mlroseplant

On 2/17/2018 at 10:21 AM, Steve63130 said:

Pumped is right. You're not going to change your girlfriend's dislike of heels and the more you want her to wear them, the more she'll resist. This relationship is going to be very unsatisfactory for you (as in "disaster"). Cut her off at once. Yes, it'll hurt for a short time, but it will free you up to find another woman with interests more closely aligned with yours. They're out there; you just have to take the bold steps and find them. But give up on this one. It's not going anywhere, and you know it.

Good luck! And keep us posted.

Steve

Interesting turn of discussion, and I believe I have just the way to bring it all back on point, if you'll bear with me for a couple of minutes. 

I don't feel I'm qualified to give much of an opinion about whether it is a good idea to basically dismiss a girlfriend because she doesn't like high heels, but I can tell you that this sticky little problem can work the opposite way as well. What I mean is, one might conceivably  find a woman who really enjoys wearing heels before one ever meets her, and is quite happy to continue doing so within the context of one's new relationship. This may be quite wonderful and exciting for a time. However, it is quite risky to place a lot of importance on just one or two superfluous qualities, because one may find oneself putting up with all sorts of objectionable behaviors for the sake of continuing to get one's "shoe fix."

I don't know, maybe he should find a new girlfriend, but guessing from the short explanation we are given here, this problem will rear its ugly head, or as the case may be, its ugly foot, again at some point in the future. 

Which now gives me the opportunity to bring it back around and address the question that is the title of this thread. Another reason I like wearing heels is because it has solved the above mentioned problem for me quite nicely. Now that I wear my own heels, I do not feel the need to badger my wife into wearing them if she doesn't really feel like it. I no longer have to live vicariously through someone else. That leaves my wife and me more freedom to concentrate on other things that are really more important than shoes. 

Haha, yet ANOTHER straight and married guy here. I do think that my feet are stronger and tougher than yours, but not for the reason(s) you might think. It has nothing to do with my foot size or gender (I'm US women's size 9). 

The reason I am able to wear substantial heels for long periods of time is because I have gone to a great deal of trouble to train my feet to handle that particular athletic challenge. Fit is, of course, very important, but it is not the end-all to heel wearing success. Physical endurance, and by necessity, training, is key to insuring that the fun won't stop just because my feet aren't up to the challenge! 

Welcome to our group!

On 2/10/2018 at 12:16 AM, HappyinHeels said:

mlroseplant,

Curious of your routing to Vietnam.

Our most usual (and preferred) route is DSM - ORD - ICN - HAN. Well, it's the cheapest, anyway. 

Upon our our arrival to my mother-in-law's house in Hanoi, some 30 hours after we left our own house, I ventured upstairs briefly to start putting some of our luggage in the bedroom. Halfway up the stairs, I stumbled slightly, prompting a "BE CAREFUL!" from my wife. 

I said it must be these doggoned flat shoes--I'm not used to wearing them. This elicited a very slight chuckle, rather than "the look." Progress comes in small increments sometimes. 

Perhaps there is a malfunction in the PM system. I did reply to your message of Dec. 27. 

Howdy folks,

It's time for my yearly pilgrimage to Vietnam, where my wife is from. As many of you already know (but some don't, I'm sure), my wife tolerates my heel wearing quite well, even if she is not super enthusiastic about it. However, wearing heels in Vietnam is proscribed by her, and that's just fine with me, at least for every day. However, I have plans to go shoe shopping with one of my nieces who loves and wears high heels. She knows about me. I will keep you informed of events.

Wow! 1,000 posts! That means you are obligated to take at least 1,000 steps per day in high heels, right? Congratulations!

I just noticed I'm up to 985. Had no idea! I'll catch you soon! Take care, my brother.

On 2/5/2018 at 12:44 PM, heelaphile said:

Returning to the group after several years away. It wasn't because of you all :-) 

Pictured here in Nine West Tatiana

Haha, that's great. My best friend and shoe buddy (a female) wears those in black as her usual everyday work shoe!

Walking down stairs. I'm always working on it, but I still suck at it.

Slick tile floors, such as are found in many supermarkets. There is one spot in my usual supermarket, right in front of the deli, that I have learned to be wary of. Replacing the heel tips with rubber ones usually solves this problem for the most part.

20 hours ago, JeffB said:

Most interesting, miro. Cool shoes! Just one question, when it comes to washing your footwear, do you use the Normal or Delicate cycle? 

Aw, come on guys! You know I would never put my shoes in the washing machine. There's a slop sink next to the washing machine for hand wash only items.

