Histiletto

Lately, I've been using CL's as examples of footwear not to have for most of their heel shapes and placements are like straight sticks at the back of the shoes. I prefer more of a long stemmed wine glass look for heel shapes where the stilettos are supporting under the forward center of the foot's heel, like the CL Piou Piou, the Steve Madden Pewter Darrt, the Gucci Sophia, or the Nine West Love Fury. The Batignolles have decently shaped heels that I would consider buying if the price wasn't so astronomical without real merit and they were still available. 

My scale of confidence bounces between and upon, if not over both ways at times, the stages 2 and 3 randomly. I probably could be at the fourth stage by wearing the more masculine idea of high heels that many wear, but stiletto and spike heel pumps are my motivation.

Hey jim102,

You have come a long way since you posted me about your concerns and fears about publicly finding heels and trying them on. As you have found, the first few experiences made you feel weak from all your confidence power seeming to drain out at first, but it got easier as you tried on heels more times. There will still be obstacles to wearing heels, but as you have discovered, it is well worth the effort in finding how much fun and personally satisfying it is. So may the year of 2014 bring you good health and joy and also help you in your quest to wear the heels you desire. By the way, those old ladies and teenagers are also looking for better personal security and confidence.

Well put these with other heeled contortions as more novelties to ferment in one's thought processes. It seems so ridiculous to even try finding the humor. I thought the high heeled swimming fins were outrageously amusing but most other heel contortions are pathetic. 

As time reveals more about the proclivities of people and as men open up about their activities for wearing heels, it will become apparent that heeling is more of a common activity than we have been led to believe. For an example, just notice the many people who have posted introductions as they find this forum. Common sense tells me, there has got to be many, many more people with the desire to wear high heeled footwear. Granted there are some who are wanting to satisfy their curiosity, to seek a bit of personal pleasure, or to understand why and how some and/or other men and women have the drive to wear such usually provocative and impractical footwear. However, most of the active forum members just like to be apart of and share in a community of men and women that enjoys wearing heels.

Hey jim102,

Sounds like you have many of the same fears that the rest of us have had. Many of us have been caught between our desire to wear heels and our fears of what we see as the possible alternative results. However, many of the results are just from our fears and we hold ourselves back for literally no real reason. 

When you are away at school, you will be able to see more times that you can wear heels, even if a lot of your time is also at work. You might even try wearing heels more openly around new friends. Guys in heels use to be so taboo, but now the attitude of many people has changed so that they think it is really a good thing that men are willing to walk in heels.

Now you said that wearing some of your heels made you develop hammer-toes. Perhaps they were the wrong size, for I haven't had problems like yours as long as my heels fit properly. Sometimes it is hard to find the right size for each brand or design can vary enough to make them not fit right, even though they are the same labeled size. 

Keep us informed about how things are going at school, work, and any other heeling activities. Take care and have a Happy New Year!

Are you sure it is the height or support that is the problem or possibly something that needs to be medically attended to? As we age, we don't have a crystal ball to predict what we'll have to endure. One of my fears is that I'll no longer be able to walk in heels. They say one way to see how things may turn out is by using our parents and their siblings in their later years as examples. I realize that this may be totally off, for they went through different circumstances that may have contributed to their abilities in the mature years, but it is still a way to compare. Then again, maybe you haven't built up your ankle strength enough to wear heels actively for such lengthy periods. Do take care and enjoy this Christmas time.

For those who enjoy wearing heels, there is a saying that you can never have too many. For me, this idea has been somewhat profiling for I seem to be continually looking for another pair even if I already have that same pair in my wardrobe. I tend to blame the fact that I was prevented from openly wearing heels in my years of growing up for this obsessive behavior, but even those who were raised on heels (pun intended) are prone to manifest the same desires. Another factor for this need is that heels are vulnerable to looking over worn or become damaged easily, which tends to make wearing them more of an eye sore to the primed on-lookers. So having back-ups are kind of necessary for certain outfits, but having several back-ups could be considered - well let just say excessive. Which for a person from my perspective is just fine. However, managing such a colossal collection may become a major effort to find the space and then keeping aware of your selections will definitely necessitate a decent inventory list.

An Inventory? Yes! Ideally, you can wear every category or brand of heels with in a short period of time. If this is not possible, you need to be aware of the heels that have been worn and those that have only been left in the box, for in time some materials are known to deteriorate. They can become brittle and/or dis-colored. Possibly, the glues breakdown and no longer hold their fastenings. Even moisture and insect infestation can become factors for deterioration. Finding out that your heels are no longer wearable when you need them the most would be such a waste of your efforts or the lack of.  

