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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?

@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 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.

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.

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 have been appallingly slack this past week and hardly practiced at all in my challenge heels - or indeed any heels at all. I’ve been getting up and building a fire and then plunging straight into my novel writing, not bothering to get dressed for work as I usually do. I keep telling myself I’ll just finish this section and put in my jeans and stiletto boots but somehow it just slips my mind. I really must get my focus back and out of these slovenly habits …

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.

Yes, I know that he sold the business and that his wife died a couple of years ago. We used to get together and show off our new heel purchases and go shopping at my area stores when he visited me. We used to correspond regularly but I have not heard from him in over a year now. I even tried to call him on his cell phone with no luck. Happy Heeling, bluejay

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.

I like both pull on boots and those with zippers. The zip boots have a neater snugger fit around the ankle and calves, and while pull ons are necessarily looser around the ankle, if well fitting they still look quite sharp

It is kind of sad how often that happens to innovators of society: they have a wild idea that is outside the mainstream and act on it, and then... it fizzles and dies. Typically right before it is picked up again and goes big by some entity that really had no early stakes in the game. A great example is the McDonald brothers who made meals fast, but it was Kroc who bought them out and took their idea internationally with the McDonald's we know today. I do too, and almost always do when I write on here. If I am home and lounging, I typically have my "soft pants" on, or leggings on, as in they are not jeans like when I work, or work in jeans around the house. In the winter, I am in leggings 100% of the time, as they are under my jeans for warmth, or I am in the house lounging.

He seemed like quite a nice guy. We corresponded a bit, but a long time ago now

Steve Madden actually surprises you sometimes. As it is stupidly cold here for the next few days, I will not be submitting any photographs, but I've actually purchased some new Steve Madden shoes recently. While those particular boots are not really my cup of tea, I do like the look of a close fitting knee boot. Believe it or don't.

Definitely guilty as charged. I was on the high school tennis team in the 1980s, and we all wore shorts of that length. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I think we are all too fat in general for that style to ever come back. So I guess it's me and you and Cali. And maybe a few others.

Yes, I remember him. It’s been a long time since I heard from him

I actually have some boots that are sort of like that, maybe not quite as sock-like, but a similar idea. I wore them exactly once, and never again. I do have photographic evidence, submitted for you here. I'm not saying they don't fit, I'm not even saying they don't look ok on me, I'm just saying I don't like them.

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

At one time I was considering starting a "Leggings For Men" company. I would put sport images on the leggings: footballs, soccer balls, baseball, golf, cricket, .... But I didn't, too bad. Men wearing pantyhose for heat was popularize by a football game when the San Francisco 49ers played Chicago Bears on January 8, 1989 in a playoff game on an iconic cold day. 49es won. I don't wear pantyhose, but I have many different different versions of leggings, from very thin to thermal versions for skiing under my bibb. Leggings a so much better that sweatpants, but I wear sweatpants to work in my garden. BWT: I have leggings on this morning as I write. And @Puffer. many doctor's recommend pantyhose for people with leg circulation issues.

I am not sure but I think the youtube I posted was probably spearheaded in some way by Amazon to garner more mantyhose sales? I am sure there is money to be made from such encouragement although that was never my intention. It was merely to show that it seemed to be rising in male wardrobe popularity. But that might be a chicken and an egg sort of situation; That is: which came first? I suspect there was some fashionable men trying to do something new, it was noticed by corporations in retail, and maybe videos made to boost the trend for sales from there? I don’t know: I am not a conspiracy theory type of person, I just know that these sorts of things happen, like engineered obsolescence. My wife would probably allow mantyhose to be worn on cold days for warmth, but not much more than that and nothing that would show while in public. As I said I tried some experiments and I did feel mantyhose was warmer than leggings, but I suspect from the way it wicks moisture and wrapped the lower half from waist to toes. Coupled WITH leggings I suspect it would be a super warm combination without a lot of bulk underneath my work jeans. Climbing a tower on a windy winter day would probably be a great place for that combo. Another experiment I did was with chaffing during exercise. Again, with mantyhose clinging tighter than leggings, it seemed to help without overheating. When I first started walking the 5-7 miles I do per day, I had chaffage issues on my thighs, and it was tried then. It worked, but having lost significant weight since first trying it, I don’t have that issue any more. But I can see men who work out having some benefit from mantyhose. All that being said I think you are right, we are seeing the first stages of it being a unisex thing. I know leggings for men have evolved to that point. Call them leggings or base-layer and they are common to see. I was mowing my lawn in my leggings when my neighbor had an emergency. I ran over to his house and pounded on his door and he came out and he was wearing leggings just like I was.

