Richy

I frequently wear a pair of ankle boots of a similar style to work, with a pair of ladies all-cotton bootcut trousers (which are extremely comfortable and stylish but a pain because of no pockets). I've never had any comments about them at all.

I'm relearning how to walk in the q/f boots. My first pair were a little shoe box pair which I used to be able to wander about the house in quite freely. These one's it's taking a bit more time, mainly because I've put on weight and the heel on the q/f boots is very thin compared with the LSB style. I can honestly say there is no way I will ever be able to walk in the sandals though.

I deliberately went for the sandal for a number of reasons. I already have a pair of qualityfetish ankle ballet boots, and so does everybody else who wants a pair. These were different and hark back to the 50's and 60's when they were first invented. Have a look in the reprint of the magazine Exotique and you'll see a similar pair being worn by the editor. That is probably where the inspiration came from. I always liked the design and here was a chance to own a pair. Walking in them is a very different prospect to wearing ballet boots. I knew that when I bought them. Wearing these gives new meaning to the words "you're grounded". I can just about stand in them, but once they're on, I'm not going anywhere. If ballet boots are to be regarded as a bondage item, these are the ultimate. Before you buy your boots, however, I have to warn you of one thing. I've compared these shoes to the ballet boots made by qualityfetish and there are a very big differences. The heel on these is about half an inch higher than on my boots, even though the foot length is the same. The pitch of the foot is between five and ten degrees greater. In these, you really are thrown right the way forward. Having said that, the fixing on the heel is much more stable, because whereas the boot has a defined "arch" to which the heel is attched at the back, the sandal has a much flatter sole. The heel is a lot thicker at the top and is attached to about twice as much of the sole as on the boots. It makes for a much more robust heel and less likely to separate.

I love hobble skirts as well but they don't have to be tight to the ankles to be restrictive. One of the restrictive skirts I ever saw a woman wearing was a dark green velvet ankle length skirt "A" line skirt. She could move her feet any distance. What made it a hobble was the matching 6" wide strap built into the skirt around the knees. To anyone looking at it, the belt was simply an accessory, but it was done up so that see could not separate her knees at all. With a pair of 4" stiletto courts on as well, she was having to take about three steps to every one of her partners just to keep up with him. She must have been exhausted after that shopping trip (this was in the Centre of Cardiff). I would love to have got my hands on one of those skirts, but I never ever saw one in the shops.

It took longer than expected, because the factory apparently goes on holiday for about three weeks in August, early September, but my ballet sandals have finally arrived.

In fairness to them, when I asked what was taking them so long, they replied within a couple of days explaining the situation, and emailed me to say that they had been dispatched. It took only 2 days to get from Italy.

The quality of the leather, and the fixing of the heel is some of the best that I have seen, better than the LSB or qualityfetish.

Overall, I would say that they are worthwhile doing business with.

Hmmm. Platform one or the bar? Bit of a no brainer really isn't it............ Look forward to meeting a few of you at last.

I wouldn't mind the fetish fair, but no way would you find me on New Street. It's too much of a busman's holiday, working in RT control as I do. (and yes, I used to be a crank, sorry 47 basher many years ago).

SlinkySkin have brought forward posting of their video clip of Mistress Nathalie wandering around a London Shopping Mall in ballet boots. Even those who don't like them should really take a look, just to admire the ability of this young girl. It might even persuade some that they have a bit more charm than you otherwise thought.

The video is in the members section, which is, unfortunately a pay site, but for a 26 meg video, 40 still photos like this one, and numerous other videos, it's is well worth it.

www.slinkyskin.com

(edit: Photo removed, it was causing pop ups, FF)

I dropped an email to Vidking, the guy who runs Slinkyskin tonight to find out when the vid clips and photos were likely to be up. (I also had a reply in five minutes which was impressive). He found out about these articles this morning and spoke to the journalist from the Mail who ran the follow up, offering another side from the perspective of someone who can walk in them. Sadly they didn't take up the offer.

He's also thinking about the possibility of a full video or dvd of the who he used for this shoot in normal public surroundings (such as the midle of Paris) wearing ballet boots, rubber outfits and other high heels.

He wants to know if such a video would sell. What do you think?

