mlroseplant

On 2/3/2022 at 12:28 PM, bambam said:

It seems to have worked....

Yay! Maybe we have actually done some good in this world! Now, as long as nothing comes apart in the future, we're good.

Just curious, how tall are the Vala heels in your size? I'm still trying to figure out whether there is a difference in heel height between the Daisie and the Vala, or whether it's just the heel shape that is different. In my size 9, the Daisies measure just a tad over 4 5/8", which is slightly taller than I had anticipated. If the Valas are ever-so-slightly shorter, I might consider them.

And, there's the @Steve63130 method: Take a shower with your shoes on, and then leave them on until they dry out completely. I have had some success with this in the past, but I do not think it will help the OP, as I believe it would work on neither patent leather nor non-leather. But it might work in another situation.

I'll have to try the sock thing. I can't bring myself to get rid of a few pair that are really a little bit too small, but I can fit into them. It all comes of believing a size conversion chart that claims size 39 = U.S. Women's 9. It just isn't usually so.

10 hours ago, bambam said:

Anybody had any luck with water in sandwich bags, then put the bags in the shoe, and the shoe in the freezer?

 

I have a black and white pair of the Daisie, which is why I thought this would be much simpler than it has been..

I have not had a great deal of luck using the expanding ice method, but once again, chances of damage are approaching zero, so why not?

As to your second statement about already owning Daisies, I guess I got nothin'. You already know everything I have to say. And I haven't even worn mine outside yet. Well, not outside the driveway, anyhow.

15 hours ago, Pierre1961 said:

I never got good results with a shoe stretcher. 

Perhaps the reason for this is that I doubt they make a specific high heel shoe stretcher in your size, do they? I've had ok luck with a stretcher, but it's certainly not a miracle cure for everything that ails us.

I have got a pair of SM Daisie pumps, which are not a heck of a lot different from the Vala. The main differences I can see are that the heel is a little bit different shape, narrowing down from the seat quite a bit more quickly on the Vala, and perhaps the vamp on the Vala is just a bit rounder, but basically I think they're the same shoe. These shoes are quite narrow at the ball of the foot, and perhaps that is your (and my) problem. I also can barely get my feet into them, but after having worn them for a couple of hours, they seem to be stretching out a bit. They may work out for me. The problem is that they are not leather, so they're only going to stretch so much.

Shoe stretchers may work for you, but in any case, go slow. Be patient, or you WILL ruin them. Pierre's suggestion of wearing socks could work, too. That may be the way to go at first, as your chance of ruining the shoes is zero using that method. I would guess it would have to be pretty thin socks, given my experience.

19 hours ago, VirginHeels said:

There was one bad thing that happened, the balls of my feet were burning. After 45 to 60 minutes in heels I had to change into my trainers (sneakers for non UK folk). I even done the taping of the toes trick, it works.

Thing is, I have done it, been out in heels, proper high heels, not 2.5 inch Cuban ones. I guess my next outing will be longer. Now looking for that opportunity. Might look for something with a slightly lower heel.

Guys who have not heeled in public, do it, it’s something that you will thank yourself for. Even if it was for an hour or less.

Congratulations to you! I also could not have predicted that I would be wearing stiletto heels on a regular basis when I began this journey.

I'm sure I have given this advice a number of times before, but I think it's buried somewhere in the archives by now. Everyone is different, but I do not put a lot of stock in footpads for comfort. I do use them in certain shoes for fitment purposes, but I have found that they do not extend your journeys by much. Again, your mileage may vary.

What does extend your journeys is practice. And by practice, I mean walking on the street regularly. And by walking, I mean walking for exercise. Get yourself some 3 inch heels with a bit of a broader heel, and walk a mile or two in them a few times a week, as you are able. As the weeks and months progress, you'll be able to walk a mile or two in 4 inch heels. I'm trying to remember just exactly how long it took me to have any true endurance in actual high heels, but it's been nearly 10 years ago and many, many shoes ago. I can tell you that I put on many, many miles on 3 inch heels, or even slightly lower.

