freestyle75

Many reasons... many wear heels at work that they cannot walk long distances in - at work, most people sit 85% of the time at their desk.

Second, especially if it's getting dark earlier during fall/winter-time, women prefer shoes they can RUN in if they get attacked. If you have tried to run for your life in 4 inch heels, that's quite understandable (not funny though).

Either one of their European boutiques, or online stores like Antonioli, Luisaviaroma, Oki-Ni or Vertice London. But none of them do offer these boots this season, so I am pretty sure that they aren't available in the F/W 2013 ready to wear collection.

 

Take a look at the runway pictures of F/W 2013. If you can spot a pair there, they should be available, otherwise you will have to wait.

Edit: I just looked at the pics, no heeled boots at all!

I do have a few I could sell.

Why would I sell them?

• The Rick Owens wedge knee high boots because I considered them "bad-ass" looking in the store, but rather ugly when I looked at them a few weeks later. I've got nicer wedges that make my foot look smaller - just the opposite is the case with the Rick Owens wedges. But I haven't sold them so far because they were over 1,000 USD, and you just get a fraction of that when you are selling them. Never worn.
• My Steve Madden Allyy heels because they don't fit. I liked the look, but they just don't fit. Going to sell them within the next month or so.
• My Tommy Hilfiger strap wedge sandals because I initally bought them to have a summer heel available. I don't know why, but I consider them to be too femme looking. In addition, I've got the pair from Fendi I like even more, so I often choose the Fendi over the Hilfiger ones. But they are nice shoes, so I am keeping them.
• My Guess Chelsea boots because they were made in China and smell like an industrial chemical plant - at least when they were new out of the box. I've kept them because I like how they look, and they also fit ok, but the smell... it's probably toxic.
• My Anne Demeulemeester riding boots - I had ordered a size 41.5 and a size 42 to try out and kept the 42, as I had trouble getting the 41.5 off my foot. Walked around a lot in the 42 and discovered that the leather gave in, so it became a bit too big. Should have taken the 41.5. I am keeping them though, as they were the first pair of "unusual" boots and my first "designer" item. The whole craziness about heels, designer stuff, fashion, etc. was started by this buy. Sort of sentimental for me

How many would I keep?

At the moment, I do have around 60 heels, most of them boots. I just went through my list - there are 20 of them I wear regularly or that do have a design that's just amazing.

I feel a bit like Buzz Bissinger, and I've realized I probably am shopping addicted. I've decided to invest less in heels and rather buy two or three heels a year than nearly one pair every month. Besides, I also realized I prefer buying another pair of heels than e.g. buying a new men's suit, while I would wear the latter more often. But suit = work, and heels = freedom/leisure time, so it's quite obvious why I prefer to buy heels... nonetheless, I am going to cut back on the heel front.

Camilla Skovgaard and Charlotte Olympia do focus on shoes only - I was referring not only to shoes, but also to the clothing the designers make, as I am always looking for something that looks stylish (posh/classy), but not conservative - both in shoes, but also in clothing.

When I hear Charlotte Olympia, I always think of the platform on her shoes first, like this one. The type of platform she uses could be found on boots from the 70s, but of course with a chunky heel instead of stilettos. Personally, I am not sure whether I like her designs. It's clearly recognizable on the street (geez... I noticed that I have learned to spot the designer of a shoe just by looking at a picture of the shoe...), but it's not that special. There are shoes that have an extraordinary design (e.g. Giuseppe Zanottis heel-less shoes, or the ice-skater boots by DSquared), which may be recognized as being "last season", but nonetheless will always stay extraordinary. For Charlotte Olympia, it doesn't tick any of my boxes - I don't like the design particulary, they are not a must-have in a collection... I am not convinced.

Camilla Skovgaard was a new one for me. I had seen her shoes before, but first had to google her name to see the different designs. Saw the designs, liked one, looked whether it is available in my size...yes... even on sale... MUST RESIST BUYING IT... (that shoe in a non-peep-toe design and I would have bought it right-away). Definitely like her designs.

Jil Sander: Here we have to differentiate. JIl Sander pre February 2012 was driven by the designer Raf Simons - I really liked his 2011 fall/winter wedge boots so much that I bought two different types. Since Feb '12, JIl Sander has taken over the lead of the brand Jil Sander again.

