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No, they just know me for wearing my plain ol Tony Lama cowboy boots to work

Funny you should mention this. I met one of my superiors in the parking lot, while waiting for other coworkers to arrive. It was cold, I opened the back door to climb in her car and get out of the cold. She apologized for all the heels and a great pair of booties that were laying in the footwell where I climbed in..."That's quite alright..." I said, "great heels indeed"....

This internet thing is often a "bully pulpit" making it too easy for folks with issues to lash out....

So many variables to consider when offering "constructive criticism" indeed. I guess so much depends on your relationship with those receiving the criticism and the place (online/in person/email etc) the criticism will be offered. You are right of course, offering insincere positive comments may not be doing that person any favors. I do my best not to offer "phony compliments", tend to just say little or nothing when I see something that does not look good to me. I remember this stern advice the parents would give when we were kids. And, I must keep in mind, everyone's taste (especially in heels) is different, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.... In the case of guys in heels, one must also consider where a fellow is on his heeling journey. It is hard enough for a guy to muster the courage to go against idiotic societal norms in order to explore fashions he has only secretly admired in the past, I tend to err on the side of encouragement in cases like this.

Well said brother. Valid complaint and observation indeed. There was just this one section of his photos/videos I was referring to, and that is the "booted" section. And yes, looks like there were only about four different pairs of boots. Nonetheless, I did like the many different wardrobe styles he paired with the otherwise small collection of boots.

so true. sometimes less is more

You sure do Cali, and look amazing as well....

Have a great time buddy, sounds like a wonderful trip

Here is a wonderful youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25lT1eStJPs This man captures everything I would love to achieve. Pierre, if you are a member here, BRAVO buddy! Don

I've got chicken legs, so usually avoid shorts...

I'm sure they would be shocked if you showed up in a three piece suit...

I have often "wanted to believe" this also Maybe that's it, walking in snow in heels is just fun.... Can't wait to wear my new Hunter gloss black "refined boots" to clean the snow. No snow yet here in RI, just freezing cold nastiness. Great job, would love to miles how many miles I logged last year, would be thrilled if it was 100 miles...

57, sure wish I was that young again, would do so many things better... I would agree that slippery floors are my biggest fear, I have stumble/fallen more than once.

Like you say, it seems like many shoes/boots were never designed with actual walking in mind! Many of those runway heel fashions don't appeal to me at all. Just because something has a designer label, and is outrageously styled does not mean it actually looks good. More often than not, "less is more".

Well said

hear yeah for sure. The situations I'm referring to are where the cars are already stopped at a light and I am crossing with the walk signal. But yes, I do get frustrated when cars just stop for no reason to let me cross at some random spot in the road, I would much rather wait until it is totally clear in both directions to cross without holding up traffic. This reminds me of a close call I had a few years ago while I was driving. I came up on the rear of another car who was stopped on a bit of an incline, perhaps a bridge. Not knowing why he stopped, I went around him, only to see someone step out from the front of his car in my path! Fortunately, was not going very fast so was able to stop quickly. There is a point of where drivers are "too nice" and can cause a traffic/pedestrian hazard while doing so. I get really upset when someone on a local four lane road stops to let you cross/turn in front of him. You can not see if someone is coming up from the other lane, I usually just hastily wave the "polite driver" on, not going to chance it. Some folks can over use their signals as well. Nonetheless, you are correct, will start making eye contact with drivers at these intersections

I think this exact situation is where my boots are most noticed, crossing in front of stopped cars. I often want to look at the occupants and judge their reaction, but don't...

The more I concentrate on how I am walking in my boots, the worse my gait is for sure!

Yeah, I'm sure my boots are noticed when I cross in front of traffic at stop lights. I wish I "could be a fly on the wall" to see their facial expressions or perhaps hear what they say, but maybe am better off not knowing....

Well, I guess I feel that not as many folks notice our heels and boots are we once might have feared did notice! Again, I always notice footwear, so mistakenly made the assumption that most others do too. But, on the other hand, I feel that more folks notice than we are aware of. Most folks might notice but don't want to be rude or stare, and they are way too busy to deviate from their immediate missions while out and about. I might not notice folks checking out my boots intentionally, mainly because I want to give them the opportunity to look (hopefully admire) without "being caught looking/staring" by me. Generally, I can usually sense when someone is taking a second look though. For me, I know I am relaxed when out and about, when I almost forget I'm wearing boots.

LOVE those boots

Karma would strike me back quickly if I ever laughed (even internally) at someone struggling in heels!

Risky perhaps, but a big step forward for sure. Nothing feels quite so nice as wearing the heels we love in public....

Welcome Goose! Great job chucking the sneaks, no turning back from that for sure. Sometimes we are way too tough on ourselves for sure. We assume the eyes of the world will be focused on us when we first venture out in the heels we are so eager to wear publicly. I think part of this assumption comes from the fact that most of us are keen on noticing the heels others are wearing, but we are certainly in the minority. Most folks are way too busy to notice our footwear, and most don't really care. Good for you buddy, we have all "been there" for sure. We are eager to here about your next adventures, each outing in heels gets a little easier. What did you do that was "stupid"??

Cool!