Leaderboard

Back wearing heels after a few years of being unable to. Life changes, and has changed quite dramatically this past few weeks. Back to a new heel journey. A heel journey that will give me confidence and comfort for the future. Getting my tendons used to wearing heels again. However, my tendons will have to stay mobile for my running. I’ll have to keep an eye out and make adjustments if/when I get any pain. Whilst not everyday I’ll wear heels, the freedom to be able to wear them out to a concert or a musical will give me much confidence. The ability to put a pair on and feel good is something I’m looking forward to. Time to go shopping for a few more pairs, get a few “cunty heels” as they are called here. Heels that make you feel “cunty” and give an attitude, a swagger, a “fuck you” to everyone who doesn’t understand or disagrees. A nice 5 inch stiletto boot for instance. This time is mine.

Well today, I came into possession of a pair of Missy Rockz Army Rockz 8.5cm. They are beautiful, stunning and comfortable to wear. My first stiletto heel too. Even though they are only 8.5cm. They give great energy to heel wearing. They fit tight, took a chance on the sizing. Indoor use at first.

PSA to those who live near oak trees and who are at a latitude where it is now autumn: Platform heels and acorns do not mix well.

This week was a bit of a change from the normal for a Sunday morning. Once a year, we move our entire church service to the local college chapel and have a combined service with the students and faculty for their Homecoming weekend. Among other things that are different, I don't have to play for the service, but I do have to sing with the choir, which is a combined choir of the college choir and my church choir. When I showed up in my gold Nine West Wilia3 mules, I immediately got some compliments from the college kids, and also from the college choir director, who was singing in the tenor section with me (our church choir director was leading the whole group). He said, "Those are some great back row shoes!" I had never thought of it that way, but it's true. At 5'5", or 165 cm, I need the extra height to be able to see over the taller sopranos. The tall ones always wind up standing right in front of me. That's just how it works. I was very surprised at how many people commented on my shoes in the course of two hours or so. I would say that it's because I'm presenting myself to a new set of people, but that's not completely true. We do this every year. The student body completely changes every four years I realize, but the adults more or less remain the same. Anyway, it was a pretty good Sunday.

Oh, I think you can ABSOLUTELY assume that the quality of direct Chinese shoe imports is going to be low, because that assumption is usually correct. If it turns out to be incorrect, that's a pleasant surprise and a bonus! Here is one example of such a surprise below, and I can also catch up on church outfits at the same time, as I'm a couple of weeks behind. I had forgotten that I have actually had one good experience with stuff ordered directly from China, and that is my Onlymaker platform sandals. At least I think they're Onlymaker--the shoes themselves are unlabeled and unbranded, except for the size. The only reason I got them is because I thought they would be steep. I was promised a 15 cm heel with a 3 cm platform. Cool! 12 cm! At least they'd be good for practice. When the shoes arrived in a rather miniature shoebox, they looked pretty much like the picture, but had 3.5 cm platforms, so the total steepness is a mere 11.5 cm. I already have plenty of shoes with that gradient. Oh, well. However, despite being on the clunky looking side, I've become a little obsessed with these shoes lately, and I've worn them out several times. They are very shiny. Pictured here is from October 12th. The second photo is from last Sunday the 19th, featuring my BCBGenerations neutral colored strappy sandals. One thing about the Aiming High challenge is that these thin heeled but not quite stiletto sandals are a doddle to walk in, with their steepness being barely over 10 cm. I shall be interested to try my steeper pumps soon (up to now they have been put away for the summer), just to see if I have in fact made any progress.

That sounds very clever and cool indeed! While I wear color on toes almost 100% of the time, I’ve not mustered the gumption to venture beyond clear gel. However, the aforementioned nail tech drops yet another hint from time to time.