For going out into public, I choose to wear stiletto or spike heels approximately 4" high, give or take a half inch, like: Nines West Love Fury's, Enzo Angiolini Persist's, Audrey Brooke Bracelet's, Boutique 9 Justine's, or Bordello Tempt-35. I have other heels, some of them are known for their designer labels, that would be just as pleasingly comfortable to wear, but I prefer to keep them as close to their new pristine condition as long as possible only wearing them occasionally. I also have a few pairs of heels that I will never wear again for reasons of fit, comfort, and/or deterioration, some because of previous use.

The allure of 6" heels has also been apart of my fancy, even though I have difficulty walking in them. I really miss the custom shoe manufacturers that had to go out of business toward the end of the last century for whatever their reasons. Their quality was top-notch and they had such attractive designs. I was fortunate to get a few of their heels and I treasure them now, even more. There are still a couple of high heel outlets to get good quality, but world economics has made them harder to afford. 

One of the communication difficulties with the English language is some words have several meanings that have no relation to the other meanings and some very different words can relate to the same item or subject. Take the word "heels". Here at HHP, we are usually referring to the raised support under, at least, the back half of the shoe. We also use heels to reference the pair of shoes with raised rear supports. The word also refers to the rear areas of the feet or the skeletal bones that support the rear of the feet and its structure. Heel is also a command used in the training of animals, usually dogs, to stay close to their human instructor. People have been referred to as heels when they are perceived worst than second rate humans. There is also the word "heals" which refers to a process of an injury, illness, or person returning to a normal status or in beginning to feel better or at their best health. These two spellings are often used in error when substituted as people should have spelled the other.

With this example alone, a person, who loves to wear heels and only understands a little bit of English could become confused or receive the wrong message.  

By the way guys, I know this is going to be a shock to your ego, but I wouldn't look forward to getting jobs as models in sexy heels to present an automobile and/or its accessories to other guys. The world's attitude would really have to drastically change for this to even be plausibly legitimate for most business representatives, but never say never.

AH! The youth lead us until we teach them the restrictions of being free adults!

Wow! ilikekicks, In reading your reply, you are fairly plain in your perspective. Consider your views noted and used as guidelines that I will try to incorporate as I carry on for improving my life. The world has changed quite a bit from the years of my childhood and I seem to reflect those learned attitudes of long ago more than I intend. Some of my statements were developed rather poorly and I owe everyone apologies when I didn't fully state some of my trains of thinking, but threw in subjects to make quick points. Especially the comment about inferiority were to point out that women, as a whole, were once considered second class citizens and limited to the household chores and raising the family siblings. This scenario should have never been put into practice for whether we are men or women, we are human beings first and equally important to the stability of the human race. Civilizations may be governed by men or women, but to negate the other's equality causes decay in the social system that diminishes the results that each member should have the right to get the most out of life and causes future generations to fail should they continue the faulty attitudes and traditions. Now, the Suit! I have one navy blue suit with multiple tie possibilities. The coat with a skirt is of the Worthington brand from JCP, the pants were matched from a thrift store, and the ties were randomly picked for their ambient styling and color coordination. I've never worn this suit in public with heels, however, I have been in front of full length mirrors wearing this suit with stiletto pumps of different heights, colors, and textures to see how they looked. There was definitely a decent looking guy in the mirror handsomely wearing the same suit and heels combo.

There are so many tragedies caused by individuals who possibly feel they have been short sided by civilization and they want a type of revenge - thinking this will bring them satisfaction or an eternal reward of some kind. If a suicide bomber or other terrorist is in this frame of mind, why do they not see that they will probably have to associate and interact with those they terminate and/or maim to death forever more, should their after-life thinking have any validity for all of mankind? As for Heather Abbott, she is a very special person, who has associated with good people, who are just as magnificent. Achieving the goal to again walk in high heels after such a life altering ordeal is very inspiring. Of course the prosthetic technology help to make this goal a pleasing reality. Watching the video, it wasn't easy to tell which leg is using the prosthesis. I wish her the best in all that she pursues!

