SleekHeels

I don't care for any of them except the white thong with what appears to be leggings. I might try those and since I am able to wear only one shoe, it might not be that bad of a sight, only half as bad. What does anyone else think?

E

Personally I think separate sandals and (cropped) leggings is an infinitely more attractive look, and certainly wouldn't be only half as beautiful.

If I was lucky enough to be in that situation I'd be really worried that I'd get really self-absorbed by the situation and forget about her feelings, so it's great that you want to "wear them for her". It could be a good idea to ask for her suggestions and involve her in the choosing, hopefully you can find a pair that you both really like. If you get the chance then don't be afraid to try on lots of different styles and suggestions, sometimes the unexpected can be a nice surprise. Enjoy and do let us know how things work out.

Wow, love the ruched effect with the straps crossing over, the buckles and fur trim detailing, and the overall look is very cute and funky. Great that you found them just as the NZ winter is approaching. Enjoy, and I hope you get lots of positive reactions wearing them. (And what a cool sales assistant too).

I thought this article raised some interesting issues relevant to fashion freedom (including preconceptions of high heels) and its repercussions:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23948121-should-feminists-be-embracing-the-world-slut.do

The only stores I can work up the balls to go into are shoe show and stores of the like where they sell man and woman shoes.

That's interesting, for me it's the opposite, I feel way more comfortable in a womens only shoe store/department. It's a bit like diving into a cold swimming pool - reluctant to do it at first but great once you're in.

For sure many women would also get a negative reaction if they wore high-heels in a rural area. If wearing heels in public is something you really want to do, just choose your opportunities wisely to give yourself the best chance of having a positive experience. And don't be afraid to run your ideas by people on the forum - that's what we're all here for and the chances are that anything you've thought of doing, someone here has already done it and has a story to tell.

A couple of really good points jumped out at me:

1) "You know the effect of isolation is to feel abandoned" - in my childhood experience at least, wearing heels gave me a connection with myself in the sense of breaking down the isolation from my own inner self-esteem that was otherwise missing. But outwardly I was doing something which isolated me from normal social expectations... on the one hand this made me feel more withdrawn but on the other hand developed a kind of emotional self-sufficiency (which in turn is sometimes a protective shell, sometimes a barrier to reaching out or letting people close).

2) "am proud of the fact that I am not conforming to what everyone else is doing" - I think that's such a key part of coming to terms with it, and ties back to what was also said much earlier about seeking (parental) approval as a child. We start out feeling shame for not conforming to what everyone else is doing because fitting in seems such a definitive factor in childhood. I think I carried that into my adult life too, feeling that my heel-wearing would be letting down my (female) partner. It's such an important turning point to turn that shame into pride, which for me was all about seeing heels as an expression of positive aspects (e.g. an expression of sensitivity and loyalty to my partner), qualities which didn't feature in a masculine role-model.

As I child I always felt like I needed to keep my heels in a box (I mean mentally) to prevent them somehow contaminating the rest of my life, but later I realised it was more healthy to integrate it wholeheartedly into my life, get rid of the negative aspects but keep and value the positive aspects instead of being in denial about them.

Thanks for keeping this thread going... it's not a flash-in-the-pan kind of topic, and everyone's carefully considered comments are always insightful and thought-provoking. It was unthinkable to come across discussions like this back when I was growing up, goodness knows what effect that might have had.

I'd be more interested to know what style they'll be (flare, bootcut, straight-leg, skinny), high-waisted/on-the-hips/low-cut, and of course what length they'll need to be for the heels you'll wear with them. I often try to figure out what trouser styles will complement my body shape (ie lengthen my short legs and give a nice proportion to my waist and hips), and I'm sure your seamstress friend will have some great ideas to help you achieve the effect you want to create for your body shape. Think fashion and looking/feeling good, no labels required.

It's very honest of you to admit that your preconceptions about the sales assistants turned out to be wrong, a reminder that we can still catch ourselves pre-judging people by their appearance. It's great that they were so cool about the boots, which are very cute by the way - they could work well with so many different looks, maybe skinny-jeans with your black jacket or a long-line cardigan now that the Melbourne winter is approaching.

My impression is that women seem quite cool about guys wearing heels if it's some general guy, but don't necessarily like it when it's their partner who wearing them. But that doesn't seem to fit any of the poll options, it's kind of the opposite of the second one.

I'd guess he'd feel more aware of his discomfort if it's just the two of you going somewhere, so maybe going out as part of a group with your other friends would help to put him at ease with the idea.

Wow, if I had that to look forward to I'd be so excited too. Enjoy! And do let us know what outfits/shoes you pick... it's great that it's two days so you can try two looks. I remember once I went on a training course and the girls went shoe-shopping at lunchtime. I wished I could've gone with them and we could all have worn our new heels for the rest of the day, that would be so cool.

I thought she looked very beautiful, classy and elegant. Just to set the record straight the lewd comments after the video aren't representative of all guys. She must've felt fabulous about her legs (all that marathon running obviously did no harm at all) and good for her, if I had legs that good I'd feel fabulous too (but I guess that's not representative of all guys either).

