mlroseplant

2 hours ago, Puffer said:

Clearly an enjoyable trip, and reunion.   It isn't clear what non-flat footwear you are wearing in either pic.   Did your old friends notice, and make any comments?

Ask, and it shall be given you; Seek, and ye shall find; Knock, and it will be opened unto you. That is the King Jim version, that's not how I usually say it in my vernacular, but it'll do.

The shoes I wore: How impractical of me. I brought four pairs on a motorbike! And I wound up wearing them all. Krenzer is partially right--my friend Erika, whom I talk with on the phone pretty much weekly, is quite aware of my fashion proclivities. Amy (the one holding the viola in her hands) probably never knew, but she didn't say a word. Since they both live in the same metro, kind of run in the same circles, maybe the subject came up. I don't know.

In any case, here are the four pairs of shoes I brought with me, and keep in mind, this is on a motorbike. I am so silly. The booties, Sofft Willa, are the ones I wore most of the time, the only ones semi-suitable for a crash that never happened, and hopefully never will. They have 3 1/2 cone-ish/block-ish heels, and I consider them my flats. The other pair in the same picture are my BCBGirls Bonny mules, my favorites ever! I HAD to bring those to show Erika. The third pair I brought was New Religion mules, which are pretty much indestructible as far as I know, and the fourth pair was my FSJ blue stiletto mules, which were my "dress" shoes for attending a concert/sing-along performance of the Brahms Requiem, which required me to stand much of the time. That was the least of my worries, as I got talked into sight reading the tenor part, and the piece lasts an hour and a half. Didn't even think about my feet, but my brain was totally fried.

I should probably stay out of this, but I never had much common sense. Let me keep this brief and free of f-bombs. As a Christian myself, I am very tired of outrage in general, and especially this. Let's pretend for a minute that this was, in fact, a depiction of the Last Supper, which it's not at all clear that it was. That Da Vinci painting was merely a depiction itself. Does anybody really believe that's how it happened in real life?

I have no time for fundamentalist nonsense anymore. What does it say in the Bible? Last time I looked, Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. Love your enemies. Feed the poor. Spread the wealth. Welcome the immigrant. You know, things like that, plus a whole bunch more stuff so-called Christians don't really want to do. I don't recall where it says get outraged at every perceived slight to your sensibilities.

I have returned! And in one piece. Nobody wants to hear about my trip or my reunion with my university classmates, but I'm going to tell you anyway. I used to play in a string quartet with the two gals pictured here, and we were the best of friends. Actually, that's not how it happened at all, but we will pretend for the sake of brevity. As is so often the case, we came to appreciate one another much more when we became real adults instead of whatever you are when you're 20. Anyhow, each of us has continued with our music in different ways, and we were glad to get the chance to see each other again for the first time in 34 years.

In the other photo, my son and I were getting ready to embark upon our trip. Luckily for us, nothing went wrong, even though he was riding a 43 year old motorbike. We barely even got rained on, which is nothing short of amazing. Even though it was probably inadvisable, I did not bring any flat shoes with me, and I got by with it. This is sort of why I got a scooter style motorbike in the first place.

One humorous aside: My son is actually taller than I am by more than an inch in bare feet. Even with heels, this photo is deceiving. We may need to work on his posture.

I would definitely tune in if the balance beam in gymnastics were done in heels. In fact, everybody is getting so advanced these days, why not make it a requirement?

I will be absent from this group for a few days. This very morning, I will be traveling by motorbike(s), with my 15 year old son, to visit the wonderful Twin Cities of Minnesota. During that time, I will see my best friend from university, whom I have not seen in the flesh for 34 years! I will try to take some photos to share after I get back.

I know it's popular to complain about a certain group of females who are perceived as being overbearing, but it's the internet. All filters are off. You wouldn't get this crap in real life, at least not to that extent. It has not been my experience at all in my real life that women hate high heels. What they hate is when they are told what to do, as far as their own choices. It disappoints me a great deal that we too often devolve into running down a group of people for what amounts to a little bit of nothing.

