mlroseplant

Hopefully we have come full circle, and now we all understand one another. I would like to leave this discussion with one final thought. I realize that social media has become an integral part of the way we interact and communicate with each other, and indeed with the world. However, let us not place upon it more importance than it deserves. It is in many ways a fantasy land, having little to do with real life and real social interactions. This is of course not universally true, and maybe not even mostly true, but it is certainly somewhat true. Let me give you an example from my own life. If I were to post the following photos on my Instagram or wherever, one might come to many different conclusions about my social life, and most probably all of them would be wrong. The fact is, I have no "social life" with any of these girls, even though it certainly looks in these photographs as though I do. The problem with social media is that there is often very little backstory, and to me that is most of what makes up worthwhile and valuable social interactions.

14 hours ago, Cali said:

It depends on the type of heel.  Block heel boots and booties, some wedges, I can forget thinking about them. Stilettos and and other small heels, no.  I need to watch where I put my foot. I can even run in some heels.

13 hours ago, p1ng74 said:

Yeah I've run in 4" heels before.  It's not as bad as it sounds actually.  

HA! That reminds me of a pair of Söfft sandals I used to own, model name Calvados, right at about a 4" heel and a bit of a platform, for 3+" difference. As far as being light on your feet, you could do just about anything in these heels, including sprint. I don't know what it was about those shoes, but you could actually run for an extended period in them. I finally trashed them out a couple years ago, they were just no longer presentable, aesthetically. I have not really tried to run for more than a few steps in any of the shoes I own presently. I don't think it would be advisable.

15 hours ago, Puffer said:

I suppose that you could readily justify wearing heels at a meeting where your expertise was being called upon on the basis that those needing help ought to look up to you!

Even wearing heels, there are not too many people who have to look up to me physically (at least of the male gender). I have come to find out, however, for the first time in my 25 year career, that quite a few people do look up to me existentially. I hope that my hat size continues to be 6 7/8.

9 hours ago, Pumped said:

As to weight gain or loss, I have lost about 10 pounds in the last couple months. I am still working, but am home for a 3 day weekend. Plus I used to be out of town 1 or 2 nights a week. We are not at a total lock down so doing some odd jobs and minor remodeling now that I have more time. That and not eating at restaurants 7-10 meals a week has helped shed some pounds. I was trying to lose a bit of weight, not trying very hard though! I am down to 175 pounds at 5'10".

My weight appears to have plateaued hopefully. I have been walking a lot more in the last week, in heels of course, and I am happy to report that I am back to the point where I can again walk 2 miles in heels without it being a big deal. I had lost that ability over the past couple of years.

52 minutes ago, JeffB said:

I'd say that depends on one's point of view. Some would say a high heels begins at three inches while others would say four.

It's inflation. Back in the day, 40 bucks would buy you a very nice pair of 3 inch heels, which were considered pretty high.  Now, 40 bucks won't buy you a cheap pair of 4 inch heels, which are considered just the beginning of high!

It seems to me that this discussion has gone way off the rails. On my morning constitutional, I had thought about some things I would like to write, but then after logging on and seeing all the replies, I scrapped that plan, so here is Plan B.

Have we gotten to the point where we are not allowed to criticize anything without being criticized for it? I actually took the time to look through Mr. Ayala's Instagram, and you know, it's not that bad. I think Kneehighs picked THE worst possible photo to share as far as the WTF factor. I'm not sure if that was purposeful or not. Would I ever personally want to present myself in this way? Hell no. For one thing, I don't have the proper social circle to do so and get by with it. Second, I don't want to look unusual, I want to look great! Third, I do feel like I'm an ambassador and advocate to my community for expansion of tolerance in men's style. It is not my main motivation, but the thought is with me fairly constantly. I cannot be effective in this role if I don't conform to at least some of the standards of "normalcy." Many people do not have this sense of obligation, they are just doing whatever they want no matter how outlandish, and they will always be marginalized because of it. That is their choice. I'm mainstream, right here in Middle America, baby!