Put those same heels on a guy and the sex appeal won't have the same degree of effect. So I think we are attributing something to heels that isn't necessarily inherent or part of the properties. Sure heels are beautiful works of art that are pleasing to most all eyes. This is where their power lies.

I like that... Kind of like "the person makes the heels sexy just as much as the heels makes the person sexy". Very holistic

Given the stereotype that all men are inconsiderate cheats and all women are long-suffering angels, maybe you could tell yourself that fidelity to your wife and generally doing things to make her feel special is a very feminine (and therefore exciting) thing for you to do, almost like mentally wearing your heels. I'm not suggesting that the stereotypes are true (although perhaps sometimes they are), I'm just suggesting that maybe you can use the stereotypes to your advantage with your irrepressible desire for heels so you can "feel alive" by doing the right thing and not the wrong thing. That would be real heel power! Just a thought.

I doubt if the sort of boots thighbootguy and I wear could be found in a brick and mortar store. In fact, I rarely saw any thigh boots of any kind in stores, at least, not mainstream stores anyway.

That's the thing, I did see some form of thigh-boots in a few high-street stores during the last winter (like these Wallis boots.jpg I mentioned in the thread Shoes Ankle Calf Knee Thigh Boots? ). I think seeing more thigh-boots being worn as part of an everyday stylish look would make it more appealing to me to give them a try, and it would remain as much of a thrill just knowing that I can make the look work.

But that's just what I feel works for me, and it's always interesting to hear other perspectives too.

Here is my favorite image from that collection:

[ATTACH]12591[/ATTACH]

That's a great photo, not just for the beautiful boots and stylish outfit but also that she's outside the bars looking in (not inside looking out) and that reflects how we don't feel trapped when we wear our heels, we feel free. Well, that's what it made me think of. Thanks for sharing the photo.

So basically, high-heeled socks! Three layers (feminine spirit in a male body in feminine shoes) is enough for me, as it's the harmony between the innermost and outermost of those layers that motivates me to wear heels, and probably what attracts me to women too. But I can see how your suggestion might be useful to someone who wants to wear heels in situations but has to hide it.

CPB, I think they'd make for a great smart-casual look with skinny jeans and a tailored jacket. but more importantly how do you wear them? In any case, enjoy.

Especially if she wears a pair same or similar to a pair I have!!!

That's a great point. Seeing a woman wearing similar, or especially exactly the same shoes as I have is really exciting. But I'm not so sure that she'd feel as enthusiastic about it if she saw me wearing them.

Two weeks ago I stopped at the Levi's Factory Outlet store to see the new skinny look jeans for men. I have wanted a pair to wear with my knee boots. The clerk did not have my size in mens jeans. She suggested that I try a pair of ladies skinny Levi's. I told her my size in womens and she got the the pair to try on . They fit like a glove. I came out of the changing room for her to see. She said that the jeans looked great. I thanked her and proceeded to the cash register to complete my purchase. Before I left the store she told me that she sells lots of women's jeans to men which really did not surprise me at all!

I see lots of guys, mostly students, who look like their outfit could easily have just as easily come from the womens section or the mens... usually skinny jeans and a cardigan (like this: http://lookbook.nu/look/146713 ). What's great is it really doesn't matter where the outfit came from, and it's good to see gender crossover fashions in the everyday mainstream, I don't think that's really happened since the 70's. I think the guy in the link pulls it off well, though on some guys the jeans really really look like they're the totally wrong size/fit and not very stylish.

Personally I like the longer cardigan and cute flats look (something like this: http://chicisimo.com/fashion/outfit/primark-skinny-jeans-zara-cardigan-and-blanco-flats/ ) which I would find (a) more flattering for my figure, ( more an expression of me, and of course © would look great with a cute pair of heels too.

JeffB, I think the look in your latest jaunt looks very stylish, and the fit of those jeans you're wearing works way better than skinny jeans would.

Welcome. Are high heels popular in Singapore? What kind of styles do you see on the streets? Is it easy to find the styles you like in the shops there? It's great to hear about heels from around the world.

A woman wearing heels suggests a woman who sets femenine elegance instead of comfort.

For sure Roxy, but why must it be "instead"? Maybe for many guys there is sex appeal in seeing a woman suffering/struggling in her heels, but certainly not for me... I see sex appeal in a woman who is comfortable in her heels, both physically and psychologically as an expression of the feminine elegance she feels within.

But of course I am a guy who likes to wear heels, certainly not to attract men but as an expression of the feminine elegance I feel inside... which is not so typical for a guy at all.

That sounds like a great shopping experience. Much respect to you for confronting your fears, to your wonderful wife for being so encouraging and supportive, and to the lovely sales gal for being so cool too.

Congrats... that's one small (and brave) step for StormClaw, one giant leap for heel-kind May all your future outings be just as safe and enjoyable as your first. Thighbootguy, that is an awesome favorite look with the tight blue jeans and leather jacket. With my chicken-thigh short legs I really don't think I could pull off the thigh-boots, but it's great to admire those who can make them work as part of their overall style. I can't help wondering, would you want thigh-boots to become much more widely worn, or is the rarity of seeing them and the boldness of the fashion statement part of the thrill?