JeffB

I agree wholeheartedly with squirrel. My friends at work have been openminded and accepting of the shoes I choose to wear, and I've been wearing full blown pumps at the office for quite some time now. A true friend accepts you for what you are on the inside, not what you wear on the outside!

Hmm! Not a bad idea! Why didn't I think of that? :rofl:

Well, I managed to get in some shoe shopping as well during a trip to New York City on Saturday. There's a store there called Tall Girls Shoes of 35th Street which specializes in shoes in size 10 and over, in some cases all the way up to size 15! On their "last pair" clearance rack, I found a love pair of Vaneli bone colored pumps with a three inch heel and a killer pair of red Spanish leather pumps with a tall nearly four inch heel, grand total of my purchases: seventy dollars. Of course I had to try them on first, which i did, no problem as the salesmen are pretty familiar with me, and the fact they get in a lot of drag queens and transvestites there, so they do pretty good business. All in all, a very good say of shopping!

Many thanks for the kind words! It did indeed take a considerable amount of courage and perserverance to reach the level of acceptance I have with my co-workers, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience. And yeah, it has gotten to where I do look strange in men's shoes, but then, I don't have any, save for a pair of Timberlands for cold weather and a pair of walking shoes which is my main form of exercise. Other than that, it's all women's shoes, AND, almost all pumps! :-D As I've said previously, I'm having a blast with this!

Well, I finally got those Aigner bone colored pumps that I talked about a few weeks ago and wore them to work on Thursday, pairing them with a long sleeved navy shirt, matching dress pants and tan colored hosiery. Once again, I was the hit of the office as co-workers loved the new shoes and said I looked great in them. Since everyone knows I wear pumps daily, they've come to expect me in them, and I didn't disappoint! :-) One co-worker even went so far as to say that she'd think I'd look weird wearing men's shoes! More adventures to come....

The very first time out in public is always the hardest, but the more you venture out, the easier it'll eventually become! Just stay the course and you should do fine!

There would seem to be a mindset of sorts with women where they can't believe it's possible for a man to walk or even stand in high heeled shoes, like that's a talent only women possess. When my female co-workers first saw me in heels, they loved my shoes, then asked how I could walk in them. My answer was an easy one: "Practice." :-D That always startles them, but yes, it most certainly can be done! And we're all proof of that!

reminds me to my problem: I'm 6' 4'' tall and wear EU 44/45 (UK womens 11 rsp. US womens 13).

We share a common problem, Micha! I also need a 13 wide for maximum comfort, and gunboats THAT big can't be found just anywhere! Still, I manage to find a resource here and there that provides me with what I need.

Because I work in an office environment, I can't be too outrageous in terms of heel height, so I never go beyond four inches, and that's more than good enough for me. It's what I like and I not only have lots of fun with it, I get plenty of compliments from female co-workers on my shoes! :-D

Well, this is just me, mind you, but I'm of the opinion that heel heights depends on a person's comfort level, skill in walking in them and, in a way, the environment said person happens to be in. Take me for example, I wear pumps at the office where I work every day, but opt for three to four inch heights since I tend to on and off my feet going from area to area during the course of the workday, so comfort is a must. Also, at 6-2, I'm tall enough as it is, I don't want to stick out in the crowd any more than I already do now. :-D Again, that's just me. I'm sure others have their own preferences regarding heel heights.

Regarding outfits, well, I'm gonna do some research and get some ideas together as to what would match well with those red pumps. I was thinking along the lines of a red shirt with black pants and tan colored hosiery (since I wear pantyhose daily, I have to make sure I coordinate that as well). It should prove to be a most interesting experiment! :-)

I just found these great looking Ros Hommerson pumps at an online store called Leslie Shoes which offers a goodly number of shoes in larger sizes.

I already have a pair of these pumps in black and they're really sleek and have earned me plenty of compliments at the office when I've worn them, but red? I just can't resist the notion of buying them! If you thought off-white would push the envelope, red will most likely rip said envelope to shreds! Oh, and here's the URL for Leslie:

http://www.leslieonline.com

To answer your question, it wasn't something I did overnight. It took time to develop the nerve to wear "non-male" shoes over a lengthy period of time. I started out with stack heeled loafers, then progressed to boots, finally, when I thought the time was right and everyone at the office where I work had grown used to what I was wearing (they all knew I was wearing women's shoes, and pantyhose as well), then I started in with the pumps. Boy, that was sure scary at first, but, the more I wore them, the more comfortable I felt, and the easier it became, thanks to how well I was complimented on the shoes I wore. It was a progressive process, but a worthwhile one that has expanded my horizons of fashion.