10 minutes ago, p1ng74 said:

LOL I am empathizing with your initial reaction and confusion, and trying to explain his train of thought, though I don’t agree with it.  I guess it’s not helpful, sorry.  

Haha, I knew what you meant. Language is an imperfect means of communication, even in the best of circumstances.

It does happen every once in a while, but not as often as you'd think, after all these years. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, if you "forget" you're in heels too often, you might take a step in such a way that might be rather inadvisable while wearing heels.

7 hours ago, SF said:

For me, the super high heels (over 4 inches) just don't appeal.  Never tried a pair either, so I do speak from a position of ignorance.  Heels that high, to me, just look uncomfortable and do not appeal visually.  

Personally, as a guy who is already too tall (6ft 3in) I wear heels that range from very low to 3 inches max, preferably around 2 1/2 inches.  I just want to enjoy the experience of wearing nice looking shoes that are comfortable and stylish.  Not to look like some type of a "giant" creature form the black lagoon, and scare all the kids.  Unfortunately, for some folks a guy in high heels is scary enough!!  ha ha....   

Enjoy your heels whatever height they may be....   sf

2 hours ago, p1ng74 said:

LOL yeah this is why I would never wear platforms, I am already 6 feet tall without heels and don't need any more height.  But I love the feeling of heels, not purely from a height perspective, from the angle of the feet and the overall proportions of the body. 

To be sure, guys, I understand where you're coming from, and why you wouldn't want to wear platforms. Howevahhhh, as others have proven before mathematically, and I have proven using the Thomas Edison method of trial and error, I'm not going to gain any more than 3 inches of height ever, no matter the craziness of the angle of my shoes, just as long as I don't wear any sort of platform. Of course this is on a U.S. Women's size 9, larger sizes may gain slightly more than that. So SF, you have my permission to try out those 5 inchers. It ain't gonna make that big of a difference.

I missed an opportunity to wear heels to another unusual place--work. I am now actually working from home (instead of merely pretending to do so), as my Project Manager asked me to help pre-fill some paperwork for when we do get back to work, hopefully June 1. I borrowed somebody else's work computer, and struggled with it for two days before I finally called IT for help. They had me come up to the shop with it, which turned out to be the best thing I could have done, the IT guy got 'er all fixed up and working for me.

As you can imagine, my dilemma was this: Do I wear heels to the shop or not? After considering several options, I decided not. Instead, I wore my slightly heeled new-ish work boots, mentioned elsewhere on this forum, with straight leg jeans. The reason I decided not to wear heels was because I was not coming to the shop in a position of strength--I needed somebody's help to do my job. If it had been the other way, in other words, if I'd been called to the shop because somebody needed my help or advice, I would have seriously considered wearing heels.

20 hours ago, kneehighs said:

I agree with you on the italicized.  Historically, assimilation within our local tribes is and has always been realistic.  "why aren't you wearing your heels today" is a common level achieved among veteran members.

From my end, the sales volume achieved through social media influence proves social media can change behavior, especially among GenZ and Millennials.  Less so among Gen X and Baby Boomers.

Imagine a newbie coming here though and reading the hateful comments? It's basically saying, "you can't sit with me".  How does that align with the purpose hhplace has carved for itself over the last 2 decades?  

 

 

It's funny you should mention it, because I'm not really worried about Millennials and Gen Z. I pretty much got them covered (or they pretty much got me covered, depending on your point of view), acceptance-wise. None of my son's friends (Gen Z), either male or female have a problem with me, and boy was his mother sure worried about it when he was still in school. It turned out to be a non-problem. None of my wife's family cousins (Millennial) have a problem with me, and they're in conservative Vietnam. I'm not saying they don't regard me as their "weird uncle," but they range from enthusiastic to at least keeping their mouth shut. It's people my age (Gen X) and older who are tougher nuts to crack, in my experience.

