Leaderboard

You all know I go everywhere to heel, Its Monday night and its time to go out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is the OOTN!

Ok, I've got some time, I might as well tell the story again. I should probably tell this story more often to people who ask me how I manage in heels so well, rather than just saying that I practice a lot. I officially "came out," so to speak, in May of 2012, when I wore my first pair of obviously elevated heeled shoes to a public function. Those shoes were effectively 3 inch, or 7.5 cm tall. All of the shoes I had at the time were platforms, so I am subtracting out the platform in order to give you a better idea of the steepness challenges involved. Later that month, I took my first real walk in these 7.5 cm heels, which was an eye-opener, because I had no idea how tired I was going to get before I got back home. Later on in that year, I moved up to effective 3 1/4 inch, or just over 8 cm heels. By about New Year's of 2013, I had bought some 4 inch, or 10 cm heels, and I thought I was doing pretty well at them. Until I made the decision to actually go somewhere in them. My wife and I needed to go to a large shopping mall, something to do with our mobile phones. I don't remember the exact reason, but it doesn't matter to the story. I proudly wore my new 4 inch ankle boots which I had just purchased the week before, and we headed off to the mobile phone store, which was probably 300 m away from our car. No problem, right? For whatever reason, the store was really busy that day, and we wound up standing and waiting to be served for the better part of an hour. After standing that long in heels, what seemed like a reasonably easy walk into the mall was incredibly painful on the way out. I literally thought I wasn't going to make it back to the car, my feet hurt so bad. I thought I was going to die. Now, 12 years later, it's hard to remember the intensity of that pain, but I remember thinking to myself, "This high heel thing is just a fantasy. Nobody can wear these things all the time!" I became very discouraged. I do not remember how I got the idea to actually start walking in heels for actual exercise, but it took root shortly after that incident, and I went back down to 3 inch heels and started walking the neighborhood, short distances at first. I didn't really try anything much taller than 3 or 3 1/4" for a long time, but eventually, the 4 inch boots which nearly killed me have become not only doable, but easy. I still have that same model of ankle boot to this day, and I really wouldn't hesitate to wear them to Disney World. They've become that natural, and I guess I've managed to train my feet and ankles to deal with them all day, every day without really thinking about it. I should remember this story more clearly whenever I hear somebody tell me that she can't wear heels for more than 30 minutes without great pain. I was at that place myself at one time. What motivated me to try again is still a mystery. In all reality, my life would have been much easier if I had given up back then and figured that all those women who wore heels every day were in constant misery, and that it wasn't worth it. Instead, here I am more than 4,000 km and dozens of heel tip replacements later, and now I'm the freak who can hack the tall heels like they were carpet slippers!

In my usual walk routine, I have short days and long days. Yesterday was a short day, meaning my walk was but a single mile (1.6 km). I chose to wear "real" high heels, just to up my game a little bit. Not all the way up to 12 cm, but close. Maybe 10.5 or 11, once you discount a little bit for my size 40. There is a big difference between that and my typical 8 to 10 cm walking shoes. If I ever get to the point where the high ones feel completely natural to walk in, that will be something. They weren't bad at all, I just never felt super at ease with them. The entire mile felt like, "Yes, you are wearing high heels."

Very well. I did not get a photo taken of my church Outfit Of The Week, but I did manage to fall asleep in the afternoon, so that I was forced to go out to dinner, being as I woke up too late to begin cooking supper. It was nice enough weather to eat outside, and I was forced to look at our reflection in the storefront windows the whole time. It's all I got. Oh, by the way, somebody I know walked past and said, "Beautiful shoes, as always!" I didn't get turned around in time to see who it was. That sort of comment drives my wife crazy, though she keeps it well hid these days.

I just got these custom made knee high boots from Sanctum! I ordered them in February, and it took until a couple weeks ago to get them. They are absolutely amazing, way too snug, but all leather, so will slowly fit me perfectly. And because they are custom, they go all the way to my knee, not four inches below.

I didn't wind up wearing my steepest heels to the recital, but I did wear some pretty impressive looking ones. Yes, they are a full 15 cm, but you have to discount for the 3.5 cm platform. Not super impressive, but enough of a workout over 600 m x 2. The brand is Onlymaker, and they are actually pretty decent quality for being an inexpensive shoe.

People get "use to" you looking a certain way. I get questioned at times why I'm not in heels on those rare instance when I'm not in heels. People notice.