Not long after I started heeling publicly, I went into a local department store with the intent of buying some high heeled boots. I found some with a 5 inch heel, 1 inch platform, so effectively a 4 inch difference. Not more than a month after I got them, I needed to go to a large shopping mall to get a new mobile phone. I decided it was an ideal place to wear these new boots. What I did not count on was having to stand and wait at mobile phone place for the better part of an hour. Anyone will tell you, standing is way worse than walking in heels. By the time I got back to the car, I thought I was going to die. I was ready to give up heels at that point, figuring that any stories of people wearing these all the time were fantasy.

As you know, I did not give up heels, and today I could wear those boots all day long, including a lot of standing, without any thought. So when you say you only lasted an hour, that's not bad. It will take a lot of hard work before they become all day shoes, but it is doable.

All right, I'm going to throw this in here, as sandals are my preferred footwear, and I appear to be in the minority. It is not necessary to paint your toenails to have nice looking feet. I personally prefer unpolished nails on both men and women. Howeveah.  .  . It IS necessary to do some maintenance, and I would advise a professional pedicure if you truly don't know what to do, and while you're there, don't completely bask in the indulgence, pay a little attention to what they're doing, then you can decided later on which route you'd rather go.

Couple of caveats: 1) I realize that many can't go bare for whatever reason, be it fungus, injury, or some other problem, like being a ballerina, that causes the unpainted nails to be unattractive. This segues rather neatly into number 2) Just because you've had a professional pedicure doesn't guarantee you'll have attractive feet. Unfortunately, genetics is unkind to some, kinder to others. Good luck!

The drain pipe is back, which is good news! Not necessarily because of its own existence, but because it means that my washing machine has apparently been successfully repaired. By my 12 year old. For 40 bucks. You can't beat that with a stick.

Anyhow, due to the relentless nature of consumerism and a quick message from Poshmark during a moment of weakness, I decided to buy yet another pair of pumps. I tend to go in blocks of style, and it seems that my last several purchases have tended to be pumps with a bit of a thicker heel, and these are no exception. As I have said before, I find that little bit of extra material tends to make them more practical.

The brand is Vince Camuto, and the model is apparently "Carra." A good, solid mid-level shoe, much like Nine West is, or used to be. 4 1/4" heel, no platform. The heel width at the floor is 5/8", or about 16 mm, so well out of stiletto range, but definitely not a chunky or a block heel. The heels are contrasting stacked leather, or they would be, if they were more expensive shoes. Of course, it's fake stacked leather, but you get the idea. I may or may not polish the crap out of the heels with black shoe polish to make them appear black. I have done this successfully in the past.

I have not actually worn them except for around the house for a couple of hours, which as you know, doesn't really count. All I can say for right now is that they appear to fit in my normal size 9.

I did as I said I would do, and now I remember why I quit wearing my wedge sneakers, which are Nike brand. Don't judge me, I bought them years ago, and I think they were used! Anyways, they are of course high top sneakers, to accommodate the wedge, so they don't really work well with the pants I normally wear, they're a pain in the neck to get on and off, and frankly.  .  . they're not high heels. They're not! I put a tape measure to them, and, due to the design, it's difficult to get a truly accurate measurement, but they're 2-and-something inches effective steepness. They're not high heels. I don't get my high heel feeling out of them. They're flats that are really hard to get on and off. So why not wear regular tennis shoes when I need to wear tennis shoes? My present recollection has been refreshed. I don't hate them, but I will certainly never purchase a new pair.

17 hours ago, Cali said:

You are right, only 3.75 inch difference, which is the lowest end, but on a rainy day these are keep me from slipping.  I'm not particularly happy with that uneasy feeling you get when your stilettoes start to slip on the wet polished floor.

