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mlroseplant

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Everything posted by mlroseplant

  1. Come to think of it, they do feel quite a bit like clogs and less like sandals because there is not a lot of toe sticking out the front, and there is a lot of coverage way up the foot. Not necessarily my preferred configuration, but somewhat more practical than a barer or flimsier design. You're not going to be just kicking these shoes off casually. They have to be extracted from the foot quite purposefully, even after the break-in period is over. Here are a couple more pictures of the orange mules/clogs. I wanted to see what they would actually look like with my hi-viz construction shirt, so I changed into some black skinny jeans and threw on a hat to hide my messy/greasy hair, and here you are! To me, this is sort of the definition of casual, and helps visualize my assertion that very few people would actually wear heels along with clothes that are this casual. Also, I think I got my pose backwards. In retrospect, I think you are supposed to put your hand on the hip that is sticking out, not the one that is folded in. But I could be wrong. I am not good at these things.
  2. I have managed to avoid buying any shoes for nearly four months. I cracked on this pair for several reasons. 1) They are wooden heels. OK, they're not real wood, but close enough. 2) They are the third pair in my collection of this model. I'm not aware of another color, so I think I have all the colors now. 3) I bought this exact shoe in my first year of public heeling, then got rid of them, a decision I regret. 4) The price was finally right. 5) I don't think I have any other orange shoes, at least not with orange as the main color. First, the specifications. True Religion brand, model name unknown. None of the five pairs of this model that I've bought over the years came with a box, and there is only a number inside the shoe. 4 3/4" heel, which tapers down to 3/4" width at the floor, and 1/2" platform. The heel and sole are made of some sort of composite material which appears to be quite durable in every way except against abrasion. Lose a heel tip without noticing, and your shoe is ruined beyond repair within a few hundred feet. Don't remind me of why I know this. The upper is fully leather, including the lining and the footbed. This is one of the reasons I like this model so much--it's easy on the feet for extended wearing. Expansion of topics: 1) I have always liked wooden heeled sandals since I was a kid. Perhaps that's what was in style during my formative years. I never liked the huge honking wooden heels of the decade before, but was quite enamored of heels about the size and shape of the instant pair of sandals. I now have purposefully begun collecting more wooden heels in the last couple of years. 2) This is my third triple--These, my Steve Madden "Barbb" mules, and I also have three pairs of Söfft "Calvados" mid heeled mules. 3) I bought my first pair of this model, in orange, in my first year of public heeling. Everything else I wore at that time was black, black, or black, underneath boot cut pants. Also, the shoes seemed incredibly tight at the time, and required my toes to bend in a way that I was incapable of back then. Coupled with the fact that, "When am I ever going to wear orange shoes anywhere out in public?" caused me to divest myself of them. 4)I found another pair several months ago, but they wanted 75 bucks for them. Nah, I don't think so. These were 25, and they look to have been worn a mere handful of times. 5) I checked again. I truly do not have any other truly orange shoes. I've got some orange accents, but no true pumpkin shoes. They go well with my hi-viz shirts from work. The only bad thing I have to say about these is that I wish the toe opening were one toe bigger. I prefer to have three toes showing, rather than only two. That's pretty much it.
  3. @p1ng74, good to see you back after an apparent leave of absence.
  4. @Puffer, it was a mortal sin for me to use the word "never." I should never use the word "never." As to the other, do the round-toed brown pumps need to go, or are they worth messing with for better fit?
  5. Since this site seems to be hanging by two threads, I'll try to do my part to keep it going. So, as the several replies above show, it is a fact that pop culture can and does affect fashion, including footwear. Two negative examples are given above, but a positive example must certainly be the TV series "Sex and the City," which helped bring us out of a dark decade filled with Grunge bands, Spice Girls and Bratz. I do not see why some combination of circumstances could not allow it to happen again. Despite what some may say, there are definitely still girly-girl things happening out in the Real World, just not stiletto heels so much.
