SleekHeels

I've seen leggings like that worn very well, and other times not so well. What I like about the ones in the photo is that they're more matt than the patent heels, and worn with a knitwear top that'd make a really nice combination of textures.

Obsessions

Yes, I've also found that wearing heels can be helpful when I've had back pain (due to a sedentary job). I think it's mostly because wearing heels tends to encourage me to keep a better posture. Heelster makes a good point about heels working different muscles in your legs, so maybe it's the variety of wearing heels and flats that also helps. I have noticed a little knee-pain, quite possibly as a result from wearing high heels too much, so now I try to be quite sensible about changing into flats to walk long distances, and that seems to eliminate the knee-pain and prolong my enjoyment of wearing my heels.

Those jeans are a great colour for summer and a perfect combination with those fabulous white heels.

I often see people wearing skinny jeans that look too long, and it can sometimes look good if you keep all the bunching near the ankle, like the ones on the left at

http://jeans.yournextshoes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Petite-skinny-and-straight-jeans-1.jpg

I find that look more stylish than turn-ups or visible "cuffs".

Also a belt might help you to keep the jeans sitting properly on the waist and carry a smoother fit over the hips and thighs.

Nonetheless a great look, keep flying the flag Mr X !

I'll be honest and say that I'm not a big fan of the trousers or the tee. To pull off the heels in public one has to to extraordinary from head to toe. And yes, I'm imposing my own fashion philosophy here.

For sure more formal heels wouldn't work with casual menswear, but to be fair the texture of the heels and mini-platform give the shoes a casual feel that looks ok with those jeans, though maybe a dark navy-blue polo-tshirt (i.e. with a collar) would just add a more co-ordinated touch but still keep it a 100% guy-in-heels look.

Congratulations newguy. It's such a weight off your mind when you finally do it and realise you're just a customer buying shoes and that's just what shoe-shops are there for. Those booties sound cool, looking forward to seeing photos of them. Enjoy your future shopping trips.

Welcome veryhigh. It's pretty cool that you wear your wedges and block heels out and about, the confidence for more showy heels will come naturally. Personally I find it far easier to find good-fitting jeans in the women's department, you may have to try lots of pairs in lots of shops but you should find something eventually, maybe you could wear your heels shopping and get some advice on the jeans from a sales assistant.

We'll look forward to seeing photos of your collection and reading about your experiences.

Breakfast

Sometimes, I still wonder what the hell I am doing

Surely many women who love their heels also ask themselves the same question (and dismiss it just as quickly). Whether you're a guy or a girl, surely it's all part of the fun to be wearing shoes that are ridiculously impractical but totally gorgeous! "Sensible" shoes just don't have that sense of indulgence. Sky-divers probably ask themselves "What am I doing?" as they leap out of the plane !

My least durable shoes were also clog-style mules. The uppers had a seam up the middle that split after my first day wearing them. I'm glad I didn't pay more than £5 for them in the sales, and I've kept them thinking that I could probably bend a needle into a curve-shape and try to repair them. I've also had the upper detach from pair of toe-post mule wedges, the insoles shredded to bits on a favourite pair of strappy sandals, and a couple of pairs of heel-tips break (rather than just wear down).

As for most durable I really don't know, I tend to be really careful with most of my shoes (changing into walking shoes to walk long distances or when it's raining) because despite all the consumer "choice" many styles are irreplaceable. If I've bought a cheap pair of heels that are "ok" but I'm not 100% happy with the style I'll might be a little more care-free wearing those while I'm on the lookout for a better alternative. I won't wear them if they start to look shabby though.

I totally hear you on the sometimes wondering what you are doing. Yeah we enjoy doing it, yeah people don't really give us trouble., but sometimes I think that it is just plane nuts. And, you know what? That's okay too.

Every now and then I also ask myself "What am I doing?" but then I imagine how drab and boring a world without any high heels would be. The Drake equation tries to estimate how many civilizations there are in our galaxy: maybe we could tweak the equation to estimate how many of those civilizations have high heels? In any case, since we're one of those high-heeled civilizations we may as well enjoy the fun, it would be nuts not to!

Happy anniversary mlroseplant

I like them - they're smart enough to wear with a suit, but they look great with jeans too. I agree the heel height is very well proportioned even with the platform, and how you've worn them with the skinny jeans really compliments them.