This is the exact reason I do not wear, will not wear, new shoes to my favored grocery store until I've done some reconnaissance, stilettos or not. The polished tile there is the ultimate test of slippery heels! If money were no object, I would replace all of my new heels with Vibram or some such hard rubber before I ever wore the shoes outside. Some shoes come with this OEM, but not many.

I got another compliment a few days ago, but this one was a little more subtle, because it was at work, and I was not wearing heels. So it was like, a million degrees below zero that morning, and we all stumbled into the building to begin our work day, in a numbed state, and this one fellow says to me, "Have you got any joint problems at your age?" I replied to him, "Not really, but my right hip has been giving me a bit of trouble lately. It feels pretty good today, however!"

I had no idea where this was going, but then he said, "Man, you walk good! You don't even walk. You just gliiiiiiiide!" He is from Louisiana. You have to imagine the accent. Many things went through my mind at this moment, but I simply said, "Well, I guess it's just practice." Before that answer could be questioned, somebody else interrupted our conversation with a morning greeting, thank goodness!

As y'all know, I do not go out of my way to hide my heeling, but I also do not mention it at work. This compliment caught me off guard.

I had to look up Mark Bryan's Instagram for the first time in probably a year to figure out what @KneeBooted's objection was. What I remembered was a guy in button down shirt and tie, pencil skirt, and heels. What could possibly be objectionable about that? Then I had a gander just now, and yeeeaaah, I can see why he might be a little offput, given the tone and style of his own channel. It's the "Photo Shoot." Those things are typically evil in one way or another.

But are they? Then you have @p1ng74's point of view that these things are meant to be outlandish for the sake of introducing new ideas and new styles that may be, and quite possibly will be, adopted far more incrementally on the street. My main objection to the photo shoots is than often, they are so photoshopped that the person doesn't look anything like what they do in real life. I'm looking at you, Vietnamese girls. You know who you are. At least Mr. Bryan still looks exactly like the same person in his photo shoots.

You are quite correct, @Pierre1961. He definitely has not figured out the TikTok girl walk. There's not a lot of video on that channel, but there's enough.  .  .

Is it good messaging? Is he a good messenger? It doesn't matter. At all. Nobody has ever heard of him. Nobody cares. Your neighbor has never heard of him. Your coworker has never heard of him. Even if they have, he doesn't live down the street from you. He's a guy with an Instagram channel. My point is that YOU, yes YOU, are the best messenger you have to dispel stereotypes and break down walls.

It's -10º (-23º C) this morning. There's still nearly a foot of snow on the ground. I got to take my kid to school here in a couple hours. I think I'm gonna try out my wedge sneakers this very morning, to see if I can discover why I quit wearing them.

On 1/17/2022 at 6:31 AM, Isolathor said:

Next time you could try a decent hat instead of the cap, to me that would add even more style to this outfit. 🎩

I agree with you! To the point where I wouldn't actually wear this particular outfit out in real public. This photo does not depict what I actually wore when I got the compliment, except to show the shoes that have gotten the most compliments. This photo was taken after one of my morning constitutionals, and this particular outfit happens to be convenient and comfortable for that purpose in certain types of weather. Nobody, or next to nobody, sees me at this time of day anyway.

As an aside, I would rarely post any pictures of myself, except that so many people have requested it. Occasionally, I give in.

16 hours ago, CHRISPAP said:

Maybe because this model corresponds the most to a ''men's heel'' in the mind of the people, unlike a Pump / Stiletto or a open shoes

Perhaps. This is about as close to a boot as you can get without actually being a boot, and boots seem to be manly. I'll have to keep better track of what shoes get the compliments in the future. I know I have some silver colored sandals that got two enthusiastic compliments last summer, but memory is a fairly unreliable thing.

On 1/15/2022 at 5:24 AM, Isolathor said:

They sure gain my approval, beautyful colour and shape! Sorry to hear that the quality is subpar.

