On 4/15/2017 at 10:24 PM, alphax said:

The concept of stretching high heels is new to me.  It seems that it would only work with natural leathers and non patent leathers.  Is that true?

What can you do with synthetic leather shoes and boots?

Do blow driers work on those?

It depends on how much you want to stretch it. Synthetic material will stretch a little bit if you're patient, but not much. It would be a situation like, "These shoes already fit pretty well, but they would be even better with just a tad more room."

Don't know about using a blow dryer.

5 hours ago, kneehighs said:

This article with the SEO friendly ULR "Men in Heels: Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Kanye West" title has been on the Vogue Landing Page above the fold for 3 consecutive days now:

http://www.vogue.com/article/men-in-heels-harry-styles-justin-bieber-kanye-west

The attached video came from an instagram story that ran Saturday 4.22.  I downloaded it b/c Instagram stories are only live for 24 hours. 

@cristalserranoo.mp4

I am glad to see that there is coverage mentioning men in heels that depicts them in a positive light. The only problem is, none of those boots are what I'd call heels. At all. There are plenty of guys who wear logging boots on a construction site that have higher heels than those shown here. What, exactly, is there to say here? If at least one of them had been wearing something closer to 3 inches, I could see it, but I can't even figure out why this is an article. Must have been a slow day.

For that sort of thing, I have found that contact cement works the best. Super glue typically doesn't last very long, but it also might work in this case. I am not sure how much experience you have with contact cement, but even if you already know the drill, I will go ahead and explain it for the benefit of others who may not know.

Contact cement is great stuff if you need to stick two things together where extended clamping might be difficult, and if you can easily separate and access both objects you're trying to glue. Basically, what you do is coat both mating surfaces with a thin coat of cement (it's very, very strong smelling, so do in a well ventilated area), wait for it to set up (about 30 minutes), then stick the two together. It will bond instantly. The cement sticks to itself like crazy, but won't stick to anything else once it is set up.

The only caveat is that once the two cemented surfaces come in contact with each other, little if any adjustment is possible, so make darn sure you've got it placed like you want. I would recommend putting a small piece of cardstock or paper in between the two surfaces while you're stretching that pad back into its original shape and position, because the glue will not stick to the paper at all, you can futz with it all you want. Then, when you've got it like you want it, slide the paper out (or have an assistant do it if you need 3 hands), and stick it down.

Good luck!

2 hours ago, JeffB said:

Once upon a time, I wasn't a fan of wedges, especially platform wedges, but then, a few years ago, I wore a pair as an experiment, liked how they looked, and I've been wearing them ever since as they're fun shoes.

Same story with me, only I don't wear them as much as you do. I still prefer a shoe with a separately demarcated heel, but I like wedges just fine. I have probably half a dozen pairs.

2 hours ago, JeffB said:

Many thanks. I do as best I can. Meanwhile, because you asked:

 

Hmmm, that doesn't seem right at all! Who is that masked man?

I guess I have positioned myself in a situation where the platform lovers hate me AND the single sole people hate me. I hope it's not true, we all have our own preferences, and I have stated mine plainly, I guess. It's all good. We are all brothers here, and I hope I have not offended anyone. 

Spring is here! I broke out the shorts for the first time this weekend. I wore my new Aldo slides with a 5 inch stiletto heel, 1 inch platform, which is a little bit more of a radical sandal than I've worn in the past with shorts. I like the look, but I must say, I'm not 100% comfortable with the look. This is getting into territory where a woman would get a lot of looks wearing the same outfit, and popping down to the supermarket to get some bread for my son's and my lunch tomorrow (plus some cat litter to soak up some oil we spilled in the garage while cleaning up today), I was given the  once-over by about 20% of the other customers there. Nobody said anything, though. This simply does not happen when I'm wearing long pants, even if they are skinny jeans. Of course, my 8 year old son was wearing a neon fushia shirt. We must have seemed quite the pair.  He is not shy, and he will talk quite plainly and intelligently to total strangers. This, in combination with my admittedly booming voice and friendly demeanor, must have surprised some people!

I think it's the shoes, mainly. Yesterday evening, I went out with my wife, my best male friend, and several kids to the local pizza buffet. I wore more conservative wedges, but shorter shorts, and I did not receive nearly the attention that I did at the supermarket tonight. Who knows?

8 hours ago, Cali said:

It's no big deal. I see men with finger color as well.  I have acrylic fingernails with gel color.  I even have nail art done all the time on my toes and fingers.  Currently each toe has a different pastel color, an Easter basket.

And if you get a pedicure go for the spa pedicure, the extra massages is worth every penny.

If you wear open toe heels in the summer you MUST color your toenails.  No excuses not to get them done..

MUST? MUST???? My feelings are hurt!