I had an interesting encounter today. Now let me start by saying I was not on a planned outing today. And I was not dressed in any form of female attire, including heels. Today, we had some unseasonably warm weather for September. So I was dressed in shorts, T-shirt, and sandals, very casual. I was out just running a few errands and hitting some of my favorite stores for some window shopping. I was at one of my usual thrift stores that I hit. And that's where the encounter happened. I usually don't have much luck there. But today, I actually found something worth purchasing. As the lady was ringing up my purchase, she said, "i'm surprised you actually found something today. Usually, you come in here, and you don't buy anything." Then she said, "And I barely recognized you today. You're usually in tight jeans and heels. You're dressed so casual today." I told her the weather was really nice today. And she said, "Yeah, we need to enjoy it while we can." Then I finished paying for my purchase and left. Now I have seen her in the store before, and she may have even rang me up a time or two. But as far as I can remember, this is the first time we have had any meaningful interaction. So as much as we say on here that most people don't seem to care or take notice of us. In some cases, I guess the opposite is true. Food for thought.

Cat, I love that royal blue ensemble. That's a favorite color of mine. Last Sunday I wore a white short skort with a royal blue sequin top and my royal blue, patent knee boots. Got several compliments on my ensemble. Even two ladies complimented me on my boots. Happy Heeling, bluejay

If you could magically transport yourself back in time 10 or 15 years, and you were to cross the same street, wearing the same outfit, you'd have had a lot more people video-ing you. The best we can hope for is that we walked well.

Oh mama! That's it! We're having a best dressed of 2026 competition! You in?

Great storys from both of you! The unexpected situations when you have to stand for a long time are something that's unavoidable if you're wearing heels often. I also could tell so many stories about that... It's funny how we're all so different, but the general paths and ups and downs can be seen in all of our journeys. You definitely took me down memory lane and since we're at it, I might as well tell you about my beginnings: I bought my first pair of heels when I was 16. It was the time me and my friends started going to clubs and parties, and since we felt like we're the big girls now, we also wanted to dress like them. Needless to say we weren't nearly as grown up and smart as we thought we were. So my first pair were cheap stiletto pumps with a plateau and much bling-bling 😂 I don't remember the exact model but wouldn't find anything about them anyways because they were no-name. They must have had something like a 12 cm heel with a 3 cm plateau. I wore them the first time for going to a club. It started pretty good but after an hour or so they already hurt really bad. Nevertheless I (and also my friends) didn't want to show any weakness so we just kept on going for a few more hours until we couldn't take it anymore and walked home barefoot. I had blisters all over the place, but that didn't stop me. I always wore them out again when I had the chance to. Looking back I really don't know how I was able to stand the pain. Probably also a part of being young and dumb. And over time it really got better, and I also bought some better fitting heels. But the big breaktrough came when I was 20 and found me a pair of ankle boots with a block heel (around 8 cm). They weren't the type of high heels I wore until then, but I wanted something different for more casual everyday wear. I couldn't believe how comfortable they were, and started wearing them for every occasion where I wore flats before. This was the moment when I properly started wearing heels - looking for a good fit and quality, choosing an appropriate heel height which is comfortable, etc. It was like a reset where I started from scratch and then worked my way back up again to higher heels and different styles. And it's basically where I'm still at now, wearing my heels daily and sometimes trying something new 🙂

I also had a demanding week, but may break out my highest presentable heels today. I am to attend a music recital this afternoon, which will involve about a 600 m walk each way. The key for me is warming up a little bit first. Once I get to that height, I can't just put on my shoes and go. There has to be preflight.

I suspect I’ll find it challenging to find the “right” pair of sandals as I too am very picky about appearance, comfort and quality. Boots I know and understand. I’ve always worn boots, going back to a childhood in the mountains where hiking boots came to be a kind of personal trademark - something that distinguished me from the other kids in my class, with their natty town shoes. I’ve had this bias ever since and been fortunate that my choice of career allowed me to avoid wearing both neckties and brogues!

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/erin-ton-colorado-fourteeners-high-heels I’m particularly impressed she is in sandals. Mink has created custom heels for her and I guess they hold up to the job!

I did manage to get a photo taken this week of my church outfit. I can tell you this: While I am caught up on the laundry, I am WAY behind on the ironing. I am to the point where I have to scroll through my camera and see whether I'm repeating an outfit from two weeks ago. I decided that it had been a while since I'd worn purple, and it had been a long while since I'd worn my Michael Kors black and tan sandals. One thing about doing this steep heel challenge, it makes shoes like these effectively 4 1/8" heels seem like a little bit of nothing (5 1/8" heel, 1" platform).