I guess I should have made myself clearer, it's not that the quality is necessarily subpar, this can happen with anything that is made of polymer/plastic material. I'm not sure exactly what causes it, whether it's exposure to oxygen, or sunlight, or whatever, but even sitting on the shelf, unworn, a lot of times the material will begin to degrade. I have several pairs of shoes with this problem, many of them 'higher quality' type shoes. If the sock liner is not 100% leather, the shoes could be vulnerable to this type of disintegration. So far, I've never had a problem with the outsides of any shoes doing the same thing, but then again, I don't own very many non-leather shoes.

1 minute ago, Isolathor said:

No need to feel sorry, different folks = different likes. Neither me or any other member of this forum is the center of the universe. Well, maybe Tech is the center of this small universe here ..... 😉

And.  .  . AND, our likes may change as the years pass. I have two pairs of these sneaker wedges. I don't hate them, but I don't love them, either. They were bought for a very specific purpose, and that purpose doesn't really exist any more.

Hello Andy, and welcome! I am from the other side of the pond, but what with this internet thingy, it feels like we're a community anyhow. I just realized (sorry for the 'zed') that I don't have a pair of red shoes. Actually, I do, but they're sort of a tomato red pair of sandals, not exactly in-your-face red. Maybe I need to put red shoes on my list!

Wow! When did this thread go off the rails? Over sneaker wedges? Really?

I know this is quick turnaround, I didn't really buy two pairs of shoes at once, but I didn't get around to photographing and writing about them until now. This is actually a new pair of shoes for me, within the last few days. I feel like they will certainly gain @Jkrenzer's approval.

First, I'll have to apologize for the lack of drain pipe in the background. Our washing machine is currently under repair, and we're waiting on (that would be "waiting for" in most parts of the English speaking world) replacement parts. Hopefully before the next new pair of shoes, it will be up and running again.

I am not really sure why I bought these shoes. They are way too pointy and way too high. They just caught my fancy, and I hope I will get the chance to wear them someplace. I'm glad I did not pay a lot of money for them, because among other things, they are already falling apart. I have no idea how old these shoes are, but it's fairly obvious that they've been sitting on a shelf or in a closet for quite some time, even though they look unworn.

These are Steve Madden "Daisie" pumps, and they evidently contain no leather. Though they look immaculate on the outside, the first time I put them on, the outer layer of the liner started to peel off. This is not a huge deal, as I have a number of other shoes with the same problem, all it does is make a bit of a mess on your feet each time you wear them. Whatever material they're made out of just does not age well.

I've always fancied nude patent pumps, and now I guess I've got them. I understand that some people hate them, and that's ok, they're just wrong! I was surprised at how high the heel actually is compared to what I expected from the pictures. We're talking Louboutin So Kate territory here, at 120 mm, and the cross section is a mere 8 mm. They are very high, and very thin. And very pointy. I already see I can't even wear these to the grocery store until I 1) learn to walk properly in them, and 2) replace the heel tips. Although the shoes are unworn, the little bit of walking I've done in them tells me that the heel tips are very hard and very slippery. They will either break in short order, or they'll break me, one.

I have a LOT of "near-stilettos," and I have explained the reason why many times, but I suppose I should recount the reason why for any new people. I would actually prefer to wear stilettos pretty much all the time, but wearing an incrementally broader heel is much more practical for me for one reason: The top lifts, or top pieces, or heel tips, or heel caps, or whatever we've decided to call them, last literally 8-10 times longer on a slightly thicker heel than they do on a stiletto heel.

Unless we can figure out a way to make an offshoot, I think we have probably beat this subject to death. We are probably some of the few people who care what you call a certain heel shape, and even among our number there are a significant portion who really don't care. I suppose this is the reason why the vague term "high heels" persists without question, and that's because nobody even gives the subject a second thought. We are a very, very narrow slice of the world.

Incidentally, the way you say "high heels" in Vietnamese is "cao gót," or "giày cao gót. "The second example would be "high heel shoes." In Vietnamese, like Spanish, the adjective comes after the noun.  So "giày" means "shoe," "cao" means "tall," and you would also use "cao" to describe someone who is blessed in the height department, and "gót" means "heel." You also use that word to describe your actual physical heel, but in that case, you'd have to combine it with another word which means "leg" to distinguish it from a shoe heel. I shall have to message one of my younger cousins or nieces to find out if they ever get more specific about describing high heels with a mere few words. I kind of doubt it.

