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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.

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

Hola Amigos! To borrow a line from my favorite columnist Jim Anchower (Author of "The Cruise" and at the time of his last article was en route to jail), "I know it's been a long time since I rapped with you..." but honestly, I have not had much to say. Recently, however, I have been experiencing an unusual phenomenon which is that although I know I am wearing heels it does not feel like it whatsoever. Given that by 9:00am on days I am at the office I have finished by third cup of coffee (reminder to self...switch to caffeinated) about an hour later, it is break time which usually necessitates a trip to the washroom. What I have noticed is that when I am wearing a pair of heels, regardless of the height of such, I do not even seem to realize that I am wearing a pair of heels. I can hear and feel the heel striking the ground followed by the footbed, but yet, it does not feel as if I am wearing heels. I suppose it might be that my stride and cadence has become so smooth from wearing heels just about every day, that this is a reflection of how it has evolved, or just my confidence in doing so. Yesterday, for example, I was wearing a pair of delightfully beautiful 4" (~10cm) Noe (Brand) ankle boots and as I was walking around my office building, one of the members of my fan base said, "I love your heels..." I had to look down at my feet to confirm I was, in fact, wearing heels. I cannot quite explain why such is the case, but in a minor and weird way, being so comfortable in heels to the point where I do not even notice such takes the enjoyment out of wearing them. Perhaps I should start wearing flats more often to appreciate wearing heels. Uh...no, that will not happen.

1995, bought a pair of heels on a whim - and never looked back. Wifey thought I was nuts. sf

Why should women only be allowed to wear anklets. I wear one often. My wife and I have matching anklets. Happy Heeling bluejay

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 🤔 🤣

time to come to ChiTown!!!!!!!!!!!

OK - you win on this one! I could do 5" (6" w/a platform) but the reason I do not is simply that I have nowhere to wear such towering heels. I have a few 12cm heels that I would love to wear out but I'd have to be in ChiTown for that. Around here, there just is not a place to do so.

I’m in an 11 in heels. Wish it was a comfortable 10 as so many shoes only go to a 10. Prob better for me. Less money spent !

I also have noticed this phenomenon. For me personally, the height at which heels begin to feel like heels is somewhere around 3 1/2". At 4 - 4 1/4", they definitely feel like heels, but they seem very natural. By 4 1/2", I'm really at my limit, and on some days beyond it. I do not take wearing 4 1/2" heels lightly, especially if I'm going to be on camera. But yeah, I get it. We have trained ourselves to the point where the unnatural feels natural. To be sure, there are some times when you had better notice that you're wearing heels, so's you don't do something silly like step onto some grating as if you were wearing flats.

I hear you for sure! I know I am feeling totally comfortable/confident when I "almost forget" I am wearing boots

Today I scored a thrift store nude two fer. The first pair is Aldo. The heel measures 4 and a 1/2 inches. They have some discoloration in spots, but still very usable. They have a finish on them that I haven't seen before. It is a combination of flat, suede, and patent all at the same time. And in certain lighting, they almost look like a two tone nude. The second pair is from Jessica Simpson. They are open toed with a bow like detailing across the toes. The heel measures 4 and a 1/2 inches.

I am so envious of your great relationship, it is great that the wife appreciates how nice you look in heels and you can enjoy them together in public!

Indeed, I feel truly blessed she likes wearing heels together. We often match and have many pairs in both sizes. We actually just moved back to Texas a couple of months ago and I forgot to update my profile. 😇 So, thanks for the reminder, Shyheels.

