mlroseplant

Here in Northern Vietnam, the normal shoe for female office workers and the like seems to be a plain pump with about a 3 inch heel, give or take half an inch, little or no platform. This is down from a few years ago, when everybody seemed to be wearing giant heels with platforms. This is probably not totally a bad thing, as few could actually walk in the 5 inch (or even higher) shoes.

It's all a bit misleading, however, when you take into account that in your average Vietnamese office, you leave your street shoes at the door and walk around the office all day in rubber "house" slippers. This goes for both men and women. So wearing 3 inch heels to the office in Vietnam is not really the athletic accomplishment that it seems at first blush.

I have yet to see this year what women are wearing to go out during free time. Last year, the giant heels were still plentiful for the clubs or even the movies, just not for wear to the office as in years past.

Sorry for my continued absence from the forum. I'm in the middle of my nearly annual trip to Vietnam, where the average heel height is far higher than back at home, and where my own personal heel height is much lower. I was actually forced to buy some flat, casual shoes for this trip, which I no longer own (until now).

Someone sent me this caricature on Facebook for my birthday. I thought it was fitting, except for the unibrow and the tattoo. Funny thing is, I am pretty sure this person does not know about my unusual footwear choices. 

22 hours ago, Thighbootguy said:

That skirt looks great but it does taper a lot at the waist so I hope it fits.

Link

Just so I'm clear as to what you're talking about, are you referring to the fact that the hip-to-waist size ratio may be way off for the typical male figure?

It is kind of a strange little video, but I left a comment anyhow.

On 1/4/2017 at 10:05 AM, swedeheeler said:

Ok. I have now throwed myself into a other kind of slow progress. Loose weight. I'm too short for my weight LOL 

Anyhow... I'm acually pretty big boned (no kidding, I have a coarse cut bone structure) So I dont fit the bmi  

The scales clocks in on 193 cm and 122 kg (6'4"/268lb) the goal is about 107-110 kg (235-242lb)

Method... LCHF Diet and less on the plate. As it is now I'm eating way too much, biggest bandit is those @#//$ carbonhydrates.

Interesting to learn what size you are. I am the opposite, at 167 cm, and about 62 kg, but it seems that for most of my life, my best friends have always been about your size. So perhaps we are destined to be "besties" in the future?

1 hour ago, JeffB said:

 

Well, I haven't misplaced my thigh boots, it's just been wet and snowy here of late, and my mantra when it comes to weather related outings, "If the streets ain't dry, then my heels ain't high" holds true. Not to worry, that first jaunt of 2017 will be on the way.

It has been just brutal the last few days. Yesterday (Saturday) was a slight improvement. Hopefully, warmer weather will drift over your way to the East in a day or two.

On 1/5/2017 at 10:15 AM, robbiehhw said:

I never saw the appeal in this. Is it a foot thing? is it sort of she is uncovering herself thing? I happen to think many people have very attractive feet but i guess i don't connect the two. 

When i see this sort of thing, i always sort of thought...."if her heels are that uncomfortable that she can't keep them on, maybe she should by some other heels "

Just thought i'd ask

Also, if the shoe or shoes are that easy to slip off while seated, how does one actually walk, when it comes time to walk the walk, without constantly stepping out of one's shoes accidentally? I would find that extremely annoying. Nevertheless, it is a practice that I find somewhat, though not magnetically, attractive.

That is pretty cool, but I am left wondering what the premise is, as this is only a clip, obviously. Also, if those really are 5.5 inch heels, those guys must have some pretty big feet. From my admittedly jaded point of view, they don't really look all that steep.

2 hours ago, Thighbootguy said:

Hey JeffB;

Cool outfit and I like the booties more than the riding boots (I don't believe I just said that.) 

__________________________________

I played my monthly gig (wearing gray OTK boots and denim print leggings over hose) at the Free store this morning but there were very few folks stopping by.  Anyway after everyone had their pick,  I picked up a Snoma insulated vest and a brimmed hat.  I have never worn a brimmed hat in my life but I got an "I like your hat" as I wore it when leaving.  I'm interested in your (and others) opinion.