It's one of those things that was in style for a while, and a lot of people bought them--including me. It depends on what you want them for. If it's to wear high heels without being very obvious, these are probably for you. If it's because they're very stylish, nah. Wear regular sport shoes for sports, and get real high heels for style.

I haven't written on my little thread in a while, and there's really nothing to tell. We are in the throes of winter, and I don't do a lot of recreational heeling at this time of year, but I did have one experience last week worth telling.

I got a compliment last week from a supermarket cashier. That in and of itself is not worth telling, and I often don't bother to recount compliments I've received, because they've become commonplace enough that they are usually not noteworthy. In this case, it wasn't the compliment itself that got me to thinking, but the fact that I was wearing my Nine West Sizzles. I have received more compliments on this particular pair of shoes than any other. I haven't counted, of course, but I'm sure this is by far at the top of the list.

This is where statistics start to get a little bit murky. Yes, I have received more compliments on these shoes, but according to Amazon, I bought these on Jan. 4, 2013, which means I've had them for 9 years. They have also proven to be my most durable shoes as far as number of miles walked, and they still look pretty decent. Given that, is it the shoes themselves that suit me, or is it the fact that I have worn them a lot, so therefore have the statistical opportunity to be complimented with a greater frequency? Or, could it be the fact that when I am wearing these shoes, the rest of my outfit tends to be more conservative, and therefore I am more approachable?

Before I got a really good look at the after-Christmas bank account balance, I got a couple more pairs of new shoes in. Received last week is a pair of black Coach patent leather pumps, round toe. I was going for something that was a little bit conservative and less in your face than some of my other shoes. I'm not sure I succeeded with these. Here are my observations:

The first thing I noticed is that the soles are leather. I won't say I wouldn't have bought them had I realized that, but I have in the recent past promised myself that I'm not going to buy any more shoes with leather soles. They just do not stand up to the conditions around here. Yes, I could get a sole protector installed, but I've already dropped a bundle on doing that with several other pairs, and I don't yet know how much I will actually wear these.

The stats: 4 inch heel. I think we can solidly call this a block heel, though it does have some nice curvature up toward the seat area, making it more pleasing to the eye than just a plain ol' block. The heel tip measures 7/8" across, or 22 mm, so not too clunky or chunky. The patent leather is very nice, and that's what people seem to notice first, moreso than the heels. The shoes are very light in weight, almost like you've got nothing on your feet. Given their modest 4 inch height, I found myself not noticing I had them on several times during their maiden voyage, which was a total of probably 2 or 3 hours, something like that.

Overall, I am pleased with them, except for that fact that I can't wear them in the rain or snow, or on the overly salted sidewalks of our church. Since they are single sole, I can almost understand the advantage of a leather sole, but if they're going to do that, make the leather a little thicker, like you'd find on men's dress shoes. I've never ruined a pair of men's dress shoes walking 100 m on a wet sidewalk. I cannot say the same for some of my "finer" quality high heels.

22 minutes ago, Puffer said:

Indeed!   Which is really why I have suggested that 'stiletto' and 'spike' are sufficient to describe the two discernible types of high, thin heel.   Adding qualifiers to them is superfluous.   There is still justification for some other names relating to thin heels however, of which perhaps 'kitten heel' (= low stiletto) is the best established.   And of course 'block heel', 'cone heel', 'wedge heel' etc are descriptive of other types of high heel that are definitely not stiletto or spike.

I will probably continue to use the term "near-stiletto" to describe certain heels, one of which is on the pair of shoes that got this whole conversation started. I could call them "just-a-little-too-thick-and-having-not-quite-the-right-proportions-to-be-stiletto heels." Or how about, "Slim-tapered-heels-but-not-cone-heels heels."?

