussion on whether its a new fashion trend they would embrace or detest. https://youtu.be/I1m0yWzI-jI?si=VJKkHfslddHSdGDG

I know you’re right. It’s just that I’ve become quite proud of my new abilities and can’t resist showing off to myself! Tomorrow morning it’s back to the 12cm stilettos! I’ve a goal here!

It can be tempting to stay with the lower ones because they've become so easy 😉 But it really pays off to keep practicing. Shorter walks in my 13+ cm boots already feel like second nature, I only have to gain some more endurance.

It’s quite funny seeing American politicians grumbling about how you never see those big American pick-up trucks being sold over here, or on the continent! As though trade barriers were the reason. Try driving one of those down an English country lane, or through the mediaeval streets of our towns, or finding a parking space almost anywhere and you quickly see the real reason!

As I work in the construction industry, and I don't necessarily have a fixed place of employment, I rely upon my car to get me to work. Sometimes that work has been pretty far away from my house, but in the last decade or so, I could count on putting about 15,000 miles a year on my car. However, since purchasing my Yamaha Majesty maxi-scooter, that number has been cut in half. Yeah, I actually ride mine, it's not a toy.

Here for the record are my challenge heels - my 12cm knee boots

Some of my lists and schedules are written in Latin on vellum with a quill pen. (Wax tablets have proved increasingly hard to source.)

I was barely an adult and at a funeral of all places when I first saw a sweater dress and ever since then have appreciated the style of that particular dress. My wife has a few, but my favorite is because of how we got it. We were having lunch in the food court of a mall and beside us was a boutique store. Way up high was this garment and so the gently quarreling that my wife and I so began. I said it was a sweater dress and she said it was a long sweater and so we went back and forth during our meal. Afterwards I asked the clerk at the store which it was and she said it was a very short sweater dress then asked us quickly if we wanted it. Needless to say, that very short sweater dress came home with us. That one was gray in color, but I admire the boldness of red too, in both the Red Dress and Fire Engine Red manicure. Good for you though the color defies your username! (Just teasing you Bluejay) I saw a woman at the store the other day wearing a bold red dress with red beret… something else I love for no apparent reason except I have always liked berets, and wanted to compliment on her outfit as she was older, perhaps 65 or so and wore it stunningly well, but did not want to sound creepy so I stayed mum. But I thought she looked sharp.

I finally got around to doing a shoe inventory for the first time in two years. I'm evidently "down" to 101 pairs of heels. I've never had a lot more than that, but I actually have a few empty spaces on the shelf now. Some things have changed. For example, I'm down to 9 pairs of clogs. I don't remember how many I used to have back in the day, but it was a lot more than that. What has not changed is my enthusiasm for wooden heeled sandals. I have 28 pairs of those. This time around, I did a couple of things differently. Although I did record such data, I did not compile any statistics about the absolute height of the heels, choosing instead to focus on the steepness alone, that is, subtracting out the height of the platform, where applicable. Out of 101, I do have 60 pairs that have that feature. However, if you subtract out the clogs and the wooden heels, where that's a necessary built-in feature for those styles, I have only 23 pairs of platform heels. The other thing I did differently this time around was change my definition of what is a "high" heel to adjust to a standard size 7/38. I did stay with imperial units. I have always considered 4 inches the start of "high" heels, but now my "high" heels start at an actual measured height of 4 1/4 inches, once adjusted for my size 9/40. Here are the numbers: Total heels: 101 Low heels <3": 4 Mid heels <4": 42 High heels <4.75": 52 Very high heels 4.75+": 3 Pumps: 21 Sandals: 58 Boots: 7 Mules, including clogs: 54 Stiletto heels: 43 Wedge heels: 10 Shoes I ain't worn in more than a year: 3 (not including my one pair of "men's" dress shoes. It's been a lot longer than a year.) If I calculated height in the "old" way, not corrected for size, I would have 70 pairs of "high" heels. So I guess that means 18 pair of my mid heels are toward the upper end of the range. Now that I've finally got that out of the way, maybe I can get something useful done.

There is a shape difference in shoes. Men's shoes are like boxes, very little difference in width between the toes and heels. Women's show have more of a pear shape, wider at the front and narrower at the heel. For me it means in men's I am a 9-9.5 EEE just to get my toes in, but then I have 1/2 inch on both sides of my heel and at the toes, 'clown shoes'. Lead to numerous ankle and knee issues (operations ad sprains). In women's I'm a regular size 10 and size 11 in some narrower heels. I can't get my feet into pumps, but that's alright, there is plenty of others I can.

Good topic. As to go-go boots I don’t have ant but understand their allure as some retailers have tried to cater to the cd/tg crowd or just guys looking for alternatives in bigger sizes. I really enjoy knee high boots with either stiletto or chunky heels. As to recessed heels I may have a single pair of pumps. High wedge sandals or platform sandals, 5” or higher, are my favorite buys. Once in a while a killer pump with a 5 or 6” heels might make its way into my wardrobe. HinH

I also went with mid-heel boots - warm suede OTK boots whose 8cm heels are easy to walk in. It was warmth more than heel height that was driving my choice. Our temperatures are not as cold as yours, but we have an insidious dampness that has a serious magnifier effect as far as discomfort goes. Once back in the boat with the fire going I was back into my 12cm boots - and yes, like you, I’m still not very good at them