I cannot say that I haven't been guilty of the same, but I have noticed that over the past decade, I care less and less about what what my wife or any other woman has on her feet. That's because I have allowed myself, and to some extent, society has allowed me, to wear what I want. Yes, I enjoy seeing a woman in high heels, but I don't crave it like I used to because I no longer have to live vicariously through them.

22 hours ago, Shyheels said:

You can never have too many Asian stalls at a farmers market - aside from the fact that Asian is an umbrella term taking in a kaleidoscopic sweep of cultures. Vietnamese food will be vastly different from Korean or Japanese or Indonesian or Thai. And of course the dozens of varieties of Chinese, and the even greater variety of Indian and Sri Lankan dishes and styles. And Malaysian. I love a plate of nasi lemak. Whoever is sorting out your farmers market is an idiot.

I agree - heels are worn for occasions these days. When I passed through London on Ascot Day a few weeks back I saw loads of heels everywhere, worn by people who were dressed to cut a dash at the races. Otherwise though, heels are fairly scarce - especially stilettos. 
 

 

Here's where we get into speculation, so I don't like to say, but there has got to be more to it than the explanation they gave in the letter returning our cheque for the annual fee. I don't like to toot my own horn, so I'll toot my wife's. She was a very successful vendor. Even compared to the food trucks (or roach coaches, as I am wont to call them) which cost their owners tens of thousands of dollars to buy, equip, and license, and we're just a couple of folding tables and a tent.  I understand we've got lots of people asking where we are. I have absolutely zero evidence, but something is fishy in Denmark. Maybe they just didn't like my shoes.

20 hours ago, Bubba136 said:

I have noticed that it is mostly the older ones that are more nicely dressed in church these days.  Even the pastor dresses more casually.  It must be the summer heat. I Noticed a couple of articles posted on the internet about the last two days being the hottest ever recorded.
 

I was wondering why we haven’t seen anything about the Farmers Market yet this year. How did you loose the farmers market?

The short answer is, "I don't know." The long answer is, "I have a pretty good hunch, but I really don't know for sure." Our application was rejected this year because there were too many vendors selling Asian food, they wanted more variety. Why we got cut instead of somebody else is a mystery. That gig was replaced by other, more sporadic things, where I have far less responsibility.

Now that I think about it, a good deal of the reason why I used to see a fair number of heels is because that farmer's market was in the evening, and was in close proximity to several bars and restaurants. Perhaps people do still wear heels in those situations, I'm just not around to see it. Where you don't see heels anymore is at church or at the grocery store, the two places I'm most likely to visit.

22 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

Those cheap Chinese heels do look good.

I do agree with your observation. I too often feel like I'm the only wearer of high heels. I've said it before, there must 1000 pair sold for every pair actually worn through its life.

So here's a thought: Does it even matter whether high heels are actually worn? As long as there is some idle desire to have these shoes, and they are bought, manufacturers will keep making them. There does still seem to be an idle desire among younger women to wear heels, but nobody thinks of wearing them casually at all. They are strictly special occasion shoes. Therefore, there is no need for the cobbler because they don't wear out.

Even in my own collection, the percentage that actually sees wear is fairly small. Nowhere near 1000 to 1, but I bet it's like 10 to 1. I should check sometime. That would be another interesting data point.

Man or woman, I am noticing lately that I am the only person wearing heels, period. To be fair, I don't get out much these days. Since we lost the "big" farmer's market gig for this year, I really don't get out much. During the summer by nature, church services are even more casual than they normally are, and they're pretty casual these days. There ain't no such thing as "Sunday Best" anymore. That's pretty much gone to "Easter Best" or "Christmas Eve Best." My counterparts in the other band, who play in the service before me, could always be counted on to wear heels, even if they were only 2 1/2". No longer.

