Ben(Canada)

Hi Laurie, Debbie, Jo-Jo, and Inga Thanks for providing input and you answered my question, but now I am wondering how many of you actually wear shoes or high heels inside your "home"? Here in Canada it seems most people don't wear shoes inside their homes. In the household I grew up in, we always wore shoes inside. Well before about 1960's very few people we knew had carpets, and lino floors are colder. My dad and mom grew up on farms in northern Alberta, where I was born as well, and it was a lot of bother to always take off shoes going in and out. Even now they wear shoes on carpets. Nowadays people often go ballistic if you don't take off shoes going inside their homes, but in businesses, people almost always wear shoes. This makes me think a lot of people like to go to work or go out so they can wear their nice shoes somewhere. Because for people that don't wear shoes inside their homes, work at home, and don't go out that much, well it is hardly worth buying fancy shoes at all. Ben Why install carpets, just fasten smaller pieces of the carpet to your feet and save money (from McDonald's ad) <font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ben(Canada) on 2002-02-16 01:14 ]</font>

Hi Laurie: I think you are just testing us all to see if our ship is anchored? Regarding the potato thing, I did realize it was a joke, but we don't have a "I know it is a joke face". Ben <font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ben(Canada) on 2002-02-15 06:18 ]</font>

Laurie, I have heard that girls put tissue under their bras, but I had not heard that boys use potatoes. I did not know that! So you said..."if we look at fashion as a way to enhance the body, then what feature could a man enhance that would gather the most attention from a woman? So a man needs shoes that cause him to thrust out his pelvis. And something that makes him appear to bulge". I know in the late 70s it was common for men of all sexual orientations to wear tight pants. I think this does what you are suggesting...or are you? The present theme among men is to wear baggy pants that totally hides all anatomy. So do you like men in tighter pants, and what do you think other women like, just so one does not offend too many people in different situations, you know. Personally I don't like most pants. They are baggy and when I walk, the pants rub up and down the leg. Some years ago when I was working at a resort in Manitoba and riding horses a lot, my jeans would rub so much they would tear out all the hair on my legs. That hurts. Now when I go out of the house I am often doing some sort of physical activity or walking and wear tights. They fit against the body, stretch, don't slide at all, and are very comfortable. I do wear a dance belt with them in case your were wondering. I think some women think they look OK, but I know one friend thinks they look terrible because she thinks the body should not be displayed. I think I would get the same comments when wearing tighter fitting pants. Who cares in the end, but there are some situations where one has to hide behind a bit of a image. This note isn't about shoes but is related. Feedback would be nice from anyone. Ben <font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ben(Canada) on 2002-02-14 22:44 ]</font>

I think the carpeting in my townhouse is making me sneeze...haachu...oh I hate that. Anyways, this last Christmas I went to a party in someone's home. Well of course everyone took their shoes off and neatly tucked them under a bench so they would be out of sight. There were even a few pairs of high heels I noticed. But isn't it a shame that we couldn't all admire those high heels being worn. Isn't it silly that we don't all have floors that allow high heels and other shoes to be worn indoors? I am thinking of replacing my carpeting, so what kind of floor is compatible with people wearing high heels indoors? I have heard that the snap together laminate flooring is tough, but will it handle the stiletto heels? Or do those who wear these like to be naughty and punch holes in everyone's floors? Ben

Hi Joak, Inga, Francis and all Joak, didn't like the semi-ballet style. Didn't like the pony boots either, Francis. But how would we define what we like unless we see a variety of styles. Inga you are a real joker, you can poke fun of what I write anytime. I am in the middle of writing a patent and the claims go something like the style of what I wrote, so I guess I got a little carried away. So you are a gossiper too? I think you might be quite a naughty gal. Ben <font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ben(Canada) on 2002-02-13 19:06 ]</font>

Hi Dan Sure, I would like to read your stories about admiring someone in high heels. Put them here. Any point of view from and regarding any sex is fine. I like to know what makes people tick. I saw your note about how to approach someone wearing high heels, and talk to them, or complement them. Stories like that would be especially welcome. Ben

