Bubba136

1 hour ago, mlroseplant said:

If it was red week last week, I guess it is blue week this week. Part of that has to do with what happens to be hanging in my wardrobe that hasn't been worn in a while. I still haven't got things 100% back to the way they were before I was compelled to move everything when we had to have our sewer line replaced.

So I figured, "All right, let's do blue this week." Then I realized I've only got one pair of blue shoes left. The other, which I sort of had in mind when I thought I'd do blue, disintegrated within a very short period of time and I had to throw them out. I'm still somewhat disappointed by that. The one remaining pair is ok, but I need to wear a bandaid in a certain spot, or it rubs holes in my foot. While I was trying to remember where that spot was, it occurred to me, "Hey, wait a minute. You've got a brand new pair of blue shoes you ain't even worn yet." And indeed, I did.

I bought these Steve Madden Britt sandals a couple of months ago. The only problem was that they were unvetted. I had briefly tried them on when I first got them, but it is risky to wear something like that out into the real world. I threw a couple of bandaids into my pocket, loaded up the car, and headed out. It was fine. Sometimes you get by with stuff.

My wife loved that style. She managed to convince my daughters to appreciate that feminine looking style. She also bought a couple of pairs for me. But, I cannot wear that style because the strap across the vamp doesn’t like the shape of my feet. Very uncomfortable for me. 😳 

8 hours ago, gothic_smurf said:

been awhile since i posted and shared in here or even been on here

just wanna know for now.whats everyone favorite style of heels or favorite heel you own or had

for me my personal favorite heel are t-strap and ankle strap ,perfer covered toe more with a platform

whats everyone else

All styles are my favorites.  Particularly styles and colors of “girls shoes” that I can wear without drawing excessive attention.  Loafers, sandals, pumps and wedge heels offerings.

13 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Crocs actually do make some regular looking shoes (not many). I've never considered them special enough to warrant much of my attention. I have never seen an oxford style from them, I am curious.

As a  update, after reading these posts, I took a second careful look again at this pair last night.  There is a small label fastened to the tongue showing that they were made in Vietnam, size “11W.” And the only other printing on th shoes is the Crocks label and the remark “Duel Comfort.”  The brand name “Crocks”is embedded into the sole.  The overall appearance kinda resembles “Chuck-a boots.”

I decided,while getting dressed this morning, to wear them to church.  I usually wear a less obvious pair of girls shoes every Sunday.  My black or brown Nine West Penny Loafers with 1 1/2 inch heels, for example (nothing as stylish or flamboyant as Mlroseplant ). No problem during the service and none at the restaurant where I ate Sunday dinner afterwards.  I believe that I am going to enjoy this pair,

The red boots are attractive and very eye catching too a point where I don’t think, if they were mine, that I would wear them out and about in public.  I really like them.  But, I am conservative when it comes to wearing my heels in public and these boots, in my opinion, would draw more attention than I would want. There isn’t any way you could convince anyone that they weren’t created for women’s wear.

I have vowed many times that I would never purchase a pair of “Crocks.” I can not imagine anything more hideous to put on your feet.  However, yesterday I was shopping at one of our local clothing stores and happened to see a pair of attractive shoes that appealed to me.   Black, faux suede, lace up, oxfords with an almost 4” wedge heel.  After carefully looking them over, I discovered they were brand named “Crocks.”  I bought them.  I wore them to supper last night.  They are the most comfortable and easy to wear shoes in my collection.  While they are more suited for fall and winter wear, I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t get a lot of wear during his summer .

10 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Ok, fair enough. 1) The driveway has become a thing now, I guess. It has largely replaced the drainpipe that @Puffer has admired for so many years. I suppose I could turn 90º and have the background be the deck and the back yard, but that is often littered with cast-off motorcycle parts and other junk like used oil bottles. I probably wouldn't take any pictures at all, except for this group. The driveway is a compromise between decent photo quality and spending lots of time to grab a few snapshots. My wife used to make me go to the park almost every Sunday after church and take photos of her there, which she would then post on social media. For a number of reasons, this stopped after our public health issue reared its ugly head.

But I still haven't answered your question. Our neighborhood is fairly static. Typically, houses only come up for sale after a death. Therefore, my neighbors are long familiar with me, and don't question why I have a tripod set up in the driveway. They probably know. Frankly, it's still a little embarrassing to think about a 56 year old man taking selfies, but ah well.