I wear skinny jeans because I like to wear my knee and OTK boots a lot and if you’re wearing boots over jeans, skinny is best. On the other hand on occasions I have to wear my hiking/mountaineering boots and with skinny jeans they make my feet look enormous

I cannot think of a reason why men shouldn’t wear them. And what would it matter, all forms of jewelry are bondage like. I mean necklaces are collar-like, bracelets resemble handcuffs, ankle bracelets are leg iron-like, etc. Its even been said wearing jewelry started out back when cave men chained his cave women to a cave wall so she would not run off as he went out and hunted down his wooly mammoth. Then one day he saw pretty shiny rocks in a stream, pounding the soft metal into a chain, and gave that to her instead so she had something shiny to wear instead of being chained to the cave wall. Other cave women saw her jewelry and wanted that from her special caveman. I have my doubts on if wearing jewelry started out that way or not, but it was what I was told. Myself I have never looked at a woman wearing an anklet as anything but wholesome, but I also grew up going to church and a lot of women wore them in the 1980’s, and now in a resurgence, are wearing them again. In looking around last year, I counted 7 women wearing anklets out of 350 church members. Its not like everyone is wearing them at church, but at the same time, not uncommon to see in a respectable setting. But I once saw a lady who did not think the same way as I do. We had just got out of church so my wife was dressed up in a dress, pantyhose, ankle bracelet and high heels, and needed to grab some things from a big box store that sells hardware. As we were grabbing some things for a home project a couple came in the same aisle, and she looked down at my wife’s ankle, then looked at me, then down, then at her husband, and from her raw inquisitive look you could just see that she had heard that ankle bracelets can mean sometimes open relationships. We do NOT do that, my wife just likes ankle bracelets, but you could see the woman was mortified.

When I was younger and my jeans started to tear, my mother would put a patch in them. When they go a big tear, they became shorts. Just wore my Skyscraper jeans for the first time last week. Got to wear them with high high heels.

I don’t understand the torn jeans thing. The holes in them would just annoy me constantly. Living in a canal boat one dresses more for practicality than style. There is also a very definite boho vibe among water dwellers, which suits me fine.

June 2008 i joined , so on the late end of the time frame mentioned in first post. But wow, been on here 17 years, seems a long time 🤣

For me, wearing heels evolved in different stages. From an early age (early teens) i was fascinated with heels, loved the shape and appearance. I cant remember when i tried on a pair of heels for the first time but the furtherest memory i have is in the early 90's, trying a pair of heels my friend (she) had lying about. I was lucky as i have small feet so the fit was almost right. I purchased my first pair in my late 20s (late 90's) when i lived on my own. I accumulated a small collection of heels and boots which i wore occasionally when opportunities arose. Leaping forward til about 6 years ago, wearing heels is basically a daily event for me. The styles have changed a lot over the years, and have a mixed array of styles and colours, but now comfort is the foundation of any pair i add to my collection.

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.).

Sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days, and sometimes you have both at once. Yesterday when I went for my morning constitutional, I had a few extra minutes, so I decided to wear shoes that were a little bit more ambitious than what I normally wear. The shoes in question are my Nine West Plantera loafer pumps, which I have had a love/hate relationship with for over 10 years. They are one of the very few shoes that I actually bought brand new and paid full price for. Of course the reason why I had to have them in the first place is because they've got these giant 5 1/2" heels, coupled with modest 1" platforms, which gives you a visual of super tall heels, and yet is still somewhat challenging to deal with on a day-to-day basis with a 4 1/2" difference between toe and heel. Furthermore, the heels, while slim, are quite a bit thicker than stilettos, which means the heel caps last a lot longer between replacements. I don't often wear 4 1/2" heels for actual walking, but I decided to challenge myself on this particular morning. Wearing such steep heels usually means that my walking speed is pretty slow. If I make a mile in less than 23:00, I'm doing pretty well. The first mile out, I came in right under 23:00, so yeah, that was about right. I thought to myself at the time that my goal would be to eventually get that time under 22:00. A mile in, I'd evidently found my rhythm because things began to feel more natural and graceful. About that time, I caught a glimpse of my shadow on a storefront window, and I thought you know, I don't really look all that bad, at least not from the side. My second mile came in at 21:30. Whoa! And it was easy! I didn't know I had it in me. I was thinking that I really ought to wear these shoes more often (I've put only 35 miles on them in about 12 years) and step up my game. With home being only a couple blocks away, I began to feel something slightly odd. Maybe I'm overly sensitive to my surroundings, but I've felt this oddness before. Perhaps it was just my imagination. I thought a shank was giving up on me. Upon arrival home, I removed my shoes and wiggled both heels. The right was solid. The left was solid, but wait. . . there was just a little bit of extra movement there. Hmmmmm. And that's when I saw it. Not a shank failure, but the entire heel was working toward snapping in half. It's not there yet, it's still pretty solid, but it is clearly failing. Damn! I might try to glue it since it's not nearly all the way through, but that is very disappointing. And one cannot find this model out there in the wild. I imagine they were not popular enough for them to be floating around in the used market. So that's how I went from being very enthusiastic to being very disappointed within the span of an hour. The workday wasn't all that bad, though.

