Tacchi Alti

Not in this league, I'm afraid. I still have more men's than women's, but I have more women's shoes than my wife has! Strangely enough for a woman she hasn't much interest in shoes.

Looking on the bright side, at least you didn't break a leg! It's a real nuisance, though, having only one arm working, as I know from putting my shoulder out last year. I hope everything heals up quickly.

There are a good selection of such shoes on Ebay, too. They seem to be coming in, and while I'm not too keen on the platforms it's great to see shoes which might be considered to be more masculine in style. Don't get me wrong, I love classic stilettos, but this sort of thing (loafer front, not such a pointy toe, and thicker heels) might be just what we need. Those Daniel gives a link to are ideal, in my opinion.

Very, very nice, Julie. I particularly like the 14 cm heels, which you walk very well in. Grosses bises.

Remember these are US sizes. If you're a 12 Australian size you'd need a 13 or 14.

I doubt you'd get new thigh boots for the same price as resoling, unless the cost of repair is extortionate in your area. How bad are the splits? Do the shoes need anything more than a new sole to cover them or do the splits themselves need attention? You can get replacement rubber soles for a few pounds and stick them on for yourself if your repairer would charge too much!

Just as an example of 'bragging', have a look at the posts by Laurieheels back in 2002 - her high heeled girl's training diary. A lot of us found that very interesting. Nearly 10 years ago! Wow.

Cover Girl ceased trading several years ago after the owner died.

OK, thanks. I bought a very nice pair of 6" sandals there a long time ago. They're still listed in the local online directory, which is where I got the contact info from. I suppose it might have been difficult for the owner to update the information, so there it sits.

Have you looked at this site's marketplace topics? Also, there are places like Cover Girl Shoes in London N1 (retail shop) and Sexy Shoes (internet store, but with central London phone number and Croydon contact address). Banana Shoes also have a good reputation. A search on the Web should throw up many more, and you can also try Ebay.

On Monday I had a little extra time after work so I went browsing the last of the sales lines at the local retail center and came across these:

Black Suedette Courts. (clicky!)

For only £10, I couldn't resist. Tried them on in-store (Dorothy Perkins), they fit like a glove (UK7) and felt stunning to walk in. Going to take them for a walk this lunch and see how the hold up for half an hour. More pics will follow

Chris

Very nice - good classic court shoe. I'll be interested to know how they feel after your lunchtime walk.

Why is it some folks feel they need to brag about being able or desiring to walk in higher heels than anyone else as if it were some sort of IQ test?

Give it a rest. Heels are heels. Heights are up to the individual.

Might it be because we're all different? Some worry that size matters; others are quite happy with what they've got.

Also, few of us - male or female - can walk well straight away in high heels. There's a sense of achievement when we've mastered one height and are ready to go higher, and if we 'brag' it's because there are like-minded people on this forum with a similar IQ who will appreciate this.

Others are just happy to keep quiet, do what appeals to them, and smile indulgently at the braggers - or secretly envy them, perhaps.

It's a bit like sport. Some people are super-competitive and need to attain to higher and higher levels; others just want to spend a few hours away from the pressures of everyday life and are content with the level they are at.

I think there's room here for both categories, and all in between.

Now, what irritates me is the converse of this when I see people walking around like ducks and quacking loudly to any who will listen that they've had their shoes on for half an hour and their feet are killing them. No one's forcing them to wear heels, so why complain publicly about their own choice of footwear? Why don't they just wear flats (or even correctly fitting shoes) and shut up? It's with such persons that I question the IQ.

Wow! Predictable, though, with all the bigoted knee-jerk reactions and common misconceptions. Actually, I don't wear heels to make me taller. I wear them because I love the feeling of being perched up on my toes, with my ankles tight, every step a fresh challenge.

Is that not the point, that all people have their own 'perfect' height for high heels? It depends on the flexibility of the ankle, demonstrated here by the angle a foot rests at. So if someone can't wear three-inch heels without looking like a duck, it's probably because their ankles don't flex enough from the 'flat' position and they can't straighten their knees. Not all flat shoes are better for your feet than high heels. Ballet pumps, for example, don't give the foot enough support. Anyway, I'm sure there are better things to argue about, and there will be as many opinions here as people!

