mlroseplant

On 2/10/2019 at 11:00 PM, Mr. X said:

I figured it was time to update my shoe inventory.  Since I have purchased some new ones since my last count.  I have also gotten rid of some shoes that I don't wear or like anymore.  Plus I got rid of some because they were either worn out or damaged over time.  So here is my counts.

High Heels    52
Wedges           6
Flats                3
Ankle Boots   9
Knee Boots   11

That is a grand total of 81 pairs!  I guess you could say I have an addiction.  Guilty as charged!  And some would call me a "Shoe Whore"!

I guess you have a bit more than me, my last count was a few months ago. I think I've got about 60 now, but that's not including any flats. However, I am perplexed by your category of "high heels," which appears to be a completely distinct and separate category from the other four. Wouldn't "wedges" be a subset of "high heels?" Are all of your ankle boots and knee boots flat-heeled? Yes, I am picking on you a little bit, but I think you can take it. Inquiring minds want to know! What, exactly, do you mean when you say "high heels?"

9 hours ago, RonC said:

Just curious HinH.  You'd wear a 14 in medium length but a 16 in long length.  Does the fit of the waist area, etc., change with the length?

I cannot answer for @HappyinHeels of course, but I find that I tend to take a size 6 in boot cut jeans, but usually a 4 in skinny jeans. I've no idea why this is, but in any case, I really don't pay that much attention to the length, because I have to have my tailor chop off a certain amount of length no matter what I buy.

My newest pair of jeans are Nine West branded (I had no idea they even put their name on jeans), and I found them in a pile of clothes that my wife was about to send to our local charity shop. "Whoa, wait a minute, why are we getting rid of these, let me try those on, they're brand new!" Size 4, regular, perfect fit! Except that I had to shorten them by 4.5" (11.4 cm). Where are all these super tall, super skinny girls? I don't see them around.

I am pretty happy with my "find" overall. I have normal-sized pockets, front and back--well, I mean "normal" for such low-waisted jeans. They aren't particularly soft, however. Not bad, but they certainly do not feel like bedsheets or anything.

6 hours ago, RonC said:

Steve, while I can't really explain why, as they do have thick soles, with a couple exceptions, these shoes are not what I consider to be platforms.  These all tend to fall on the casual side of the scale and the thicker soles are mostly just a part of the more casual look.  The only shoe here I would classify as a platform would be third from the bottom, the wood sole with the thick straps and heavy buckles, and maybe the last pair, though even there it is just a more casual style where a thicker sole is just part of the general shoe type.  And none of these are, as you note, the fetish style, 2-4" platform soles.  But that is a style preferred by several of the members here, and to each their own.  For me, it will always be the single sole stiletto pump that floats my boat, though that, like my avatar, is a shoe I would never wear out and about (mainly now because my feet just can't handle that any more.)  

I think that perhaps what you are objecting to, as I do myself, is these 4 inch stiletto-heeled pumps that have magically grown to 6 inch heeled pumps that have a 2 inch hockey puck looking thingy underneath the ball of the foot.

7 minutes ago, Shyheels said:

Not quite everyone on the fetish aspect - certainly not me. There is no fetish aspect at all to my footwear choices. For me it is purely a matter of style, nothing more. 

I let the lawyer in me lapse for just a moment. I meant to say "almost" every one of us. Two words I don't trust in real life. "Always" and "Never."

2 hours ago, Shyheels said:

The thing is, how often does any stranger compliment anyone on their dress sense? Almost never. Strangers seldom even say hello, let alone venture a personal comment. It’s rare, vanishingly rare.

And these days, of course, if a guy was to compliment a woman in any way he would be setting himself up for a harassment charge. 

People just keep to themselves. 

 

Well yes, we DO keep to ourselves these days, and it's a shame. And it's a shame that it's a shame, to quote Lyle Lovett (if memory serves). But it's the way of the world these days. The reason I replied to this is because of an experience I had several years ago as a new-ish male heeler. I was walking in my neighborhood, which is near a college campus, and a young man and his girlfriend stopped me on the street, and asked about my footwear. The young man was a bit geeky-looking (how judgmental am I?), and I suppose wanting to express his feelings of broad-mindedness, and told me how he really appreciated how I could wear whatever I wanted, and not really care what other people thought.

Within a few moments, he suggested that perhaps I craved attention and comments from others. I told him that actually, no, I did not want attention, and that I really wished that people would just leave me the hell alone. In retrospect, this was perhaps a less than polite thing to say to a stranger, particularly to a very earnest young man, but it certainly did the trick. He bid me goodbye in a hurried and apologetic manner, and I still regret my behavior to this day. OK, not that much. But I still remember the encounter all these years later.