Probably stepping on Jeff's thread, but the question was raised! I'm a big fan of the hat. Not so much of the vest.

I also like Jeff's ankle booties more than the riding boots, although it's a marginal preference.

21 hours ago, w6ish said:

yes those boys could use a little more practice time in those wild and crazy boots they were wearing!

I just had to watch this video again, and what I noticed is that it's not just one or two of them--it's all of them--it's like they practiced purposefully walking in that way. I wonder who thought that looked attractive?

As we've said so many times before, this type of exposure is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's great to have more and more images of guys in heels, so that the public might just get used to the idea. On the other hand, shows like this are hardly going to win over many converts, male or female, and it might simply underscore people's perception that guys simply don't belong in heels.

11 hours ago, CAT said:

Saw this for men's heel fashion 2017.  

guys look a little awkward in there cat walk,,,,,,

Holy cow, not only do those guys look awkward in their huge, ugly platforms, but the rest of the outfits do not help matters either. Also, upon closer inspection, a couple of those guys almost went down, wobbling in their shoes. It makes me cringe a little bit.

On 12/28/2016 at 9:58 PM, CAT said:

Nope not at all.  Very rarely do I get a no.  Probably only 2-3 times.  Asking the girls to take the pic always leads in to small talk or conversation about my clothes or heels.  Some as you have seen even take pics with me.  

On 12/29/2016 at 1:05 AM, MackyHeels said:

Bet your all smiles. Doubt i could pull it off without sounding creepy or having ulterior motive. Maybe i'm too serious or assuming woman natural reactions of shivers and awkwardness maybe bitterness that i maybe enjoying wearing heels and accessories  to much. Which creeps females away.

I have come to accept that some guys just have the confidence and charisma to pull this sort of thing off. I am not such a guy, and that's ok. I have other areas in which I excel. Oh, I can just hear myself saying, without meaning to, "Hey, I know I seem creepy, but I'm really not!" Which would explain why I don't have a lot of pictures of myself out in the real world, haha.

Thanks fellas, for the compliments. It may be hard to tell in this picture, but I have grown a beard for the first time in a number of years.

I do feel comfortable with this look, but I feel rather stuck with it. A Johnny-One-Note, so to speak. 

Just to prove I was actually in a movie theater last night (I go to such establishments annually at most), I had to take a hurried selfie. This is pretty much my winter uniform: Black trench coat, jeans, and some type of black boot. Pretty boring, eh?

On 12/12/2016 at 9:23 AM, Thighbootguy said:

I suspect it was the 5" platform pumps which would look nice with the black pants.

I remember back when I used to be a regular at the skating rink (has my own skates).  Back then I used to bounce if/when I fell.  Now I'd shatter into a thousand pieces.   I do remember one time trying to rent a pair of white high topped white girl's skates (the guy's skates were black) but they didn't have a pair in my size.  I think that was probably my first attempt at acquiring women's shoes.

Take it easy and I hope you still bounce.

I fell twice: Once in the seating area, and once on the rink when I was trying to figure out how to skate backwards. It's really quite a different technique than ice skating, which I have done much more recently and regularly. I still bounce pretty good for a middle aged man. Weighing less than 10 stone helps matters.

13 hours ago, SF said:

Mlroseplant.....   Uhhhh, leme try - the high heels???  Nice looking shoes, but way to high for me.  Cool that you can wear them....  Take care, Merry Christmas to you and your family.....   sf

Yes, mine are the high platform loafers. It actually took me a couple years to get used to them, but I loved them so much I refused to give up on them easily. Even still, since I've been slacking off on the walking (you may recall my 1,000 miles in high heels thread), by the end of the day, my feet were feeling it.

I went to a child's birthday party at a roller skating rink this afternoon. It's been a few years, and the rental skates didn't run quite straight. Still, a good time was had by all. 3 people, including me, wore heels to the party. Can you guess which ones are mine?

Hmmmmm.  .  . This looks like something I may need to try out. I tend to wear rather close fitting t-shirts in the summer, but my bunching problem occurs at the back, which I suppose happens to everybody once you've sat down and stood back up a few times, or bent over to pick up something off the floor. However, I wonder if this is also one of those items which only looks great if you are rail thin.