I know what you mean! I’m tottering in my 12cm boots this morning, feeling very unpracticed. Utterly vile weather outside - horizontal rain, 80kmh (50mph) gusts, a temperature of 1°C (34°F) and a windchill of -13°C (8°F). Just had to go out - not in heels! - for a half mile walk up the flooded towpath with a dolly to a boatyard where I could buy a couple bags of coal. I was getting low and this was no day to run out. Now back aboard by the fire and feeling much more civilised in my heels - even if I totter about the galley as I make my coffee …

Awwwwww, don't be too hard on yourself. I have found EVERYTHING slows down in the winter. Yes, that might be in wearing high heels, but other things as well. It's not a bad thing. I learned that growing up on a farm. With no field work to do, we could slow down in the winter and enjoy other aspects of life more. Like playing pond hockey or going snowshoeing. I normally go for my walks daily, but with temps below zero and high winds, I have been putting it off. But that is okay, we are on the other side of the equinox and so the days are getting longer, the sun is higher in the sky, in another month things will be vastly different, and February is a very short month.

I profess to having a love of heeled boots and greatly prefer a pair of them (ankle to thigh-high) over a pair of pumps. For reasons I am unable to explain in a matter of a few simple words, boots, no matter the heel height, always seem to fit me so much better than pumps, loafers, etc. The problem that I face when trying to find that "just right" pair of boots is that I have slim calves and thus, I have had to pass on purchasing many of the gorgeous boots I have seen come the start of autumn. Based on my research, it appears that 15-16" (~38cm) top circumference is the "norm" and, unfortunately, I measure 14" (~34cm). If I wear of pair with a top circumference/shaft opening larger than 15" (36cm") they are obviously too large for my thin legs and can look rather awkward. Therefore when I am shopping for a new pair of boots, there are far fewer choices for me due to my narrow/slim calf size. I no longer shop for boots at shoe store as I know that what is available in my shoe size will be far too big in the calf area. Fortunately, I have been able to find a few brands that offer narrow calf boots for individuals like me. One brand that offers narrow calf boots with great quality/generally positive reviews is Naturalizer and I have two pairs of the Kalina model. They fit well and are well made, but the problem with this brand is that most of their styles have lower heels <3." Additionally, although the brand can be found at retailers outside of Naturalizer, as is often the case, once Naturalizer is out of a particular model, so is every other on-line retailer. So, as any Dutch members of this forum know, OP = OP! Another brand that I have found is Soleimani, which is sold via Slimcalfboots.com. Overall, the boots are well made and there is a fair selection of styles. I have a pair of black, 3.5" block heel pointed toe boots that have a "western" flair to them. They are comfortable and fit well through the calf but the ankle is a bit narrow which makes that area a bit tight. Although this does not affect walking in them, I can feel the leather pulling across my ankle when I bend it so my foot is pointing up. Likewise, the entire shaft is not leather as the part of the shaft in the back of the calf is a stretchy canvass-like material. Although advertised as "knee-high," some the their models are closer to mid-calf than at the knee. Despite this, I will probably be buying a pair of the same style boots in blue, and gray suede for next autumn. I very recently purchased a pair of boots from DUO out of the UK. I had added to a previous thread about DUO's self-inflicted missteps in the past and how the company just about went bankrupt due to an ill-conceived name change. As I had mentioned in that post, the number of different calf sizes available had dropped to eight, and the styles also changed. The elegant styles (with a great deal of sex appeal) which were once offered were replaced with boots that were far more "practical" and to me, bordered on "frump." The highest heel now on offer is ~3.5" (9cm) whereas in the past 4"/10cm styles could be found every season. Clearly, the audience at whom the boots were marketed had greatly shifted from "fashionista" to school teacher (No offense to any school teacher as my lovely spouse taught in a classroom for 19 years but she was always well put together). Also, there have been some complaints that the quality for which DUO was once known had fallen as well. Given the above, in respect to DUO, I was quite surprised to see the company offer a leather boot with a 3.5"/9cm stiletto heel in a snake print. To me, these seemed a bit "too" edgy for those to whom they would normally market their footwear. As my foot and calf size were available, I took a chance and ordered a pair. I was quite happy that DUO shipped these by FedEx as they only took a week to get to me (from the UK) compared to about three weeks if they were sent by post. Overall, the boots seem to well make and the calf size I purchased was perfect. The only draw back so far is that the ankle area is a bit large and the particular model I purchased was in whole sizes only (I am 9.5/US) so I had to order up a 1/2 half size. I am curious to see how comfortable they will be for a whole day. Next up...Other (usually very expensive) alternatives. The photo is from the DUO website...I will post a picture of how I wore them shortly after I do so! The black boots are from Soleimani.

Andre Courreges, the designer who introduced the go-go boot was heavily influenced by the space age and the futurism and optimism that came with it - a far cry from the cynicism of today. That’s why I dint think they can return, except as a kind of self conscious tribute to a bygone age

I am a guitar player and lover of music. I also play a little bass, and electronic drums. I could not see my world without it. Music in the car is a must for me. Music at work is a must. And I can also sit in front of my stereo and do nothing but listen to music. And just in case anyone ever doubts my love of music. I just show them pictures of all my guitars and instruments. And if that still doesn't work, I just show them pictures of my roughly 1500 CD's. And then I top that off with pictures of my roughly 300 or so records. So yeah, It's in my blood.

So true! I have been amazed by the difference practicing in my 12cm boots has made with my ability to walk in 10cm stilettos. I am very at home with them now - in fact, I’ve been so delighted with my newly earned ease in 10cm heels I’ve been neglecting my harder work 12cm heels. Must get back to business!

I couldn't "carry a tune in a bucket"...