20 minutes ago, Cali said:

I have a few women's jeans. They are softer than men's jeans and much more comfortable, but I NEED pockets. So I rarely wear them and only wear them when I have something else (like a vest) to carry my wallet, keys and phone. Some men's pants are coming out with more stretch, but they are not even close to being as soft.

I guess I don't have that problem. On the other hand, I don't buy super trendy women's jeans, and all of the jeans I have bought in the past 7 years have had actual, usable pockets! At least, enough for my needs, and I don't carry a handbag.

1 hour ago, Cl0setheels said:

Here comes the rational Dutchie:

I think the only thing that the difference in the number of posts in the for women and for men section tells is thats it’s normal for women to wear heels. And since it’s normal it doesn’t create the need to discuss about heels. For men it isn’t perceived as ‘the standard’ and men want to discuss about their desire to wear heels and share experiences with others. Us men might even seek reassurance. Women don’t go online and think, hm where can I talk about heels and wearing them, they just wear them.

No negativity intended, just my thoughts on the numbers.  

I don't disagree with anything you've said at all, but the history of this particular website is a bit less simple. You know, there used to be women on hhplace and its predecessors who actually wrote about high heels and fashion on a regular basis. Those days, for one reason or another, are evidently over. HHPlace has essentially become a men's forum, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. History has brought us to the place we are today, and I believe we are a unique community--a place where men can come together and discuss fashion and beauty without much judgment. I won't say there is NO judgment, but very little compared with the outside world. Furthermore, although everyone here will admit to having a bit of a fetish about one thing or other below the knees, we largely police ourselves so that it doesn't become the main object of the discussion. This is a FASHION website first and foremost, and I am proud to be a member and contributor here for that reason. I like to think of us as the most normal screwed up people you'll ever meet! At least, that's what I keep telling my wife.  .  .

We've had this discussion many times before, a lot of us here prefer the fit of women's jeans. I personally haven't worn "men's" jeans for years, and I am not unusual, especially among smaller men in the Western world. As an aside, I do really like how I can buy clothes off the rack here in Vietnam, and even if they don't fit quite right, there is a tailor at every shop to fix fit issues.

4 hours ago, HotPinkHeels said:

I had my testosterone checked and it was low and I wonder if it contributes to my desire to wear heels and other feminine attire.

 

Load of cobblers, I can assure you! You want what you want because you want it.

11 hours ago, LovinHeels said:

Not sure how to.... Have asked the moderators but I haven’t heard anything.

9 hours ago, jeremy1986 said:

Why not ditch this user and open a new one with a new email? 

Not 100% sure on this, but I'm pretty sure that's the way you have to do it. I don't think it's possible to actually close an account. I think you just simply have to abandon it. What you might or might not accomplish by doing so is another question.

On 2/4/2019 at 6:20 PM, nzfreestyler said:

 The pigalle is a bit ugly and is a staple workhorse shoe in my mind.

Not trying to be an asshole here, but I am genuinely curious--why would you ever buy and wear something that you think is ugly, especially at the kind of prices that CL commands? We're not talking about a truck here.

On 2/5/2019 at 11:21 AM, SF said:

mlrose.....   Hey now.  Happy New Year as well...

You mentioned flying to Korea on an American owned airline, but never provided the name.  Which airline provided the fine service you spoke of???  

Have fun over there.....   sf

It was, in fact, American Airlines, the same airline the ex-wife used to work for. It was a much better experience than when we flew Delta over to Korea. The service and food was ok, but in that respect I really don't care--the whole experience is just something to be endured for the privilege of visiting Vietnam in a reasonable amount of time compared to traveling by ship.

My favorite airline for the trans-Pacific flight is still Korean Air. And maybe Asiana, but they are a distant second. Might try Japan Air Lines if the wife will ever agree to it (she is a nervous traveler and hates change). All other routes to Vietnam are significantly more expensive from where we live.

Korean Air flight attendants wear 2 1/2 inch slingback pumps in the airport, and almost flat, square-toed pumps on the plane. You never, ever see the heels on the plane, and who cares anyway? The main attraction about Korean Air flight attendants is the pencil skirt uniforms, which always look great on the young, willowy gals they hire. And those gals have a sense of urgency when it comes to service. That is a double-edged sword, because I had a very nice conversation with one of the American Airlines flight attendants when I made my rounds to stretch my legs during the time when most people are sleeping. During similar experiences with Korean Air, I think their employees are taught to avoid much conversation with passengers beyond what is necessary for service.

I'm a little late to the game, as usual, but I will chime in also and thank you Tech, for keeping this place running. I do not know what merged or transformed into what, but I was around during the Jenny days, circa 2000 or so, and I remember @Bubba136 and he remembers me. The difference is, I wasn't a public wearer back in those days, I was barely a private wearer. It took me another 12 years to get that sorted out.