I did that once, a long time ago. Amanda got really angry with me. I didn't do it again. There is history behind why that rule exists which is not readily apparent today. It seems that some boys did not know how to behave themselves properly in the past, and you can see the result--very few women participants, and I suspect that at least half of those that do participate from time to time are boys pretending to be women. It wasn't always that way. 

I could go on, but instead I will answer the question as presented in the girls' section, "What causes you the most problems when walking in heels?" For me it has been the highly polished asphalt tile floors commonly found in supermarkets and other retail establishments. It seems that every time I have come close to taking a tumble, it has involved this type of flooring. 

I have owned a pair of Steve Madden Barbb mules for about a year. I have enjoyed them enough that I wished I could buy them in another color. Unfortunately, like most shoes I buy, it's a non-current model, and pretty much unavailable anywhere.

However, somebody must think they're still stylish enough, because there are knockoffs aplenty, in many, many colors. I hesitate to use the word "knockoff," because the Real McCoy wasn't all that expensive to begin with, but the knockoffs are super cheap, and copy the style in every respect save one--they are not leather. But I decided what the heck, for less than 20 bucks, why not? I've been searching for the real thing for quite some time with no luck. 

As it turns out, they aren't that bad. Not quite as comfortable as the genuine article, but not bad, and they look and feel way more expensive than 20 bucks. I bought them in a sort of rose-tinged nude patent. 

Right after my knockoffs arrived, I found the real Steve Maddens in what they call "bone."  I think they are slightly darker than what I think of as "bone," but that's ok. They wanted $65 for them. I thought about it. Then suddenly one day, the price dropped to $29. I jumped. I soon discovered why the price dropped--they are slightly damaged, but it doesn't bother me much. Not for that price. I'm a little irritated with the seller for not disclosing, but I'll let it ride. 

The pair on the left are my original black ones, worn and enjoyed for a year. The middle pair are the knockoffs, and the right pair are the genuine Steve Maddens in bone. I guess I'll have to wait a few months to give a full report on how the knockoffs fare in the real world. It's a little chilly for that right now, even for me!

On 12/23/2017 at 8:09 PM, bootlover78 said:

I happen to be fortunate enough to own one of these... and it's served me very well

I also own one of those, and it's significantly better than an awl, especially if the hole is a larger size, like for a belt. 

I was doing some shopping on Amazon the other day, and on a whim I decided to look at my purchase history. Evidently, I bought those "loaferesque" pumps on October 16th, 2013. I have worn them enough to have the heels replaced, but only this year have they entered my regular winter rotation. I want to say they are the only pair of shoes that I ever paid full retail price for, which was 110 USD. I guess I shouldn't feel bad, I have gotten my use out of them, and 110 bucks is not THAT much money.

12 hours ago, Puffer said:

Mlroseplant's shoes are not really loafers in style; more a brogue court (if that is the right description), although there are similarities and I like them.   

I like to call them "loaferesque." 

I can't believe this thread hasn't gained more traction! In that case, I have more to contribute. These shoes are not as old as the clogs, but they are more trashed, mainly due to their shoddy materials, type of materials, and perhaps harder use. 

These are my "summer" beaters. BCBGeneration, model unknown, 5" wedge, 1 1/4" platform. Good auto repair shoes, just as long as OSHA doesn't show up. Oh yeah, it's my house, I can do what I want. I would never wear these ugly things off my property anyway. Why can't I wear work boots like everybody else? Actually, I do if the situation calls for it. 

22 hours ago, nzfreestyler said:

Glad you enjoyed shopping in your heels - they sound quite high!

I always enjoy shopping in heels, but especially on this day. It was perfect, except for the fact that I failed to find what I was looking for. 

My shoes are less impressive than they sound. The effective platform is 1", maybe 1 1/8", it's hard to tell with a bit of a hidden platform in there. So the difference between toe and heel works out to be about 4 1/2", which is not extremely steep, but even as recently as a year ago, they were too steep for me to consider a major excursion in them. I guess you CAN teach an old dog some new tricks!

Over the past year, I've realized I don't enjoy driving in heels anymore. If I'm wearing shoes that are easy to slip off, I will do so until I get to my destination. It's just a pain in the neck--my right calf gets tired from being held for an extended time in an awkward position, and I can never seem to find a comfortable place to put my left foot, either. 

Recently, I drove to Des Moines (the State of Iowa's capital city) to do some Christmas shopping. I chose to wear my Nine West Plantera loafer pumps, which are nearly my highest and steepest heels. It's a good feeling that after several years, I have finally gotten to the point where I can wear these shoes for an extended period of time and still be smiling when I get home. 

