Elswyth

For a women, don't worry about the noise, just make you self look good and the rest, no one will notice. Or do what most women do, blush and giggle/laugh it off.

As for the men who don't like heel noise suck it up!

Heh, sounds good.

The click comes from the part of the heel that touches the ground - the "heeltip". Heeltips can be made out of several materials, that each have a different level of "noisyness". The most quiet ones are made from soft rubber. You can take your heels to any decent cobbler, and ask him to replace your current heeltips (that are most likely made of metal or hard plastic) with more quiet ones (for example soft rubber).

Of course changing the heeltips will not really change the pace at which you can walk while in heels. That is something that may change over time, when you have become more confident.

Good luck!

I just bought my first expensive pair of heels, which I love, so I'm quite hesitant to alter them. Thanks for the idea though!

Hi Elswyth,

I think the best thing is to keep on as you are. Try to relax, take your time and enjoy the attention and admirers. Anyone in heels will be looked at, attention is part of the allure that high heels bring and it is empowering and addictive for the wearer. This is why many try high heels but never break the initial confidence barrier, never get comfortable with heels (by that I mean with their image in them - not the shoe fit) and so unfortunately become flatties/ low heel devotees. I think you have to put X amount of effort in to reap the multitude of pleasures that heels can deliver The attention you are nervous of right now will eventually be relished,and you will be a master at 'working' your legs and heels to your advantage, you will be able to take control of a room if you wish..., you'll feel better about yourself, you'll know you look good... etc etc etc

The clickety clack of heels is an essential ingredient of a high heeled persona and is another tool in the armoury so to speak. Heels are for admiring, pretty shoes need to announce their arrival so that everyone can admire them!

Enough from me. Best wishes!

rgds

Heel-Lover

Very good points! Thank you. I love heels but I guess my motive in them is not exactly to be noticed.

Tuck in buttocks, pull back shoulders and stand up straight. If that does not work something else is out of wack causing your back pain.

Wait.. I thought back pain from wearing heels was normal, since it forces your back to arch. Isn't that the case? All the chiropractors say so.

Does anyone else get this? I don't even wear them for long periods of time, just 2 hours or so. How do you prevent it?

They click. Audibly! And make me walk sloooow. So I don't know what to do when people look at me! It makes me feel a little embarrassed. I'm a quiet girl by nature, and it doesn't help that I'm still training with heels - I don't have the best or smoothest walk. So I try and avoid walking alone on clicky surfaces, because I feel awkward. It's okay when I'm walking with my partner because I can hold on to his arm and talk to him. How do you folks deal with this in the beginning?

I ran into a bit of confusion with sizes recently. I'd always worn a NZ/AUS size 6 for flats, and it was perfect, they would never slip out. However, with heels, I find that there is quite a bit of slippage when I wear a size 6. I then read somewhere that we should always buy 1 size smaller for heels compared to flats, because in flats your foot spreads out, whereas in heels it doesn't do that. True/false?

I would, but I don't have those surfaces at home, and I walk incredibly slowly and unsexily on them outside.

Thanks! I'll check them out. Any tips for mastering the slippery surfaces without them?

I've given up on the stockings and heeled sandals, my feet just smush forward and slide too much in them. I would love to find a way to get around this, but until then it'll be either bare legs or leggings with my heels.

A lot! I've always been a sneakers sort of girl. My first pair of heels was for the high school prom - my second pair, for kinky play in the bedroom (initiated by me). I wear heels primarily because they turn me on, secondarily for the way they improve my appearance. Reading this thread, I'm glad I'm not alone in this!

Just to clarify, in case anyone thinks people were being rude People did not push us per se, but many people overtook us so I felt uncomfortable and like I was holding up the pathway.

Hm, I've not seen the sole treads anywhere. Do they go by any other names?

I appear to be doing okay in carpeted restaurants, so I decided to take the next step - tiled floors, the sort that appear in shopping malls and such. It was horrible! I felt like my heels would slip at each step, the floors were so slippery! The soles of the shoes do have small lines on them for friction, but it is still slippery. Any way I can make them grip the floor better?

