bootopia

I'm lucky enough to wear a W10, but have fit into 9's nd 11's, in medium widths. I was surfing the web for new fall styles, and noticed that Nordstrom's has women's sizes up to 13...

Definitely Betty Page - the earliest pictures of thigh high lace up boots I've seen, and influenced generations to come.

I had a pair of Jean Gaborit's custom made last year - they are a combination of the Manila (shaft) and Shania (foot) styles. Ian was very helpful in putting this hybrid together for me. It took about three months to receive my order, and they are very pricey, but well worth it. This particular pair is very roomy around the ankle, and works best for me when worn over skinny jeans. They have recently introduced the "Kelly", which is more form fitting, and in my opinion, their best design yet - time to start saving my money. Those boots are the bomb!

http://www.jean-gaborit.com/en/

click on "daring jean" at the url above...

I was bitten by the boot bug when I was in first grade. The class was sitting in a circle on the floor, taking turns reading a story. The girl sitting next to me was wearing shiny black knee high granny boots, which fascinated me. I remember getting a lump in my throat and butterflies in my stomach as I became fixated on them. When she stood up to read, I reached out and ran my finger up and down one of her boots. I'm not sure if anyone noticed, as I was oblivious to anything but the boots. It only took a couple of seconds before I pulled my hand away, but was an extremely powerful experience. I was now sensitized to women's boots and got the lump in throat, butterflies in stomach symtoms throughout my youth whenever I saw images like catwoman (thanks Julie Newmar) on TV, or women wearing boots. The virus mainfested itself when I was 17, and bought my first pair of boots at a shoe store. It was about 9:00 PM on a rainy night and I was the only customer in the store. I sat down in a corner where I thought no one could see me and measured my feet, and then asked the sales lady for a pair of brown, knee high size 10 boots with a 3-1/2 inch heel "for my girlfriend". I remember the feeling of heart pounding trepidation the entire time, and not much else. That feeling continued as I tried them on in the car. The boots were "Old Maine Trotters" - I remember them well. That same night, I had my first street heeling experiences walking around the mostly abandoned shopping center where I bought the boots, buying gas, and in a convenience store. This initiation into the world of heels and boots was probably the the biggest adrenaline rush I have ever had, and an experience that I will never forget.

My response to this poll is definitely leaning towards "female partner approves" after a trip to Vegas last weekend. I wore a pair of Lumiani 1008 boots on the trip there, and changed into my JLo Melanie boots that evening before we went out to dinner. I wore the JLo's out to dinner and a show the next evening, and paired them with some women's low rise boot cut stretch jeans. We stayed out until 3:00 AM, and my wife didn't make any negative comments the whole time. I got a few looks (with smiles) from female hotel staff, but no comments. Here's a couple of links to the boots I was wearing - http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7259181/c/3.html and http://www.shopgco.com/product/index.cfm?brand=J%20Lo%20by%20Jennifer%20Lopez&styleid=&Style=Knee%2DHigh%2DBoots%2DShoes&AID=1032&color=&dept=2&MID=27970&Size=&bid=0&Stock=844797 - the JLo's were black (not the copper color shown in th link). Sadly, the JLo's have been out of production for a couple of years. I hope they bring them (or something similar) back this fall.

Maybe you're onto something here smitty. If you're trying on heels, you might ask the saleslady what she thinks of them, or ask her if she can suggest any styles for you, or if she would go out with a guy wearing heels. You never know until you ask...

I like either western or riding style boots with block heels up to about 3-1/2 inches for wearing outside. I find the underslung western heels are easy to walk in, especially when the heel height is over 3 inches. I have some 4 and 5 inch stiletto heeled boots that I wear only inside because of the comfort factor.

