mlroseplant

I have always had a fondness for wooden heels. Perhaps it was because they were very much in style in the early 1980s when I was an adolescent. Lately, I have enlarged my collection of wooden heels by 50%, to a total of 18 pairs. I'm only including shoes that contain actual wood or a wood composite. I have quite a few more pairs that are fake wood or wood-like materials.

I'll have to give that a try, luckily these are real leather.

Welcome back! It's a little thin on active members these days, but we still maintain a good conversation. Perhaps you might remind of us your background and style preferences.

In this particular case, a Band-Aid (sticking plaster) would do the trick just fine, I just don't want it to necessarily show, and they always do, a little bit, if they are to be effective. I have had it happen that by wearing the shoes with a Band-Aid, it eventually brings them out of their cantankerous state, but then I've also had it happen, like @Jkrenzer fears, that it just stays that way forever. Since this leather is so soft, I do have some hope that it will be the former.

There's nothing going on today, so I guess I'll post the church OOTW. This is not the first time I've worn this basic outfit, but it is the first time I've worn it with these shoes. They are the fire engine red Via Spiga closed-back sandals. Another pair of shoes I really didn't need, but they caught my eye, and I got several compliments on them, even from my mother.

Although the leather is buttery soft, the strap bit into my left little toe by the end of the service. Not enough to cause a blister, but enough that I was ready to take them off. Otherwise, they seem quite easy to get along with, being a 5 inch heel with a 7/8 inch platform. The balls of my feet were unimpressed with the steepness of the shoe, as were my ankles. It's just that one strap that caused me an issue, and I believe that may resolve itself with time.

16 hours ago, StilettoLuv said:

I would add that the frequency of wearing high heels has a huge impact on comfort (or discomfort). Consider the people that put on high heels only for the most special events... Date night...a wedding... a company party... etc. Those people's feet are going to be tense as soon as they take their first steps... and that tension will hasten the onset of discomfort. Those on the other hand, that wear high heels in their normal day-to-day activities feel far more relaxed when they put their high heels on and I believe that is why many can comfortably wear them. If I spend a busy day on my feet, I do not have pain.. but I will admit my feet feel tired and somewhat stressed.

That has been my point all along, is that if you don't wear them, and wear them a lot, you're never going to get to the point where they're comfortable, even if they fit perfectly. This is particularly true once you get above 3 inches. My preferred method of conditioning is walking around my neighborhood. I won't say I do it daily, but several times a week. It really does make a huge difference. When I mention this to the women who have engaged me in conversation, it's like I'm from another planet. "What, you are actually suggesting that I wear heels while walking the dog? That's insane!" Yes, that is exactly what I'm recommending.

As far as having tired feet at the end of the day, you would have that in flats anyway. There is a big difference between tired and hurting.

Some years ago, I said to myself, "One of these days I'm going to find out whether high heels really hurt as bad as many women say." I can tell you that the answer is yes, but I was doing it wrong. At least on a couple of memorable occasions.

I guess I must be getting pretty ok at this walking in heels thing. I have been trying to up my game lately because it seems like I own a high percentage of shoes that I either won't wear in public, or I can't wear in public because I don't have the skills or endurance for the shoes. After several weeks of purposeful walking, I was able to wear these shoes to church and not embarrass myself (5" heel, tiny platform, so effectively 4 3/4" heels). In fact, I suffered no ill effects whatsoever aside from tired ankles. We had a missing musician on this particular morning, so I was busy enough that I didn't even notice my shoes until it was time to pack up and go home. A guest at our church noticed them, however, and shouted a compliment at me from afar. I wonder if that picked up on the livestream? I shall have to review it.

Note: Just to put it into perspective, I only wore them for about 2 hours, approximately 30 minutes of sitting, 90 minutes of standing. I'm not THAT good yet.

I kind of knew this was more messed up than it seemed on the surface. It always is with these things. I am curious, what do the kids think, if anything?

Oh, we've had THIS conversation a few times before! Cali and I have different personal styles, but in this case, we actually agree. It's not about color vs. no color. I prefer natural nails on both males and females. Some people like that extra splash of color. Have you ever met a good looking gal and then were shocked to look down and see little nubs of bitten-off fingernails? It's no different with feet. Just keep them neat and clean and groomed. Sandals are your friends!

I definitely get what you mean. My wife absolutely does not want me wearing heels around her family in Vietnam. That kind of makes sense, given the more conservative and patriarchal society there. Not really a good analogy to what you are experiencing, but an example of a seeming arbitrary restriction nevertheless.

