mlroseplant

We are like the only 6 people on the planet who care about such things. Even my fashionista people don't understand how trigonometry relates to high heels. Few, if any, have any concept of the height of the heels they wear or don't wear.

Until very recently, I just used the actual heel measurement in our conversation here. I figured my size 40 was close enough--and it probably is for 99.9% of the people in the world. For this challenge, however, actual steepness actually matters, so I changed my way of stating it, in order to have and apples to apples comparison.

I can remember a former member here, years ago, saying he'd spent the entire day in 4 inch heels. Pretty impressive until you actually saw the shoes. In his size, they were almost like kitten heels!

Yeah, it's pretty tough going out there these days if you can't find something vintage. I'm glad you managed to find something that works, and isn't completely offensive.

As I work in the construction industry, and I don't necessarily have a fixed place of employment, I rely upon my car to get me to work. Sometimes that work has been pretty far away from my house, but in the last decade or so, I could count on putting about 15,000 miles a year on my car. However, since purchasing my Yamaha Majesty maxi-scooter, that number has been cut in half. Yeah, I actually ride mine, it's not a toy.

Yeah, if I lived alone, I'd probably do the same. But instead, I married a Vietnamese lady. She likes it considerably warmer in the house. When we were first married, she felt awfully guilty about how much the (natural) gas bill was in the winter, so she tried to make up for it in the summer. I'd come home from working in the 95º sun all day, and the house was 85º! We'd just installed a brand new air conditioner, but she refused to use it. Of course, this was long before I started wasting a lot of money on shoes. That changed everything.

2 hours ago, Puffer said:

In the UK and most other European countries, the majority of the population live within a mile or two of most of the 'basic' facilities (shops, post office, public transport etc) that they need to access frequently.   And some workers live similarly close to their workplace too.   Walking to and from them is usually easy and safe, economical, and desirable from an exercise viewpoint.   My impression is that the US is typically very different in that these 'local' trips often involve significantly longer distances and may be difficult or unsafe for walking - so the automobile reigns supreme.    That said, the typical American shopping mall or complex seems to require a lot of legwork if to be explored fully - or does every shopper tend to move their car around the estate?   (It is some years since I was last in the US (Florida) and I remember the distances needed to reach other places in the same neighbourhood, but not what the drill was when visiting several stores in one complex.)

Haha, you are not wrong! We drive everywhere. It's a shame that it's that way, but it is. A car is not a luxury in the U.S., it's an absolute necessity, outside of maybe New York City or Chicago. Having said that, I've never known anybody to actually move their car during a trip to the shopping mall. The more common experience is to forget where you parked. But who goes to a mall anymore? That's so 1990s! I'm only 90% kidding.

@bluejay, it is fascinating to me to note where all of our collective significant others draw the line. Some don't like it at all, some tolerate it, and some seem to be totally accepting. For me personally, if I got my nails done or wore a dress, that would cross a hard line. My wife would have a cow. However, it is (maybe not quite perfectly) acceptable for me to wear stiletto heels. Yes, I'll try on my sweater dresses, but I don't see me wearing them out and about.

Hopefully the boots can be fixed, especially if it's not as wonky as my Michael Kors sandals got. @pebblesf My cobbler, Marty, will gladly fix loose heels, but declines to touch anything having to do with a shank. I can understand why, because he's busy enough that he probably doesn't want to mess with it. It's a rather involved repair.

As far as photographing heels to get an idea of their steepness, it is a very tricky business. If you've ever noticed in my own photos, I tend to pose in what is perhaps a less than natural way for the express purpose of showing the heel height. Whether this is actually necessary with y'all is perhaps open to debate, but it's something I've got in the habit of doing. A 10º difference in angle with make a heel look way different than it actually is.

In addition to optical delusions (as I like to call them), I have run into several situations where I cannot get the ruler to agree with the feel of the shoe, and sometimes the look as well. I have some shoes that measure pretty tall, but do not feel it or look it. And yet the ruler doesn't lie, right? I also have a couple pairs that feel insanely steep, but I can't manage to get the ruler to reflect that. I guess I should worry less about numbers, maybe.