Having worn my skinny jeans with my JS knee yesterday and skyscraper jeans with mules today, yes, we should have the same freedom; and I'm taking it.

I will take a pair of running shoes on days that I wear a new pair. I start by buying heels that don't hurt to wear them. Then I will wear heels for 16 or 18+ hours without a backup plan. But you got to start with heels that don't fit correctly.

It’s been a while since I sat on a stool and hooked my stilettos on the crossbar but yes that is a thing to mind. I’ve worn stiletto heels various places but only once was I seated on a stool. HinH

In Iowa, there is nothing like the MoT inspection required. There used to be. They got rid of that when I was a kid. I remember the sticker you had to put in the corner of your windscreen every year. Then they went to requiring inspection only when you sold the car. A decade later, they got rid of it completely. I remember as a pre-teen looking through the newspaper classifieds (remember them?) at used cars. The seller would list them as "red title" if the car couldn't pass inspection. One used to be able to pick such cars up for a little bit of nothing. We have never had any kind of emissions test. I am completely ignorant of what the other 49 states do or do not require. Expanding on the general subject, and again this is for the State of Iowa, if a vehicle sustains damage that exceeds 70% of its fair market value before the damage, then it is given a Salvage title, and cannot legally be operated on public roads. If one repairs such a vehicle, at that point it must be inspected. If it passes inspection, the vehicle will be given a Rebuilt title (which, up until a few years ago, they used to call a Prior Salvage title).

At a meeting today, two 4 inch stilettos, two 4 inch block heels, one kitten stiletto, two 2 inch block heels, five tennis shoes.

I decided to pick up a pair of ILIAS LITTLE SHOE BOX ballet heels. They're incredibly stable. I love them. I do want to move onto a more of a stiletto at some point, with a similar toe box construction though. Any suggestions here?

Mirose, that's my comfortable heel height, 3-1/2", too. Happy Heeling, bluejay

I too am a size 11 in heels but I have some knee boots that are size 12 because the brand in a size 11 is just too tight on my feet, however I have a couple pairs of size 10 heels that fit me perfectly. Figure that out! Happy Heeling, bluejay

An invitation or suggestion? Quite interestingly, I will be passing through Chicago this Friday as I will be on an Amtrak train from Springfield to Union Station, and then catching the Blue Line out to O'Hare for a flight on to Paris. Sadly, tight connections both to and from will make stopping anywhere else all but impossible.

Shoe size doesn’t make any difference in terms of the angle of your foot - at least not with the better makes of shoes and boots. When they market a model of shoe as having, say, 4” heels, that will be the base line height for a base line size, say, a size 6. As the sizes go up or down the physical height of the heel will vary so that the lines and proportions are identical right across the range of heights. A size 7 would have a 4.2” heel and a size 8 maybe 4.4” but they would still be sold as 4” heels as that is the standard for that particular line. A size 5 might have a 3.8” heel but would be sold as a 4” heel. It’s all about consistency and keeping the same proportions. Italian heels even has a chart on their website giving the exact heel heights for 100mm and 120mm heels each shoe size. I have a pair of their 120mm stiletto boots. In my size the heels are actually 147mm to keep the correct proportions. I think in their case the heel heights are based in a size 38 as standard. Other makers do the same. So having a bigger size does not change anything. Neither does having a smaller size. They keep all the proportions and angles the same

I had an experience on Easter Sunday. I wish I could say it was the first time, but at least it's only the second time this has happened to me in exactly this way. When I left the house and climbed into my son's Big Oldsmobile, I had both heel tips. By the the time I arrived at the church door, I had neither. It seems they fell off almost simultaneously. Luckily, the sanctuary floor is carpeted, or I might have been in real trouble.