  6. My point is that the usual footwear with very formal dresses is sandals, not pumps. The irony of this is that extreme formal situations (white or black tie events) always call for a floor length gown, and therefore who cares what you've got on your feet? Nobody can see your feet. ___________ Moving along in the wrong direction, according to some, I once again explored my Michael Kors round-toed brown pumps, which I have owned for several years. I always think I like them, but without a little bit of fiddling, they are never going to work out in my world. The problem is that I can easily walk right out of them at any moment, and sometimes the wrong moment. This despite the fact that they are on the tight side at the front. As a result of this, I don't walk well in them, and my feet tire more rapidly than they should. I have thought about trying different combinations of fitment aids to try to get these to be more wearable, but then, I'm not sure that their aesthetic value warrants it. What say you? They are the only dark brown shoes that I own, so that color palette would either be extinguished, or would need to be replaced.
  7. Back in the mid 90s, there was a certain style of cowboy boot that had a pretty substantial heel on it, bordering on "not low," always in conjunction with a kiltie. You would see them around places where there was line dancing, mostly country bars, in other words. After a certain film released in 2005 decimated cowboy boot sales, that style of heel has not reappeared, even though the market has rebounded somewhat.
  8. I believe we have also failed to explore the role that footwear plays in determining whether an outfit lies on the dressier side of the line, or whether it lies on the more casual side. I believe that at the extreme ends, that is, the most casual and the most dressy outfits, the types of footwear one must use is more rigid, without running the risk of looking ridiculous or at least odd. Pictured below and juxtaposed are the same exact shoes with different types of outfits. One is a reproduction of the picture taken a week ago, which is evidently universally loved by all, and the other is a picture of the same shoes when I first got them, and was taken for the purpose of showing the shoes only. My point is that the shoes do not make the second outfit any more dressy or less casual. In fact, to my mind, it just looks odd, like I had put on my men's dress oxfords with shorts and a t-shirt. The other outfit, which is far more dressy, but not really all that dressy, could be affected drastically by changing the shoes. At the other end of the spectrum, wearing sneakers with a tuxedo just looks dumb. Oddly enough, at the extreme dressy end of the (usually) female spectrum, you never see single sole pumps, do you?
  9. Yes, the office worker was a woman. I'm still the only guy I've ever actually seen in high heels in real life, like not performing in some sort of show.
  10. There's always one, isn't there? Pianist Yuja Wang continues to wear enormous platforms at her concerts/recitals, even as such shoes have gone out of style. One could argue about what constitutes a formal setting nowadays, but a classical music concert (as a performer) is the only time I ever have cause to wear a tuxedo, ever. I don't play in an orchestra anymore, but the last time I did, I'm pretty such I wore platforms with my tux. I think if I had to choose today, I would probably wear single sole. I am evidently a curiosity among the employees at my usual supermarket, and they are becoming more vocal about it, as they slowly realize that I'm not going to become irritated with them. Last week I had my list ready, and I purchased my weekly comestibles directly after church, wearing the sort of pinkish outfit and the single sole stiletto pumps pictured several replies above. A couple of hours later, I realized that I had not read my recipe carefully enough, and had to return to the store, this time wearing jeans, t-shirt, and heeled wooden mules of the type that I usually wear for most of the warmer months in casual situations. A female worker commented on my outfit change, which took me a little bit by surprise, as there must have been hundreds of other customers through that store between my visits. I explained that the first time I was wearing church clothes, and that now I was. . . obviously NOT. I wonder what kind of conversation/gossip THAT generated in the break room.
  11. When I went to my employer's shop to do some paperwork, I saw a late 30s/early 40s office worker in actual high heels! I thought to myself "No way!" I have been with this employer for over 5 years, and in that time, I have never witnessed this sight. Not that I spend very much time at the shop, but still.
  12. How about we let the girls have our neckties, and, in exchange, we will take their heels. I see a lot of girls wearing neckties these days.
  13. For once, you have me stumped. You must be using a different definition of "casual" from what I intended, and I can't figure out what definition that might be. What I meant by "casual" is that which is worn in non-formal situations in one's leisure time. To be sure, the popular definition of "formal" has shifted a lot during my lifetime, but I am talking about situations like grocery shopping or sightseeing, where one is highly unlikely to be wearing a jacket and a tie (or some floor length, flowing dress). The platforms go better with the casual look than with more formal, dressier looks.