No they're not, just kidding. As I've said before and am now saying again, I'm very picky about my feet and who gets to work on them, so when my nail tech quit the business, I started doing them myself, after years of careful observation. But here's the thing--I don't really care for nail polish on men or women. I like bare, natural nails. So yes, I'm going to wear my sandals with no color on my toes. But they will be perfect!

Back in the day, I used to hate platforms. But back in the day, platforms brought to mind John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever," or clear stripper shoes (which some call "pageant shoes"). Today, almost all my shoes have some sort of platform. The key to me is balance. There must be enough heel to balance out a platform. To me, a 6 inch heel is just simply not tall enough to balance out a huge 2 inch platform, which is the basic formula of pageant shoes. It's like you've got these giant THINGS attached to your feet, and it just doesn't look nice to me. Go down an inch on both ends to a 5 inch heel and a 1 inch platform, and suddenly it's a whole different look, much less clunky, much more streamlined, even though the steepness hasn't changed. Go down another inch on both ends, and you've got a classic pump that's on the higher side these days for most women, but on the low side for my sensibilities. I prefer the extra height of the 5 inch heel, but appreciate the all day wearability of the 4 inch difference. Therefore, many of my shoes are right around that 5 inch heel, 1 inch platform formula.

Here are examples of how Christian Louboutin got it right, and how he got it wrong. The first picture is "Lady Peep" model, which I think is super nice looking. The second picture is "Daffodil" model, which I think looks absolutely awful. It's HUGE, and not in a good way. Too much platform, not enough heel. I think he makes a version with a higher heel than the one shown here, which look slightly better, but they still don't look as nice as the Lady Peeps.

Naturally, some strongly disagree, and actually like super huge platforms, but you'll have that on these big jobs.  .  .

Tip No. 1 and Tip No. 3 seem to be at odds with each other. I think as experienced heel wearers, we can tell the difference between shoes that are never going to work out, and shoes that might be quite nice with a little stretching and wear on them. From learning experience, I know that I have given up on some heels way too soon, and kept heels that were never going to work out way too long.

I'm totally fascinated by the juxtaposition of the practical and the impractical.

My ex wife and I could share clothing and shoes (she is US women's 9 1/2, I am 9), but she still attempts to shame me for wearing high heels, so that wouldn't have worked out at all!

13 hours ago, Cali said:

Do you have favorite brands?

Unfavorite brands? Why?  (For me it's "Jessica Simpson", "Ivanka Trump",...just to narrow)

I like Michael Kors a lot. I have quite a few pairs. Least favorite is Colin Stuart (Victoria's secret brand). No matter how cute they look, I've found the quality is so poor, they don't stand up to actual use.

Are you seriously going to drive Route 66 in that truck? I mean, I don't object on principle, but I hope you know what you are getting into, and I hope you're a pretty good mechanic. Unless the engine has been changed, DO NOT let that truck get low on oil. The old "Stove Bolt" six cylinder engine does not have a pressurized oiling system, and it WILL fail if it gets low on oil. At least it has two windshield (windscreen) wipers, but they are vacuum operated, and don't work well if you're going up a hill. Also, I hope you don't plan on going more than about 45 mph. Good luck, and send us pictures!

Lord of the Dance pose in substantial heels. Very impressive!

I am posting these at the request of @Thighbootguy. Sorry for the terrible picture. These knee high boots are Calvin Klein brand, with more wear on them than normal for stuff from Ebay, but the price was right. They fit perfectly in the foot, and are quite comfortable, but I wish the shafts were just a tad slimmer. My lady/shoe friend gushed a bit over them and said they are not too big around for me, but they are definitely on the loose side. Actually, they look fine with jeans, and I have worn them out several times, but with leggings they seem too big. They have a 4 3/4 inch heel with a small platform.

I do not have any high heeled shoes left which are lower than 4 1/2 inches, and I try real hard not to buy anything new which is less than 12 cm, or 4 3/4 inches. It seems that if I get anything lower than that, I wind up not wearing them much, and they're a waste of money. Most of my shoes have a small platform, so what you'll see me in most times is a 5 inch heel with a 1 inch platform. The 4 inch difference seems most comfortable and natural to me. Well, after 4 years of practice and experience, that is.

I think your weather has been warmer than ours, as of late! I am glad you posted this, because I am the type of person who likes to wear sandals, and luckily I am blessed with feet that do not get cold easily (in fact, quite the opposite). I would wear sandals in the winter, provided it wasn't TOO too cold, but I always thought it looked funny to be wearing sandals with everything else covered up. Your picture proves that maybe it doesn't look funny. Maybe I'll have to try it next season!

However, I'm still not too sure about the shirt that is slightly longer than the jacket. I don't totally hate it, but I noticed it right away. I would be interested to hear other opinions about this. It's good to hear from you again, Mr. X.

On 4/2/2017 at 9:37 AM, Thighbootguy said:

Maxidress...  I suggest you emphasize a waist line a little higher than your natural waist line.  I'm looking forward to your next jaunt.