I like the single soles, 5" for my norm, I do have some 3 and 4" that work out good. My 6" are still doable! I do have my Steve Madden Dejvue's with the hidden platform are my all time favorite!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For me 3” to 3.5” is very “unnoticeable”, especially in chunky heeled boots

I noticed this also sometime ago, my go to heel height for comfort and all day wear is 4.5" , which is high for my size 5uk foot, but it feels so natural. Oddly i was wearing my 4" wedge heel boots recently and they almost felt like i was wearing flats (strange phenomenon 🤣). 5" heels without platform is my upper limit, can only wear those for a few hours. The 4.5" arch is the sweet spot for me 😁

The only comment like that was while I was putting my booties on after going through airport screening. I respond by saying," faster to put my shoes back on" as I zipped both booties on while he was still getting his first shoe on.

OK, well I wouldn't try to engage with him for sure, unless he seems to be following you or confronts you with comments. It's hard to know just how his seemingly negative comments should be interpreted. Do you feel like he is going out of his way to find you in the store? Many men are very frustrated, outwardly negative and critical. But who knows what their true feelings are, they probably don't realize it either. Perhaps just super frustrated because others such as yourself have the courage to wear cool gear that he can only secretly fantasize about wearing....

4" is probably the upper limit of heel height that I really will not notice but above that, I do feel the height of the heel as I am walking. 4.5" is the maximum in which a can walk in "normal" stride. Above that, my steps and pace are much abbreviated.

I think we all experience this at some point, me included. There are definitely times when I forget that I am wearing heels until someone else mentions something to me.

While we are on the subject: How many optometrists does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: 'One or two? One or two?' Happy Easter to all!

It does. Love the ALDO pumps, Mr. X! Great find!

Maybe you did get the "wrong" lenses. I personally know four people who have gotten cataract surgery, and all of them have raved about how much better they can see afterwards. Jean in particular, looks weird without her glasses.

I too find that when wearing my chunky heeled boots I can completely forget I am in heels. Not so much with stilettos since I do not wear them so much, but with 3-4” block heeled boots I wear them without thinking. I'm nearly always in knee boots of some sort - either heeled or not heeled - and it has become my regular look in the eyes of my fellow boaters. The other day I was walking along the road, off to town to buy supplies, and unusually for me was wearing my hiking boots. One if my boating neighbours, who owns a van, stopped to give me a lift and said he almost didn’t recognise me without my tall boots.

I got my first readers about that age. I get a peripheral vision test every 6 months and optic nerve picture every year.

Glaucoma is a global term that refers to eye pressure only. There are many different types of glaucoma. I have the type of glaucoma where my lens covers the drain. It was diagnosis about 30 years ago. I have had 50 laser holes drilled in each eye, and several other things. The last thing they did was shot (laser) certain spots in one eye, and when your body goes to fix it, it also fixes the other eye. Next time they will laser the other eye. i have a pterygium on each eye. One started to grow over my cornea so they took it off by peeling off a layer of the surface of the eye and replace it with lab grown tissue. What a _____ operation. (I'll fill that in 2+ weeks.) And @Shyheels, welcome to the 'club'.

White always goes with colorful shoes. I would wear those pumps with white leggings full length or capri length if the weather is warm. Happy Heeling, bluejay

I must have done so many times, but you know, I really can't remember, in the same way that I do not remember stepping on the brake pedal when I parked the car last night. I shall have to pay more attention next time, should I find myself seated on a barstool again some day.

I don't wear my stilettos enough, but I've hooked my stilettos on a stool's crossbar many times.

Thought I would share this post about a very old pair of Pleaser ankle strap pumps that I have finally decided must be put out to pasture. I couldn't say how many miles I've worn these amazingly comfortable 5 inch heels, talking Melroseplant level I'm guessing. I've re-heeled these at least 6 times. Finally blew out the sole and upper part of the vamps this last week. Surprisingly they are still easy to walk in and sturdy but still long past any visual appeal. I think these definitely paid themselves off many times.