To be fair, I don't think we make "hateful" comments on this forum. The closest we come is, "Holy smokes, that looks terrible." Is that hateful, or just a fashion opinion? And usually, we go on to say why we think it looks terrible. And then some people disagree with that opinion. I think people wanting to explore HHP get that. I don't think we are forced to accept every outfit presented on here as being equal to the other, and it's not like we are saying we hate the person wearing a given outfit. What if Mr. Ayala had been wearing Crocs? We'd all go "Yuck!", and no one would even question that.

I have pondered this on numerous occasions. I know others have other measurements, but for myself, I consider 4 inches or higher to be a "high" heel. Less than that, and it's a "mid" heel. Considering platforms, Ive spent much of my life wearing "mid" heels, I admit it.

13 hours ago, kneehighs said:

I don't think his status will suffer much despite the haters.  Here he is with a Playboy Playmate.  Haters gonna hate.

EDIT: by status I mean his relationships (despite wearing heels).  At the end of the day, love and relationships matter more than haters.  Plus, low odds his income will be affected by haters either--creatives enjoy more economic freedom to be different.  I'm happy for him.

 

 

I'm happy for him too! I am very slow to criticize another's fashion choices when mine are a little out there as well. I realize that you enjoy finding people whose style is unusual, perhaps bordering on the bizarre, and sharing their images with us. There is nothing wrong with that, and there is nothing wrong with people's reactions to it, be they positive or negative. If I look at it as art, that is the whole point, to get a reaction, to create an emotion. That's fine. I have no problem with that. However, I'm going for something a little bit different in my daily life, and I dare say so are you, maybe you could call it "applied art?" Haha

I am not out to hang around with Playboy Playmates or make some kind of appearance. I of course dress for myself, but you know who I'm after? Do you know who I'm really trying to convince? It's the fat, balding middle aged men and the gray-haired old ladies that some on this board complain about constantly. Instead of dismissing them, I try to interact with them. It's the force of my personality and the kindness of my actions that makes ordinary people say, "Yeah, he's a little strange, but you know, he's all right." To me, THAT is what will change people's minds over the course of time, not some guy on Instagram, which, if we're honest, is pretty unrepresentative of the real world. It's guys like you and me, and Bubba, living our lives not for shock value, but because we just like the style. I think that's why Bubba reacted so violently to this picture, it's because this picture and our life experience are so far removed from one another.

2 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

The topic is the question.

Aha! It all makes sense now. I did give them a fair shake for work, but I eventually came down in the "not a fan" category. And certainly not for home. I did get a lot of comments on them for the couple of years I wore them to work (see above). If I wanted the same effect now, I'd get some packer boots. I assume your objection is on looks, and not necessarily on feel.

On 4/21/2020 at 6:02 PM, Jkrenzer said:

Nope, a simple answer to the question. 

A simple answer to WHAT question, exactly? 

Little off the subject, but I am sorry to report that I have managed to gain 7 pounds in the last month. That may not seem like a big deal, but on a guy my size, that is fully 5% of my total body mass. I am convinced that the reason for this is due to physical inactivity alone. I am not eating really anything different than I normally would, I am not one of those people who sits around snacking all day long when I'm at home. They say (whoever "they" is) that weight loss is mostly about regulating your intake of calories, and possibly the quality of the food which contains those calories. I'm here to say that it isn't true 100% of the time. When I was at work, I would walk at least 10,000 steps a day, sometimes approaching 20,000. Our building is 1/4 mile long, our electrical room is on one end of the building, and as a foreman, I have to go visit other parts of the building on a regular basis. For the past month, my average has been more like 1,500 steps a day. I realize that our phones are not the most accurate pedometers ever, but this is for comparison purposes only. 12,000 steps a day vs. 1,500 steps a day. 7 pounds heavier. Not a coincidence, I think. Time to reverse the trend. I've already taken 3,300 steps today, and it's only 9:00. Wish me luck! I have bought way too many new shorts to wear this summer to have much of a belly.