2) As I alluded to earlier, my wife is a bit of a fashionista, or used to be. For reasons I won't get into, that is largely no longer the case. Sometime around 2018 or 2019, I got to a point I wanted to get to, as far as pushing my fashion limits, and have pretty much stayed there. Of course, the public health issue changed everything, and it seems since then, my fashion choices are not a subject of discussion anymore. I naturally know which situations require me to be invisible, and in which situations I can do what I want. The subject has not really come up for a long time. She doesn't even get mad when I occasionally get a new pair of shoes in the mail.

The skirt, on the other hand, that's a one-off. I'm not really being serious. It was truly an experiment, and my wife certainly doesn't need to know about it. It would be foolish to upset an equilibrium that largely works for us. She rightfully has other, more important things to criticize me about.

And now, a question for you. As I recall, one of the stipulations between you and your wife was that the kids never know about your fashion proclivities. How did you manage to wear heels at all during that couple of decades of child rearing?

Thank you for sharing your answers to my curiosity.

 As far as answering your inquirie, I could write a book explaining how I (we) managed this.  The short answer is we used the same technique most parents use to keep their “private and personal lives” separate from their “parenting” lives and duties.  I kept my female items mixed with my wife’s.  My shoes boxes were on the shelf beside hers and we were the only ones that knew which were mine and which were hers.  

The first ten years after our graduation from college I spent in the military. Our three children were all in grade school.  Between my work and family activities, I didn’t have much time by myself. I did, however, indulge in slipping into a delicious pair of my favorite heels whenever I had time alone.  

The second part of your question, one that naturally follows, is “How successful were we.  Did our kids know or ever find out about my heels?  Truly I really don’t know.  Any parent knows how curious a child can be.  And even more so when there are brothers and sisters collectively involved. Leave it to say that as of this moment, neither my son or either of my daughters has ever let on that they are aware of me and my girls shoes.

Fortunately, for those of us that exclusively wear our “girls shoes” openly, over the years there have been many styles originally sold on the women’s side that have “morfed” into styles worn by both men and women and that are still featured as women’s styles, as well.  Penny Loaf an several styles of sandals for example.  Sometimes the only distinguishing feature denoting the intended gender is the thickness or shape of the heel.  Which, in any case, will be overlooked in any casual observation.

2 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

I don't believe this should be phrased in the future tense. Haven't I done enough time already? 😆

I think I told the story about when the 40-ish woman wanted to compare heel heights at church, and as it turns out, she severely underestimated the general height of my heels. As an aside, her kid is graduating high school this year, my kid is a freshman. It just tells you how old I am compared to most parents.

It is really unlikely that I will wear that skirt beyond the confines of my driveway. The main limiting factor is not the church, but rather the fact that my wife would probably kill me. I know at least one neighbor saw me out there with the tripod capturing the above images, but the wife was working. She has no idea. As far as the length, we are several inches from that being a concern. As a normal congregant, I could get by with wearing much shorter to church. Not that I would, but I could. As the public face of the church via livestream, however, I don't know what the limits would be, and I don't intend to find out.

Over time, there have been several questions that keep popping into my mind concerning your situation as covered by your posts here that I have been hesitant to address.  The comments above present an opertunity to mention two that I have been curious about.  1) given the location where you usually take your pictures and the close proximity of your neighbors house to your driveway, I have often wondered if your neighbors are aware of this activity and give you any feedback?  And 2) while living with a reluctantly supportive spouse — but one that really would rather not have to deal with the situation— for over 36 years, I realize that there is a point where tolerance has been stretched almost to its limit, how do you deal with this situation? ( l learned early on where these limits were and vainly tried never to exceed them, which at times was extremely difficult.)

On 4/30/2024 at 5:47 AM, mlroseplant said:

I find myself very short on time this week, but I'll make a quick post about last Sunday's outfit, with a teaser/promise of more to come. Shoes are Via Spiga, and I got along with them a lot better than I did the last time I wore them, comfort-wise. Pants are Loft, and shirt and tie are no-name Vietnamese. They are not actually unbranded, but they have some silly, so-very-Asian name like "Caring Known" or something like that.

Great look.  Appearing in Church dressed like that must make more than one woman jealous because everything matches in good taste and, I would guess, not one female would be wearing higher heels than you do.

2 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

And now, it is time to reveal the week's truly interesting event--my "new" motorbike, which broke down after only having owned it for one week, is now back in service.