  14. Haven't seen you in an age, HiH! Greetings from Iowa. I had ask Uncle Google about your Bakers shoes, but I can see the similarity. One has to conclude that it is a somewhat dated style these days, but still quite presentable under the right circumstances. There are several major designers who still offer the same basic style, so SOMEBODY is still buying it. I do have to agree with Krenzer, Puffer, Kneehighs, et al., though. For dressier occasions the single sole pump looks, well, just better somehow. The platform looks more casual, which is fine, because I happen to wear heels in casual situations.
  15. It may be that people privately look forward to seeing what I have thrown together on any given week, but it is rarely mentioned by anyone. In fact, if anyone says anything, it's usually my 82 year old mother, and she never has anything negative to say. She likes it when I wear red, for some reason. If I compliment somebody else on their outfit, then maybe I might have a short conversation. A few months ago, I bought my first pair of Mary Janes, and when I walked into the sanctuary, I passed one of the members of the other band that plays at the so-called "contemporary" worship service right before me. I said, "Hey Marcia, check these out! I thought of you when I bought them. I believe they've got your name written all over them." And it's true--they do look exactly like something she would wear. Only hers would undoubtedly have a somewhat lower heel. Again, believe it or don't, it just doesn't come up very often.
  16. Thank you all for your compliments. I guess this must have been a pretty good outfit because my fashionista friend from college said it was probably her favorite outfit that I've ever worn. Not bad, considering I am terrible at planning these things. I'm usually ironing something 30 minutes before the service begins, if that gives you any indication about how I put an outfit together on Sunday mornings. Standing still is an interesting subject to some. Even Jenny said way back when that it was to be avoided at all costs. As I remember, she even had specific techniques and exercises to deal with standing. For those who may not know, Jenny's High Stiletto Heels was the predecessor to this website, sometime late in the last century. For me, standing still is not an option. Those involved in live TV have known this for years, but those of us new to the whole livestream thing have never thought about it until recently--actions and mannerisms which you would never notice in real life show up bigger than big when the cameras are rolling. I am not sure if the camera really adds 10 pounds to your weight, but it sure does notice every funny face you make, every time you bend over to pick up something you've dropped on the floor, and certainly rocking back and forth on one's heels to the point of distraction. That doesn't even count musical mistakes. In addition to that, everything is recorded for all of history and you can't get rid of the videos, ever. They are out there, somewhere.
  17. I don't know that I'd want to wear those on a beach, for several reasons, but I get it. And that's kind of what barely passes for dressy sandals these days. She could have gone up a step or down a step with it--either moved up to really cute non-platform sandals or gone with Birkenstocks. I've seen both done by people of that age group, and usually the latter. I don't think anybody cares. There are like half a dozen people who actually still dress up for church anyway. There was a glorious time when we Americans actually made fun of Birkenstocks, and now 35 years later, they have come to be one of the less objectionable exponents out there.
  18. Speaking of 5 inches, my Steve Madden Klory pumps, that which I have called my perfect pumps after a long search, approach 5 inches, but do not reach it. What I can't understand is why I think it is a great idea, given my duties, to wear such shoes to church. I can sort of walk in them, that's not the real problem. It's the standing for an hour, and THEN trying to walk in them while carrying instruments and equipment. Luckily, that stuff is never on camera. I have become rather proficient at standing still in heels, something I used to struggle with quite a bit. I have little idea how you manage to wear 5 inchers every day. Mad props to you!
  19. I had fun dragging out some shoes that I haven't for a while. Sometimes I think I am getting better at this heel thing, and sometimes I don't. These Nine West Bellafina pumps are perhaps slightly dated, but I haven't worn them but a handful of times over the years. They are way more comfortable and walkable than I remembered. I should wear them more often. I did, in fact, go grocery shopping in them, and I got asked what my pronouns are by a young fellow who works at the establishment. I shouldn't be surprised about that anymore, but I still am. I know it's rude of me to look over the tops of my glasses with that look that says, "Don't ask such silly questions, young man. . ." I explained to him that although I may be an honorary member of the LGBTQ community, I do not technically meet the requirements. I don't think a girl has ever asked me what my pronouns are. Maybe they are more intuitive than boys.