I buy some of my shoes online from e-stores like zappos and Gotham City online since finding what I want in stores can take up a lot of time. I have a couple of sizes sent to me and send back the pair that doesn't fit. I have become less inhibited about trying shoes on in stores over the years, and usually shop when the stores aren't busy (Mondays at opening or closing time usually works well). I prefer sales women, as they seem to be more "in touch" with the shoes, less judgemental, and offer valuable advice. A few of years ago I was shopping "for my wife", and the sales lady asked me if I'd like to try them on, smiled, and said her boyfriend wears her shoes all the time. I agreed, and proceeded to try on four pairs of boots until I found the perfect fit. She was very helpful and complimented me on how they looked. This experience made me a lot more comfortable with trying on shoes at the store, and has saved me quite a few returns.

I received the Nine West Boswell Boots today, and they were a good fit on my feet, even with the pointy toes. This particular model runs a size large (I usually wear 11W, these were 10W). The problem with the Boswells is that they're very wide through the ankle and calf, and the lacing is not adjustable until top two hooks, since the tongue is sewn into the boot from the foot to almost the top. They're made for people with wide ankles and calves, and do not give me the close fit that I want (I have fairly slender legs), so I'll be returning them. Here's a link for anyone who's interested:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7299606.html

Happy Heeling!

I just ordered a pair of Nine West Boswell boots from Zappos in a size 10. I'm usually a size 11W (sometimes a 12W). I have also heard that Nine West runs large, so hopefully they work out for me. I'll let you know...

The boots I was wearing last night were these ones:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7259172/c/3.html

Just in case the link doesn't work (I'm new here), they are the Lumiani 1011's, also from Zappos. I also have a pair of the Lumiani 1008's. Both pairs are really comfortable and discrete when worn with pants.

Here's a summary of sightings from LA: About three years ago, saw a guy in take out Mexican Restaurant, wearing a stunning pair of dark green boots with tapered heels about 4-5 inches high and a small platform under black slacks. He sat down while waiting for his order, making the boot shafts visible about halfway up his calf. About two years ago, guy in grocery store wearing black boots with 5-6 inch stilleto heels under jeans and a red shirt. The length of the jeans made the boots visible up to his ankles. About two years ago, drive-by sighting of guy walking in black platform boots under jeans. Looked like he was still learning how to walk in them. About a year ago, drive-by sighting of a guy waiting at the bus stop, wearing loafers with 2-3 inch block heels with gray slacks. Last night, guy walking with wife in pointy black boots with 2 inch western heels - oh woops, that was just my reflection in the storefront windows.

I'm voting for "has no opinion" for now, but it's a work in progress. I went out to dinner last night with the wife wearing a pair of Lumiani boots with a 2 inch western style heel under my jeans. She gave me a disapproving look before we left the house, but didn't mention anything about my boots when we were out - just the normal dinner conversation. I felt comfortable, and wasn't thinking about the boots, so hopefully this put her at ease as well. When we got home, she took an interest in the boots and asked me how my feet felt after wearing them for several hours. After replying that my feet were fine, she took a good look at them and said they were "cute". This was the second time I've been out with her wearing women's boots, and it was definitely more relaxed than the first time (I wore a pair of JLo boots with 3-1/2 inch heels on that occasion). I was more self conscious the first time, and I think it affected her too. So things are improving, and I may have to recast my vote in the "female partner accepts" category in the future.

Hey there Johnieheel - sounds like a plan. I've been in LA for about 7 years myself, so I guess I'm getting to know the place fairly well (still get lost driving around sometimes). Cheers!

Thanks to everyone for the welcomes. I'm from Los Angeles, which has lots of great shoe stores and places to go heeling. Speaking of heeling, a may try some tonight (going to a Persian restaurant). I'll let you know what transpires later...

It's a state of mind. California, in my case.

Hello everyone. I'm happy to have found this forum and look forward to posting and interacting with like minded members. I appreciate high heels in general, but especially women's boots. I like women wearing boots and wearing women's boots, and look forward to sharing my experiences and increasing my "bootelligence". I just want to say thanks to the site founders and administrators for this wonderful site. Have a happy time!