This reminds me of a story my dad told about his days in the U.S. Navy as a young man. The Powers That Were (whoever that was, it's not important to the story) set up some kind of formal dance with the enlisted crew on his ship and some local girls in San Diego. They got into long lines, and were paired off randomly. The story goes that his orders before this dance were something to the effect of, "Everyone WILL attend in full dress uniform, and everyone WILL have fun."

Sir! Will all due respect sir, we are doing our very best to have fun.

17 hours ago, Cali said:

I wear a lot of open toe heels in the summer so my toes are always on display. I feel keeping your toes in respectable condition is a must. You know people are going to be looking at your heels and as a result your toes.  You need to keep them nice.

As to why I color my toes.  Simple: I WANT TO.  I always liked it and 10+ years ago I gave myself permission to.

 

 

I agree 100% that you must keep your toes, and indeed all of your lower extremities nice if you're going to wear sandals. Some say that in order to be "nice," you must paint your toenails. I strongly disagree with that. It is perhaps pointless to try to figure out why we like what we like, but I think perhaps my like of bare nails stems from a girl I went to high school with who had the most beautiful feet. They were always perfect, but she never wore nail polish. Of course, there might be some negative reasons, too, for my like of bare nails.  Like for instance, my ex-wife, who also had pretty darn attractive feet, never went bare-nailed. Ever. Therefore, I like the opposite! Haha.

7 hours ago, chesterx said:

It never occurred to me that something like this could happen. I assumed my salon would be there for me. I cant wait any longer, my nails are down to my knees. I have some supplies on order that should be here early next week. I'm not keen to see how it turns out, I have always sucked at it. 

Don't worry, you might suck at it, but I bet you'll improve fast in these times of need. For example, I always really sucked at playing the trumpet, but a few years ago I got myself into a situation where I had to learn, or risk embarrassing myself badly. Long story short, today I'm OK at playing trumpet. Not great, but I don't suck anymore. Keep the faith, my friend! Just take your time.

12 hours ago, pebblesf said:

My three month "leave" from flying is about to begin....This is going to be tough

I'm very sorry to hear that. I hope your time at home turns out to be way more productive than mine has so far!

On 4/17/2020 at 1:13 PM, chrigi-ch said:

I cought thes guys on ebay some days ago.
Very less marks at the sole for only a third of the retail price.
These guys are from 1969 and have the lovely, hot very pointy toe, which I really adore.

Greets

Better put some taps on those toes. They look like they would wear through within 5 km of walking!

I ran across this article in which it has become apparent that there are some computer systems out there requiring upgrades/modification that need a significant number of people who can program in COBOL language. I'm old enough to know what it is, but not old enough that it was ever taught in my age group. That alone is fascinating and/or perplexing, depending upon your point of view. However, what I found more interesting is the picture accompanying the story. It was a different time. I highly doubt there were any guys in the office wearing heels, though.

I know it's not heels, but stuff gets lost pretty quickly on the General Fashion thread, and it's not like we have the traffic here to get everybody all confused.

I got into a discussion elsewhere about nail care, and decided maybe it would be better to create a dedicated thread. As many of you know, I am a proponent of natural nails with no nail polish/varnish, or maybe clear nail polish. I just think they look better. My opinion only. I don't have anything against nail polish, in fact sometimes I think it can look rather nice, but I don't choose it for myself. This does not mean I don't take care of my furthest extremities, far from it. I guarantee I spend more time worrying about my nails than 99.99% of men (outside of fingerstyle guitarists, maybe). This is particularly difficult considering my chosen career, industrial electrician. The fact that most places require you to wear gloves 100% of the time nowadays helps somewhat.

The tools I use are very simple, since I don't have to worry about application or removal of polish, maintenance of artificial nails or any of that. I have them listed elsewhere, but I'll repeat the list here, for the sake of ease:

- 2 gallon washtub, for foot or hand soaking

- 4 sided buffing block

- 2 sided emory board

- orange wood stick (for cuticle pushing)

- spoon shaped metal pusher (I do not use it to push cuticles, I use it mainly on big toenails to clean out underneath the corners of the nails)

- a couple of various shaped pairs of tweezers, but I don't often use these

- cuticle nipper (diagonal cutter), which I never use for cutting cuticles. This is a somewhat controversial subject, I understand. I am a non-cutter.