  20. Yeah, I know! And I had to sit right in front of it for an hour.
  21. The organist in question is a longtime friend of mine, and she is definitely a she, although from a distance she appears rather androgynous. Without getting into it too much, it is a style and lifestyle choice based on her deep Catholic faith. For example, I am quite sure I could fit the entire contents of her apartment in the back of my van. As for the shoes, organ shoes for both men and women have big heels on them to facilitate certain playing techniques. My friend is quite fashion challenged, and most of the time she appears to have picked out random scraps of cloth to wear over her body, but we've all gotten used to that over the last 20 years. She does actually own a couple of cute pairs of sandals, and one of them has actual heels!
  22. I have a couple pair that are getting toward your retired ones, I just have to be very careful not to absentmindedly wear them out to the grocery store or something.
  23. There has been quite a bit of talk about feminine style becoming gradually less feminine. It has also been suggested that somehow this phenomenon is political. It might be easy for one to assume that under certain circumstances. I would suggest, however, that we've been here before. Remember the Grunge Era of the mid 1990s? High heels pretty much disappeared for several years, and if there were any, they were huge honking combat boot things. I can remember talking about this on Jenny's High Stiletto Heels site, the predecessor to this site. I can remember, having been a sort of foster parent to a teenaged girl at the time, that it seemed the fashion object of the time was to look as dirt poor as possible. People went to a great deal of trouble to make it look like they rolled out of bed about 15 minutes before they showed up at school. The coolest kids always had 2 inches of raggedy string around their pant hems, as the style was to wear your jeans 2 inches long and walk on the hems all day. Belly buttons were definitely on parade, though maybe not as much as today. Sound a bit familiar? This stuff has happened before, and people will get tired of it after a few years. This is not to say that kids never dress up at all anymore. I took this picture the other day, and the subject was accidental. I was actually trying to get a picture of the church organist, but this young lady was standing in my view, serving communion. After cropping and blurring faces, I feel I can post this good example of what young women consider dressing up a little bit, looking decent. No heels, of course, but hardly masculine. It would seem that announcing the death of femininity is perhaps premature.
  24. @Jkrenzer, you are mostly right, these mules are 4 1/2", which is pretty typical for most of my single sole mules. However, most of my casual shoes have a bit of a platform, so appear higher than they actually are. I did something that I haven't done in years on Sunday. I wore the same pair of shoes two weeks in a row. The horror! But I had a very good reason for doing so. Every year about this time, our church has a joint service with the local college in their chapel. Normally, I throw on my choir robe in the background just before we have to sing, as I find it very difficult to play guitar in a choir robe (arms are too full and flowing). However, this Sunday I had no such instrumental duties, and would be wearing my robe for the entire service. I decided that my Caressa mary janes were a perfect match, color-wise, for the robe, and that I'd wear the matching pants too. It met with enthusiastic approval from those who notice or care about such things. It also had the side effect of proving these shoes for walking. You see, the college chapel is less than half a mile away, and it doesn't make any sense to drive there unless one has something substantial to carry. One thing I can say is that on a college campus on a Sunday morning, a guy walking down the street wearing a choir robe and carrying a black folder does not draw the least bit of notice, heels or no heels.
  25. I apparently am getting ready to celebrate 11 years next month, although I have been around much longer than that as a lurker. In the 11-15 years before I actually joined, I went from being an admirer to being a secret wearer to being a public wearer. I ventured out for the first time in heels sometime in May 2012, six months before I officially joined HHP. The world was less friendly to my fashion choices back then, and HHP was being run by some less than friendly people. So indeed some things have changed for the better, including the stability of my income. I have run through my collection, and evidently I have very few pictures from those days, and in fact I can't find a single one from earlier than about 2015, by which time I had established myself as a regular high heel wearer. Here are some of my earliest what I would call actual high heels, i.e., 3 inches or more difference from toe to heel.
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