Hi Laurie and Inga Laurie, found your diary here just today. Thanks for posting to this site as well. I think it is good that you can edit and put pictures here. I like your diary post because it is a little story. It is more comprehensive than just a short note and I am always interested in more details on anything. Like I said in another post, I am most interested in fashions that are worn everyday on the street in an effortless way. I agree with you that very high heels look quite special, but not in the closet. Many people can only hope to step into really high heels for a picture or dream about them. It was my opinion before reading posts like yours, Inga, that really high heels such as 5 1/2 inch ones were really uncomfortable and could only be worn for short periods of time. Sure, I think the fact that they can be worn all day long makes your project more exciting, Laurie. What's the point of someone spending 2 hrs a day perfecting their muscles when they might take off their clothes at the pool once a month. But here the effort you put in will allow you to enjoy yourself, or show off to others, your shoes and your legs all day long. It's been interesting finding out some inside information on all this, and partly because many women I know are the complete opposite in these matters. Ben <font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ben(Canada) on 2002-02-12 07:59 ]</font>

Hi Debbie, Inga, Laurie, Tom, and everyone else Guess again my tastes are out of line with the groups I am in. Not that any of the things I like aren't talked about somewhere, but not in the context and groups I am often in. I often think I must have come in from outer space, but that's OK. Don't get me wrong, I do like many different shoe styles. Debbie, I think when a person is trying to wear really high heel styles it is neat if they are able to wear them all day long in reasonable comfort, so when I see you wear your Oxfords, I think that is really nice. Inga, when I was referring to Spook, who wears the ballet boots, I wasn't really relating to her clothing styles. My own tastes in women's and men's clothing is somewhere else. By the way, I also like to bicycle quite a lot, my favorite is touring, and I have traveled thousands of kilometers this way. I also have checked out your fair city. Some years ago I did a 18,000 km, 7 month motorcycle trip all around Australia. Laurie, I am curious about all the details behind you wanting to wear higher heels, and your training methods. I thought I looked through the threads on Jenny's site at one time. Or is this all secret? Tom, regarding the ballet boots "missing part of the foot". If one looks at a cutaway of someone wearing a really high heel shoe with very pointy toes, much of the shoe toe is completely hollow. So when I see a shoe like this, in my mind it looks to me like a false front, like if someone stuck on a piece of shoe in front with nothing inside. I think typical toes and soles look good in high heel shoes with up to about 5 inch heel height above the toe, then after that I think it makes sense and looks nice to go to other alternatives such as ramps, platforms, and ballet styles, as I mentioned in my earlier post. And in context of this you made a good point. Ballet boots are hard to walk in because there is little side stability. A high heel boot in effect can be a cross between a ballet boot and a normal shoe, which would have a wider sole. It could also contain a toe ramp. I believe I have seen such a style. I think the tricky part is to make it look right. Putting a toe on a ballet boot probably would look unnatural because the foot would look much too long. I would be interested to see examples of styles between the basic ramp, platform, or ballet style, because without seeing them, one can not imagine if they would look nice. Ben <font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ben(Canada) on 2002-02-11 19:43 ]</font>

Inga and Laurie, I slipped up in failing to define what I meant by "Are there any in this forum that like to experiment off the traditional edge". I was scratching my head about your comments Laurie. We had some communication about you liking to be an individual and not liking conformity. Then your last comments regarding working towards wearing really high heel shoes went..."I hope that it can be done in a purem traditional manner with regards to the style of shoes I choose". While that could have been not totally related to what I was thinking about, I could not figure out how to file the earlier comments with some of the latter one's you made which appeared to be more of a conservative nature. And Inga, I felt you were knocking styles for technical reasons that you weren't totally familiar with. So that is what was going through my mind when I asked the question. I thought because many of you came from Jenny's High Stiletto Heels Site you regarded more superior some type of purem traditional high heel and a whole mindset that went along with that. It appeared this was as far as anyone wanted to go into "more unusual territory". :???:

In many things I am quite drawn to going into, or others going into, the zone that is the fine line between what society often relates to as decent and the other side which is more radical. Regarding things people wear, I am not the most attracted to things that happen behind closed bedroom doors, but rather people that are pushing the edge of styles worn in public for everyday purposes such as for work, recreation, free time, parties, and events. I think this is the real world of fashion. While I am quite curious how many of you feel in all aspects of style, and what inner spirit makes you want to wear what you wear, right here I want to avoid getting tangled up in those very much bigger issues. I will limit my question to only specific technical issues of really high heel styles in keeping with the subject slant of this thread. I think in a more basic sense, most people in the forum are into pushing through this line at least a bit. Most of you men wearing high heels are doing so. Laurie, I think it is quite nice you are pushing the line and going for wearing higher heels than most others around you wear for daily purposes. And Inga, I think you wearing 5 inch heels to work sometimes is already pushing the line. Wearing Lycra for bicycling and then jumping into high heels makes you a versatile dresser, which I think is quite exciting. There are other people in this forum who do equally interesting things.