Ah, OK. I wasn't actually listening to it, as my German's not that good - I was just reading the text and assumed what was being said followed the text roughly.

Hmm, I've looked through that article again and couldn't find any mention of alternating flats and heels. Is it in that article and I've missed it, or is it something they say elsewhere? Interestingly enough, I'm intrigued they should show a photo of Kate Moss in the context of people who should wear only flats or low heels in case they damage their feet, and say she prefers flat shoes (am liebsten?), as she often wears very high heels, so is not in this category.

Don't spoil it!

Interesting. It makes my ideal heel height for everyday wear about three inches! Perhaps I need to show the site to my wife - although I'd need to translate it for her. Should I tell her it suggests five-inch heels all the time?

Let us know how you get on walking in them! Is there some stiffening or boning on the material round the ankle keeping your feet in the high-heel position, or do you just have to balance on your toes the whole time? Quite a challenge, whatever the situation, and your ankles will probably get very tired!

Yes, I've been away for a looong time. Occasionally lurking but now more regularly looking. Your link didn't work, BTW.

5.5" is fine for several hours around the house. I once walked about a mile in 6-inchers but my ankles were rather wobbly towards the end! I have a pair of 4-inch wedge trainers which I could hike in all day. I have a pair of 7-inchers and can walk a couple of hundred yards in them but can't straighten my knees properly. I take size 8 UK. All these are without platform, of course.

If you have very large feet, you might get a four-inch lift, but I have size 8 (UK) feet and I've measured it. The maximum lift is the distance between your big toe and ankle joints minus the barefoot difference in height off the floor of the ankle joint in comparison with the big toe joint. In my case it's roughly 3 inches, slightly less if anything. I'm sure someone could come up with all sorts of other complicated factors which might affect the exact measurement, like increased curve of foot altering the toe - ankle measurement, difference in spine profile in heels, etc! As I say, in my case I've measured it. Obviously a platform sole will increase the lift but that wasn't my main point. A two inch platform with a six inch heel would increase your height by slightly more than two inches above the lift of a six inch heel with no platform, due to the decreased foot angle above horizontal. In other words it would be a four-inch-heel lift plus two inches. There is very little difference in height increase with six inch heels with no platform rather than four inch heels with no platform. It's just that the six inchers are more fun. I don't wear heels to increase my height, I wear them because I love the feeling of being perched up on my toes, every step a fresh challenge, particularly outdoors on a slope or uneven ground... My wife tries to push me off balance but is amazed how seldom she is able to do it!

<Chuckle> The mass has all got to go somewhere, I suppose. Perhaps without tight trousers we'd be even shorter at the end of the day. Anyway, perhaps this isn't the best thread to have a protracted conversation. I just thought I'd throw that bit of useless information in, as the only way a six-inch heel would give a six-inch lift is if there were also a six-inch platform. I don't think that's quite what most users of this forum would choose. I've been lurking for ages, by the way. Perhaps I should be more active in other topics.

About 5'8". BTW, a six-inch heel doesn't make you six inches taller. It's generally no more than half that, depending on foot size.

We've been through a lot of those things, often with tearful scenes. The first is the assumption that I must be gay or a risky pervert. Then it's the line that women's clothes shouldn't be worn by men. Finally accepting that I've no desire whatsoever to be or dress like a woman. Tolerating my heels in the house and garden and my Bertulli boots elsewhere, although terrified I'll fall down the stairs in them or otherwise do my ankles in, or be seen in them by other people. Actually packing my newest 4" loafers for a romantic few nights away when I was going to leave them at home for her sake.

This was e-mailed to me today. Believe it if you will! Subject: Fw: Women Drivers What's a Guy to do... Driving to work this morning on the Interstate, I looked over in the left lane and there was a woman driving 70 miles an hour in a Mustang, with her face up in the rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner. I looked away for a couple of seconds, when I looked back she was half way over in my lane, still putting on her makeup. It scared me so bad, I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the donut out of my other hand. In all the confusion of trying to straighten out the car with my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my cell phone from my ear, it fell into the coffee between my legs and DISCONNECTED AN IMPORTANT CALL!!!!! "STUPID WOMEN DRIVERS"!!!!!