Shoes - well, not such a big fan of her fall/winter 2013/14 designs. For me, they look a bit too bulky, almost like Jeffrey Campbell's boots - I am not a big fan of the latter.

When it comes to clothing, Jil Sander tries to be bold but misses the last bit to go through with it. For her womenswear items, the collar has been designed in a typical, feminine large style, which I really like. In the menswear, she injected a larger collar as well, but didn't have the boldness to attach it to the jacket or coat - making it removable. I would have bought the jacket if she only had given it a larger collar similar to the women's version. All in all, her designs do include some new stuff (even in menswear), but the last bit is missing. Still, I am considering buying stuff from her F/W 13/14 collection this year. Might check her boutique in Dusseldorf in August/September.

So.... Charlotte: nope, Camilla. Yes, Jil Sander: depends.

You guys should check out the Rad Hourani fashion shows on you tube. The clothes are totally genderless and seasonless.

seasonless... and pretty much shapeless (sorry - not meant to offend you).

I tried on one of his jackets at a boutique in London, and the jacket just looked as if I had taken a (leather) bag, put a zipper and a hole in it and put it on. Pretty much square/rectangular cut - truly genderless, but also not very interesting. Rad's heeled boots are ok (his trademark is the square toe box), but I found a pair by Acne that looked similar, but nicer overall.

If you are into Rad's clothes, you might wanna take a look at designers such as Anne Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh or Julius. The main issue I've got with all of them is that they pretty much produce "luxury" goth clothes. All in gray, black and dark gray-brownish colors. No other color - and most of the time also not *that* much of an innovation from season to season. Whether you pull out a design from 2010 or 2013 - it all looks very similar.

Back in 2010/11 I bought a couple of their clothes, but I changed to some more colorful stuff, as I couldn't stand the constant "black" anymore.

While I never buy used shoes, I often bought stuff over the phone (boutique in another country and let them ship it to me). When I am shopping for stuff, I do try it on.

But let me be more specific regarding the phone stuff: I don't advertise that the shoes are for myself, but I also don't try to hide it.

As I am writing this, a pair of boots from the new fall/winter collections is on its way from Italy to the London boutique where I I ordered them via phone this week. It was actually quite funny: I phoned the boutique and had a salesgirl on the phone whom I asked whether they already had the fall winter collection available (yes). Then I asked for a fax number, where I could send a fax with the pair of boots I was looking for.

The salesgirl asked me whether I had "What's App" installed on my smartphone (yes) - and told me I should just send her the picture of the boots I was looking for (which I did). They had them available, but realized later that the left shoe in the box was a size smaller than the right one - therefore ordering them from Italy for me.

During the last few days, we sent pictures, messages, and made phone calls to exchange the exact boot type, size, credit card details and address.

• I told her that _I_ was looking for that pair of boots.
• I told her that _I_ am normally a size 41.5, but that _I_ could also use a 41 if no half sizes would be available
• I told her that she should pay special attention that the box is packaged carefully, as _I_ store my boots during summer in their original boxes.

For me, it was crystal clear that these boots were for me. Still, when the deal was made, she said I really should stop by at her boutique when I am visiting London together with my wife

Ooookay. I could have told her at this point that I am single, don't have a wife, and yes, that I am ordering these boots for myself - but who cares? It's not that I am hiding them in my closet...

After all, most people will expect that you are either buying stuff for your girlfriend (or it seems that the girlfriend gets upgraded to a wife if the items are more expensive ) or that you are a weirdo. Whatever they think - I don't care, but I have stopped trying to explain that yes, I am that guy that also wears women's shoes...

When shopping for boots in person, sometimes the salesgirls are so surprised that they get brain-scattered like an old professor. I was in London, shopping for boots at Harrods. Asked her whether she had them in my size, tried them on in two different sizes, liked them, bought them. The salesgirl said that they look great on me and tried to act cool, but was nervous the whole time.

Drove back to the hotel and realized while packing my suitcase that she had mixed up the left and right pair, so I had two different sizes in my box. Had to drive back to Harrods to get one of them exchanged for the right size...

Hi everyone,

I was out this Saturday going on a shopping spree, wearing my Fendi sandals, white bootcut jeans (self-made) and a white short-sleeved shirt.

While my steps are shorter, my speed of walking is just the usual (well it got slower after a few hours due to the strap cutting me, but I digress - anyway, I didn't have the impression that a lot of people did really notice that I was wearing these wedge sandals. Even in the shops nobody really paid attention or said anything to me.