I don't have a view either but I have some circulation issues that encourage me to keep my feet and hands warm in winter - bedsocks are a must and these slipper-socks (found in Lidl as a Christmas item) have proved very snug, and a bit of fun too. I can see that tights could be an alternative, with added leg warmth too, but I can't imagine my wife approving. It did seem to me that the Youtube video was encouraging men to wear both tights and footwear of a distinctly feminine style, as both were featured throughout in what was ostensibly a message aimed at men. Nothing wrong with that; maybe wearing tights is a straightforward first step towards unisex/feminine dressing?

@Shyheels Thanks, I'm very happy that I reached a level where I can confidently wear them out for normal distances 🙂 @mlroseplant Great pair of heels! Yes, I feel like with time we really develop a sixth sense in avoiding such traps with stilettos 😀

I have worn leggings for years, but for me it all started in an extremely manly way… My trucker called and said he needed to haul the wood I had cut all winter which was at the top of a hill on a half mile logging road. It was January and -20 below zero (f) and blowing 20 miles per hour. I had a bulldozer but it did not have a cab that I needed to open up the snowed in road with. My wife suggested to stay warm I put on a pair of her leggings to get an extra layer on without bulking up. It worked and I was warm, but darn were they ever comfortable. Up until then I wore sweatpants under my clothes but they were bulky. I even wore a size bigger clothes in winter just to accommodate them. It seemed silly to have different sized clothes from season to season when there was a better way… leggings. Now I have switched to leggings and wear them year a round. In the summer just in lounging around the house, what I call wearing my “soft pants”, or come the end of the day declare, ‘it is soft pants time”. Sometimes I will mow the lawn, go through a drive-in restaurant, or go out to my woodworking shop wearing them, not caring if people see me doing so. But generally I don’t wear them in public.

I think it was probably Vivier in the early 60s with his designs for Dior and St Laurent that sent boots on their trajectory from dowdy winter wear to fashion staple, but go-go boots certainly played their part as did Nancy Sinatra. Shows like The Avengers didn’t hurt either. Did you know that Steed and Emma Peel (the Honor Blackman incarnation) sang a song titled Kinky Boots on a TV variety show in 1963? It was pretty awful - and kinky did not have the same connotations as it does today - but it does indicate that boots were creeping into the fashion consciousness. i would have loved to gave been able to try on a pair of go-go boots back in the day. Proper ones didn’t really fave heels but they were chic nonetheless

CrushedVamp, I've been wearing pantyhose, tights and leggings for years. I don't usually hide them under pants but wear them openly to show the world what I'm wearing. I like wearing them with a skirt, dress and skorts and always with heels, both shoes and boots. I was introduced to wearing hose by a former girl friend over 45 years ago. My wife is totally OK with me wearing hose. Happy Heeling, bluejay

It wasn’t go-go boots specifically but tall boots in general that became the fashion staple of the empowered independent women by the end of the 60s.

Well, we do work inside of conduit more than you would think. Like the power coming to the island here is not run overhead, although it could be. The distance is not that far from shore to shore. Instead, it is dropped into conduit and run across the bridge that crosses the reach. But for the most part they are slung from poles or towers. The tallest towers in the world are in China at 385 meters or 1235 feet, or about the height of the Sears/Willis tower in Chicago. They need to be that high so they can span a 2 km, or 1.25-mile-wide river. But in the transmission line world, temperature is critical. Affixed solidly between two points, if the load increases, the wires heat up and thus expand… and sag… often times into tree limbs or vegetation. The newer lines have temperature sensors built into the wires along with signaling cable in the center of them so grid operators can know how much sag they are getting from high loads. That was part of the problem during the Great East Coast Blackout of 2003 which killed 100 people. As for your high heeled walk you did. First: you are a man of integrity so I think I speak for all of us when I say there was no need for a validating photo. While we appreciate seeing it by all means, it was not required because if you say you did something, I think all of us know you truly did it. But second of all… in the snow? Wow, are you brazen. Good for you! It is hard to say if you needed to do so with no one seeing you though. I think so many people are so caught up in their own worlds and problems they might not even notice a man walking in the snow in high heels. My case in point, I’ll be driving with the wife and say, “slow down for those deer”, to which she will say, “deer? Where? I don’t see any”. I say this because you would be surprised in what people do not see. Of course I say that with the full knowledge that some blooming idiots would drive into you in being so surprised to see a man walking in high heels in the snow too, paying no attention that they were actually driving!

I have skinny calves too. I’ve two pair of stiletto boots from Italian heels - both are their Tina model, one (black) with 10cm heels and the other (chocolate brown) with 12cm heels. They fit very nicely around my calves. They were not cheap, but they are well made, real leather - I’d much rather have only a couple of pairs and have them fit beautifully. I’ve a pair of very beautiful, luxurious black suede OTK boots custom made by Jean Gaborit that fit absolutely perfectly, and their sturdy, slender 9cm heels are extremely walkable. But you do pay for that …