Anyway, I decided to take my old pickup truck instead of the car, simply because I hadn't driven it for several weeks, and it needed to be run for a little bit. To my surprise, it was easy to drive in heels, even though it's a manual transmission. I now realize that the reason I don't like to drive in heels has to do with the angle of the accelerator pedal in my car. 

There were a few gals wearing boots with block heels whom I observed on my outing, but no one with 5 1/2" heels like me. No one seemed to take particular notice of me, even though I was wearing skinny jeans, and the whole shoe was visible. 

Welcome Seeker. Unless I missed it, there is a crucial piece of information missing, and that is whether you want or intend to wear these putative 6 inch heels outside the house, i.e., in public. If that's the case, I'm with the others--Don't Do It! At best, you'll look a fool. At worst, you'll seriously injure yourself.  I started out with 2 1/2" heels, and have worked my way up over the course of 7 years to where I can do 4 1/2" difference between toe and heel height without any trouble. I still to this day cannot do 5" (no platform) gracefully and comfortably. Working on it. 

Six inch, even in your size, is incredibly steep. However, if your intention is just to wear them around your home, then by all means, go for it! If no one sees you, it doesn't really matter how silly you look, right? But where's the fun in that? I would encourage you to get some 3 inch block or wedge heeled boots, go out and give them a spin somewhere. 

Good luck!

I'll submit the oldest pair of "real" high heels I have. They are also my first pair of "real" high heels, bought almost exactly 5 years ago. I still keep them around for doing work where I don't want to ruin my shoes, like painting and such. I even bought a second identical pair, but rarely wear them because they're not steep enough for my present taste  

Sbicca Hutton, 4 1/2" heel, 1 1/4" platform, heels have never been replaced. They've worn like iron. Made in USA. 

8 hours ago, HappyinHeels said:

I'd use a Dremel since it is a precise tool. A grinding wheel like I have in the pole barn is more for heavy-duty projects. Although, a big heel might need a big wheel???  Good luck with this. HinH

My 8 year old has been bugging me for a while to get him a Dremel. I might be able to kill two birds with one stone. He's pretty good about sharing! I know you have been after me encouraging me for a while to repair my own shoes. Maybe it might take this time? You never know.

On 11/29/2017 at 12:17 AM, Amanda said:

 

Heel first absolutely. You can't truly glide and look natural any other way.

I would agree wholeheartedly, with one exception. I see that (female) ballroom dancers, especially Latin style, often have a very stylized way of entering/exiting the dance floor, wherein they actually step down toe first after lifting that foot rather high off the ground behind them, then kicking it out front to take a step. It looks pretty smooth and graceful when done correctly.

However, outside of that particular limited context, that sort of walk looks completely absurd. Furthermore, ballroom shoes aren't really very tall-heeled, in our world anyway. I can't imagine it would even be possible to walk toe first in 5 inchers, even if you wanted to.

On 11/29/2017 at 9:43 PM, Histiletto said:

It should be a given - If your heel tips are less than 9mm in diameter and you want to wear them for lengthy distances (like miles) on normal concrete walkways, you have to carry or have handy extra tips and the tools for replacements accessible where ever you are. Otherwise, you'll have to carry or at least have access to other pairs of back-up pumps in which buying them on the way may also be an option for those who can afford the time and expense. 

***Warning*** Be careful doing this procedure!!!! May be better for a shoe repair person to do this. However, I've had some heel tip post break off almost flush with the surface of the seat hole. Using a precision grinding bit, I make a centered depression in the exposed post. Then with a 1/16" drill bit for metal, I bore a hole through the post center so that I can bore incrementally a larger hole area with larger bits until either the post can be slipped out or totally bored out at the size needed for the replacement heel tip. Usually the hole becomes off-centered enough that the post is drilled away at a side point and the rest of the post can be extracted or falls out. If the hole is made too big, a metal sleeve needs to be inserted to correct this, depending on the area of the heel's capping surface there is left to work with. So again, be careful!

Ah, there is one operation I might actually be able to do. If there's one thing I'm pretty good at, it's running a drill motor fairly precisely, as it's pretty much a requirement for my job, and I've been doing it 20 years. However, I have yet to have this happen to me.

Thanks @Steve63130 for the testimonial.

Thanks Joe, for the tutorial! I will have to give it a try soon. Is there a good way to shape the tip if it doesn't quite match the contour of your heel?

Hi folks, TBG would like you to know that ShoeShow.com is having their annual free shipping promotion. He says they have some pretty nice stuff, some of which is up to Size 13. I cannot personally vouch for this company, as I usually get my stuff used, but if TBG says they're ok, that's good enough for me.

I thought many of you might like to hear that he's at least thinking about you, even if he's no longer here.