Till... I got into a smaller boutique where I shopped a few things and was standing in line at the cash register, a couple just standing in front of me. She was paying, he was standing next to her, bored, looking around. While looking at me, he suddenly burst out into a laugh, but stopped immediately. Sort of like someone suddenly laughing at a funeral but realizing that it's not the right place. His wife asked why he was laughing. He cleared his throat and answered "oh, there was something funny outside."

Which made EVERYONE in that store take a look outside, even the girl at the cash register. Nothing outside. Not even a single person walking there (the boutique is in a very quiet side-road, no car traffic allowed). The girl at the cash register shook her head, his wife looked at him like "you are nuts", and I started to chuckle a bit.

Geeez... he didn't even have the guts to ask me about the sandals, he just made something silly up. I sometimes find it amusing to see how men do react, just to act as if they did not react...

Now to the not-so-funny part: Cobblestone pavement. I've walked on cobblestone pavement with heels before, mostly chunky heels (boots) where it doesn't matter that much. I also seem to be more stable in boots than in the sandals.

Anyway... when I went back to my car, I had to cross the central market place, which has cobblestone pavement all over. I nearly twisted my ankle 4 or 5 times - never thought it would be so difficult with these wedges. Next time I will probably take a different route.

I wonder: Do you "optimize" your route when walking in heels (e.g. stilettos) based on the "road conditions" you going to have ahead?

Hi everyone,

I was wearing my Fendi sandals this weekend - first time I wore them for a full day to go on a shopping spree downtown.

These are my beauties (photo taken when I had got them fresh out of the box):

Now... while walking in the city, I already noticed that the strap that is on top of the toes (marked with the Fendi symbol) does cut into my big toe. Interestingly, only on the right foot. I gritted my teeth, and finished my shopping trip.

Back at home, I found the upper skin of my big toe (right foot) had rubbed off and exposed the underlying, dark red skin - short of starting to bleed. It will probably take a week or two to heal completely. Left foot - nothing.

I really like those sandals and do want to wear them again - I just wonder how to deal with that? Put protective bandages around my toe before putting these sandals on? Do you have any recommendations?

@Shafted:

Something like this ?

(Gareth Pugh, 2011 fall/winter runway collection)

This is how the first draft of the pattern of the jacket looks like... (reverse engineered based on pics from the net)

... and this is how my second version of the jacket looks like (self made after I got a more flexible material than the leather/neoprene combination that I had used for the first one):

I also made the chiffon pants... the boots would fit such an outfit, don't you think?

Honestly though... I just wanted to know whether I would be able to sew something like that. Since I did sew it last year, I haven't worn it once - I just don't know where this would be wearable except for gothic parties (that I haven't visited so far), fashion shows (would like to visit... no invitation) or ... I don't know...

One size bigger and they could have sold one more...

HI everyone, there was an interesting discussion from the London College of Fashion about the topic of men and high heels that was uploaded on Youtube. The discussion starts at 0:05:20.

While most are quite open to the topic of high heels, they are still very much in the "old" thinking patterns, meaning that a block heel is masculine, whereas the stiletto is considered feminine. The video clearly shows that fashion designers as such are already considering the possibility of heels for men, but (unfortunately) even they are not wearing heels while discussing this topic. I agree though that heels being worn by celebrities might change the overall attitude of men towards the idea of heels.

@mtnsofheels: Around 1500 USD for the DAF Bootie. You can get them at the online site from Louboutin - if they are not sold out. I looked at them in the Louboutin store in London (they were extremely friendly and even let me sit down and browse the catalogue of the upcoming fall/winter 2013 boot collection), and found that the platform in real life is HUGE. HUGE as in humongous - and not looking that good in a bigger size - but that's my personal opinion. Personally, I like the Bianca (your left picture) much, much more, but then again, the shaft is about 1 inch too wide for me in the knee-high boots in a size 11 - at these prices, the boots should fit well...

...is to not only wear what you want, but do it with style and grace.

Very well put, Shafted.

@bootsboy95: It gets easier with time, and with more experience, heels just become what they are: shoes.

Go grocery shopping. Shopping carts are a great way to practice even the highest heels - you always have a handle to grab on to

Go to the cinema, go to the main shopping streets to take a look at the latest fashion trends, visit the cafe or bar, go to a club... there are so many places where you can go to.

