Lime15

1 hour ago, mtnsofheels said:

Hi all, well I finally opened my order of Syro "Chad's" from Solestruck. They looked very good but when I tried them on I ran into a sizing issue. The shoes did not fit in fact they felt like a size 8 in womens and not mens. I take a size 41 and have ordered successfully from Solestruck before with no issue, but these are not sized correctly and small. Now as a twist in the story, I also got a notice that Solestruck has closed its doors, really! they were a good store I felt. But so suddenly there are gone. I am waiting to hear from an email address about returning my shoes for a new size. So I am at a stalemate as to what will happen now, I have found a direct contact to Syro and hopefully that will produce some replies. So at this point I hope see some sort resolution. I also reread a bunch of promo's about Syro which one stated "Solestruck has created its own shoeline, Syro".  Hmmm will report back when I find out more details.

Interesting, indeed!  Yeah, Solestruck basically said, "We're going out of business in a week!" and that was it.  I would hope that Syro would accept the exchange, since Solestruck seemed like their big sales partner - and from what that promo may have revealed, run by the same money.

5 hours ago, Steve63130 said:

The word from my cousin at Caleres (formerly Brown Shoe Co. in St. Louis) is that shoe sales are in the doldrums. The millennials are not buying like previous generations. They are more into lifestyle than fashion and material things, so they're spending money on vacations and travel, stuff like that. The only footwear niche that is doing well is sports footwear.

I can believe it because I constantly see sales for Naturalizer, Nine West, White Mountain Shoes, and others, and it's 20-30% plus free shipping. That doesn't leave much profit!

Steve

Shoe companies should take a lesson from hosiery manufacturers which saw a boom (primarily due to sale to men) in pantyhose sales, something that was also experience a big downturn, when they took their business online.  That was a completely untapped and unknown market to them until then.

Quality brands, fair prices, sizes up through 14.  The first label that does that consistently and recognizes the market is the shoe company that will boost up sales.  Nine West stands to be the best candidate in my opinion as they are decent quality at a good price, and in the case of SOME of their shoes, the sizing is already there.  If they would take a small slice out of the manufacture of sizes 5-7 and redirect that to 12-14 they would have a goldmine on their hands.

SYRO is kind of doing that but their image and advertising also has a healthy dose of "we're all gay here" or "dressing up in my moms stuff used to be such a taboo" (which I don't give two shits about, be whoever and however you want to be) and that's not what equality in regards to shoes needs, that's not going to bring about the change.  If Nine West, for instance, started pushing larger sizes and had some press releases stating that it has long been known to them that men from all walks of life and all clothing preferences shop their stores for heels (which is true) then you'd see it start to grow like wildfire.

All these shoe brands know men buy their heels.  All one needs to do is get the balls to say it and carry the harder to find sizes.

I've actually seen Hot Topic go back to their roots in regards to footwear over the past couple years.  Torrid on the other hand has decided "hoochie bling" is their style for awhile now, nothing casual or unisex really.

Outstanding on both pairs, yoyo!  My wife has a pair of the green sneaker boots that I got for her, hmmm, must have been about seven years ago.  That's a style you don't see come up that often.  I'd have a pair myself if they went up to 13.

I don't buy as much as I used to, in fact I've slimmed way down to specific shoes that I really like, but I recently picked up two pairs that I couldn't say no to.

First pair was a super cheap closeout I came across on eBay for a pair of Chinese no-name pumps with clear uppers.  It was leftover stock that was already in the USA or something like that, so I figured what the heck and got my usual size 13.  They fit pretty good and once adjusting to the very flexible uppers they are quite comfortable as well and I've worn them for the better part of today.

