mlroseplant

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!

They don't exactly give those things away, do they?

I am way behind on presenting new shoe purchases. I'll probably just skip over a whole bunch and go right to spring. Here are three new ones, only one of which have I had a real chance to take for a test drive yet. All three purchases are perhaps a little bit over the top in their own way, but also subtle in their own way. Each was bought with the thought of wearing them with skinny jeans or shorts, either one. In any case, I'm ready for spring!

First up are the Aldo mules (model unknown) with a 5 inch stiletto heel and a 1 inch platform. They were a little bit tight at first, but they have stretched out to be just about right in fairly short order. Considering their intrinsic impracticality, they're actually pretty easy to wear. I've not gone for an actual walk in them, but I have worn them to grab something at the grocery store real quick, and some other errands during some of our unseasonably warm weather we had recently.

Next are the Coach "Chelsea" wedge mules in brown with a patchwork gold strap. These are the most conservative of the three, except for the color and the pattern. Sporting a 4 1/2" wedge and a 3/4" platform, they're a little bit different than something I would normally buy. They're a little bit on the low side for me, and the gold patterned strap pushes the envelope of what I've worn in the past, but something about them said, "Buy me! Buy me!" They fit real nice, and I think they look nice on my foot. Time will tell if I wear them much.

Last are the Michael Kors mules (model again unknown). These are made in Italy, and they have these thin, bunched together straps which are kind of fussy when it comes to getting them on. Definitely not a shoe you can just jam your foot into and go. They have a 4 5/8" wooden heel (and I think it's real wood), and a 1" platform. They fit well, but I have some concern that the leather is so soft and the individual straps so thin that they may stretch to the point of being too loose after a time. Also, the "wings" on the insole need to be glued back down. This seems to be a recurring problem with Michael Kors shoes of this basic design. I have had several other pairs over the years, and they have all had this same problem. No big deal.

2 hours ago, JeffB said:

Must be! I wouldn't wear sandals below 60F! 

This wasn't you?

I wouldn't normally stick my head in this section of the forum, but I've been out with the flu for the last few days, and what else have I got to do but butt in here and give my opinion? I personally have never minded wearing a tie at all, as long at the fit of the shirt collar is proper. That's where the tricky bit comes, especially for someone my size. You see, I really need a 15 1/2 neck to really feel comfortable, but every shirt manufactured for the masses on the planet has got sleeves several inches too long for my arms at the proper size neck. Luckily, my mother, in her younger days, could take care of this for me, and now I have a friend who does it.

Additionally, off-the-rack ties are made for taller men. I have to have a good 4-6 inches taken out of mine so that they don't hang down in a Trump-esque manner. Other than that, I got no problem with ties.

As an aside, I do my own laundry and my own ironing.

I don't think anybody is claiming that you can push yourself to the absolute limit and achieve the absolute speed in heels that you can in flats. Most of the time when a person walks around not specifically for the purpose of aerobic exercise, he or she walks substantially slower than the absolute top speed they can achieve. I have spent a lot of time analyzing this for myself. I have come to the conclusion that I don't like walking any faster than about 16 1/2 minutes per mile. It's just plain unpleasant. If I need to go any faster than that, I'd just rather run. I have short legs. My son can walk much faster comfortably, and I told him he's either going to have to slow down, or find another walking partner. This is in athletic shoes.

I find that my normal walking pace for walking across a large parking lot or getting someplace downtown is somewhere in the neighborhood of 19 minutes per mile. Maybe slightly faster if I'm in the mood, maybe slightly slower. This pace is easily achievable in heels of almost any height, depending upon the design, certainly boots. So it's not as if we can pretend that we don't walk differently in heels, but within the normal range of everyday bipedal locomotion, you can come close to doing what you would normally do in flats.

6 minutes ago, Shyheels said:

You seem like a nice guy - I just hope I didn't offend with my earlier post

you are so right about the deterioration of air travel! I do try to maintain a smart casual look, even in the tropics. 

 

Absolutely no offense (offence) taken. I actually welcome the opportunity to further the discussion.

There was a fellow at university I used to hang around with whose name was, and I shit thee not, Bell Island. I suppose he was an Island.

Seriously, thanks for the thoughtful reply. Personally, although I don't follow the modern super casual dress code when flying the friendly skies, I can understand it. Back when people used to dress up to fly, they actually flew you around in reasonable comfort. When we fly, I usually wear a jacket (but not a tie), and my wife wears heels. I kind of wish she wouldn't, though. She is just simply not as fast as I am in heels.

I too used to shy away from sandals in my younger days, and part of that is that I'm pretty picky about my feet. Before I started wearing heels, I was unable to find a pair of men's sandals that I would be seen in. I would often go barefoot, but there was no way I was going to put those ugly men's sandals on my feet. I did eventually find a pair of men's sandals in Vietnam which were acceptable. I wore the heck out of them.

Shortly after that time, I decided to try high heels seriously for the first time. It wasn't long before I bought my first pair of high heeled sandals, and, like your first pair, they happened to be wedges. They also happened to be slides. As the collection has grown, more than half of my shoes are sandals, and most of those are slides. I'm not crazy about wedges, but they are awfully practical in the summer months when one might be walking on grass for a backyard party or something. I have a lot of stiletto heeled sandals, and quite a few wooden-heeled sandals. It may be time for another inventory soon, as I have made a lot of changes lately.

There is one thing that I haven't been able to bring myself to do, and I don't know why it's such a mental block. That is, to wear sandals when the weather is still cold, as I often see women do (usually it's in a very casual situation, like going to the grocery store). I am blessed with feet that don't get cold easily, so I could wear sandals when temperatures dictate the necessity of a coat, but I don't feel comfortable doing that, for some reason.