At any rate, I have been remiss. I have forgotten to post church outfits for two weeks in a row. Here they are. The pink-ish one features cheap Chinese mules by a company called Bella Marie. Maybe I'll talk in more detail about those later, because there's a story. The purple shirted one features Michael Kors Oksana sandals, which I have owned a very long time, and am barely competent at walking in them now. I wonder how awkward I looked 10 years ago wearing them.

23 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Mine are definitely bigger in the afternoon. I recently had an assignment where I was out and about or on my feet literally for 36 hours - getting my boots off after that, when I was finally home again, was a twenty minute job

Sounds similar to when one has just gotten off an overseas flight. Ain't that the worst?

I am not the king. I'm just the most normal weird guy you'll ever meet. And yes, I do gather all sorts of useless data, like keeping track of how long my razor blades last.

One thing I have noticed since I set a goal of 300 miles a year in heels, and in the grand scheme of things that's not all that much, is that other than the occasional blister from walking three miles in a two mile shoe, there is no pain associated with heels anymore. The other thing I've noticed is that despite consuming more grain based beverages than I should, my weight has remained under a certain mark much more easily than it has in the past.

It is quite true that, unlike either @Jkrenzer or @Cali, I am not in heels really all that much, even though it might seem like it. That is because you have to subtract out at least 10 hours every weekday for work and 6-7 hours for sleep. The rest of the time is mostly domestic stuff, and I'm not really walking anywhere. I cannot think of too many times when I've spent what I would call a full day in heels. Therefore, I must purposefully walk to get the practice I desire to maintain my endurance. I just happen to keep track of that, being a completely normal yet weird guy.

I don't know that I'd want to be out there for 11 years, though. It even seems a little bit ridiculous that under the best of circumstances, it would have taken me about 6 years to accomplish the same. Which is why when somebody says they have walked "hundreds of miles" in heels, I kind of take it with a grain of salt. I have no way to prove it, but I get the feeling I have walked many times farther in work boots over the past 11 years than I have in heels.

It's quite amazing how different people react to changing conditions. My feet do not much seem to care what temperature it is as far as their physical size, but rather they seem to care much more about what time of day it is. You know how they always tell you to buy shoes in the afternoon when your feet are bigger because of activity? Well, mine are the opposite. My feet are at their biggest the moment I roll out of bed. Go figure.

20 hours ago, Gige said:

Yes, indeed, wearing white can be very "dangerous" as even the thought of doing so can cause a stain! The "concert" was quite an unusual event...There is a 132ft tall carillon in the middle of the main park in my town and every Friday evening, there is a short "concert" where a keyboardist (for a lack of a better term) will play about eight songs on the bells, all centered around a specific theme. This past Friday featured music geared more towards children, such as, "It's a Small World," the theme from "Beauty and the Beast," and other similar songs. It only lasted for about 30 minutes but when it was finished, I walked around the park for about 20 minutes as the weather was delightful. Sadly, this was followed by me having to engage in my favorite dreaded activity - weekly grocery shopping.  

That's definitely an interesting way to spend 30 minutes. That's really neat that they do that every week. I sometimes wonder how one learns to play the carillion--I mean, there's nowhere to practice in private when you're really bad at it!

I do not mind grocery shopping, it's the meal planning I hate. I feel like I've got about 12 dishes in my arsenal, and I keep doing them over and over again.

The other thing I've noticed is that on more than one occasion, 2 miles is not enough of a test. It seems I have several pairs that are perfectly fine for 2 miles, but in that third mile, they turn on me, almost without warning. Since I rarely encounter a situation where I'm wearing heels for an extended period, like if I worked in an office, it makes me wonder if these 2 mile heels would be ok for all day with only incidental walking.

In advance of today's services, I want to say that I have finally reached 2,000 documented miles in heels! It's taken me 11 years to get there, but I've finally made it. At the pace I have set these days, it should only take another 3 years to get to 3,000. I had a few bad years in there, particularly 2017, where, according to my records, I walked only 35 miles the entire year. Looking back at it, 2017 was a significant turning point for me in many ways.