Actually, that's not the news. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. I just wanted to see what it would look like. I don't hate it.

WOW.  What a great look. Going anywhere wearing that outfit would take a ton of courage.  Especially to Church service .  But, then again, you have been wearing heels to church for a long while, I doubt the skirt would raise many eyebrows.  Any criticism given might be along the lines of the skirt is way to short for wearing at a religious service.  (You should submit the picture of you sitting on the motorbike to the Best Dressed contest.)

On 4/23/2024 at 7:36 AM, mickeyunc said:

Those are beautiful.   Only 1 problem i do not see them in larger size?

They look interesting.  Too bad we couldn’t have a better look at them.

Speaking of Nike, I just read an article on U Tube where the star of the University of Iowa’s women’s basketball team, Caitlin Clark, signed a huge endorsement contract with Nike shoes worth over 50 million dollars, even to a point where Nike will produce a “signature shoe” with her name on it.  I am wondering if mlroseplant has any interest in getting a pair when they become available?  If he does, he might be setting a new trend by wearing a pair of women’s basketball shoes by men.  A new thing for sure, but it just might catch on.

On 4/22/2024 at 9:25 PM, Bubba136 said:

I guess I must have fairly normal feet when it comes to shoes made by the the more popular brands.  Over the years I’ve worn heels manufactured by many different companies and although some fit better than others,  I can wear most styles without any problems.  It’s true that some brands have better arch support and are more comfortable for longer periods of wear, especially if you are walking any distance.  Over the past few years though, I’ve found shoes sold by Nine West seem to fit me better than other brands.  Their lasts seem to be formed perfectly for my feet and the arch support on their higher heels give me the comfort I desire.  I like their offerings.  Stylish and moderately priced, easy to wear.

 

On 4/22/2024 at 9:25 PM, Bubba136 said:

I have never worn or owned a pair of heels with metal heel tips. When ever the heel tips on my shoes need replacing, I either did it myself using a set of tips that came with the shoes when I bought them or took them to the local shoe repair shop. Same for my wife’s shoes.  As for what the tips were made of,  I really don’t know for sure.  Hard rubber or some sort of rubber/plastic compound, I would guess.  Don’t know what I am going to do now since the only local shoe repair shop has closed.  The closest one that I have found is 50 miles away from me.

 

My wife and both daughters loved kittens heels.  My wife tried to get me interested in them,too.  But I managed to put her off without without expressing my opinion on how hideous I thought they were.

Speaking of kitten heels, I opened a commercial browser a couple of days ago and saw a advertisement for women’s shoes which featured a pair of Penny Loafers with square toes and kitten heels.  Now I love my Penny Loafers.  I have two or three pair that are my favorites.  Especially the black leather pair with 4” block heels.  I just laughed out loud when I saw the pair in the picture.  I can’t imagine anyone buying them.

If anyone is interested in these shoes, they are being sold by Nieman Marcus.  Look on their website.  

I have never worn or owned a pair of heels with metal heel tips. When ever the heel tips on my shoes need replacing, I either did it myself using a set of tips that came with the shoes when I bought them or took them to the local shoe repair shop. Same for my wife’s shoes.  As for what the tips were made of,  I really don’t know for sure.  Hard rubber or some sort of rubber/plastic compound, I would guess.  Don’t know what I am going to do now since the only local shoe repair shop has closed.  The closest one that I have found is 50 miles away from me.

On 4/19/2024 at 5:37 AM, mlroseplant said:

I have been getting this persistent advertisement in my social media feed for the last couple of weeks. It is a 30-something woman telling me that the staple of my shoe collection should be kitten heels. Every so often, it seems to happen that somebody, somewhere, thinks that the kitten heel is the greatest compromise ever, and that the fashion vs. function problem has finally been solved once and for all.

Luckily, hardly anybody falls for this nonsense. I submit that the kitten heel is the worst of the worst. Not because they are actually the worst looking style ever, but because they pretend to be something that they are not. Yes, Crocs look way worse on an absolute scale, but at least they have no pretense of being anything other than what they are. A 2 inch spike heel has no place in this world. If you need to wear a 2 inch heel, get shoes with block heels, pretty please!

My wife and both daughters loved kittens heels.  My wife tried to get me interested in them,too.  But I managed to put her off without without expressing my opinion on how hideous I thought they were.