@higherheels, do you find with your Hot Chicks that you need to warm up extensively before actually walking anywhere? I find that with my higher heels that I have to sort of pace around the house or the garage for about 10 minutes before my ankles limber up enough to take on the real world. I failed to do any of this preliminary warmup (preflight? 😆) the other day when I tried out the Bakers oxfords. I think I might give it another go this weekend.

That's a cool pair, I somehow like the style. Yes, they seem to be as steep as my Hot Chicks. Glad I'm not the only one feeling a big difference between 12 and 13 cm 😉

Being as my "training" shoes are in the shop, I was looking for alternatives, and I settled upon a pair of Bakers oxfords, model name Reissa, that I've had for a very long time. I won't say that I forgot about them, but I haven't worn them in years because I don't love the way they look, and I've always had trouble walking in them. I've always thought of them as having 13.5 cm heels with 2 cm platform, but they somehow feel steeper than those numbers would suggest. Now that I've kicked it up a notch (aiming high), I decided to put them on for a short walk. Much to my shagrin, I still have trouble walking in them, and I decided to cancel my walk, for fear of somebody seeing me struggling in these ridiculous shoes. Why are they so hard to walk in? I went back to the basement, took the shoes off, and pulled out a tape measure. Surely there had to be more to the story. There was. The platform, as you can see, is hidden, and there's no way to determine its thickness except to feel where the footbed is on the inside of the shoe, then transfer that mark to the outside. When I first measured them, I failed to do this at the heel as well, which in this case turns out to be significant. On this particular shoe, the footbed maintains its thickness all the way up to the top of the heel. In fact, the wearer's heel rests a good 1/2 inch higher than the point where the top of the shoe's heel is attached on the outside. Effectively, the shoe's steepness slightly exceeds 13 cm. That accounts for a good deal. No wonder.

Before I get to the winner, I should go through a few honorable mentions, and maybe some up-and-comers. One pair that deserves a mention is my Prada wooden mules. I call them my "rain shoes" because of the big 4 cm platform--they keep my feet out of the puddles. I must have walked on enough rainy days that somehow I've accumulated 62 miles on them (100 km). Although they truly work for their intended purpose--they do, in fact, keep my feet out of the puddles--the drawback is that they are susceptible to the usual platform weakness. Every imperfection in the pavement, every small, hard object that you might step on, such as a pebble or twig, causes an amplified lateral reaction compared to a single sole shoe that threatens the integrity of your ankles. It might also cause you to look foolish in front of others.

Sounds like a sensible move. I’m still keeping to my warmer heavy suede OTK boots with the 8cm heels until I can get the heating sorted on the boat! I’m reluctant to start burning coal and dealing with the sooty mess it entails and my central heating system is not working. So lower block heels it is for the time being

I finally bit the bullet and took the ugly shoes in to be reheeled. Yes, it will cost me about the same as what I paid for the shoes, but I do think they make good training shoes. I also took in three other pairs to be refreshed in the heel department. Two pair are pumps that I basically haven't worn since last spring, but had enough "incidental" mileage on them that I didn't think they would make it through the winter, or at least not in presentable condition. In the meantime, I'll have to practice on something a little lower, or risk my one pair of stilettos that is in that height range.

Yes, I think you’ve found yet another practical use for high heels! As “back row” shoes in the choir! And nice to be finding acceptance and receiving compliments

One mile is quite a bit, congratulations! I don't really like the look of them, but don't find them ugly either. For sure they're OK as training heels.

Dainty, those are not. I agree, you have to look at them as training heels. I’m guessing they would be good for that. With those you could practice at the 12cm height but still have a sort of off-road heel that could possibly manage cobbles or a rough towpath

Several months ago, I bought these rather clunky shoes for a mere 18 USD. The price point was the motivator, but the real reason I bought them is because they are steep. They are very nearly the equivalent of 12 cm on size 38. I am not sure just exactly how ugly they are, but they are serving the purpose. After walking a mile in these babies, I can really feel it! In real life, they are not the greatest. I have to wear bandaids with these shoes, or they eat holes in the tops of my feet. The liner is deteriorating, so when I take them off, my feet come out all blackened. I need to get them reheeled, but I'm reluctant to spend money on them. I guess I need to look at them as a tool, rather than something I actually find attractive. The silver part is actually kind of cool, but that's about it. Sundays are often my best training days, because I can often spend the entire day in heels. I did not wear these the entire day, by the way, only for a one mile walk. The rest of the day I spent in 10 cm.