Have you ever had heels you thought were your friends suddenly bite you in the foot?

I thought about starting a whole new thread for this question, but this one is going pretty good right now, and it's not totally off the subject. Friends, I've had this happen to me a few times over the years, and now just recently.

I called 2023 "The Year of the Band-Aid," or sticking plaster, or if you must, adhesive bandage. Since I have a lot of shoes, I don't always remember what comfort aids each of them needs, so I have made a list in my mobile phone of such. When I notice that a certain pair of shoes rubs in a certain spot, I'll make a note for next time where I need to apply a bandaid, or whether I need to use a pair of ball-of-foot cushions, and so on. I know, I know, I've said many times, if I can't walk at least two miles in reasonable comfort, forget it. However, if the simple addition of a cheap and readily available bandaid solves the problem, it's just part of the game.

Many times, shoes will "grow out" of their silliness, and those that rubbed a little harshly in certain areas eventually stop and thereafter require no comfort aids at all. But sometimes, shoes that have been friends for a long time, and can be counted on to be comfortable all day, suddenly eat a hole in the side of one's foot without warning! Anybody had this happen to them?

Very nice! Something I would definitely wear.  .  . only I couldn't. I would have those white pants stained in half a minute less than no time. How do you do it? What sort of concert did you go see?

I must be passing part of my sensibility down to my 15 year old son. No interest in heels, but knows how to tie several different necktie knots.

8 hours ago, Gige said:

I have found that 3.5" seems to be the best of all worlds for me. I can wear heels higher than that and I have a few pairs that are 4.5+" but as I have started wearing heels out far more frequently (to work and errands after the day is done) that height is the perfect height for being a bit "edgy" but still being professional. As I see it, 3.5 - 4" is the limit for an "office professional" look regardless of shoe style, color, etc.

5 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

I believe in my shoe size 5 inch is acceptable and actually do wear them daily at a real office environment with no issues.

It seems that we have been on this subject off and on for the past 10 years, but we'll drag it out again for the new guy. Otherwise, we're back to talking about lawn mowers and stuff.

We have several factors at work here, pun intended.  Somebody, at some point, for some reason, made up a rule that you can't wear more than a 4 inch heel to work. In fact, I think I've heard in some cases, 4 inch is really pushing it. Somebody made up that rule, and people began to believe it. There is some logic in that, because few people can actually function normally in 4 inch heels. That's just a fact. When your shoes are preventing you from doing your job, they're too high. And by preventing, I mean if when you get up to walk across the room and the first thing people notice is that you're walking funny. For some people, that's 3 inch. For some people, they just walk funny anyway and 2 inch is too high.

Those hard and fast rules are somewhat dated. I mean look at what's happened with hair, ink, and piercings. It may seem odd to us shoe guys, but most people do not notice your shoes right away, first thing. Nobody is going to notice an extra 1/2 inch, except when the wearer can't carry them off naturally. That's why I brought up this whole subject of hitting a wall somewhere shortly above 4 1/2"--that's the point at which even the most casual observer will notice that there's something wrong with me. Therefore, my Steve Madden black pumps are completely appropriate for the office, but actual Loubie So Kates would not be. Nobody but us will notice the 10 mm difference in height, but they will notice as soon as I take more than a few steps. I believe that those of us who have taken the trouble, sometimes years of trouble, to learn how to walk and live in this silly but attractive footwear get to make up our own rules about what's appropriate for the office.

I can't say that it's all about heel height for me, but it's a major factor. Every once in a while, I see something that catches my eye and has a low heel, or even no heel. I have learned to resist the urge to buy, unless there's a very specific reason to do so. The reason is not that I've got anything against the lower heels, but I find that they just don't get worn.