Second are Iron Fist from the extremely short-lived and rapidly discontinued RuPaul line.  A closeout dealer on eBay had the whole range a couple years ago but they sold out immediately.  Much to my shock it seems they found a few more pairs in the larger sizes in their inventory and offered them recently.  These are a medium width size 14, the largest Iron Fist ever made.  While 13 is my regular size, it was out of stock and I know a standard Iron Fist 12 is too small for me (while the D Width 12's I am JUST able to fit but not as comfortably as I would like) I decided to grab the only pair of size 14 and hope for the best.  They fit great!  Actually really comfortable although the narrow heel and rise of the shoe make them a challenge to walk in.  Very manageable though and not bad at all after a few minutes.  Sure they're kind of ridiculous but I do like them.  Grey and black snake print with a green and white fading heel.  Still not 100% if I'm going to keep them depending on how much I'll actually wear them.

3 hours ago, SF said:

Also take a peek at Torrid, they have shoes / sandals in larger sizes, they cater to larger size gals (and guys) in general.   Cheaper too.  Not as big a selection of shoes - maybe since they also sell clothes - but the staff at the stores are really nice. 

A note that Torrid tends to top out at size 12 in their stores unless a size 13 is returned and they don't send it back out right away.  They've also moved a lot of their shoes to "online exclusive" in any size.  Torrid irritates me as it has been a few years since they had anything I really, really liked.  I don't know what's up with their management but a lot of their styles are just strange lately or are very poorly made, as in they all fall apart and fail in the same place - check some of the reviews online.

What I don't understand is why they don't bring back some of their previous shoe styles, the ones that constantly were top sellers for YEARS and had a classic presentation.  Namely the "System" platform pumps which were sold in a wide assortment of colors and finishes, were easy to find online and in stores, were lightweight and fit spectacularly - and can occasionally sell for pretty big money on the secondary market in larger sizes.  I only have one pair left in nude patent, the others (black patent, red patent, blue faux suede) I wore to death, literally just completely worn out inside the uppers and outsoles.  The "Qunicy" line had a bunch of cool styles as well and I've been trying to find a replacement pair of "Tricia" teal faux suede open toe chunky heel platforms since I absolutely wore my pair out three years ago - to no avail.

Between myself, my wife and my sisters I used to spend thousands of dollars at Torrid every year.  I don't think I've spent a hundred total over the past two.  I just don't understand their current style focus as the classy pin-up style stuff they used to sell never dropped in interest or sales (I know a lot of people who have worked for Torrid for a long time), they just changed focus out of the blue.  It's funny because if you complain about it on Torrid's Facebook - you'll get a TON of supportive comments from others about the same thing - then Torrid just deletes it.

2 hours ago, Bubba136 said:

While I rarely have a problem finding women's shoes to fit my size 10/11 feet, I have noticed, especially in shoe stores in the malls in larger cities like Charlotte  or Charleston, many of the stores that cater to African American ladies tastes sell many attractive styles of women's shoes in larger/wider sizes.  Perhaps you guys that are having problems locating bigger sizes might keep this in mind as a possible source.

I used to notice that too but over the past couple years that avenue has dried up as well.

13 hours ago, mtnsofheels said:

Yes, I have ordered a pair them and they are waiting for me once I get back home. will be able to report back about in about 5 days. Looking forward to them.

 

 

Cool, thanks!  While I like a couple of the styles, and would like to support a new designer making men's heels, it's really going to come down to fit and finish to justify the cost for me.

Has anyone taken the plunge on these?

On 7/26/2016 at 6:49 AM, SF said:

Interesting.....  However, I looked at the Nordstrom site as well as Zendaya's site and none of the shoes go larger than a size 10.  There are other references and quotes from Zendaya on the net about her shoe line not being only for ladies, because "boys rock heels too," but it seems strange that she only has shoes that go to a size 10.  Maybe I am looking in the wrong places.  Nice looking shoes tho...  Take care...    sf