You lot obviously don't read the decent papers. Opened page three today, to be hit by another young lady in ballet shoes, doing a follow up to yesterday's story and concentrating solely on the shoes. Six Inch stilettos, you're welcome to them, Liz Throughout the ages women have endured agonies in the name of fashion. Rib-crunching corsets, itchy wigs, and make-up that gave them lead poisoning were just a few of the self-inflicted tortures. But Liz Huley's decision to wedge her perfect pinkies into a pair of 6in stilettos for a photoshoot is up there with the craziest of them. I know, because I followed in her footsteps. Trying out the £180 black PVC shoes was not a happy experience. Mere discomfort has never put me off in the past. I wore denims two sizes too small when skintight jeans were in vogue, and a flirtation with weighty gold ear-rings during my early teens threatened to leave craters the size of Mars in my earlobes. But nothing came within a whisker of the pain inflicted by the "fetish" shoes. Even the sight of them brought gasps of anxiety from colleagues. Close up, they look like black ballet pumps that have been impaled on park railings. It occured to me that they'd make nice bookends. The thought of me trying them on made me queasy - and the physical effort involved in wedging your foot into them is miserable indeed. Although they were meant to be my size (a six), they nipped in all the wrong places.Just sitting down in them was a feat, for the shoes place the heel and toes at a quite extraordinary 90-degree angle from the floor. Standing was nigh on impossible. I had to be levered upright by colleagues, and could stay there unsupported for a maximim of 10 seconds. Once aloft the sensation is akin to wedging an icicle into your heel and trying to perform Swan Lake. All the pressure is on your toes, and it is excruciatingly painful, not to mention dangerous. Tilt by a whisker and you risk an ankle twisting tumble. Even the faintest breeze is a dangerous enemy. Of course, these shoes are not designed for comfort, nor for practicality. Ace Ace Kritikos of the Little Shoe Box, the North London shop which provided them for Hurley says: "These are the type of shoes people order for the boudoir, not to go shopping." Even wearing them to bed seems to me an unnecessary ordeal, but the idea is to transform your oins into a pair any supermodel would be envy. Looking at Liz, you'd say they did just that. In my case, the involuntary muscle spasm that accompanied any attempt to stand rather detracted from the glamour. Let's face it, violently shaking kneecaps are never a good look. Stepping out in these shoes is, of course, impossible. I didn't even try. Instead, I lurched onto a stool and tentatively lowered myself to the floor, swearing under my breath all the while. Liz, we are told, did nothing of the sort. She has gone up in my estimation, although it is only fair to point out that she did allow a pair of strategically placed gymnastic hoists to take some of the strain. Nonetheless, she behaved like a true professional, resolutely cheerful throughout the two day shoot. Three minutes in, and I was wailing like a baby. The prospect of two days in those murderous things defies belief. What got her through must have been the thought of using those spiky heels to walk all over Steve Bing. I never thought it owuld be a relief to pull on my own 2in heels, but it was, by comparison, like a foot massage. Hours later, I still had throbing ankles. The fetish shoes are very far from a fashion to die for, and thy're certainly not for walking - inless like Liz, it's straight onto the cover of a magazine. The article is accompanied by a full length photo of the writer, stood in the ballet shoes that Liz Hurley used., and doing it quite well considering the comments. If anyone can scan it in, or email it as a scan an I'll edit the post include it.

I have no problems spotting heels. I have a family live across the road, with a 16 year old daughter who has been wearing heels to school for the past four years. These have ranged for high wedges to blade courts which she wore today and 4" stiletto knee length boots. Her mother and her have the same foot size, so she is very often wearing stiletto boots as well, and I have seen the daughter in her 5" mules as well. Most impressive, though, is her friend who lives a few doors away. She has also been wearing 4" stiletto ankle boots for weeks, and doesn't bother changing them when she gets home. Monday night, I saw her going to school in them and 8.30 and she was till in them at 10 that night. It's great because they all take the same size, so they swap shoes and boots all the time. You never know who's going to wear what, especially if they're out in the nights.

I'll let you know in a week or two's time when mine (hopefully) arrive.

Leatherwork in London have a new catalogue coming out shortly. I was having a look at their new range, which includes some stunning black courts with red 7" heels (without the platform). Don't know how much they are asking for them though.

Those look quite nice... Next time I get paid some commission, perhaps I'll check them out.

I'll let you know what the service and manufacture is like, since I ordered a pair yesterday morning. They say delivery in 30 days, making them to order. We shall see.

"You will possibly notice that the lady in the pictures has actually been foot trained because her ankle appears to have migrated through to the instep which takes several months if not years of training." It could be natural. I was at a party on Monday night and ended up in the early hours of the morning giving a young lady a foot massage (for several hours, as she was enjoying it as much as I was). When her feet were stretched out, she was able to put her ankles through 180 degrees just like this woman.In fact tmy first thought was how much they looked as if they had been in a foot trainer. That night wasn't the time to ask her, (besides we were busy) but I've no doubt that I'll get the chance again to find out if this was natural or whether her interests include heels. I know she's certianly into Gothic fashions.

Thighhighboots.net have just introduced a new design ballet boot and shoe with a wedge heel. Looks to be a lot more stable.