However, in reality it doesn't matter because either are certainly capable of accenting their uniform/outfit with heels as their preferred footwear. Now, having stated this, I hope soon this conjecture will be as much a non-issue except to behold a good looking pair of high heels being worn in the course of one's occupation be it truck/trolley driving to door greeters, or any salaried/volunteered/quest happening.

Is it suffering or blessed to have other insights into the human condition? I have considered the person I might have become had I followed the social attitudes and shunned the desire to wear heels.

It is important that the proportions be the same for any size shoes, for I want the heels that caught my fancy to, look the same in my size. This means the height of the heels doesn't matter as much as maintaining the same slope and profile of the modeled heels. The heels in my avatar would not be the same shoes should their slopes reflect more horizontal inclines. This doesn't mean that quarter to five inch heels aren't as good as higher heels, but it is in the achieved totality of the look you desire to portray, express, and/or wear that should determine this factor.

The practice of women buying footwear from the men's section is well known. Now shoe manufacturers label their male styled footwear products for women so that they will be more appealingly acceptable for male customers. Kind of ironic isn't it?

When suits are mentioned, most thoughts tend toward the present business look. However, there are more suit ensembles available to choose from. One option could come from a bolero jacket cover with a front ruffled or pleated shirt treatment with pants or jeans and heels. What about a jacket over a sweetheart neck lined accented shirt again with p/j&h? Then there are the show double takes like the Elvis Presley Aloha Hawaii type suits or the flamboyant Liberace jeweled, embroidered, and caped suits with heels, of course. These are a few examples of appareling that could be open choices for men. 

However, most men haven't realized their freedom to choose has diminished over the last 150 years. On the other hand, women did realize their rights to make choices had been limited, so they began a movement to achieve equal opportunities and choices. Now the socially created male stereotyping has limited men's wardrobe choices to the practical and socially essential applications of attiring. Society refuses to acknowledge or give credence to the males that exhibit their desires to wear attire that differs with the man-made social standards. Yet women with their stereotypically deemed inferior ability towards practical reasoning, they have the freedom to choose their attire from whatever is available. Of course, I am jealous and angry that men have relinquished away their freedom to publicly adorn their appearance with the items they have selected in secret, because of society's stereotyping. It really is a pity that men and women are considered defective, if they make choices for their personal appearance and life goals that doesn't follow the norms of the day.

Quite a while back, I bought a pair of Teeze-07 which are actually the same shoes with Mary Jane buckle straps. I also found them to be comfortable, easy to walk in, and attractive. If only the toe box could be shaped or molded without the use of the sewed seams, I would like them even better. Oh well, JL! Have fun wearing your high spike heeled platform pumps. What's the thickness or height of the Size 15 Teeze-06 platforms?

Sleek Heels,  

You have asked one of the questions most men have never really been taught in the formal sense. We've usually have to wing it as we select our attire, which for men means we deal mostly in neutral or limited coloring and the same repetitive bland or boring shapes for the sake of being practical. One of the most enjoyable courses that I had the pleasure of attending was an introductory to fashion designing. I should retake this course again and also enroll in some exercise program to help reduce or eliminate being perceived as one eating for two. 

We all have regrets over missed opportunities of actually revealing our intent for the heels we have purchased in retail shoe shops. Under the guise of getting them as gifts or for great causes may be valid for they are gifts you are giving yourself or you may intend to walk that race in them, but this is still in the light of less than true. Telling it like it truly is would be the right and best thing to do. You won't have to worry about being seen as a prevaricator nor does your self image have to be lessened by making it seem like your getting away with something that you already should be doing. How can we expect to wear high heels publicly if we don't change our attitudes from the subordinate feelings of social perversity to enjoying the fulfillment of our innate desires for adorning our appearance with the items we choose. Has anyone really thought about the choices men have been left with for today's social scene? Just today, I saw a shirt with the cowl neckline that really looked sharp with jeans and heels. This shirt could have been part of anyone's outfit, but the present social consensus only approves men to wear certain types of shirts. The freedom to choose the items of apparel from our personal desires is on the line. Wearing heels is looked at as impractical and men have the stereotype of being practical. Granted, heels as footwear have their limitations of viability and most people have to practice in them to be build their confidence along with their ankle strength, but heels are more versatile then the impedance of utility and comfort some people and/or groups are trying to promote. I also won't deny there are women choosing to wear heels to feel better about their appearance and use heel along with their natural arsenal to attract the notice of men, but this doesn't mean men can't or don't have desires to wear heels. Men in heels are just as manly as women are womanly. It's the social familiarity that makes the difference.