My latest training shoes, pictured above somewhere, measure 13.3 cm, which translates to 12.5 cm in size 38, and they feel to me exactly like those numbers would suggest. I need to pace around in them for a good 5-10 minutes before I don't feel completely stupid wearing them, and even then, though I haven't measured, I feel like I can only get the heels about 1/4 inch (or 6 mm) off the ground, standing on tiptoe. I feel like until that distance improves, there's only so much improvement I can make.

It sounds like you have a reasonably active day, and the figure of 15.5 km sounds about right, particularly if you've got a bit of walking to do to make it to your office from home. I haven't been to Germany in a very long time, but my recollection is that you guys walk a lot more in general everyday life than we do here in the U.S.

Were I to track my "incidental" walking in high heels, I'm sure it would be very little. Since I can't wear heels at work, I very much have to practice on purpose, which is why I do have a rather accurate log of how far I walk. At work, I never really bother to keep track of the distance, but sometimes look at the step count for fun. It's very easy to tell which days a truck came in and had to be unloaded!

I suppose I should break out my few sweater dresses and try them on while I have some free time. I think I wore one of them one time out in public. That's one of those things which does not really take up a lot of room in my house, but yet, if I'm not going to wear them, why do I keep them around? We'll see.

That is very disappointing indeed. Over the years, that has happened to me a number of times (usually just flat-out breaking rather than twisting). The problem is, I don't know what you can do about it, other than never wear the shoes. I'm sure this could theoretically somehow be fixed, but by whom, and for what price? I hope you find something soon.

Oh, it gets worse. I also have a blackboard in my music/shoe room upon which I chalk out what my son and I need to practice for the following Sunday, and then it also has on it the five meals we've planned for the week, referencing the cookbook and page number, where applicable. That reminds me, I really need to go clap the erasers sometime soon.

The one thing that it might be nice to convert to some sort of spreadsheet is my walking mileage data. That is currently on a "note" in my phone, but it's a true note--there's no smartness to it. If I make a mistake, or fat-finger something, data is corrupted or simply lost. When I say that I've walked 2,700 miles in heels since I started doing this in 2013, I cannot guarantee that whatever the exact number it is that day is 100% accurate. That's because I cannot guarantee that I haven't made a mistake with my arithmetic at some point in the last 13 years. It seems very likely that I would have made at least one error in that time. Still, it's a very close approximation.

On 2/6/2026 at 6:39 AM, Shyheels said:

I am the same. I use a laptop for writing and editing my photos, but I’ve skipped the whole GPS thing entirely - I use paper maps exclusively. 

That's a whole 'nother discussion right there. How GPS has influenced Gen Z's perception of the geographical world.

Yeah, there's the rub. If you want something truly great, it's going to take your artistic imagination, and way more time and effort than I will ever spend trying to photograph my own heels. I always end up doing the same three or four poses on my back deck, junky extension ladder and all. The most exciting thing about the pictures is keeping everyone guessing whether I will get my heel caught in the gaps between the boards. But then, the purpose of my photographs is not to be great art. I'm not really sure what they're supposed to be. I share them with you guys and one other person, my friend from university. At least I don't take pictures in a dirty mirror anymore.

It's a bit of silly personal history, but I bought my first SLR (a Pentax K1000) when I was 11 years old, with money I saved from delivering newspapers. I've never been a good photographer, but I've always appreciated those who are. Until fairly recently, I've always had a decent camera around. But can you believe, I've got nothing but a 4 year old phone now? How sad!

54 minutes ago, CrushedVamp said:

Wow, that is quite the inventory system you have there.

IF... and I am in no way saying you have too... but if you switched that to an Excel spreadsheet, and then added a few columns for dates, hours worn and miles treaded you could have a detailed list of your heel's life history. Of how many miles on them, what days they were worn and where. By akl means, add what is important information for you.

Compile that date into a graph and you could see just which shoes were worn the most, or how many had the most miles, and even in actual miles or by percentages.

I do this with my money and it has its uses. You could do it with shoes...

I have thought about what you have suggested for many years. But still, I persist with my Old School method. If I still owned a fountain pen, I'd probably use that as well. Yes, it would be far more efficient to record all of this information electronically. And still, I choose to write it out in longhand. I'm a weird guy. But I'm the most normal weird guy you'll ever meet!