Your comment reminded me of a question I have wanted to pose here but has always slipped my mind. That is, after all the effort spent combing this site, looking for the perfect store, receptive sales staff, and making the purchase, how many pairs of "women's" sandals, pumps, wedges, platforms, and boots which we spent so much time researching and finding for use by us men have gone unworn outside the confines of one's normal residence? Half, more than half, or all but one or two??

It's a really good question HappyinHeels, you should start a new topic/poll.

Wore this to the movies let me know what you think.

If I saw those shoes in a shop I'd assume (wrongly) that they need some outrageous Geroge Clinton outfit to go with them, but you've made them work amazingly well for an everyday outfit with a 70's edge, very cool

That's a great choice of boots for your day out Al, and very well matched with the jeans and shirt, it sounds like you presented yourself very naturally and positively in heels. Great choice of venues with the museum and the carnival at Little Venice too, I'm glad you had an enjoyable day.

Very stylish boots, you did something right to get a compliment like that! Thanks for sharing your story.

Terrific outfit TBG !

"Let me see the heel."  I turned my foot so she could see it.

 

"There five and a quarter."  She just shook her head.

I suspect any physical therapist would react just the same way to those heels if a woman was wearing them, no difference at all.

1) I remember in my first experiences that most people do not react when I wear heels in public.

2) I most completely lost the confidence to myself. I am afraid of the reactions of others and I am very anxious!

3) So all my worries come from people that do not have tolerance. They are not numbered against the other kind of people that say nothing.

So, #1 shows that the "problem" is not that you're wearing heels, but it is #2 that you've lost confidence and people (especially #3 those without tolerance) pick up on that and are more likely to show a reaction.

To relate this to my own experience (and I'm sure many others here), when I started out wearing heels in public  I got more reactions (people sniggering or making remarks), partly because my anxiety was encouraging those reactions and partly because I was simply more sensitive to noticing them. Maybe it was also because there was an element of stealth in how I was wearing my heels, so people felt they'd "discovered" something I was trying to hide, so they show a reaction, it's logical. Now I wear my heels more openly and without anxiety, any reactions are very rare and they don't bother me.

But you can understand since I have been caught by family I feel bad about wearing heels again.

This is exactly what I mean... this notion of "getting caught" needs to go, you wouldn't think of yourself "getting caught" wearing a tie, at most you might say someone "noticed" your tie, that's all. When I hear someone snigger now, it's not me getting caught, it's them getting caught revealing their prejudice and intolerant attitude.

I remember once I was wearing my brown high wedge-heeled sandals and a young couple walked by... the guy let out a loud laugh, the girl looked embarrassed as if the "man" next to her had just turned into an ape. Guys like that reveal their lack of respect for femininity, and girls like that deserve a better guy. Who has been "caught"?

Absolutely

Stockings.  If a women was wearing  stockings with a dress. Should the dress go low enough to hide the stocking tops and the suspenders? What is acceptable for a night out?

Wouldn't that depend if the "night out" is to a Rocky Horror Show or a fine restaurant?

These are my new bright pink suedette courts.

http://www.newlook.com/shop/shoe-gallery/view-all-shoes/pink-back-bow-court-shoes_298401577

They have 1.5" platform and 5.5" heel. I was a little unsure about the bows on the back as they look quite large on the shoes, but when I tried them on the bows looked surprisingly well-proportioned and pretty.

When the sunny weather returns I'm thinking of wearing them with a matching pink tshirt, mid-blue denim jacket and white super-skinny jeans or a white knee-length pencil skirt.

That's a great question. I think what you say is true, the taller heels on modern platform shoes can make 4" heels without a platform look less impressive than they used to. But I think that's mostly the case when just looking at the shoes alone... with feet in the shoes I think the "cheating" of the platform heels is revealed (which is probably what makes some platforms feel easier to walk in) and the elegance of a 4" heel is restored.

I must admit that so long as the platform isn't too thick (say no more than 1.5") I tend to find some platform styles more flattering in terms of having a nicer line around the toes and top of the upper and a nicer heel silhouette, whereas most single-sole heels I see tend to be too low-cut and the stiletto too exaggerated (at least for my personal preference). It seems to me like platforms have retained more of the variety in styling that I remember from 20 years ago, whereas the "retro" approach to single-sole heels seems to have become more clichéd and lost the creative edge. I'd probably buy more single-sole heels if that creativity and variety was rejuvenated and I could find the styling that appeals more to me.

That's the best-looking combination of a men's suit and heels I've ever seen. The compliment on the tie just goes to show how well integrated the whole look comes across. Top marks sir !

They are beautiful boots and they look great with that floral dress.

Checkmate