But then I am still curious about the fine line again and about things I don't seem to see mentioned at all or are largely rejected here. From all my research, it appears to me that the only way to achieve wearing really high heels properly is to do at least some advanced foot training use foot bending jigs rather than just using basic training by wearing higher and higher heels. Like I said before sometimes these can be used to extreme. According to the web article Creating a High Heeled Woman http://newagequest.com/HH/highheels.html#list this is the only proper way to achieve walking in ultra heels without bending the knees. I haven't seen any reference to this here. A lot of people in this forum don't like to see platform shoes. These are quite popular today, but not in this forum, and I wonder why? Personally I don't like the looks of platform shoes where the heel of the shoe is not much higher than the toes. I think the platform only looks good on certain very high heeled shoes where it is used in extending the height of the heel beyond what could be achieved by normal means, when the arch is already angled as far as it will go. I have heard that ballet boots seem to be making their way more out of the bedroom and onto the streets and this is pushing the line. Are they too radical for treading the line. Maybe for wearing for work in many cases, but I don't think they are too radical for certain other situations. Maybe you don't like them because you have heard they are impossible to wear? It appears however that properly fitted, people can wear them longer at a stretch than the more classic very high heel. Personally I like the shape of the ballet boot much better than the more classic very high heel. A lower classic high heel looks nice enough, but when the arch of the foot is angled vertically on the very high heel shoe, the toes appear to be bend so unnaturally in the classic shoe, while in the ballet boot the foot is basically in the much more elegant extended position. It has to be understood that the ballet boot is highly technical footwear. There are other tricks that can be used in shoes to make it possible to wear even higher heels such as angling the toe portion on the shoe. So these are my ideas, but I would really like to hear yours. In the following I have defined the terms.

Regarding really high heel shoes, I am curious, how many, and to what degree do people in this forum:

(1) like to experiment with, model, wear daily, wear occasionally, talk about, read about, look at pictures, create pictures of, design, make, analyze, see real people, or fantasize,

(2) about the wearing of, deciding to wear, giving in to wearing, being persuaded to wear, wearing more often, becoming more popular,

(3) of shoes with heels higher than 4" above the horizontal plane of the end of the big toe, the heel length being measured from the toe plane to the upper meeting point of the heel to the shoe,

(4) where the designs of the shoes are reasonably different than the popularly accepted more classical shoe styles of today, these classical styles being defined here roughly of the type where the toes and ball of the foot are horizontal within 5 degrees in the high heel shoe, and the toes and ball of the foot are within 1/4 inch or less from the ground, and the heel extending roughly from the center of the heel area of the shoe,

(5) and regarding foot training for wearing really high heel shoes, how many use or think a foot bending jig should be used to achieve the properly shaped foot?

I would be interested in seeing replies, you could phrase them similar in format to the following example and you could write about more than one...I like to read about people, suddenly waking up and deciding to wear, really high heel shoes where the heel is over 6 inches in height above the toes, ideally one of these would be ballet boots with 9 inch heels, and would be worn sometimes at home and in public for certain special times out, and the wearer uses foot bending jigs used carefully, which shows they are technically savvy and smart in achieving their goal, which is quite exhilarating.

Ben

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ben(Canada) on 2002-02-11 00:36 ]</font>