What I would not recommend is to put on high heels and go to the electronics store to buy something heavy - like a big satellite dish & mount - and carry it to your car (which is a mile away as the parking lot was nearly full). Been there, done that. In retrospective, sneakers would have been the better choice for that

When I visited London last week, I saw a girl get into a cab wearing similar heels as these from Miu Miu:

I had seen the Miu Miu before on Netaporter when they sold them in (I think) 2012, but the site said that they would run one size smaller than what was written on the label. Largest size was 41, I am a 41, so I would have required a 42 to fit in. Too bad.

Louboutin had a similar style called the "Bibi" heels, but when I visited the Louboutin store in London, they told me that they would only get the Bianca, which has a stiletto heel type. So... I am still searching. While I wear boots all the time, with pumps I am not even sure how often I would wear them...

Oh well *sigh*... I didn't buy this one from Marc O' Polo back in 2011 when I first saw it, and my size was sold out when I had finally decided to buy it one week later. I still kept the lookbook picture though...

Does Marc O' Polo also sell their stuff in North America?

Although I haven't seen one that looks as nice as the one above, they carry the longline cardigans every fall/winter.

Ohh... and one other thing: Last year they had a dufflecoat that was made of a very light cotton/wool blend - not like a coat, but more like a thicker cardigan. This one I bought - still got the store's picture of it. Something like this could also work for you:

I often wore it with a turtleneck, skinny jeans and my knee-high A.F. Vandevorst boots in cognac color.

I read your question this morning and thought about this troughout the day. I guess what is "off" about this jacket is something you cannot change: The way our body is constructed. For the same height, women tend to have longer legs. This also means that they do have a shorter upper body. This is what heel-lover already described: "it is looking for a pair of hips to follow on out from the illusion of a waist" - the hips that would naturally be where the hem of the jacket is. Problem here: Your hips sit way below where the jacket ends, and that makes it look a bit awkward, or "funny", as your wife put it. Trust her on that one Once again, such short jackets look great with skirts, and I've even been searching quite a long time to find a jacket that would be short enough and fitted to go with my knee-length pleated skirt - longer jackets look a bit off in that case. Personally, I don't think that in the particular combination you are wearing, the jacket does something for you. A fitted, but longer jacket would look nicer given that you have a very slim build. The clogs look nice thought - definitely a keeper. "Nay" from my side.

Thanks for all of your answers! *Sigh* I love you guys. What a shame that we don't live in one place - we would rock town! I might still be too "old fashioned" in my thinking. I always consider what would be appropriate in terms of what most women would wear in that place I am going to, so I never even considered wearing my stilettos to a grocery store. I've crossed a lot of boundaries already, but never reflected why I still follow this rule... then again, I am already breaking the social norm by wearing heels, so what's stopping me from wearing those that I feel like wearing that day? (e.g. to the grocery store...) I guess the next weeks I am going to do quite a couple of changes of what I wear where

Hi everyone,

while looking at the "Who has bought some new shoes" thread, I started wondering where you wear your heels, and whether it is always "appropriate" to the occasion (I am lacking a better way to phrase it). Let me give a few examples:

Baby stroller:

• While walking to the hair cutter in the town nearby, I noticed that all women that were pushing their baby strollers (was nice weather, noticed a few) were wearing flats, e.g. ballerinas or sneakers. It's a rural area here, so they don't want to look great, they just want something practical.
• Compare that to St. Tropez: I saw one lady in her late 20s pushing a baby stroller along the Av. du Huit Mai 1945 (close to where all the big yachts are located) - she was wearing Louboutin ultra-high heel pumps (I would estimate to 14 - 16 cm without platform). I should have taken a photo - it seemed unreal. She was also dressed more like someone going to a dinner party than someone pushing a baby stroller around.

Grocery shopping:

• Many of the women I see at our local supermarket are wearing flats, some are wearing low heeled boots/heels, but I haven't seen anyone wearing really high heels, especially not stilettos.

Work:

• I've seen quite a few women at work wearing even quite high stilettos to work, of course often in muted colors (black, nude, grey, etc.)

Partying:

• No question here, at clubs you often see the highest heels available.