This.  It seems every retailer that carries / carried larger sizes has completely transitioned them out of their stores.  Nordstrom Rack did this years ago with their remodels - suddenly the small size 13 section was gone, replaced with 11 / 12, which itself had shrank drastically.  I haven't really liked anything at Payless for a couple years but they are the same, the stores that used to have a few pairs of 12 - 13 don't have anything anymore and if they do it's one pair of their completely played out Karmen pumps in matte black.  While DSW rarely had anything over 12 (12w on rare occasion, even rarer if they weren't something like nurse's clogs), their clearance section would occasionally have a few pairs to take a look at.  That's changing as well as most, if not all stores, are installing / expanding a kid's section, which is eating up floor space for clearance - the only place where those larger sizes were ever really found.  My local DSW stops at size 11 in clearance now and the rest of it has all been compressed down as well.

Granted in the case of Nordstrom and DSW the majority of that is in the hands of the manufacturers but where as a couple years ago both locations championed how they sold larger sizes (especially some Nordstrom Rack locations having special larger size inventory days) neither seems to acknowledge the demographic anymore.

Sure a few of the bigger mid-quality brands such as Nine West now make quite a few of their shoes up to size 12 (go one size further as standard, dammit!), with an occasional 13 or 14, but it is always an afterthought and the shoes are hard to find or expensive -- and again, most stop at 11 or if you're fortunate 12.  The other side of the coin are the more costume type shoes that do run into larger sizes but let's all be honest that Pleaser / Bordello / Demonia / Funtasma / Ellie / Leg Avenue / etc. really do stick to bread-and-butter styles outside of the crazy exotic stuff, and even that has been pretty stagnant in terms of new styles for almost a decade - with the exception of some old discontinued Demonia styles I desperately wish they would bring back.  They can also have wildly inconsistent sizing due to their current lines being produced over such a large amount of time.

If Nine West, or Steve Madden, or BCBG would do one season's heels up through size 14, even with a $5 - $10 increase for the two largest sizes, and make sure production was easy to find - that's all it would take to prove what a huge market there is and that it should be embraced.  I joked years go when the BCBGeneration and BCBGirls brands were launched that they need to make a BCBGentlemen and BCBGuys sub brand of heels in larger sizes.  Still waiting for that day.

23 hours ago, pumpcat said:

Got these shoes from fluevog.

Really like those, pumpcat!

Those are amazing, freestyle75!  Sure that's a lot of money but sometimes when you get the chance to get something you've been waiting on for years as a complete pipe dream, you just have to go for it.  Congratulations!

3 hours ago, Steve63130 said:

LIme,

Good to see you posting again. Nice pair of booties, but I looked on the Torrid.com web site and I didn't find them listed anywhere. They must have sold out, so there is no chance of seeing if they publish your review, but it's a good review nevertheless. Enjoy wearing the new acquisition (and get a pedicure to make them look spectacular!).

Steve

I have no desire to color my nails. I trim and file them myself and that's how I like it.

Not as active as I once was and don't buy as many pairs of heels as before but a pre Black Friday promotion at Torrid on a pair I had been watching for awhile gave me no excuse not to buy.  However I didn't order them immediately and my usual size 13 was sold out so I had to go with 12.  Wasn't that worried as they looked like they would fit big and sure enough, the 12's fit perfectly.  Nicest Torrid heels I've seen in a long time - they really do remind me of their older pin-up styles.

I wrote a review at Torrid.com, here that is, let's see if they publish it -

"I had been keeping an eye on these for quite some time and when they finally went on sale my usual size 13 was out of stock so I opted for the size 12.  I generally wear a 13M in women's shoes but occasionally a Torrid 12W will fit nicely.

When they arrived (Torrid shipping is a LOT quicker than it was previously - thank you) it became instantly apparent that size 12 was the way to go.  These run about a size large, at least on the upper end, even as a wide width goes.  In other words the 12W fits like a 13 with a little extra room.  My toes aren't hanging off the edge and rest right at the edge of the front of the shoe.  The uppers are soft and supple and even the footbed is nicely padded and luxurious.  The tortoiseshell print gloss areas are of high quality and the shoes definitely feel a step up from Torrid's offerings over the past couple years.