On 1/10/2022 at 1:13 PM, SF said:

Bluejay....   You are only as old as you feel and/or act....  If you are older than me it ain't by much, and I get the feeing that you are pretty young at heart.  Wisdom and treachery are the best.  Smile...  sf

Stand-by for my next post......   

 

As best I can remember, I bought the “wrap thong” sandals pictured above (and below) in the early 1970’s when I was around 16 to 18 years old.  I was in high school or just beginning college.  

For as long as I can remember, I have been attracted to gals shoes.  As I got older and became more mobile, I would go “shoe shopping,” on my bike and then later by car, now that I had a drivers license.  I just liked looking at shoes, and wanted a pair of my own. 

Two other shoe-shopping incidents I remember distinctly.  I found a pair of really nice looking all leather Bernardo strappy sandals with a low wedge heel (wish I had a pic to show).  They looked really “cute” and I wanted them, but again they were at a full service department store, so I had to interact with the sales folks.  I was nervous, but gathered my courage and went inside.  I was assisted by a female clerk who could have been my mom.  She asked if she could help and I pointed out the shoes, and told her the size – 10 - I believe.  She came back holding the sandals and said that the largest size they had was a 91/2, which in those days was not unusual.  In addition it seemed, at least to me, that shoes back then ran smaller than they do now.  

She handed me the sandals and said for me to try them on, and I did.  Sadly the shoes did not fit, they were a bit too small.  I was disappointed and the sales lady seemed genuinely disappointed too.  She made some comment about the sandals looking very nice, but telling me that was the largest size available.  She did ask if there were any other shoe styles around that I liked, there were not. 

I gave her back the sandals and she apologized that a larger size was not available.  Even though I was not able to get the shoes I wanted, I really appreciated the time, patience and understanding this nice lady gave me.  I am sure she saw that I was nervous, and probably wondered why a young guy like me wanted a pair of womens sandals, but nonetheless I much appreciated her gentle demeanor.  

The other “shoe purchase incident” was around the same time, early 1970’s at a Payless Shoe store (I miss Payless).  Payless was one of the first shoe stores, at least in my area, to go with a “self service” sales model, none or minimal interaction with the sales staff.  I found a lovely and unique pair of “wedgie and strappy” thong style sandals in my size 11.  I took the shoes off the rack and began trying them on.  One of the sales ladies, again she could have been my mom, rushed up to me and almost grabbed the sandals from my hand.  With a smile and a kind voice, she said something on the order of, “Honey (I love it when they call me honey) these are ladies shoes, the men’s section is over there.”  I was nervous and a bit shocked by her reaction, but could tell that she was honestly just trying to help this poor misdirected kid.  I told the lady that I knew they were ladies sandals but I liked the style and wanted to try a pair.  She smiled, acknowledged my comment and let me be.  She returned a few minutes later and asked if the shoes fit and even said they looked nice on me, and pointed out a few other styles that did not interest me.  

I put the sandals back in the box, the same lady completed my purchase and she asked with a smile that I come back again.  As with the first experience, I appreciated that sales lady and her understanding and compassion.  Those Payless wedgie thongs were fun to wear, but unfortunately they wore out early and went bye bye.  

Enough of my past experiences, but fond memories to share.  It was these and other early on life experiences that validated my fondness for women’s shoes.  And to make things “worse” in 1995, the “high heel bug” got me bad.  Why do I and others here have this attraction?  For me, I don’t know, it is just the way I am and will always be.  And actually I sort of like it!  

In conclusion, here is a pic taken today, of the flat “wrap thong” sandals that started this tome.  I actually found them hiding in my closet.  They may get some use this spring / summer, even though heels have taken priority the past 20+ years!  Sometimes flats are fun to wear too.  Smile….   sf

 

 

Huh, still have them! Nice! They don't look to be clear wore out, but I can see why they've been in the back of the closet for a long time. You really need size 12, don't you?