Yesterday, I did my longest loop, which involves some hills. I was wearing 10 cm heels (not stilettos). It occurred to me that instead of being slightly irritated at having to walk downhill in heels as I usually am, I should look at it as good training for steeper heels. It's a slightly different physical dynamic, but the effect is basically the same.

Seems like a very nice encounter - the casualness of it is what is most pleasing.

I've been practicing out in the garage with my 11.5 cm stiletto mules. It sounds strange, but it's the only place I've got where I can walk more than 6 steps in a row, so I can try to perfect my walk the best I can before I take it to the streets.

I’m off to lead another tour, my 12cm stiletto boots packed in my suitcase for after hours practice. I’ve been very slack the past few days, sticking to my 8cm chunky heeled ankle boots. I’ll see how much I’ve regressed when I try them on in my hotel this evening.

I have reached the "mile"stone last week of having walked 2,500 documented miles (around 4,000 km) in heels. To be clear, it's taken me over 12 years to do it, but needless to say, I've worn out and broken a lot of shoes in that time. Sometime within this month I will break some records concerning shoe durability. I may make it a special new topic to announce such, as no one seems to respond to this thread anymore. It may be getting a little bit long in the tooth.

Indeed not boring at all! So much more fun than flats - and quite liberating to step outside the pigeonholes. it always strikes me as funny to think that if we were to read in National Geographic about a tribe of South Sea islanders who’d developed all these complex and contradictory taboos about a style feature on their footwear, we’d smile and find it quaint but amongst ourselves we take it so incredibly seriously, as though it were a natural law, something encoded in our chromosomes: women wear high heels, men do not.

Absolutely true. And heels don't get boring, even after decades. As it can be seen very well with our spontaneous height challenge 😉

I smile to think of the three of us, all very different, living in three different countries and on different continents, doing much the same things … I agree - 7cms is a minimum

I'm very sorry to report that I've been going the wrong way lately. That is, I wore shoes pretty much all of our Labor Day weekend which I don't even consider to be high heels. My excuse is that I spent nearly the whole holiday under the weather. I felt absolutely terrible for most of three days. Speaking of weather, it couldn't have been more pleasant the entire weekend, and I did take the opportunity to get out of bed and get a couple of snaps (and yes, I don't pretend that they're anything better than that). Shoes are a mere 8 cm (on the scooter), and effective 9 cm (on the deck). I sometimes wonder why I don't wear mid heels more often, but I usually come to my senses after a week or so.

I haven't posted here in a good while, so I figured an update was in order. I'm still getting out. I just don't feel the need to post every single outing these days. Unless something newsworthy happens, which isn't often, I just go about my day. I am still buying shoes also. So i figured it was time to do another inventory check. It would also give me a chance to go through and pair down my collection by selling shoes that no longer fit or that I'm not too fond of anymore. And donate shoes that are a little worse for wear and not worth selling. I also wanted to see how close I was on how many pairs I actually had. I was guesstimating that between shoes and boots. I probably had around 100 pairs. A bit of my collection is stored in their original boxes. But the majority of my collection is stored in cardboard boxes and tubs. I would love to have proper shelves to display them or a closet of some kind, but that is just not possible. Between boxes and tubs, I currently have about 7 of them. And now the fun begins. It was fun going through everything and trying stuff on. I even discovered stuff I never new I had. And stuff that has never seen the outside world. Because alot of my shoes are a little too fancy to wear out doing everday task and errands. They need a special occasion to wear them. When it was all said and done, I ended up with about a dozen pairs that would be sold or donated. And my guesstimate was actually pretty close. I came in just a shade under the century mark, including the get rid of pile. So here is the numbers of where my collection stands after pairing it down. Shoes 57 pairs Knee boots or higher 5 pairs ankle boots or shoes 14 pairs Wedges 4 pairs Flats 2 pairs For a total of 82 pairs