Speaking of kitten heels, I opened a commercial browser a couple of days ago and saw a advertisement for women’s shoes which featured a pair of Penny Loafers with square toes and kitten heels.  Now I love my Penny Loafers.  I have two or three pair that are my favorites.  Especially the black leather pair with 4” block heels.  I just laughed out loud when I saw the pair in the picture.  I can’t imagine anyone buying them.

How would the material that the heel cap is made from affect the wear? I would guess that a heel cap made of metal would outlast any heel cap made of a less sturdy material regardless of how a person walked.

32 minutes ago, Cali said:

I agree 100%!

I agree 110%.  Who is offended:

1)   Not those who feel they have to prove they feel,treat, try harder or their remedy is more affective thanyone elses. (As in advertising)

 2) Those that recognize others failing to understand that there is no such thing as more than 100% of anything. 

In the final analysis, it doesn’t matter because we all know what is meant and that there is no such thing as more than 100% of anything.  So, as they say “down south” if you’re offended: “Go scratch your mad place!” 🙂

Sorry for probably misposting/misplacing my comment in this thread.  But, given the state of affairs existing in our existence today, finding the right thread would not have been easy.  Likewise, in my opinion, any man appearing in public wearing a pair of dainty “Barbie” girly shoes obviously is making a statement that would probably be received in a similar manner- One of surprise and total “wonderment.”  Not that I don’t like the shoes because I really think they’re exquisite and probably would wear them around my house but not outside in public.  Because, they are way too girly for my taste and I don’t feel any need of making a statement.  Like I posted before, this is the time for being “Offended.”  However, I chose curiosity over offense because if I am comfortable wearing my girls shoes in public, why shouldn’t anyone else wearing anything they want to wear, as long as it is legal, also be?

I had an interesting experience this afternoon. I went to my local cell phone provider to get a minor malfunction corrected.  While I was waiting for my technician to finish waiting on another customer, I was sitting in the customer waiting area when a large transgender person entered and sat down close by.  (S)he was wearing full face makeup as well as a black female warm up suit and red feminine tennis shoes.  A really unusual appearance.  Not the clothes or makeup because the clothes were tastefully selected and the makeup nicely applied, but the sheer large stature of the individual’s appearance left everyone in the room in “open mouth wonderment” as to why anyone so constructed would ever want to appear in public adorned in such a manner.  My technician called me for service While I was still trying to untangle this picture and even now, I am still unable to get the image out of my mind.  I am not criticizing, just wondering.  🤔 

On 4/16/2024 at 5:56 PM, Mr. X said:

Here are my latest. They brand is pleaser party and prom. And the heel measures 4 and 3/4 inches. They are in mint condition, and they don't look like they have been worn even once. I believe these shoes would qualify as "Disney Princess" or "Barbie" shoes. And the best part is I got them in a thrift store for $20.

Very feminine looking.  Where would you wear them and how would you dress?  I don’t think they would look good with my “laid back fashion” preference.  

Offense is in the air.  Any one  can be offended by anything at anytime.  Whether it be a person’s nail polish is too red or they don’t like the color you painted your toes, someone somewhere is going to be offended.  Now, (trying not to be too political) you’re in double trouble if the offended individual is a member of a minority community.  They can climb on top of their grievance and scream “race” at the top of their lungs, making the entire incident “headline news”.  People are stupid.  Seeking their fifteen minutes of fame is a very strong incentive.  So, if they are willing to complain, I would just turn the tables on them by citing their actions of not supporting my rights to dress as I choose.  A clear case of “pure sexual discrimination” could be made if a complaint of that nature is made. 

2 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Yeah, I seem to remember that one, but wasn't it a billiard ball? I did a quick Google search, and was unable to come up with it. There are many similar images, but not the one you're talking about, and I'm pretty sure I know which one that is.

This is where our opinions diverge. While such images are kind of cool, it is never just about the shoes, it's about the total package, and I'd much rather see if he or she (in my case, probably a she) can actually walk in whatever shoes are being publicized. According to reporting, Zendaya's limit is Louboutin Hot Chicks. Evidently, those about broke her. Probably sensational reporting, but that's what I heard.