If there is only one downside it has to do with the zippers.  On both shoes the zippers are fine after a few passes to break them in, but the zipper track is so closely stitched to the uppers that the zipper itself grinds away at the inside as it is moved.  Of course this cannot be seen except beneath the zipper panel but it is a design flaw and may eventually cause additional strain on the zipper - so be careful of that.

That all said, the fit and finish as outstanding.  It is almost as if these were to be part of a higher end line of Torrid footwear offerings as everything about them reflects quality.  Gals and guys looking for and upscale pair of ankle booties can't do much better - especially for the price.  Great pair of executive style heels with some edge.  Hopefully they come back in stock so I can buy another pair."

Just ordered a pair of these myself as Payless finally got them back in stock in size 13.  They are talking their sweet time to process the order however.

I've actually really gotten away from skirts myself over the past year or so.  Really I keep them around for more of intimate type play with my SO, which she can really be up for from time to time.  Can't say why I moved away from wearing skirts frequently or as daily wear, the desire just went away - kind of how the desire to wear heels began before that.  For me though, yes, it was a forward step from heels to heels and skirts as a way to better pair regular dress with more exotic shoes.  Hosiery is the one thing that I don't see going away as in the cooler months I wear pantyhose with jeans and sneakers almost every day.  Even my shoe assortment has really been reduced over the past year, now concentrating on a functional group of eight or so pairs with only a couple of the crazy costume type "just for fun" pairs.  No reason behind any of that, the desire just changed over time.

Your wife reacted the way anyone who found something their partner had been hiding from them for a number of years would.  Bravo to you in being honest once she asked and allowing her to control the pace until she becomes more comfortable.  I think that's forgotten a lot when stuff like this happens, I'm sure she felt just as sick when she came upon what you were hiding.  That's the thing here in most instances, not that it's heels but that something was being kept from someone you're close to.

Nice choices, Lime15.  I doubt I would have looked twice at the Mayhem model, but they look good on you.  I tried the Manic in both 12 medium and 11 wide, and neither was a good fit for me, plus, I found the heel seemed to hit my foot in the wrong spot.  Just couldn't find a comfortable fit there, though I like the look alot.  Good finds at those prices!

Thanks!  I agree about the Mayhem style - it really didn't appeal to me at first until I found one review online where someone had a picture actually wearing the shoe.  It looked interesting to me, unlike anything else I have, and the price was right so I went for it - really glad I did.  The Manic really seems to be either hit or miss for everyone.  I was concerned that the back of the heel cup would feel strange as well as it doesn't naturally curve up off the heel but rather has a gap at the bottom and tapers forward.  I tend not to like that both in terms of fit and look.  At $15 for two pairs I figured if I didn't like them I could make it back and thensome if I were to sell them.  My concerns about the heel cup styling ended up being fairly minimal but we'll see how they work out after a couple weeks.

Payless clearance + promotions + free shipping being moved down to $25 finally got me to purchase a couple styles I've wanted for awhile.  All are Christian Siriano for Payless.

First are Mayhem lace up booties in black.  Very nice faux suede uppers, easily the nicest synthetic I've come across.  Everything about these is soft and well-made and my size 13 fits perfectly.  Of all the shoes purchased in this group these ended up being the biggest surprise.

Next are Manic pumps in black.  I was hoping to get a pair of these in blue but they finally sold out.  I opted for black and white instead since they are currently $10 per pair and with BOGO it's two pairs of awesome heels for $15 - can't go wrong.  Although they were universally praised here when they first became available, I've heard mixed reviews from others.  That said, I really like them and they feel like they'll be really comfortable.  I just hope the mesh lining doesn't sag over time as it has already detatched in a few places but I was expecting that from what I read.

Last are Manic in white.  Same with the above, fit very nice and will look great this summer.  I've wanted a pair of white heels for awhile but never found a pair that I really liked.  These have a classic feel to them and I really like how they look.  I'm also looking forward to mixing the black and white versions of this shoe on the same day.