I can also understand about the desire to protect his children from any unnecessary ribbing by classmates. My ex-wife really got on me about that when our child was high school age. I basically ignored her, and nothing much ever came of it. I wear heels to all of my younger kid's events, and he tells me that it gets mentioned every once in  a while, but he doesn't care. If kids want to be cruel, they'll find some way to do that quite nicely on their own. You're not going to ruin their lives by wearing heels. Your brother probably doesn't believe that, but you know it's true.

I know none of this necessarily helps your situation, but those are my thoughts. I guess I would try to focus on the positives of your relationship with your brother and try not to get too hung up on this. It's probably not worth it, assuming that there is no fundamental underlying problem I don't know about.

I have not posted about my favorite summer shoes in a while. This is my third pair of BCBGirls "Bonny" mules, and they are 3rd of 5, for those of you who might get that reference. Pairs 1 and 2 got worn literally to death. Well, not literally, but literally if shoes have a lifespan in the sense that we think of life. Anyway, they don't look it, but these are the best walking shoes ever. That is, if you're not in a terrible hurry. I can do about 3 miles to the hour in these pretty consistently, and can wear them all day.

I hesitate to post this on here, because I don't wish to step on another member's thread, but this thread does have the momentum, and what I have to say is on point for the most recent topic, which is Pride Month and heels (or lack thereof).

As many of you know, but some newer members may not know, my wife and I are vendors at a couple of local farmer's markets which can't truly be called farmer's markets because we are street food vendors. Egg rolls and crab rangoons to be specific. Anyhow, during the warmer months you can see me dressed typically something like the photo below (excuse the bathroom mirror, it was the best I could do). I am not the only person you might see dressed like that, but I am the only male example, and I am pretty much on display for 4-5 hours in a night.

Right at closing time, I was approached by two young ladies who must be fellow vendors on the opposite side of the street, and they wanted to ask me about my heels. Then they asked me about pronouns. I explained, patiently, that although one would think I am a member of the LGBT+ community, and it seems like I ought to be, I am technically not. I am simply a guy who likes to wear high heels. I am likely to see them again next week, and I now feel pressure to wear some more impressive shoes than I have done so far this year, now that I know somebody is watching.

I did get some compliments on my shorts from other random people throughout the evening, but we were so busy that I just kind of brushed them off. Even if dressed unconventionally, you've still got to get the job done, right?

I actually wore stilettos the other day! It's been a while since I dragged out my Nine West "Versell" sandals for the first time in a while. They are missing a tiny ornament, and they peel on my feet just a bit from deterioration of the liner, but not as bad as they used to. I should wear them more often.

23 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

I should have mentioned I didn't consider wearing heels until I was 20, so I was 40 before going open in public.

I always loved high heels as a youth but not until I experimented in college did I realize how much I enjoy wearing them too. I am convinced that male feet are actually better suited for heels just due to being stronger in general. 

This may be true,"in general" being the emphasized word here, but I sure wouldn't want to put myself up against any ballerina, no matter how amateur.

I got to thinking about Pride Month, and I had the opportunity to march in our local Pride parade as part of our United Methodist Church, and said "no thank you." I'm not marching in anybody's parade, I don't care whose it is, unless I'm playing a sousaphone in a band, and even then, I'm reluctant. Maybe they'll convince me next year.

It's been 10 years for me. I don't know at what age my parents would have allowed me to wear heels had I been a girl, so let's pretend I wasted about 30-35 years. On the other hand, there is no way I could have worn heels as a boy in the 80s. I had neither the intestinal fortitude nor the benefit of the indifferent attitude that most people seem to have today. I am pretty sure life would have been fairly miserable, so I don't really think of it as wasted time. My only hope is that I can maintain my physical faculties well enough to enjoy myself for another 20 years or so.

Covering the other topic, I really have no desire to wear heels in large groups, in the same way that I have no desire to ride my motorcycle with 50 other people. I'm funny that way.

Nah, you just need to walk more in heels! 😆

I posted elsewhere about the proliferation of platform boots on the streets these days. I don't get a ton of comments on my shoes anymore, but I got a bit of a strange one the other night at our farmer's market booth. It was quite warm, about 90º F or 32º C, and I was wearing shorts and my mid-heeled silver Söfft sandals. Some girl in a short skirt and combat boots came up to me and said, "Man, I sure wish I had worn my sandals!" And then, in the twinkling of an eye, she was gone. Yeah, I thought to myself. I wish you had worn your sandals, too, rather than those hideous things.