53 minutes ago, HappyinHeels said:

I have been a notoriously light packer for about 20 years now. I have gotten my wife into this habit. We never check bags anymore. It all fits in the overhead bin. We get our stuff faster, pay no bag fees, and our luggage lasts much much longer. When she and I were in South America (Colombia, Peru, Brasil, and Argentina) for three weeks in 2010 we both packed basically a large Adidas bag each and that maintained us until about the 17th day when we bought another bag in Peru to handle the extra purchases.

Sheee-it, 98% of the THREE HUNDRED POUNDS (yes, you read that right) of checked luggage is just gifts for other people! This Asian tradition seems charming at first, but is kind of a pain in the ass for everyone in reality. 

Just got a visit from a sizable group of family. When your mother-in-law has become pretty much the oldest living family member, people come to you, rather than you having to go out and visit them. 

An observation about the women of the family: Hair and heels have generally gotten shorter. I don't know whether this is a result of aging or fashion, or both. The younger generation, who is now between 12 and 15, has not yet begun to wear heels. I don't know whether this is a choice, or whether their mothers won't let them yet. I won't know the answer to this question until a less formal time, when they lose some of their shyness.

On 1/29/2019 at 7:49 AM, Shyheels said:

I think it is like anything - practice makes perfect (or at least makes for improvement) There is a certain athleticism and a measure of acquired skill involved in wearing heels and walking gracefully in them. My guess is that a lot of men lack the patience to acquire that skill and their athleticism is more aligned with strength and bulk than flexibility and poise. 

It has always been my assertion that this is the secret to my success--a certain natural athleticism coupled with patiently acquired skill, over years' time. It is not only men who do not have the patience, it's most women, too! How many times have I been asked, "How on earth do you manage [life] in those heels? I couldn't do it." Well, yes, you probably could, you're just not willing, for one reason or another, to do what it takes. I have officially given up trying to convince people (so far it's only been women) that they can, in fact, wear heels. From now, I will choose to play the part of the circus freak who can wear heels all day and still enjoy them at the end of the day.

4 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

Love your travel bags, very basic indeed, easy to spot on the carrasell too.

I'm old enough to Remember the occasional flight attendant in heels, but you're right been a long time. 

We discovered a long time ago that a modern set of luggage lasts approximately 1 1/2 trips to Asia. The cardboard boxes last 1 trip, with enough shipping tape applied.  The cardboard boxes are much cheaper, and certainly have less tare weight. Also, we travel a lot heavier TO Vietnam than we do on the way back home. Thankfully. 

My ex-wife used to work for American Airlines in the 1980s - 90s. At that time, their policy for women was at least 2 inch heels for airport and boarding, flats to 1 inch heels for flight time. I do not know what their policy is today. I imagine there is no heel requirement at all, nowadays. I am also unaware whether there is a maximum heel height restriction. I would guess that there is. 

Heels are still an ongoing trend here in Asia!

I think we view the 80s with rose colored glasses. Yes, chicks wore heels more than now, but they were not as high as we remember, and lots of them were ugly! And let's not forget about the ugly eyeglasses of the era. No wonder so many people opted for contacts back then!

On 2/2/2019 at 1:05 PM, krazyhusband said:

Just bought my first pair of skinny pants ever. Brand is Van Heusen. It will take a little to get use to it, but I like’em. 

I approve! I don't think they are truly "skinny" pants, but they are flattering for sure. I like to call them "slim cut" pants. To me, "skinny" pants are skin-tight, and would not fall over your shoes like that, being tight to the ankle.

I've been verbally assaulted by a car full of teenaged boys, but never physically threatened. And even at that, the verbal assault took place several years ago, I feel that attitudes have shifted somewhat even since then.

Hello everybody from Hanoi, Vietnam, and Happy (Lunar) New Year!

In years past, I have made a big deal, and usually a separate post, about having to give up heels for three weeks, but everything is understated this year. It seems impossible that I'm actually here, but here I sit, halfway around the world, writing to you. With no high heels. For those of you who are new to the site, or new to my thread, let me explain about the heels. My wife is pretty tolerant of my heels, but not here in her home country, and that's probably right. Northern Vietnam is probably not yet ready for a guy in heels, at least not in our social circles. Unlike in years past, I do not have any definite plans. I have a borrowed guitar, and two family-owned pianos to tune, and that's about it.