Hi Debbie and Inga, thanks for the replies. I don't bite and I don't ever mean to shoot people down in flames, but I love to discuss till the cows come home. Debbie, I guess I'll add ballet boots to the list of things you think are ugly. I don't think ballet boots have to look like proper ballet shoes at all, why they can look like anything at all in my opinion. I know many look a bit clunky, but I have seen some really nice ones too. I researched the issue of ballet boots quite a bit theoretically that is. My whole curiosity in people wearing high heels of any sort is only recent. It was sparked by the comments by one of my many fashion hating female friends during an outing in the last year. In the course of her ranting on and on about how stupid most female fashions were, she mentioned...and then I heard that women are starting to wear high heels where they basically stand on their toes. I looked it up, and they were called ballet heels or ballet boots. At first I thought more like you. I imagined right away that this must be a most bizarre type of shoe for people who are into hurting themselves. But as I read on and on, I came away with a different impression. Now in this thread we are talking about women wearing very high heels shoes all day long. Sure if one compares ballet boots to 4" high heels, the ballet boots are indeed difficult for most women to wear. But if one compares ballet boots to 6 or 7" heels, I think the story is different. It appears that some women are able to wear ballet boots all day long, which is almost more than everyone is saying about wearing more traditional 7" high heels. Properly fitted ballet boots apparently do not put much pressure on the toes but rather spread it out throughout the foot. The tight lacing keeps the heel in the socket of the shoe. The added advantage is that there is no pressure put on the ball of the foot, which can be a problem for the other types of very high heels shoes. I pulled the following off the Internet: "In regards to wearing high heels permanently, Spook's choice of ballet boots is oddly an excellent one. Ballet boots usually have tight ankles. High heel shoes with ankle straps and boots with tight ankles help support and protect shortened Achilles tendons and ankles. They function like ankle wraps." This was clarified in the article as not necessarily relating to people who have lost the flexibility in their feet but rather one's that like to wear high heels all day long. The last I heard, Spook was often wearing ballet boots all day long. Some are saying in this thread that wearing really high heels of 7" is not possible all day long, while here I see that people are wearing ballet boots all day long. And this makes me wonder if properly made and fitted ballet boots with practice can be more practical than traditional extreme high heels. Personally all the research I did put a whole different light on ballet boots. I started seeing them as the more logical way of wearing really high heels. I think that not many people try to wear ballet boots and this is the reason why they have a bad rap. Personally I came to view them as the more perfect way of wearing really high heels, and in my mind they turned into a thing of beauty. For many people wearing or looking at extremely high heels is an exciting thing. Why wouldn't more people be interested in adding an extra 2" of heel height without platforms to make things even more exciting? I like this forum because it promotes high style without the usual nudity and extreme sexuality. Are there any in this forum that like to experiment off the traditional edge? :eek: Ben <font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ben(Canada) on 2002-02-10 05:50 ]</font>

On 2002-02-08 07:17, Anonymous wrote:

Prove them wrong Laurie. As far as people arguing whether 7" inch heels can be worn by you for an extended period...why it's all a matter of definitions...and I am Mr. Definitions...

I didn't mean to be anonymous, but either the server kicked out my username or I forgot, and then I can't edit...so be careful...Ben(Canada)

Laurieheels wrote: Fancy clothes and shoes are for women without brains? What the heck kind of women have you been hanging around with? And if they weren't in fancy clothes and shoes, what was the attraction? I would think these commentators are jealous of the sexy AND smart woman who gets the attention.

Laurie, I think you are a breath of fresh air compared to the women I have often stumbled onto.

I think the issues you mentioned above relate to a type of reverse psychology type belief that some people adhere to...if it looks good it must be bad, if it is a little sexy and exiting it must be wrong, anything nice that a woman wears makes her look like a prostitute, and money has made some people commit suicide and so don't strive to have any money either.

I like the way you are not like this and are willing to go for things when they seem exciting and are even a little daring...like your recent decision to work towards wearing the highest of heels. I think it would be pretty neat if you could get to the point of being able to wear 7" heels for an extended period of time. I know some are saying this is not possible but who knows.

Here are some reflections on seeing really high heels worn in the workplace, from a guy who admits to glancing at the feet from time to time... A few years ago I was engineering manager for an airless spray paint pump manufacturing company. I had a lab at the rear of the building and an office at the front. The company didn't want to spend the money to let me have a telephone in the lab. So whenever I got a phone call when I was working in the lab, one of the gals in the front office would have to "run" back and get me. There were about 6 gals in the front office and I remember two of them liked to wear pretty high heels. The one that usually "ran" back to get me wore the highest heels. She was probably about 5'4" or 162 cm tall and had that slender look with long fingers and feet. I think she must have often worn 6" heels to work, and these were not platform shoes. I have been told that they might have been only 5" heels, but I remember they were the highest heels I had ever seen. These are the type of shoes that make one's knees weak and one can feel the blood rushing out from brain just looking at them. I would usually walk back to the front office with her. On my own I sometimes walk 6 miles an hour, but I was amazed at how fast she walked in her heels. She definitely had a practiced walk which was quite natural. It was probably a funny sight, me in my paint-covered boots, walking next to this classy gal with really high heels on. When I reached the front office, I would bound up the stairs to my office in three strides and grab the phone to make up the time.