One of the additional strings to my bow as a freelance writer and photographer is escorting tour groups - giving lectures etc. I don't do a lot of it, three or four times a year, but the gigs are always nice ones and takes me to interesting places. I used to go all over the world, as with my other assignments, but these days, having grown weary of flying and all the attendant hassles, I stick to Britain. At any rate, I am on such a trip now. Yesterday I was taking to my group about Charles II. In addition to talking about the politics of the Restoration I talked about his coronation portrait - now hanging in the throne room in Holyrood House in Edinburgh. Aside from his holding a sceptre and orb, as symbols of newly restored royal power, he's wearing four inch heels. I mentioned this fact to see the reaction. It was dispiriting, but not surprising. My group, 24 elderly Americans, smirked, sniggered, mocked, and cooed and ran through all the trite schoolground mockery. There was something so drearily predictable, unthinking and Pavlovian about it. I explained the history of heels, how they'd been a masculine fashion and how the cultural shifts in the Age of Enlightenment, with his emphasis on science, philosophy, comics and political thought changed men's fashion forever, while women, seen as ineducable, were allowed to keep their pretty colours, laces, silks and heels. My group were quite interested, I could see that, but then, as though on replay came the same smirking, cooking and mocking yet again. It was like they were on a continuous loop, stuck in a rut. Part of me felt like telling them I had a pair of 12cm stilettos in my room I am practicing with, but I need this gig.

Herd mentality. You were leading a tour of lemmings. There must have been a head lemming in this tour group and they all had to say the same thing.

Indeed. There was an element of “thou dost protest too much” about this. I’m sure there is an element of fascination here, and a secret longing simply to step away from the rules of the herd.

I agree, neutrality is probably the best course for this job. Keep in mind, they were smirking/sniggering/mocking on the outside, but am guessing many of them were intrigued on the inside...

I have a pair of Leviticus 2.0 Lug Heel OTK boots and I love them! Sizing is true to size but perhaps just ever so slightly a bit on the large end. Interestingly, sizes are only in 1/2 sizes (e.g. 8.5, 9.5, 10.5) etc. They are very well made and very much worth the price. I, generally speaking, have thin calves and thighs, so my boots shafts are a bit on the large side. Thus, I wear them over a pair of jeans and they are fine. They interior is not at all on the cheap material side, which is great, and the foot bed is very roomy (no cramped toes!). I plan on purchasing the new Kenzie model in a bit and if they are too wide in the shaft, I'll have them reduced in size a bit by a professional leather worker in St. Louis. I would make an out reach to Kristina (the owner/designer if you are full sized (i.e. 9, 10, 11) for her recommendation as to going up or down to the next 1/2 size.

I had an experience yesterday at the grocery store that would reinforce my belief that perceptions are changing, at least somewhat. I cannot perhaps do anything about your elderly American tourists, but it does seem like Gen Z is different than older generations. I know that my younger son's classmates (Class of 2027) seem to be far less concerned about what I wear than were my older son's (Class of 2017). And once again--this is becoming far too common to be a fluke--I was approached by a girl I would estimate to be about 12 (who was wearing Crocs, of course) and said, "Excuse me, sir, but I absolutely LOVE your heels!" I smiled and thanked her. At that moment I realized she was with an older woman who appeared to be her grandmother. The grandmother looked slightly uneasy about the encounter. Luckily, my grocery list was short, and I did not encounter them again.

No opportunity even for mid-heels today - a day of gadding about on an assignment that requires steel-capped work boots. I considered bringing a pair for after hours at the pub I’m staying at but after I hefted my bulging camera bag, with the tripod lashed to the outside, I thought better of it!

I strive to be at least as accurate as that! 📐🔨 My middle stepson may well have a view after I have finished assembling and fitting a whole series of wardrobes in his refurbished and extended house, where the floors are out of level by typically 2-3mm per metre across the wardrobe width.

Yes! That’s one of the things about heels that fascinates me. There is sort of this “official” view these days that they are tools of the patriarchy, designed to hobble and objectify women, and must therefore be discarded and abandoned. on the other hand high heels are worn with panache by some of the most powerful women in the world who spend small fortunes on designer heels and speak of the sense of empowerment that comes with putting on a pair of lofty stilettos and striding into a meeting. what’s the story? Nobody waxes lyrical about their hiking boots or a pair of loafers but you can fill a book with quotes about the transforming magic of high heels. Heels are a fascinating cultural icon

I can relate to what got you into high heels. It's actually not that different from myself. And even though I'm a woman, I sometimes feel like an outlaw for wearing heels. In my youth it was totally normal for most girls to try high heels, and see how far we can go 😉 Nowadays I'm already an outlaw for wearing heels to the office, not even speaking of wearing anything more than a 10 cm heel.