I do have one heel-related thing to report, however. On our trip from Dallas/Fort Wort to Incheon, Korea, we had a flight attendant who worked the entire 14 hour flight in heels! It's the first time I've ever seen such a thing. This time, unusually, we flew an American-owned airline to our transfer point in Korea. We just buy whatever are the cheapest tickets in any given year, and usually it's through Korea, and on a Korean airline. This year, I am happy to report that our American-owned airline outdid the Korean-owned airlines in service and experience, and they had a high-heeled flight attendant as a bonus (not really their own doing). So this woman greeted us wearing higher than 4 inch black patent pumps. Not super high, but among flight attendants, definitely something to notice. Once we were in the air, she changed into clogs, which is not super unusual for American flight attendants, but these clogs were special among her colleagues. They were actually high heeled. Not like a 4 inch difference in height between heel and toe, but surprisingly steep for the job at hand.  I do not have any pictures to show you, the opportunity simply didn't present itself, but I estimate they were close to 3 inch difference between heel and toe. I would estimate a 4 inch heel with a 1 inch platform. I've never seen anybody work a flight, especially not a long one, in heels like that. I was impressed. I found pictures on the internet which show shoe really similar to hers, but not exactly. Hers were all black, instead of having the natural wood-colored heel, but they were very similar, a sling-back style clog.

My other picture is our arrival in Hanoi, at the curb outside the airport, waiting for our ride home, showing the women in our family.

On 1/30/2019 at 3:58 PM, krazyhusband said:

This is what I wore to pick up my kids from daycare. Our oldest(2.5) loves the colour pink. He enjoys it when I wear these pumps.  

How to spot the Canadian: Wears short sleeves and no socks during Polar Vortex event.

My style is a little more fitted, but it's basically the same idea. Glad to see more normal looking guys doing normal activities in heels. We need all we can get!

18 hours ago, p1ng74 said:

Who else here in America is bundled up in boots as the arctic front rolls in?!

Not I, not I! Yes, I have worn snow boots several times for snow removal purposes, but for all other concerns, I am sticking to my clogs! I may cave, as temperatures in my area are heading toward -20ºF this evening (actual temperature).

I decided to buy some "sensible" shoes. Every once in a while, I find it desirable or practical to wear some lower heels, even when not working on a construction/repair type project. For years, I have kept my very first "high" heeled shoes I wore in public, my Sofft "Aviano" mid-heeled mules, as a more practical shoe. However, one thing has bugged me about these shoes for years, about seven years to be exact--they make my feet sweat excessively, and always have. It is because of the man-made inner lining of the shoes. Finally, I bit the bullet and purchased some replacements for these venerable mules, some Dansko "Francine" clogs, which are about the same height, but closer to a wedge heel, and all-leather uppers, which makes a HUGE difference. I think I will always keep the Avianos around for the sake of nostalgia, but actually wearing them out? Move over, there's a new kid in town.

The new Danskos are size 39 and fit me perfectly, despite several reviews saying these run small. I have learned to ignore such claims, due to the nature and shape of my feet, unless every single review says they run big or small. I had a chance to buy these used on ebay for about $45, but I waffled and missed my chance. I wound up paying $90 on Poshmark, but they are brand new. Now that I have them, I've no regrets, I can tell these will be keepers for many years.

Heel measurement on these clogs is a little bit ambiguous, but basically, they are 3 1/2 inch wedge heels, with an effective platform of about 5/8 inch, giving a steepness of slightly less than 3 inches. I have to laugh at the reviews that say, "yeah, it's a high heel, but it's amazingly comfortable." After the last seven years of my high-heeled journey, these things are flats! I'm pretty sure I could do anything in these, including a backflip. OK, I'm a liar, I can't do a backflip. Maybe someday.  .  .

This is the one instance I can think of where Steve and I have differing opinions about what is the best way to go about building up one's confidence. Steve says stay out of parks at night, and advises against night walks elsewhere in general. I say it depends. In London, I assume there are some safe places to heel at night, and I assume there are some unsafe places, which contrasts with my small town, where there are no unsafe places ever, unless you count ice in the winter. The dilemma is, on the one hand, you don't want to been seen as furtive and timid, as if you're doing something wrong, but on the other hand, as you noted, walking in the real world is much harder than walking around the house. So how are you supposed to get competent without other people seeing you look like an idiot? My personal solution to this was a LOT of night walking. I hate other people watching me struggle at anything. In any case, good luck with your continuing journey.

It has taken some time, but I see that my thread has settled down into an online print representation of what my conversations in real life are actually like. I did pick the title of this thread fairly purposefully, but it has taken a few years for it to evolve into what I imagined when I started the thread. Thank you all who have made contributions to the conversation.

In other news, I can definitely say that I got by with falling down the other day. The knee upon which I fell was a little tender for a couple of days, but nothing serious, and now it is back to its normal, somewhat squirrelly self. I've always had a bit of trouble with that knee on and off for the past 25 years. However, I did unfortunately ruin my last unblemished pair of skinny jeans. I am in the market for replacements.