Why not post some really short stories about high heels here...true experiences both from you being in the shoes or other's wearing them. Polish your storytelling skills here. Keep it classy and decent like we are supposed to here, but I think you could add some sensation to increase the hearbeat a little... <font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ben(Canada) on 2002-02-08 04:12 ]</font>

Hi all, thanks for the comments! It seems there are "rules" in life and they are all meant to be broken. OK, I understand what Laurieheels and IHeels are saying. But in the case I mentioned I had known the gal for some months and I didn't just blurt out the question. Now the other comments in the thread lead me to believe that I shouldn't care as much about how women respond in the first few seconds. First, it appears to be OK to talk to a women about her shoes. I wasn't sure about that. Then maybe there is this uncomfortable period were the women is taken aback. Then perhaps if I am a good conversationalist I should forge ahead and make the other person comfortable talking about it. Maybe crack a joke and break the ice jam. I guess if the situation was turned around, and a woman asked me something personal, I might seize up too. But I know some women know how to forge ahead and then the whole issue becomes comforable to talk about in the end.

I come here as an interested observer of women wearing high heeled shoes. I don't have much "inside" information about high heels as I am not married, in a relationship, and the women friends I have had in the last years think fancy cloths and shoes are an indication of women without any brains. The other day I was thinking over the years of different relationships with women, and I was surprised how many actually wore high heels from time to time. Now I am a curious type of person and like asking a lot of questions...usually too many. I like to know what makes a person tick. The last time I talked to a woman friend...maybe a bit more...about her high heels was a long, long time ago. I said something like "how do you like wearing heels". And the response I got was pretty cold. It was as if I was asking her about the deepest darkest secret of her life. So I never posed this question again. Once I agreed to go on a bicycle touring trip for a few weeks with a gal. She invited me over for dinner. I remember she took me over to her bedroom in the loft to show me some maps. I was surprised at the racks and racks of shoes she had, mostly high heels, and some pretty high too. Wow, I thought, but I didn't dare to even ask her about her shoes. I think it is fun to expose all your thoughts. So anyways, I think you get the drift of what my question is. I am asking this question in the Rant Forum, because I have noticed the topics in the discussion website are divided. The men have their section and the women have their own. I understand one reason for this is to be able to identify what shade man/woman the experiences are being said in. But the way they are titled "for the gals", "for the guys". I know the "for the gals" format is not supposed to be for guys that wear high heels to share their wearing experiences. Are the guys also not supposed to make comments or ask questions to the women here. So is this one more examples of my experiences that women want to wear stylish things but it is embarrasing to talk to men about that. It is a girl talk thing. Just asking, I have learned I am not going to change how people think...I just like to know.

OK, so I know that especially Debbie(HK) does not like platforms. I have come into this forum as a curious observer and in all my browsing, I can't find any definition of what a platform is. Anyone, please let's have a definition. A sole greater than 1/8 inch, 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, or mm? I think sandal high heels I see with up to 3/4" inch high sole look good, but not above this, so what is this? Like what do I know about woman wearing heels, but I thought maybe this height is neat because the sole isn't really high but allows a bit higher heel to be worn...like cheating..but only a little bit. I live in Vancouver, Canada. It rains pretty hard out here at certain times, just when you are not expecting it. If you want to wear shoes here it is best to have a bit of a sole to avoid getting the water into your shoes, especially if they are sandals. As a guy who wears flat shoes, I hardly ever wear my dress shoes with a thin sole when it's wet. I wear my running shoes with 3/4 inch high sole at midlength or boots. So when I imagine a woman wearing high heels with a 1/8 inch high leather sole, I always imagine her feet being soaked, cold, and feeling every rock on road. I would imagine about a 3/4" high sole is perfect for sandal high heels to keep the feet dry. So what is wrong with this? By the way, the last time I checked, the streets of Vancouver are full of people wearing high heeled shoes...especially downtown. It hardly ever gets below freezing or snows here, and high heels are worn inside and out.