Can't disagree with you. That to me is how a high heeled foot should look. I also think that rather than being physically altered, the photos have at some time been "enhanced", to bring out the main subject. Whoever did it, made a good job of it.

Heike has just got her site back up and running and has just posted some classical 50's and 60's black and white photos, many of which appear to have come from the 50's equivalent of La-Piazza. There doesn't seem to be a heel under 6" in them and unlike the majority of women today, it seems they could actually cope with them as well. I must admit that I love old photos like these, mainly because the "baby-doll" toe looked so much better than today's designs in that they made the foot look so much smaller.

Anyway, the last photo's she posted are of unknown origin, and she would like to know where they came from to see if there are any more available (as would I). Considering the age of them, the quality is remarkable. They also appear to be more of a scrapbook nature than professionally posed.

Here's a few of the 9 that were posted. If anyone has ever come across these before, can you please let Heike know, and put the information on here as well.

Richy

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Richy on 2002-05-26 18:02 ]</font>

Early in the ballet experiences topic, several said they didn't like the look of ballet shoes (that they looked unnatural without the toe).

I've found a (respectable) and very rare photograph of two models, one wearing ballet shoes and the other in 7" boots, both standing up so that you can compare the line of the foot.

For me, the boots look to have the toes in a very unnatural, and uncomfortable positiion, while the ballets give hold the toes in an easier position. Most people think that there must be a huge pressure on the ends of the toes wearing ballet boots, but the better deigned ones keep the weight on the sides of the foot, not the toe.

Any thoughts?

_________________

Life:- A Sexually Transmitted Disease.

100% fatal.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Richy on 2002-05-20 19:59 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Richy on 2002-05-20 20:11 ]</font>

I'll clarify, I also have my own bowling shoes being a regular bowler.

I finally took the plunge today and wore my new ankle boots to work. Although only an inch higher than the loafers I normally wear, it certainly shows. However, no problems at all.

I also wore them bowling yesterday. I imagined that someone may have done a double take, two men on a pair of lanes, but those sat beneath the seat, but no, not even the guy I was bowling against noticed.:

Thanks for the tip about Brantano. I always thought them to be a midlands based company, but have since found in and around Bristol and South Wales six stores nearby.

One very useful thing that I have found with them, besides the lack of urgency and nobody hassling you as soon as you walk through the door is that all of the boxes have not only the size of the shoes inside, but also the outside ranges that they make. It's worthwhile not only looking at the size nines and tens racks but also at some of the racks for smaller sizes. If you see a style you like, check what sizes they make them in. As an example, I first saw these in Bristol several weeks ago in a size 6, but nothing larger. Knowing that they made them in size nine, I have been looking around various stores and finally found a pair today. I'm bowling in the morning and am very tempted to wear them, as they've already seen me in my 2 1/2" ankle boots.

The other tips for anyone who tries Brantano, is that the Caravelle makes are wider fitting than the Signature and Blox styles (and Clarkes for that matter). While I struggled to get into some size 10's, the Caravelles (who made these boots), I easily get into a size 9 and they are a very comftable fit.

_________________

Life:- A Sexually Transmitted Disease.

100% fatal.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Richy on 2002-04-06 23:02 ]</font>

I visited the place recently while in Toronto. There is one large exhibition hall, which has a history of shoes from the various eras and lands, an static exhibition of shoe makers tools etc, and then two smaller exhibitions. One is about the variation and popularity of heels in the twentieth century, with about fifty different exhibits of styles, designs and heels. The other exhibit revolves around Chinese footbinding techniques. There is also a video presentation of the fashion designs made famous by Princess Diana if you want to have a sit down. Admission is $6 (cad) and you'll probably want to allow about an hour and a half. The place is on West Bloor Street, about half a mile down from Yonge Street, with a nearby Spadina subway station as well.

Spook is likely to be putting one up within the next week or so on her site.

http://trax.to/spook

I used to own a pair, but sold them a couple of years ago. I could walk around on them up to a point around the house, (ie I could get from room to room) and could stand on them for about 20 minutes max. You've probably seen photos of someone in ballet boots stood on a stepladder, well they were taken by me in a moment of madness. They're not the easiest boots even to stand in, however, and very few manage it. Mine were made by the Little Shoe Box, but I bought them off the rack from a shop in London that happened to have a size 10 in stock. I wouldn't recommend the LSB however. Not since I put in a made to measure order, which took 2 months to come, only to find that they were made to standard size. From the looks of them, Qualityfetish do a much better quality boot, and they have the more rounded toe which ballet boots are supposed to have to stop the toes from coming into contact with the end of the boot. The LSB boots have a flat toe which means that the foot is pressing on the boot end.