Well, there's really nothing to it. I've been wearing pumps at the office, incluidng black patent daily for quite some time now and have been warmly accepted in them, so opting for a lighter color should be a problem since everyone already knows what to expect. As for beyond work, well, I usually don't go out to much as I'm something of a homebody, but when I do, it's usually in stack heeled loafers or boots. And yes, I'll keep everyone appraised of my progress with the lighter colored shoes!

With spring a few weeks away, I've decided that it's time to push the envelope just a little further and wear lighter colored shoes at the office. While black is a nice color, I want to try something different, something a tad bolder. Check out the below for what I have in mind:

The Etienne Aigner "Taylor" 33921 pump in bone is just perfect for wear with navy or olive colored outfits. I'm sure I'll get lots of compliments from my co-workers in those shoes!! :-) Perhaps by the time fall arrives, I'll invest in the 33924 pump in putty which would match well with brown outfits. Perhaps I'll make it a clean sweep and get the navy pumps as well! I'm really looking forward to this experiment, and I'll keep everyone posted on my progress....

Most impressive indeed, xaphod! Those pumps look quite sharp! I hope you'll enjoy them!

Squirrel, the only way to gain confidence is to just go and do it! I know that must sounds screamingly simplistic, but it's also quite true. I've been wearing heels, standard pumps in fact in public for almost two years, and, after some initial nervousness, I found it's not such a big deal. I don't hide them because I hae no fear of the reactions of others. Once you overcome any nervousness you may have, the confidence will come, and you'll feel so much better about yourself. :_D

Yes, it is easy for me to forget that I'm wearing heels while at the office because wearing them has become as natural to me as breathing itself. And that only increases my enjoyment wearing them is second nature to me! :-)

I've found that 99 percent of the populace are too wrapped up in their own affairs to notice, or care what sort of shoes people wear. And that sort of apathy is a helpful thing indeed! :-)

A most eye-catching and interesting sight indeed. And I agree wholeheartedly that a pair of heels would've matched perfectly with that outfit. In fact, I daresay that heels NEEDED to go with that ensemble! :-D

Right now there's about a couple dozen bottles of fine wine that could use all that cork! :-D

Trying shoes on unnoticed? Jeez! Where's the fun in that? :-D I don't bother with trying to be covert in a shoe store, for one, it's virtually impossible to do, if you're not being noticed by customers, then by salespersons. And the attempt might draw suspicion that you're trying to steal something. So, if you ask me, the only way to go is to be open about it. Perhaps I'm being simplistic, but it's really no big deal, shoes are shoes are shoes, what should you care if someone notices you, it's none of their business anyway. If you're calm, cool and casual about what you;re doing, just like every other customer, it's a breeze! This goes for any newbie reading these words of wit(?), just go out there and do it!!!!!

In sports, there's a term called "paralysis by analysis", so I like to keep things simple as far as my footwear preferences: Styles: pumps and boots (full shaft or ankle height) Material: mainly leather Colors: black and brown (but I'm thinking of adding navy) Heel heights: 3 inch minimum, 4 inch preference Heel type: Blade, stiletto and block Like I said, keep things simple! :-)

This is just my opinion mind you, but I think some, if not most women find the notion of a man wearing high heels fascinating insofar as how guys look in such shoes, how they pair them with specific outfits, and how men manage to walk in them. Using myself as an example, I've been told openly by women that I look quite stylish in pumps (my shoe of choice) and that I wear them well. It also helps that I dress well and make sure that I look as best I can be when I'm out and about, especially in the office environment I'm in. I could be wrong, but I think women view what we're doing as a bold fashion statement, not unlike long hair and earrings. We seek to stand out from the crowd in out own way, and I'm sure women, for the most part find it all rather intriguing. Again, that's just my opinion.

As much as I love pumps, that particular style isn't for me either. I'd definitely need a more squarish toe and a vamp that's a little shorter. I doubt I'd last more than an hour in shoes like those!

Well, outside of losing ten or fifteen pounds, my resolution for 2003 is to broaden my high heel horizons, as in wearing different colors instead of black. I've already got brown pumps in my collection, next up, navy, and by spring----white! Maybe even red! I definitely plan to push the envelope and see just how far I can go! Should be lots of fun! :-D