A prime example of this is my so-called "farmer's market" sandals. I have several pair of low-heeled wedges, and several pair of effectively 3 inch chunky heeled sandals, which I used to wear to work my wife's vendor stand at farmer's markets. All of them are very attractive sandals, and I have gotten numerous compliments on them, but I find that I never wear them these days because I don't have to. The reason I don't have to is because I can wear 4 inch heels just fine without really thinking about it. Three years ago, possibly even two years ago, I would worry, "I wonder if these shoes are a mistake?" And yes, sometimes at the end of the night, my feet would really be feeling it. That just doesn't happen now.

Ironically, three out of five of my last shoe purchases were sub-4 inch.

I have a fairly defined limit, which is in an amazingly narrow range. Below 4 inches has become very easy and natural for me. 4 plus change feels like a heel enough to where I'm not able to zoom around in them. Somewhere right at 4 1/2, I hit a wall, and cannot wear anything higher. Not that I can't walk in them at all, I just wouldn't want anyone to see me walking in them.

I have very little idea why I would ever want to wear such shoes, but I find the desire to work toward that goal attractive. Perhaps it is because the gold standard for designer shoes, most notably Christian Louboutin, is 120 mm. I have one pair of black pumps that emulates the style, but is actually a couple of mm short of that. I assume that in my size, U.S. 9, that the heel height would exceed five inches, or approaching 130 mm.

In order to do that, I feel like I'm getting into ballet territory, and I simply don't know if I'm capable of it. Although this photograph shows a 140mm heel from Maison Ernest, far exceeding my goal, my ankle would need to be able to do something like this. I'm not even close.

I think most of it has to do with ankle flexibility, of which I still don't have any amazing amount. I don't take shorter steps than I used to, if anything I take longer steps.

It has been so long now that I don't ever remember learning to walk in high heels, or how I went about that, I just started putting miles on, and shortly after that is when I got to know the cobbler very well. What I do remember is that traditionally, even in flats, I would always wear out several heels before I would go through a sole. Guys were always talking about getting their work boots resoled, I just never had that issue.

The first thing everybody says when walking in heels is "walk heel to toe." As if you could really do it any other way. What they don't say is that the heel part of it, especially in stilettos, shouldn't really be a structural part of the stride, it's there as an aid to guide you down as you put all of the weight on the ball of your foot. Keeping this in mind, I found that the life of my heel tips, no matter what the height or style, has increased dramatically across the board, including work boots.

Thanks for the mention. I have no idea what your intentions are, but in any case good luck with your endeavors, wherever they may lead you. The post has the feel and tone of a farewell post, but does not explicitly say so.

Also, be careful with Prime Ministers' daughters. Boring as my life may be here in Iowa, I actually have a story about THAT subject.

For some reason I have always found it mentally easier to wear wedges with shorts. Of course it's all an illusion. I don't think it matters one bit, within reason, what heels one chooses to wear with shorts, one is still going to get some attention from the general public. Part of it may be the noise. If people can hear you coming from 20 meters away, they're probably going to take a look well in advance. I do think the most important thing is to stand up straight, own the outfit, and walk with an easy gait, as if it's the most natural thing in the world. Appearing to walk and move carelessly is a lot harder than you'd think.

20 hours ago, pebblesf said:

I would love to find a nice rust free one, but that is impossible up here in the northeast.  I see them online out west and south, but not going to buy online for sure.  They were really great cars that do most everything well...

Obviously, we have the same rust problem in the Midwest, I just got very lucky with this one. A guy was selling it for his parents, who hadn't driven it much, and most importantly, hadn't driven it much in the winter. I don't know if you have to have the actual Crown Vic, or would settle for a Grand Marquis. I really didn't care which one I got, I just happened to find a Crown Vic. For some reason, FoMoCo completely quit marketing consumer Crown Vics in the last decade of their run, instead pushing the Grand Marquis. Therefore, there are 10x as many Grand Marquis out there that are not cop cars or taxis. I did not want an ex cop car for a number of reasons. Nevertheless, we still call it "The Cop Car," and kids who are young enough to have been born after the last one was ever produced can identify it (mistakenly) as a cop car. What can I say? It's an American icon! Good luck in your search for a suitable one. If I see one around here, I'll let you know.