For those who are curious, this is what the first page of my inventory looks like. Obviously Old School. This one took me several days to complete, working a couple hours a day. It seems like once I get going, it's actually kind of fun, but it is such a daunting task to think about, it's difficult to get started with it.

I have a "slot" system, in which the number on the sheet corresponds to a numbered spot on the shelf. As you can see, No. 23 line is blank. That means I actually have a space there to put more shoes if I so desire. At the moment, I believe my mechanical metronome lives there, but I digress.

I have at least three pairs which are not long for this world, I'm afraid, so the number may drop even further in the future. Or it may not. Who knows what my mood and finances will be in 2026?

Of course the beauty of it is, if you hate the results, or they're not up to your professional standards, you never have to admit having done it in the first place. I'll certainly never tell!

I finally got around to doing a shoe inventory for the first time in two years. I'm evidently "down" to 101 pairs of heels. I've never had a lot more than that, but I actually have a few empty spaces on the shelf now. Some things have changed. For example, I'm down to 9 pairs of clogs. I don't remember how many I used to have back in the day, but it was a lot more than that. What has not changed is my enthusiasm for wooden heeled sandals. I have 28 pairs of those.

This time around, I did a couple of things differently. Although I did record such data, I did not compile any statistics about the absolute height of the heels, choosing instead to focus on the steepness alone, that is, subtracting out the height of the platform, where applicable. Out of 101, I do have 60 pairs that have that feature. However, if you subtract out the clogs and the wooden heels, where that's a necessary built-in feature for those styles, I have only 23 pairs of platform heels. The other thing I did differently this time around was change my definition of what is a "high" heel to adjust to a standard size 7/38. I did stay with imperial units. I have always considered 4 inches the start of "high" heels, but now my "high" heels start at an actual measured height of 4 1/4 inches, once adjusted for my size 9/40. Here are the numbers:

Total heels: 101

Low heels <3": 4

Mid heels <4": 42

High heels <4.75": 52

Very high heels 4.75+": 3

Pumps: 21

Sandals: 58

Boots: 7

Mules, including clogs: 54

Stiletto heels: 43

Wedge heels: 10

Shoes I ain't worn in more than a year: 3 (not including my one pair of "men's" dress shoes. It's been a lot longer than a year.)

If I calculated height in the "old" way, not corrected for size, I would have 70 pairs of "high" heels. So I guess that means 18 pair of my mid heels are toward the upper end of the range.

Now that I've finally got that out of the way, maybe I can get something useful done.

21 hours ago, pebblesf said:

I have oftened wondered the same thing about myself.   Just wish there was some way of recording my stride in boots to get a true idea of how I look.  I might be very disappointed, or perhaps I would learn how to improve...

I use a tripod and my phone, but not so often to take video, only the still pictures that I post on here. My gauge in general is that if I catch a glimpse of myself in a storefront window or on a security camera monitor, and I don't reflexively cringe, I've succeeded for that day!

Seriously, if you do decide to video yourself, be prepared. It's not pretty, but it is instructive. I liken it to doing vocal work at a music recording studio, and then having to listen back to your own voice with zero reverb. It's brutal, but often helpful. I'm sure you do fine, Don.

Oh, I don't know if you can say with conviction that you're bringing up the rear. After all, you have only my word as evidence. I say that my standards are high, but you've never actually seen me walk. I might be terrible! My main concern in real life is to avoid looking like a complete idiot. I do not feel like I succeeded in that on Sunday. Yesterday (Monday) was an incrementally better day.

I am fairly lucky when it comes to women's shoes and clothing. I'm fairly predictable. Size 9 USW shoes. Or maybe 8.5 for sandals. Size 4 bottoms, not size 6, not size 2. Which sometimes translates to size 27.  .  . 27? Don't ask me. My actual waist size is approximately 30". Also, it's better if whatever it is is labeled 4P (for petite), otherwise, I have to get it hemmed. We won't even get into odd-numbered juniors sizing, which you would think would fit my non-curvy body better, but it doesn't.

I finally got a chance to walk around in a photograph my new shoes from Highest Heel. The weather actually approaced 0º yesterday, so I didn't feel like I was totally freezing every time I stepped out the door. The verdict is, I think they're quite attractive, and they seem to fit well. I cannot say that with 100% confidence because I never actually left my driveway, nor do I think this will happen anytime soon. Let's put it this way: No one but the across the street neighbor can watch me walk in them just yet, I won't allow it.