By the way, I just found a red dress I'm really liking.  It is essentially a polo shirt that comes down to my knees.  Wearing a dress is becoming more and more comfortable all the time.

Yeah I know I'm wearing flats.

@JeffB,Although skirts and dresses aren't my thing, I do appreciate them on other people. I am not sure I agree with TBG's advice as a universal standard. While this dress looks quite good on him, his build is quite different from yours. I am not at all sure that you would get the same effect if you wore the same style dress.

On 4/4/2017 at 6:12 AM, HappyinHeels said:

mlroseplant,

I'm gong to guess you're up and will be leaving for work in about an hour. A neighbor in Iowa! Me too but in only 30 minutes.

I do my toes and feet about every two weeks or so. I shave my entire legs every time in the shower. It makes the showers longer, about 14 minutes in total, but it is entirely worth it. Given your investment in shoes already (and maybe hosiery as well), I think you should just keep the whole thing shaved. Two cents from a neighbor. HappyinHeels   

I view shaving my legs the same way I view keeping my nose hairs trimmed. I don't like the process at all, but it looks a lot better when I'm finished. However, my nose is exposed year-round. My legs are not. Therefore, I take no pleasure in shaving my legs for no reason in the winter. I do keep them shaved from a couple of inches above the ankle down, because people might actually see that area.

On a different subject, my geographical neighbor, I have a question for you. You say you often wear wedges, and often they are way above 5 inches. Where do you find such shoes? I've been looking for quite a while, and I can't seem to find any wedges above about 5 inches. I'm looking for something in the 6 inch range, just to try it.

I finally got around to giving myself a pedicure last night. I have been extremely lazy this winter about the care of my feet. Actually, that's not true. I have been extremely lazy about the care of the appearance of my feet. I have actually been pretty faithful about doing exercises to actually strengthen my feet, and make them more flexible, in an attempt to minimize the foot pain from my job. However, with temperatures expected to finally rise into the 60s and 70s in the coming days, I am ready for sandals! Goal for later this week: Shave my legs. I haven't done that all winter, either. Just from the ankles down.

I had occasion to visit my bank this past week. I bank at one of these small town, locally owned banks, and the dress code for bank tellers isn't what it was in my youth. It has gotten rather, shall we say, casual. However, on this occasion, I was served by a lady who looked really sharp. Instead of the typical ill-fitting "business casual" clothes that everyone else in the place was wearing, she wore a pencil skirt and a jacket. The skirt was considerably above the knee, but not super short. Luckily, my transaction required her to go to the vault, so I got to see her shoes. I expected to be disappointed, but I was not. She had little ankle booties on which had somewhere between 4 and 4 1/2 inch stiletto heels with a minimal platform. Also, she wore nail polish which was not chipped. I am not a huge fan of nail polish, but if you're going to wear it, it shouldn't be chipped, especially when you work a job where attention is drawn particularly to your hands. I wish the other tellers would take a hint from this lady. I cannot count the number of times I have been served by a female teller who needed to remove or re-do her nail polish a week ago. I am glad to see that there is somebody left in my town who pays attention to these little fashion details. I don't expect it to last, however. I expect she's new.

1 hour ago, Puffer said:

The first pair are OK, but let down by the ugly toe shape.   The other two are too heavy and clumpy, even for a man, and I simply cannot see the appeal of the spikes.   Sorry, but you did ask!

 

I have never liked that JC Lita style either, and I have just realized what it is. It's not the clumpiness per se, but the proportions are all wrong. There's just way too much platform and not enough heel height. That first pair has got about the same heel height (to my eye) as the second and third pairs, but very little platform, so it looks "right" to me. Out of the three, I'd definitely go with the first!

I have been posting pictures of my footwear placed on top of my washing machine for several years now. I had no idea that it caused such controversy! 

Here is my thinking: I get new shoes. I think, "I should post some pictures on HHP! People seem to enjoy that to some degree or other." Usually, it is dark outside when I have time. There is really no suitable place inside my house to take a shoe photograph without going to some deal of trouble. So I plop them on the washing machine, which is very near where I store all of my shoes, snap a couple shots with my iPhone, and upload them. It just so happens that there is a cobweb encrusted pipe behind the washing machine. 

I could go to more trouble, but I know that I won't, to say nothing of the fact that then I'd have to explain to my wife why I am spending a good deal of time photographing my shoes instead of doing something rather more useful. So I have come to accept the fact that it's either the washing machine or nothing.

I am more than somewhat amused by this whole discussion. 

16 hours ago, Gudulitooo said:

All these are nice but probably deserve a better background !

I have often thought the same thing, but have come to realize that if I took the time and trouble to make everything beautiful, there just wouldn't be any pictures at all. Definitely consider these snapshots and not photographs. At least they're in focus!