I suppose it is odd that there are so many men on a high heel forum. We’re we’d a pretty normal lot really, whatever our out of the ordinary fashion tastes. I was always curious to try wearing heels - perhaps it’s the people-watching travel writer in me and my fascination with the foreign and exotic. Heels looked fun, stylish, a challenge and had the additional allure of the forbidden. I originally was just interested in trying 8-10cm chunky heel boots - a kind of edgier version of the hiking boots I’ve lived in for ages. I tried them and really liked them and was emboldened to push the envelope a bit further into the world of stilettos. And now trying 12cm stilettos- the black diamond slope of high heels!

Yes, humans definitely are a strange species 😀 Many cultural norms are so manifested that people can't think outside of them. I was also surprised that there are mostly men here on hhplace, like how could it be if I don't know of any man wearing high heels? But I'm open-minded and for sure learned a bit already 🙂

Yes the story of how heels came to Europe and became a masculine fashion, later to be repudiated during the Age of Enlightenment is fascinating. I’ve done a fair bit of reading and research on the subject since I first learned of it and when I tell people about it they are invariably interested, even if they scoff at the idea of men in heels. Humans are a strange species

Seems we're all currently more going mid-heels. But as shyheels said, nothing wrong with that. I also like these styles very much, at least if it's not below 7 cm. And they're way more suitable for everyday wear, for both the look and the comfort.

I’ve not been doing overly much myself, just wearing my 12cm heels while writing or otherwise pottering about. I do like mid heels too and have a couple pairs of boots with 8 to 9cm heels which look nice and are so easy to wear. I’m always tempted to go with them and not just out of laziness either. This is the style that originally attracted me to heels and is still a favourite

I always suspected that you were just about half a bubble off plumb. . .

Regardless of the water level and any motion, a narrowboat is always going to be sensitive to the effects of loading - and that includes someone walking around. It can be slightly unnerving to find that the boat lists slightly one way, and then the other, and when walking around (in heels or not) one can feel as though slightly drunk! Also, as I well recall when doing some work on my brother's narrowboat in fitting a shelf along one side wall, being pleased that my spirit level initially 'proved' the shelf was level - and then a re-check ten minutes later said otherwise! I simply forgot that the lack of stable foundations made use of a spirit level (or a plumbline) pretty well pointless!

For me, it's the carpet in theaters that makes it harder. Also, any path that is perpendicular to the slope. Even a slight slope to a drains can be problematic.

It has been a whole year! It doesn't seem like it's been a whole year. I need to go through my collection as well, and see what I really have. It seems like I have been culling a lot lately and not buying new, which is probably a good thing.

I always have color on my toes and fingers. My toes are always in red except for October when they get colored hot pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month, while my fingers are always in pink/clear gel with the little pinkies in a color or design particular to the time of the year. Right now my left pinkie is in silver sparkle and my right pinkie is in gold sparkle. Got compliments this morning on both my mani and pedi both at church and my usual Sunday morning shopping. BTW closed toe red pumps at church, open toe double band, red sandals for my shopping trip. I also was wearing white capris with a red, white and blue top for the Labor Day holiday. I got compliments on my ensemble too!!!! Happy Heeling, bluejay

Leading tour groups is a really fraught business. You simply never know which way they’ll turn. The only safe thing is utter neutrality in just about everything. From the outside it looks like really easy money but it really isn’t.

I can't cut my own toenails or do other similar things due to how my thumb is held in place and the removed bones in my hand. So pedicures is the way to go. After a decade + of pedicures, I now enjoy my painted toes. Decades ago, I damaged the root bed of several fingernails, some split all the way to the root bed while other delaminate, split horizontally. They require acrylic to hold them together. Acrylic then needs to be covered with gel. So why not get color. This month they have a cat's eye look.

I know what you mean. I could probably get away with knee boots with chunky heels - but I’ve also learned that elderly American tour group people are utterly unpredictable and can either like or hate you for the flimsiest and wackiest of reasons.

Not wholly surprising, especially for that age group (which is getting to be my own age group at an alarming clip). In my experience, which is admittedly limited, people tend to react better to the real thing than they do to the idea. When people actually meet me in person, I get the distinct impression that many of these chucklers and chortlers think to themselves, "OK, that's a little different, but we can go with that." Whereas the idea of a drag queen reading books to their grandchildren upsets them greatly. I know--apples and oranges--but you get the idea. Not that I am suggesting you do so, discretion being the greater part of valor, but if you were to show up to your tour group, dressed as you normally do for such a gig, except wearing 4 inch block heeled boots, I bet the reaction would be generally much less than their reaction to Charles II.