In a more casual setting, it is my observation that the platform trend has settled largely on combat type boots with a thick sole, and a low to mid-rise clunky heel. This can range from kinda cool to absolutely hideous, depending upon the extremism of the sole. I even saw like an 8 or 10 year old girl wearing combat boots with a dress the other day. They had 4 inch heels and 1 inch platform. On the other hand, on the same night, I saw another girl of similar age wearing a dress and cute little gold wedge sandals, so there is hope for the future.

One demographic that does not seem to have embraced the huge platform is Asian women my age. They either wear flat sandals or mid-heeled sandals at this time of year, same as they always have. Latinas wear heels sometimes. White women do not wear heels. Trainers are everywhere for all demographics. I am speaking of casual out and about situations, not weddings or church.

A couple of Vietnamese women friends of mine, who happen to be from the same neighborhood in Saigon, both love to wear heels, but they refuse to wear heels higher than about 3 1/2 inches. Maybe approaching 4. Certainly nothing higher than that. The reason they won't is perhaps not what you expect. When they wear super high heels, their calf muscles protrude noticeably, the way that a body builder's do (though not to that extreme, obviously). They find this objectionable. For whatever reason, although my calf muscles are well defined and toned, they are not bulky, even on tiptoe. Therefore, they desire calves that look more like mine. However, I think they are quite happy to do without looking like the rest of me.

I have been trying to get back to walking regularly, as in several times a week. I've been doing all right so far this year, with the exception of the month of May, in which I somehow managed only 5.4 miles for the whole month. This is an outfit I would typically wear for my constitutionals, if it were a bit on the cooler side.

Featured are my third pair of BCBGirls "Bonny" mules, which, as I've said many times before, are much better walking shoes than you'd think. The last pair of these failed at about 115 miles, which is somewhat disappointing, but better than some. I shall be interested to see if pair No. 3 lasts any longer, because I have refined my walking style and technique somewhat, and the one thing I have noticed so far is that my heels are lasting significantly longer. I've gotten 22 miles out of the stock tips so far, and they've still got plenty of material left. Typically, I would have replaced stock tips before now. Other shoes I've worn for walking this year have shown the same trend, lasting significantly longer than they have in the past. I almost want to try walking in stilettos (which I gave up doing years ago because the heel tips wear out so quickly) to see if the same is true there as well.

I wonder what it is specifically that she desires?

18 hours ago, StilettoLuv said:

Joe, your tan stilettos are lovely. You and I seem too share a love for the classic high stiletto pump. I especially love that you enjoy your high heels in public.

I finally received my Hey Si Mey 14cm pumps and I love them. I will post photos when I find a way to reduce the size to an acceptable level for this forum. I believe you said that you too had these pumps and I wondered if you have much opportunity to wear them,

I don't know if this will work for you personally, but when I email photos from my phone, it automatically asks me if I want to change the file size. Therefore, I email photos that I want to post here to myself, and the problem is solved without any sort of photo editing.

13 hours ago, bambam said:

Love this sandal style!

Well thanks! Coincidentally, here they are again, in the obligatory bathroom mirror selfie at the farmer's market.

This is the first time this year that I've worn shorts out in public, mainly because I've been very lazy about shaving my legs. I almost had to yesterday, as temps were in the upper 80s (or lower 30s C). Sales last night were respectable, but nowhere near record levels. To keep it in perspective, though, what I consider respectable now would have been beyond imagination two years ago.

This is also the first time this year that I've worn actual "high" heels to work a farmer's market. I've been very conservative thus far about what I think my endurance is, until this night choosing mid heels with an effective height of 3". These BCBGirls Poland are effectively 4" or better, but the height didn't bother me at all. Some other things did, and I might not be wearing them again in this capacity.

9 hours ago, Mr. X said:

I didn't think anyone owned any shoes these days that needed to be cobbled

Well.  .  . that's a load of cobblers.

I was going to just leave it at that, but then I got to thinking. Because I do that sometimes. I do not visit my cobbler all that often anymore. I basically use him to replace heels, or top lifts, as he calls them. However, since cobblers have become very uncommon these days, he's always crazy busy. It's the same with the watchmaker I finally found. Not too many watches out there anymore that you don't just throw away. That watchmaker has got two or three customers in there every time I drive by the place. What was once commonplace has become a niche market.