You are right, it wasn’t a tennis ball.  In fact, it was a pool ball -  a nine (9) ball if I recall correctly.  At any rate, it sure was a “provoking” picture.  And you are also right in that this particular picture is the focus on the total package.  My bad 😞 

Shows there are some individuals still willing to exercise their fashion boldness, out there. 
🙂

From our perspective the girl wearing the shoes isn’t the focus.  It’s the shoes.  I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned the similarity between this photo and the famous older picture of the black panten leather pump with the 7” heel through the tennis ball 🎾 .  I am certain that it still is around on the internet somewhere and might even be in the Hhplace archives.  

14 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Being as it's Saturday, I guess it's time for a more substantial statistics dump. I did try to do an estimate on how many of my heels are dressy vs. how many are casual. I have decided that this is too subjective and difficult a task to get an accurate number. I think it is clear that clogs can never be dressy, but how about wooden heeled sandals? I think usually not, but my Alaia sandals surely come close. Can a wedge sandal ever be dressy? Yes, but under what circumstances? Anyway, that's a fool's errand, so I all I can say is that roughly 40% of my shoes you might call "dressy," and the other 60% are more "casual."

The more normal statistics are heel height and footbed steepness. For absolute heel height, as measured up the back of the heel, but perpendicular to the floor, we have the following:

Less than 4": 14.2%

4" to including 4 1/2": 31.1%

Over 4 1/2" to including 5": 28.3%

Over 5": 26.4%

Over the past several years, there has been a shift from the third category to the second. This is because a smaller percentage of my shoes are platforms than was the case before, so absolute heel height has shrunk in certain categories. However, in the next batch of numbers, you can see that this has caused the number to shift in the footbed steepness category even more dramatically. Steepness, for those of you who don't know, or who use a different definition, I measure steepness by subtracting out the height of the platform, if any. For example, my Nine West Plantera pumps have an impossibly tall 5 1/2" heel, but they also have a 1" platform, so the total steepness is a less impressive 4 1/2". I started at 3 1/2 inches because that is where to my mind that heels start feeling like heels.

Less than 3 1/2": 15.1%

3 1/2" to including 4": 28.3%

Over 4 to including 4 1/2": 46.2%

Over 4 1/2": 10.4%

As you can see, there is a big increase in the more than 4 to 4 1/2" category. If you included steepnesses that were right at 4" in that category, the number would be even more overwhelming. I guess this is where I like to be, but there is a variation even within this category. With 4 inch or less, I can just slide/pull them on and go. With 4 1/2 inch, that is highly inadvisable without preflight.

As always, if I have a shoe which has no footbed liner or cushion, which is often the case with wooden heels, I "discount" the heel/platform height by 1/4" so that we are comparing heights more equally.

If the foot bed has a varnish coating or two covering it do you consider that thickness, also?  

3 hours ago, Puffer said:

I too have received Temu e-mails.  It is a Chinese marketplace (somewhat like Amazon) with a wide range of products, mostly at low competitive prices - especially where the same item is offered by several sellers.   Although some customers have complained about missing, damaged or incorrect items, the general trend is of satisfaction.   I recently bought a selection of small tools and workshop items with a total cost of about £17 (with free delivery for £15+) and they arrived within a week exactly as ordered and with no apparent defects.   There is a free returns service if needed.

I  did search more widely on the Temu website and there are many footwear items offered - including a large number of high-heeled shoes, boots and sandals, including stilettos.   So, I am surprised that Bubba could not see any; maybe the offerings to US customers are different?   I don't know what the quality is like; the low prices (typically £10 - 40) may be indicative.

That shows how diligent I am at actually reviewing unsolicited websites.  I rarely go beyond the first page of any unsolicited website.  Once I have satisfied my curiosity as to what it’s all about, I usually just press the “Spam” option and delete it.  Since I sold my house and downsized my lifestyle over the past two years,  I find that I am not in the market for anything these days, which doesn’t mean that my curiosity has been diminished, just that I am living on what’s remaining.

Over the past several weeks I’ve been receiving emails from a Website called “Temu.” I guess the IA feature built into the browser I usually use, has honed in on my interest in women’s shoe sites and automatically shunted this one to me.  

Now, this seller features casual clothing and shoes for both men and women.  The selection of shoes available on the women’s side are a mixture of trainers, canvas slip on, and leather loafers. All low heels but very attractive.  

While I doubt not many of our members here would find this site interesting because it doesn’t feature “high heels,” it does present many interesting and different good looking styles that male wearers of girls shoes will might find attractive.

At this moment I am not in the market for any more shoes.  However, should the need (desire) arise over the next few months,  I believe I will definitely take a second look.