For the average guy who wants to wear heels (especially the higher stiletto ones), this brings up the question whether to dress "appropriately", similar to women, or whether to just "don't care" and dress like you want to. Personally, I've got a few stiletto heels now (all quite high), but apart from partying, I honestly wouldn't know where to put them on - which is a shame in my opinion, but I also don't have a real solution to this. All dressed up, nowhere to go.

So... question to you guys: To what occasions do you wear what type of heels?

Hi everyone,

I am wondering whether Louboutin produces the "Bianca" type as bootie-version. I know, summer isn't the best time to search for boots anyway, but I haven't found any trace of such boots. The only thing I found are either the Bianca pumps...

... or the Bianca knee-high boots...

What I am looking for is something like the DAF boot that is a little more than ankle height, but with the platform & shape of the Bianca type. Does anyone know whether this exists?

P.S.: Sorry for the badly worded thread topic. I had changed a few words, and it also seems that the browser automatically changed some letters to capital letters. Sorry!!!

Congrats heelguy to your new CLs. I love them - but I would probably never wear this pair in public - too much platform, and I also prefer closed shoes. Plus at age 38 I feel that these shoes are more geared toward the younger aged (geez... I feel kinda old now). Nonetheless, I think it's great that you have got the guts to not only buy them, but also wear them out. I am going to be in London next week, and I am tempted to also stop by at CL to take a look whether I am going to get a second pair... Have fun!

@jorisken123: True, Louboutin once stated that comfort is not his #1 priority when designing his shoes. Nonetheless, the statement that most designer high heels are not comfortable is a generalization that's simply not true. As with every shoe, it depends on many factors - heel height, heel type, what type of shoe it is (knee-high boot, ankle, pumps, etc.).

I do own CL's "troop" boots, which do have a bit more chunky heel. I got them in a size 41, should have gotten them in a size 41.5 - then they would fit perfect. But even with a shoe that is a bit on the narrow side, these are extremely comfortable. The leather is very soft, and the footbed seems to be a little cushioned. They are quite easy to walk in.

I got stilettos from Ballin boots (original retail price around 650 USD, and I got stilettos by a no name brand that were on sale around 80 USD. The ones by Ballin feel solid. No wobbling around, no insecurity when walking. The no name brand stilettos give me a feeling that I constantly have to adjust how I stand/walk in order not to fall. Again, something I wouldn't generalize (you can get perfect heels for little money), but just a personal observation.

Hmm... looking at another picture of that series, I found a better shot of the boot. Definitely not CL... here's the comparison - left from the photo shoot, right from the CL website, scaled to be in the same proportion:

The platform on the left one is less, and the zipper goes completely up, while CLs platform is much higher, and the zipper ends a bit before the end of the shaft. Personally, I like the left ones better...

Thanks Vicky + Jenny! Somehow, the platform doesn't look as tall on the photos than when I look at these boots on the CL website. On another website, one review even stated that the platforms look way too high when putting on the boots. Hmm... although I like the overall style (+ suede), I am probably going to search for something with a little less platform. Thanks nonetheless !

Hi everyone,

anyone got a clue what brand / model these heels could be?

More pictures here.

Hmm.. dominant mother and absent father... my father was an airline pilot, so he was often away from home. Nonetheless, it didn't feel as he was "absent". In addition, I also don't recollect any particular scene in my early years that I would connect to heels. Quite to the contrary: My mom was wearing flats and sneakers all the time, and the only pair of heels she had was a pair that I considered totally ugly (still do). Quite honestly, I cannot pinpoint any event that could have triggered my love for heels. It more of evolved - I had seen a men's skirt in a shop window more than 13 years back, walked by and thought "no, you cannot wear something like that". It was the forbidden fruit that made things interesting and the question "how does it feel to wear something like this?". I walked by, walked back, walked in and got out with the skirt. It was back in 1999 when I ordered my first pair of heels from a mail order catalogue. Today I wouldn't touch them - 70s style, probably 2 inch plateau and very cheaply made. Why I ordered them? Because after the skirt, I again wondered how it would feel to wear something like this. I wanted to wear the highest heels that were out there. In the mail order catalogue Fast forward to today: I still like heels very much, as much as enjoy the variety that fashion as such has to offer. I also like fast cars, expensive watches and good food. I am not sure whether I would consider any of these a fetish - once you use your heels at least every weekend, they quickly lose that "forbidden" touch and become just another pair of shoes. Shoes that I cannot wear during the week to work (so they are still special), but nonetheless just shoes...