It’s a separate unit, run by diesel. It heats the hot water as well. It was very welcome this morning when it was 3°C and raining. Even so I’ve opted for the warmth of my heavy suede mid-heel OTK boots instead of the thinner leather of my stiletto boots. So much for training today …

I’ve got two forms of heat - a coal stove which is my main form of heating during the winter, and a central heating system, diesel fuelled, with hot water radiators. I don’t want to start burning coal just yet and so have been using the radiators to take the morning chill off. It’s pretty chilly today so I’m tempted to light the fire. Thank goodness for tall warm boots!

Sorry folks, I have been slacking for the last several days. Yesterday, I eased back into it with some 9 cm. No sense in trying to push it and getting myself hurt, eh? I actually have both Saturday and Sunday off this weekend (sort of), so maybe I can get some training in soon.

Yes, they're not easy and comfortable to wear. But that is simply due to the heel height and shape of the toe box. They're very well built and therefor I don't consider them "unsafe" because they offer good stability. I didn't know that they're still made as a special order, that's cool! I looked up the price and apparently it's about double of what I paid for them back in the days... Oh, what a pity...but I certainly can't complain about you guys 🙂

Guys are not allowed to post in the girls forum, but there is no rule against girls posting in the guys forum, and there never has been. There is no rule because such a rule is not necessary--women evidently know how to behave themselves better than men do. I am done buying shoes that are shipped directly from China. I've had a 0% success rate with them. @Jkrenzer swore by Hey Si Mey brand, which is shipped directly from China, but is not super cheap. However, both of the pairs I bought have a toe-length-to-foot-length ratio that does not match my feet. If a Steve Madden or an Aldo or a Nine West would make a 130 mm shoe, I would buy it. Or heck, if they'd even make a true 120 mm shoe, I'd buy it.

I see that this topic is in the "for the guys" forum, I'm sneaking in because I got marked by @Shyheels I hope it's OK for you all if I post here? The availability of good quality heels with a 11+ cm heel at a reasonable price is very bad in my opinion. Every pair of this height I own is more on the expensive side. It's really sad. I don't want expensive designer brands for everyone of my pairs, anything with a good quality is fine for me, but this only really exists in the mid-heels range. It's also sad that even Louboutin doesn't make the Hot Chick 130 anymore. I definitely wouldn't go for a cheap knock-off one. The 13 cm heel itself is enough of a challenge, I wouldn't wanna have an extra struggle with bad quality 😉

I claim no expertise in identifying Louboutin copies, but it took me just two minutes to find this offering on AliExpress, which appears to mimic Hot Chick (12cm heel) closely - in appearance, if probably not in quality. All for £30 and in big sizes too. And there are many others similar.

It is true, sometimes we do not know the secret influence we have on others. There is a woman who goes to our church who has a greater than the usual interest in my shoes. I have mentioned her elsewhere. Last Sunday was her birthday, so I wanted to catch her after church to wish her a good one. She was talking to several other women when I approached her, so I just yelled out, "Happy Birthday!" as I passed by. Before I got three steps past, she interrupted her conversation with the ladies to tell me that some guy last week asked her if she knew that there was a man who walks around this town in high heels. Evidently, to his great surprise, she answered, "Oh yes, that's my friend." I kind of wanted to know more, but I also didn't want to interrupt whatever conversation was going on already. I do not know if the comment was meant to be derisive, curious, or complimentary. In any case, I guess I at least have the potential to inspire.