While these are all great, I really wish Payless would bring back Christian Siriano's Gold Collection.  Those styles were all really unique and even if all of them weren't my thing, it was nice to have those choices in size 13.

You look outstanding, NewfieGuyInHeels.  Then again I'm all about contrasting or matching neckties.

Lime: I've been curious about Type Z. How are they in terms of fit and comfort?

Pretty good in my experience, I like them a lot better than any of the Payless offerings to be honest.  Funny thing is I have that exact same style in black patent and blue seude.  The black patent pair is 13W while the blue are 13M.  They are exactly the same other than the 13W pair having a slightly vertically larger toebox.  As I remarked when I bought the 13W's (because they were super cheap) I'd hate to see what a13M was like as they were essentially straight up 13's.  In this case they're based on the same sole and for all intents and purposes fit exactly the same.

I also have a pair of similar "Spencer" platforms from RSVP (more or less the same shoe except the small platform isn't hidden and the toe point is smooth) in brown leather that are 13W and I'll say all three shoes fit the same.  Very comfortable, and are good to go with or without hosiery.  Seems the main complaint about both "brands" is that the wide really isn't a wide.  In my case that's an advantage.

I've found myself intrigued by these new pumps from Pleaser, the pointy toed "Classique". While I love how sexy these shoes look, I wonder, and worry about whether or not the 4 inch needle heels would be strong enough to support my 225 pounds, never mind the inevitable bother of getting such thin heels caught in sidewalk cracks. Opinions?

 

Wow, those look outstanding.  If you do order, please report back on size / fit.

I've purchased a couple new pairs over the past week.  First are the lace up booties from Hot Tomato.  This brand can have criminally small sizing but I've had great luck as of late and these fit very nicely in my usual 13M.  The laces are a little harsh on the tops of my feet so I may trade them out for something softer but other than that I can't complain.  I've noticed these are all over eBay right now for $50 - $90, insane for the low / mid quality of this brand.

The other pair is Carla from RSVP in blue suede.  I have a pair of these in black patent under the Type Z brand (I'm pretty sure they're brand names of the same group) that fit great so I knew I'd be good to go.  These actually ended up being free.  When the box arrived I noticed it had a Polaroid of the shoes taped to the outside of the shoebox (taken in a bathroom at that), were obviously worn and had a heel pad stuck in each.  I e-mailed Zappos service to complain that I was shocked no one in their returns department could take a moment to look over said return before shipping them back out as new merchandise.  The rep responded to me and said they would refund my full purchase and to go ahead and keep the shoes as an apology.  Getting those stupid heel pads out took quite a bit of work and they left behind a bit of residue but it is working itself out.  Also, hey, free is free.  All I was looking for was an apology for the disappointment.

Early arrival today as I wasn't expecting these to arrive until next week.  They're an older Torrid style that I had a pair of years ago but they were just too big at 13W.  I finally stumbled upon a brand new pair in 12W that were cheap so I made the purchase.  The right shoe is a little tight but I expect it to loosen up as they are broken in.  Not sure I'll wear coffee hosiery with them but it just happened to be what I was wearing today.  I love the cream / black color combination but this past season most designers seemed to trade out the cream for blush, which I don't care for.  Glad to have these again!

From the Nordstrom Rack:

Kenneth Cole Reaction "Mark Out" Mary Jane Wedge; saw it on after work mooch at Nordstrom Rack. Almost rejected them on price.

IMG_3296.JPGIMG_3297.JPGIMG_3298.JPG

 

I really like those wedges inquisitor!

My love affair with Pleaser's latest styles continues. These are the Devious Sexy 20. Love them but they are a bit tight. I have these in size 11 but if size 11.5 were available I would go with that, They definitely run 1 size too small. I'm keeping them and wearing them daily in short doses to break them in. They have stretched some since I first got them and I expect them to be fine. I posted a review on Amazon with the same images. Everybody stated they run small.