I think a problem is that many stores, where I live at least, don't stock half sizes. So I'm stuck between a size that I really cannot squeeze myself into, and a size that is just a wee bit too big. Evidently I need to choose the latter.

I find I do the same too! I do feel like I'm clogging up the corridor/sidewalk and blocking people quite a lot of the time. I've noticed girls in heels who walk as fast as I do without them... but I guess since I'm 5'1", I have a naturally shorter stride. Add heels into the mix, and I probably walk every bit as fast as a granny! Ugh. I tried wearing 4"s to the shopping mall for the first time today but chickened out because I was walking soooo slow. It isn't a large shopping mall (even though it's the largest we have here) so the corridors are made for only 4 people abreast or so, and the bf and I took up half of it. People kept pushing past us. Maybe I'll just stick to restaurants from now on?

check out endless.com ..

free shipping to nz for orders over $100, and massive range of styles/brands and sizes..

Wow, thanks!!

Have you ever used their returns policy before?

Okay, so I tried it. It keeps slipping! I swear, I have a good fit for the sandal and there is adequate support (wide straps, ankle straps, etc). I have Scholl's party feet gel inserts for the balls of the feet in, too. But my toes keep sliding and smushing towards the front of the sandals with stockings on, and this makes it much more difficult to walk. Any suggestions?

EBay does not ship to my area. No consignment shoe stores nearby either. I've bought a pair online after asking numerous questions about their return policy - so we'll see how it goes!

So.. I have a new pair of black sandals. Would black toeless stockings look good with it? The stockings will definitely match the sandals - however, I am rather fair-skinned so there will be a rather obvious skin color discrepancy below the sandal strap (my own toes) and above it (black). Stick with black or go with nude-colored stockings?

I'm considering buying shoes online since it's pretty hard to find a decent variety in my area. But it just doesn't make me feel comfortable, buying shoes without being able to try them on first! Many online stores have good return policies, but I'm afraid of the fine print and ending up wasting good $$ on a pair that doesn't suit me well. Does anyone here regularly buy shoes online? Ever had problems with returns?

Thanks heaps for the advice, guys. I really don't think I can afford to splurge >$50 on a pair at this point of time, so I'll just have to make do with what I have. I'm terribly afraid of spending that much... and then finding out later on that the shoe doesn't suit me! I don't intend to wear the shoes all the time as many of you do, just for dinners and such. @heels59: No, I'm not doing this for the bf, he's ambivalent about footwear. I just, uh, get certain kicks out of wearing them. I'm not even kidding!

Yeah, I do have very small feet, about size 5 US (not sure what that is in UK!). I've been practicing for some time each day, and I think I'm a lot better now! But still a little unsteady at times, especially with certain surfaces that I don't have much of at home. I have a nice, short event to attend this weekend, and I was thinking of wearing them to it. Should I go ahead and get out there with my newbie techniques or should I wait til I'm better? Also, I tried the 'housework in heels' tactic, and pulled a muscle or something in my ankle when I squatted down! How do I squat properly in heels and a skirt without straining the back of the ankle?

I'm looking especially for stiletto sandal tips, but any type of high heel care will do, I guess. I have a.. rather cheap pair of stiletto sandals, and I've heard shoes of that budget tends to break rather quickly. However, getting a more expensive pair is not an option, as I'm a student on a very tight budget. And I love that pair of sandals, I think it looks better than many expensive ones and I would hate to lose it. So, what can I do to prolong its lifespan?

Certainly, I will not be wearing black stockings with nude sandals. My sandals are black, but when I wear black stockings I notice a very obvious colour discrepancy between my foot and the toe, since the stocking is sandal-toe.

Also, just wanted to echo this question: What would you think if you saw a girl struggling to walk in heels (if she isn't doing TOO badly)? I've not fallen or anything yet, but I take really short steps and walk quite slowly, and there is a bit of unsteadiness. I try not to bend my knees and all that. But I think it's quite obvious that I'm new to it. Would you think, "Why is she wearing them out when she can't even walk well in them?", or would you accept it as a natural part of training?

Why would the store be better than to dinners and such (as I'm doing now)? I figure I could start reaping the benefits of the heels ASAP.