Don't get me wrong--I have several pairs of mid heels that I wear fairly regularly, but I am not consumed by the desire to expand the collection. I wear them around the house, I wear them to work the farmer's market, and yes, I have even occasionally worn them to choir rehearsal. I also have several pairs of mid heels that I never wear, and at the moment I can't think of why I would ever wear them again. Do I wish I had a more neutral color of mid heeled sandal? Yes, but I'm not going to go to a great deal of trouble to find some. I expect to be laid off any week now, but no one knows the day or the hour when the thief will come. I suppose the office people do, but they ain't sayin'.

I already did a few walks around the block in the Hot Chicks. This is the best (and hardest) training so far. Yesterday I had a funny experience. I'm doing my walks in the evening, it's mostly already dark outside and not much going on. But yesterday a neighbour was in the garden and she saw me walking by. At first she just greeted me normally, but then she had a wondering second glance and said: "Wow, they're especially high today". We then had a little conversation and it turns out she also has a pair of Louboutins, the Pigalle 100. She said she doesn't really wear them anymore, but I made her curious to get them out again 😉

Funny, even though I have said elsewhere that I get no thrill from it, I just drove in heels yesterday--twice! I don't even really think about it, unless I have a long way to go. It did occur to me that I gained my dislike of driving in heels during the time I owned a particular car, which I no longer have. For some reason, that car had your feet at such an angle that I really did notice if I was wearing heels. With my present car, I really don't think about it much.

I think confidence, in no matter what social norm you are defying; becomes emboldened on an increasing trend because freedom is scary. Wearing high heels, wearing leggings, wearing skirts and dresses all set boundaries… yes set because it sets the boundary further back then what people expect. It is further back than what people’s own boundaries are and says, “for me, it is fine for men to wear these things”. That challenge to their boundary is infuriating, but it brings on this huge question; What are you going to do about it?” For some of us we quickly learn… NOTHING. People do nothing. Most we find… just accept it. The worst offenders though… yep, they are all just talk. Big deal... So then you realize, “if they are all just talk about wearing high heels, then most others things they will be all talk about as well”. And they will. Some of this knowledge naturally comes as we age, but for those who have taken bolder steps, quickly learn they can be bold in a lot more things. Sadly, for some; when we set boundaries… meaning we push them back and include more areas than most would like wearing high heels, it becomes a mirror because they realize they cannot confront their own fears. Deep down inside they want the confidence that many of us have, but just cannot find it in themselves to just not care what others in society think or say about them. That is downright angering to them because they are frustrated with themselves. I set some boundaries this week and the result was predictable but sad. A real estate agent wanted me to extend the contract or they would level a $1000 service fee on me. I said no. No extension and I am not paying your fee because that is extorsion. They replied they worked hard, to which I said, “real estate is a service-based industry and is results based, not work based”. They countered that I was bullying them, but the truth was I countered in a way they did not expect, nor could they argue against it. And that is what you get when you set boundaries: anger. They claim only 5% of people have this level of confidence, but its because we are two steps ahead of people. I knew I did not need to pay that $1000 BS fee because to clear up the issue would mean going to the real estate commission... a ding on their license to sell property. $1000 is not worth it for them. Just as people who wear high heels know, no one is going to do anything about them wearing high heels...even in church. News flash: there is no consequences for defying most societal norms other then getting snide comments that are meaningless. Freedom is always great for any person, but whether extending freedom of speech, freedom of dress, or even freedom of wearing whatever shoes you want: it becomes very scary to other people. They are not mad that you are embolden enough to wear high heels in public; they are mad because they are scared to go against social norms themselves.

Passing through Leeds train station today. Although the overwhelming majority of people are in trainers, there are a surprising number of heels being worn including stilettos. Nearly all the heels being worn are boots, and generally chunky heels There are sure a lot of ugly boot styles out there …