Now, not only can women claim to dance better than men in high heels, they can run races and surf in them, too. No one can now consider high heels unfit for all sports. I understand heels can give you an edge at the billiard and ping pong table, also. They could probably also help at the chess and checkers matches? A few guys in heels have found them to be ice breakers at some gatherings and/or action spots.

Thanks Guys! You can be sure I will be better prepared and organized to enjoy the scheduled programs of the next heel meet I am able to attend.

The HHP forum has more promise of surviving. As society sees more men wearing heels, the emphasis should adapt to the attitudes and activities of its involved members. Take a stroll with me through the last five to ten years and we can see the increasing awareness of men wearing heels in the fashion industry, in some music videos, on You Tube entries, by sporadic happenings over the media, and etc. Not all male heelers are members of this forum. In fact, it is my belief or contention that the number of men that secretly and/or publicly wear heels would be quite an astonishing percentage of the world's male population, in spite of the socially noted out cries against men in heels of all the comparatively few people recorded. As it has been said earlier, there are more people showing their interest for or even against men in heels almost daily as they seek membership into this forum. As for their reasons or purpose to join, only they can say. There have been and are movements to forbid the wearing of heels, but due to the desire of the consumers who enjoy wearing them the market keeps heels in stock. What's to say that most of these consumers aren't only women? As a male, I know I have certainly purchased an annual portion of the heels available. Some while back, I got some information that led me to understand that there are males of the Arabian lineage who wear heels as part of their formal attire. As to the truth of this, it hasn't been confirmed, but it does give a mind something to ponder. These type of accounts, accusations, or innuendos come from everywhere, including history, concerning men wearing heels. With such evidence before us, it is hard to reason why more men don't jump on board and wear their heels openly. The established attitude of the last few centuries has deceivingly tried to take away the choice men use to apply concerning the selection of what they chose to wear. By placing upon them misinformed stereotyping and playing on their socially perceived roles to be practical in their dealings over trying to satisfy the aesthetical side of their personality men are greatly limiting their choices for appareling. For some men this choice limiting existence finds approval, but the men who desires to be free and live full lives according their personality choices, this type of existence has got the markings and the identity of a social prison, which keeps people from reaching their conception of a total life experience. Really! How is it so detrimental for men to wear heels as women do? Agreed, some men can't wear them for some reasons, but there are women that can't wear heels for the same reasons. Some women refuse to wear them and there will be men with the same attitude. For those who choose to and can wear heels and other socially controlled appareling, the call of living a full life beckons for their participation. Aren't we all here to live our life to its fullest?

If you are going to a heel meet with other heelers and those plans are dependent on the scheduling and planning of other attendants, you could be left out when their plans change and they don't inform you. It's been a while since I have even tried to attend a meet because of my depletive experience of arriving in a city only to find the person I had depended on to connect with had made different arrangements. This left me without all the information and the means I needed to attend the meet. We were suppose to join each other at a certain hotel and share a cab to the meet. I couldn't get a room at this hotel and ended up finding a room some distance away with the idea of finding my contact later. Obviously, with the uninformed schedule change, I was unable to make the necessary contact. So I spent the next couple of days making the best of my situation. I did some window shopping, tried on some heels at the local mall, and did some site seeing, in heels of course because I didn't pack any other footwear. For the first day I kept trying to remember and make other connections to find the meet, but with no success. I was in a big city that I wasn't that familiar with and getting lost while wearing heels was not on my schedule of admirable ventures to experience. So for those going to heel meets, make sure arrangements are well known and trustworthy. If complications arise that change your status, ask someone to follow up on your behalf to see that those who have arranged to be in your party of attendants have the info they need to, at least, find the meet. It really wasn't their fault that I didn't make sure to bring all my information to attend the heel meet, which I didn't think I needed with the way I thought things would go. My bad which cost me not getting to know and enjoy the personal associations with many of the High Heel Place members and others who did attend. Yes, I'm still mad at myself for letting this situation occur.

We have been programmed to think the clicking sounds of some one walking means there is going to be or there presently is visible attractive people wearing their heels. As men become more prominent heelers, I hope this scenario will stay intact, but due to the fact of being a man and wanting the wearers to be female, I'll be a bit less inflated by seeing men in heels. Sorry guys, that's my straightness coming through. However, a discussion of sorts or nurturing a friendship with each of them, men or women, would be great.