I think I have OK looking feet, but I do not like the appearance of my hands. 25 years of manual labor have made my fingers thick, meaty, and somewhat gnarly. I guess I want neat looking nails, so as to not make them even worse than they already are, but I would certainly never want colored polish to draw further attention to them. I guess if I got to pick what my hands and nails looked like, I would want my friend's hands, pictured below. She is an IRL (In Real Life) friend, and she does have very nice hands and nails. For the record, she more than occasionally wears nail polish, but has never worn artificial nails. Those are her natural nails. I am awfully sure my wife could have nails like this, though maybe not quite as long, if she would take the least amount of time for preventive maintenance. She doesn't, and despite this fact, her nails are actually pretty decent looking at 51 years old. As an afterthought, I would NOT want to trade feet with my long-nailed friend. Mine are much better!

On second edit: I forgot another key part of nail care. I use almond oil daily on my nails as a moisturizer for nails and cuticles. I don't know why I use almond oil. I could use something else, I just like it. I have it in little 4 oz. bottles in a couple of places in my house.

What is your nail story? Do you wear artificial nails, and why? How did you come to your current situation? Do you do your own, or always go to the salon?

5 minutes ago, SF said:

To quote Pat Paulsen (Pat Paulsen for President 1968)  "If nominated I will not run, if elected I will not serve..."     sf

PS Some of the "older" folks here can relate....   ha ha     

As I recall, the late Doug Marlette (Charlotte Observer, and the comic strip "Kudzu.") picked up on this somewhat later for one of his characters. I was born in '68, so I don't remember the original.

I will go second, both in time and in situation. Unlike SF, my wife is not really supportive of my heeling, but tolerates it well. The only pictures I have of us together in heels are completely unintentional. She posts a lot on social media, and there are an awful lot of pictures of me out there where my feet have been cropped out. This particular photo, taken on our wedding anniversary last year, is not posted anywhere except HHP, as far as I know.

14 minutes ago, Tech said:

How shall we vote...? Post with the most "Like" reactions by Dec 31st?

That would certainly be the easiest from an administrative standpoint. It is problematic in some ways, but on the other hand, so what? This is supposed to be fun, so yeah, I'm in for number of likes. I already gave @KneeBooted a like, not because I think it's a great picture, but because I like him, at least as an online personality. Just pointing out the "problematic" part. Again, it's just not that big of a deal. Like SF always says, "Have fun!"

4 minutes ago, SF said:

I chose not to participate in the earlier "contest" for similar reasons.  And I doubt I will take part in this round.  But for those who do, enjoy yourselves...   sf  (mr. no fun)  

If we "like bombed" this post, could SF win with no picture submitted?

One entry per day? How about one entry per month! That'd be God's plenty. Some people don't have any sense when it comes to these things. We do not need 50 pictures of basically the same thing to get the idea. Leave that stuff to teenaged girls. Having said that, I might consider entering the contest this time around, as it appears to be officially sanctioned. Past contests had the strong undertone of mocking us silly boys, which is fine, but I took a pass.

14 hours ago, Bubba136 said:

Practice.  since being confined I have been wearing my 6” heels again.  While I am fully accustomed to wearing my 5” heels — that I wore daily for almost 30 years —  I am not back to being completely comfortable in my 6 inch’ers, yet.   It shouldn’t be very long before I feel normal spending a day in them without problems.  As far as my 7” heels,  I never did learn to wear them for any long time.  While I have tried them again, this time I believe that I‘ll pass (at my age).

I have actually made some progress in the past day or two, though a small amount. I can now walk somewhat gracefully, as long as I don't take more than about a 12" stride. It's not much, but it's something. Again, my main limitation is ankle flexibility.