 

Joe

Hmmm... I may have to get a pair of those.  Thank you for posting fit information about various Pleaser styles.  It can sometimes be a pretty big crapshoot in terms of running small with their heels.

In the end it's up to you as all people and relationships are different but I'd tell her straight up.  You mentioned that you've been buying and wearing heels for over a decade.  With that said it's not a phase, it's not a curiosity, it's who you are.  First I'd take a step back and not use words like "obsession" as those tend to have negative and absolute connotations.  I think a big problem with the whole "I can't tell my significant other" talk is that most try to blow the whole thing open in one breath.  You have to ease into things.  "Hey, you know I really like heels, I actually have a couple pairs myself I've picked up over the years."  Could be as simple as that.  Put the majority into storage, round up a few of your favorite pairs, and lead in with those.  Just put them in the closet for awhile once she knows.  The important thing is that you both understand that your heels aren't your main fixation in life and won't be the main fixation of your relationship.  They're just another part of who you are and in turn who you will both be in a relationship together.

At the end of the day, IT'S JUST A PAIR OF SHOES.  It's not a criminal record, it's not some big scandal, and it's not some locked away secret.  When you keep things hidden from a loved one that you are with every day, that's when things get out of hand and something that should be common and fun and enjoyable becomes a scary taboo.  Relationships change people - that's one of the reasons we seek companionship, but everything has to be over time.

Why would I want to be with someone who finds something that is such a part of me and my style to be so dispicable?  I don't care who it is, ultimatums make bad bedfellows.

My girlfriend always knew of my fetish (said as good thing between us) for heels and women's shoes in general.  She also knew that I had worn heels a few times over the years for costuming and the like.  I had bought a pair here and there over the years while we were together but kept them hidden as they were a very occasional thing for me to buy and wear.  Well I made the descision that I would like to wear heels more often and told her I had bought a pair in my size.  We had a bit of a "secretary encounter" one night and after that I would wear the heels occasionally.  I mentioned that I would like to buy another pair that I had my eye on and did so, of which by that time she had no problem.  See, I wasn't anyone other than me, and she realized that.  I think that's a big problem with hiding things for years, you get the whole "you're not the person I knew" thing.

Well I probably have about 30 pairs now (nothing to her something like 120 at last count), buy and sell all the time, and have them all displayed in a secondary closet for easy access.  I wear heels almost every day I work from home, in fact I wear heels more than she does to be honest.  The big thing is I'm just always me, even on days I wear hosiery (which is almost every day) and a skirt, it's just me wearing clothes.  I'm still her boyfriend, I'm still a man, I'm still the person who will hold the door open for her, I'm still who fixes the appliances and plumbling, I still have all my regular hobbies, go to work, good relationship with family, have friends, nothing is different - I'm still me because I've always been me.  Most days she's completely indifferent to me wearing heels, on other days she's more into it - however never is there a negative response.  When she looks at me, I'm just me, the man she loves - whether I'm wearing blue leopard sneakers and jeans or 5" black and white spectator stilettos with a green pencil skirt.

....man I've rambled a bit.

Excellent choices, JeffB!  Since you say they fit true to size, I may have to buy the Manic pumps in cobalt from Payless online.  It's been at least two years since I've found anything close to fitting at a Payless store, local or otherwise.

Man, I must be getting old (well, not getting, I am.. ).  I just returned from Payless, and they had the Manic in both 11W and 12M.  The fit was decent in both, but from the pictures on line and the ones you sent, I didn't realize just how high of a heel those have.  Has to be a minimum of 4" and I wouldn't be shocked if it wasn;t a bit more than that in the large sizes.  I liked them, but found I was not walking very well in them.  Ended up taking a pass.  Crap!

Just finding shoes my size (13 like JeffB) sometimes feels like a success, even if they don't end up working out.