21 hours ago, Thighbootguy said:

Thank you for the video, but you left out the best part, the applause at the end.   Nice playing down the neck as things get a little touchy down there. That appears to be a serious cello with a micro tuner only on the "A" string (mine is a student clunker with micro tuners on each string).  There has been a lot of discussion about a guy's wearing heels freeing up the creative side of the person.  I sure looks like it works for you.  Well done.

You also no doubt noticed that in addition to the video ending suddenly and abruptly, the first couple of seconds were cut off as well. This is the way my wife takes every video. I have given up requesting that we get a little bit of extra on either end. When my 7 year old gets to the point where he can hold the camera perfectly still for several minutes, this problem will be solved.

Very observant about the fine tuners. It doesn't have so much to do with the quality of the instrument as what type of strings one chooses. I have used gut strings (aluminum wound) for years, but with a steel core A, for some added brightness up top. With gut strings, fine tuners are pretty useless, as you have to physically turn the tuning pegs a lot farther to change the pitch compared to a synthetic core string.

As to heels affecting creativity, I have no opinion about that. I've only been wearing heels for about four years, and I know I used to be a better player in many ways than what I am now!

Not only can't you rush Art, evidently you can't rush Jeff, either.

On 12/4/2016 at 8:07 AM, Thighbootguy said:

With the newly repaired Michael Kors sandals (which look great) I'm expecting to hear a bit of Mellow Cello.

Here ya go! Don't know that I'd call it "mellow," so much as "slightly agitated." To keep relevance to the thread, I believe I was wearing my Steve Madden "Barbb" sandals during this worship. 

9 hours ago, HappyinHeels said:

mlroseplant,

Since you're an electrician by trade and can master that perhaps you could take on another electrifying trade like learning how to resole shoes, install new tips, etc. Some years ago I bought a shoe stretcher and some shoe dye and have stretched many shoes successfully for a better fit as well as bought two of a particular type of wedge sandal or pump and dyed them a different color. The majority of shoe cobblers in the USA are of advanced age and another generation needs to learn the craft. You'll have the satisfaction of learning something new and perhaps last frustration waiting on someone else's schedule.

Eventually I am going to make a pair of exotic heels for myself. I am talking about something with a heel of at least 9"/22.5cm with the last made from probably basswood. I have a number of basswood trees (large-leaf lindens) on our 40 acres in far northern WIsconsin and this wood is lightweight and very easy to work. I can use the top from another shoe I hardly use and adapt it to the shoe last I create. That's the plan.

Give it some thought. HappyinHeels

That sounds like a wonderful idea, except for the fact that I have zero interest. Plus, I am just not artistically talented in that way. I can bolt stuff together just fine, but that sort of finery holds no thrill with me. If I ever get a reduction in hours, I plan on spending more time on my sound art.

Speaking of cobbling, I just got my Michael Kors sandals back from the cobbler, the ones which were a week late because evidently the note attached to them didn't do anything more to get their attention than the scrawled work order. They turned out OK. At least the feel and the structure of the shoes seems to be unaltered. The true color of these is a dark bronze, it's a barely-detectable metallic color, and it's way more wearable color than I thought it would be, as it seems to go with just about everything.

I have an identical pair in black, which have exactly the same issues as the bronze pair: Broken strap, super thin leather soles worn out, heels well on their way to the end of their service life. I figure I'll take the black pair to this place called El Zapatito for the exact same repairs, and then I'll get to compare and contrast. How scientific is that?

I would have worn both pair a lot more last summer if they had been available. I look forward to next summer!

On 11/29/2016 at 5:16 AM, HHinH20 said:

Hi all, I just wondered if anyone out there likes buying shoes for other people?.

 

 

I did that once. In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea. I doubt I'll do it again. But that involves wives more than heels.

I'm afraid I have to be the voice of dissent, and say I think SF looked just fine before. I just do not share y'all's love and fascination with nail polish. It's the one area of fashion on which my wife and I actually agree! I don't think I've ever seen my wife use nail polish, at least not on her fingers.