Over the last couple of days, I've spent several hours each day in 11 cm shoes, but these 12.5 cm are a whole different level. To be fair, I didn't feel like I had it together anyway yesterday. I was not walking well in the 11 cm, much less the higher ones. I guess it was just one of those days. I was walking just fine at the jazz festival on Saturday in the same shoe (same model, different color), and I walked just fine at the grocery store on Friday in the same exact 11 cm shoes, but I could not seem to find my feet yesterday.

Here's the specs: Model name of this shoe is Hottie (I wonder if it's a nod to the Hot Chicks), they are not real leather, but appear to be of reasonable quality, with a similar look and feel to my Steve Madden patent pumps. The actual heel height measures 13.3 cm, and when I run it through my 0.94 formula, I get the 12.5 cm equivalent to size 38. These are labeled size 9 USW. The heel width is 8 mm. Pretty narrow, but not super freaky fetish narrow.

Here are some photographs: 1) A closeup, 2) the shoes with an outfit, and then for comparison, 3) the 11 cm shoes I actually wore to church with the outfit. Except for the height difference, I think the shoes are almost a dead ringer for the shoes I've already got.

I still haven't had a chance to really try out my new shoes yet--I spent a good deal of the day yesterday at a jazz band festival with my son. I did wear 11 cm for a good part of the day, and walked at least a few hundred meters, total. I don't really know what I look like in 11 cm, but it does seem to be getting easier! I don't feel clumsy, anyway.

Having reread my post, I was far from clear about my true concern, which is the shank itself--that is the weak part on these shoes. I'm not worried about breaking the actual heel. What I'm worried about is, even if I could somehow or other twist the shank back into alignment, it's never going to be trustworthy, and what I don't want is for the thing to suddenly snap in half on me. I've had that happen before, and it's at best inconvenient, and at worst could cause an injury. At this point, the matter is academic.

I do agree 100% on that point, it is really more about the attitude and carriage than it is about the shoes. Perhaps that is what makes it so intimidating for us. Almost anybody can get out there and stomp around in 12 cm heels, but to actually look like one belongs in them? Tricky business indeed. I trust that @Shyheels and I will know when we've got to the point when it's time to strut our stuff in the general public. @higherheels has a leg (or a foot) up on us, as she's already worn her 13 cm in public, just not for very long.

Speaking of which, I have some exciting news. As you know, I was looking for a pair of 12 cm heels in order to meet this challenge. Actually, I have one pair, but I think they are fairly ugly. I was debating about maybe getting something from Fuss, but being unemployed at the moment, I figure now is not really the time to be spending what amounts to over 200 USD by the time you get them to my door. The Highest Heels look interesting, but they are even more expensive, and I think they're not even leather, at least not all of them.

So I went on ebay and typed in "The Highest Heels." I found some black patent pumps, new in the box, for 50 bucks, delivered to my door. I believe them to be a non-current model. I had hoped that they were in fact the full 12 cm, de-rated and temperature corrected for my size 9. As it turns out, they are and then some, at 12.5 cm. And they actually fit. I have not yet really had time to mess with them yet, other than a few steps around the house, but I have a good feeling about these. I'll try to get some pictures taken in the next couple of days. I might wait a couple of days anyway, because the current temperature is -18º according to my thermometer, and by Monday it's supposed to rise above zero.

Yes, and yes, to both of you. Now you've got me curious @Puffer. Trash day isn't until Monday, so I could dig the shoes out of the bin and see if it's even possible to straighten up the heel without breaking it. However, that would be nothing more than an experiment, because after that, as @Cali says, I would never wear them out again (meaning I would never wear them again at all). They would indeed break, probably at an inconvenient time. Part of that calculus is metal fatigue, but the other part is that they are Michael Kors brand. They will break eventually anyway. I'm lucky they gave me some warning to begin with!

According to my records, I have owned those sandals approximately 10 years, so they really don't owe me anything. They have been all over the country (quite literally) with me, but they were sort of a default dressy sandal for me. I have never found them to be terribly exciting. I shall report my findings, should I decide to experiment, at a later date.