benno

Those Zara shoes look like the heels have been touched up in Photoshop.

Hi Heelguy, When it comes to fashion freestyle. One of my 'rules' is that if you see a cropped headless photo, then you should be in doubt as to whether the person is male or female. If I saw your photos out of the context of this thread, I would say they were of a flat chested, athletically shouldered woman. For your style to work it needs to be a little more androgynous. The tiny dress and super high heels just conjures up images of naughty alcopop girls on a Saturday night. Add some leggings, throw on a battered slim fitting combat, dinner or leather jacket and maybe swop the shoes for boots and you'd have a great look. Also 'hard as nails' accessories are a must. It just needs a huge slab of edge to keep people engaged and a little bit afraid to laugh at you... Without the edginess you're just a boy in a dress and heels. You need to think about creating your own fashion moment. Have a look at the attached photos of Bryan Boy to see what I mean. There's no right or wrong and it's ultimately up to you, but I can see where Kneehighs is coming from. Cheers, Ben

Thanks Gina, The plain black cork version of those Zanottis is incredible. How high are they?! Looks like the heel must be almost 7 inches. They have to go straight into my top ten of shoes. If they did a black leather version, with the same cork soles, I would probably faint. Shame that one of the poorest excuses for a celebrity is wearing them.

Super Jealous of Jane Aldridge's clothes accessories and shoes. It's a wardrobe to die for. Pretty much how I'd dress if I had the guts and the money (minus the skirts and really girly stuff, but with a little stubble to remind everyone that I'm a man and happy as one)... Let me know what you'd borrow from her if you could. I'd love the attached wolf outfit but I'd have the boots in a solid but fairly bright colour.

And she takes the same size shoe as me!!!

http://seaofshoes.typepad.com/sea_of_shoes/

Enjoy,

Ben

I've seen quite a few... Let me think. In no particular order: 1. A youngish man probably about 20, in Aldo, Oxford Street, London. I was buying a pair of heels that I didn't have the guts to try on as they would have got stares even if a women had tried them on, and there were some dodgy kids in the shop and I couldn't be bothered with the stares. I was in the queue and saw him sitting on one of the stools with a female sales assistant and a few pairs of quite high block heeled lace ups and short boots. He looked like he was a young gay theatre dancer guy from Soho. I felt silly for not trying on the heels I bought that day. I have seen about 30 men in shoe shops trying on heels. 2. I was at a fashion party for a company my friend used to do P.R for. We were at a really trendy East London bar at a rooftop party during London Fashion Week. I went down to the loo. When I went back into the hallway a group of about 5 or 6 trendy guys strolled by. A few of them were wearing very high designer 5 or 6 inch platform stiletto short boots. They looked a bit prententious and had obviously done it more for fashion than a desire to wear them. 3. Years ago I was in the loo at the original Concorde club in Brighton. A really handsome, modellish, guy walked in unzipped and started to wee. He had an aura of nonchalance about him. I noticed he was wearing a little makeup, foundation, lipstick and quite fierce eyeliner. He was washing his hands and I noticed he had on a pair of 4 inchish laceup chunky, but still stilettoesque brogues. He was wearing a really skinny tailored suit and a fedora. He looked really cool and is probably one of the most influential people I have seen. I wish I had talked to him, but I was only a shy 21 year old and he was about 40 and very confident. Funny that I was in awe of him. Just goes to show the power of a good outfit. I have a friend who wears pretty much what he wants. Sadly he moved to Bali to open a clothing factory. He wears almost all black but with a splash of colour. He has bum length platinum blonde hair and looks like a cutting edge fashion model. He almost always wears heels or slightly feminine shoes of some nature and doesn't care if they are women's or men's in origin. He hates that I have size 7 uk feet as he is too big to find women's shoes in most shops. He said he had a few pairs of really high shoes he wore in private and to more exclusive clubs within the fashion sphere he worked in. He also bought some ballet heels after my girlfriend and I told him we bought some and it was quite possible to walk in them. I miss him and he only visits the UK for a couple of weeks per year and usually spends all of it with family. I have also seen countless men wearing heels at regular night clubs. It's really common in London. I would say that 1 in 5 clubs I have been to have had at least one or two men, obviously as men, in heels. Loads more if you count men in the daytime trying to pass as or possibly pre op living as women. There's about 20 I regularly see in brighton in full women's clothes. Some are really hopeless at dressing and behaving like the elegant women whose clothing style they are trying to emulate. A couple are really classy and very convincing which makes me think there are lots more that are so good I have yet to notice them. Possibly thousands of full on, very gay DRAG Queens all over Brighton at nightclubs and Gay Pride. Some are possible the most beautiful, outlandish creatures I have ever seen. I've seen almost all my Mum's close male friends in full drag for her drag party in about 1992. That was a fun, but very strange, party. I've also spoken to lots of men who have worn heels and lots more who said they were inspired by me to buy/try some. Lots of mens have tried on heels I have been wearing at parties and clubs. I suddenly realised I haven't contributed to this thread and I felt guilty, hence the long old post Cheers Guys, Ben

Dear Doctor, Please tell us how the pattern is transferred. Does it involve tracing paper?

This is one of the best Youtubes of how shoes are made.

Thanks to CStuff for the original directions to Shoes of Prey

http://youtu.be/JfmBTXLg5wc

Enjoy,

Ben

I have been ready to go out on a nice night out and at the last minute decided that some cute flat lace up men's plimsolls were a better match to the outfit I was wearing. Heels are not the only fruit. Cheers, Ben

Amanda, I do apologise for being rude. Also for being passionate and liking my clothes and shoes. I should have been more careful with my response and replied in a much more pleasant way.

Hopefully we can all contribute in a more adult way. It's the short 'What's wrong with that?' answers that get to me.

People that meet me and know me like me and also really like the way I dress. Even in purely mens clothes I get quite a few comments.

I'm truly sorry for any hurt I may have caused,

Ben

Actually Benno,

I don't have a job and I don't need one. However I do like to work from time to time albeit just for the challenge.

I do own a pair of jeans and a wetsuit which also happens to have legs on it and yes, I will drive a car if I have to.

You obviously have no idea of my horizons. I can't blame you for that but please don't accuse me of moaning. You are moaning not me.

Furthermore you're just so way off the mark with your comments that even you yourself would be quite shocked if you were faced with the reality.

As for boring....well I find that it's only ever boring people that get bored.

Now, I don't know what it was that sparked off such a response from you or what was going through your mind when you wrote it but I will give you the chance to apologize after which I will forgive you and think nothing more of it.

Amanda

I like SHQ too.

These guys are pretty good.

http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/ffnyl/

Cheers,

Ben

Just wanted to add that if I had been wearing boring men's clothes on the occasions I have mentioned. I don't think the women in question would have been so forward in their proposals. Again, Thanks to Kneehighs for pushing the confidence in your heels and clothes thing.

And why not...what's so wrong about that?

Er... It's selfish, boring and outmoded. Amanda I do accept that you like playing Devil's advocate and expressing a view but are you really that blinkered in your thinking? I'm sure you drive a car, wear trousers and have a job. These used to be unholy and perverse things for women to do. Try to expand your horizons. All the moaning is a little wearisome. You are entirely welcome to have your views but I fear you may be fighting the inevitable. You sound slighty unenlightened and old fashioned.

Just to add a little to this thread. I have NEVER had any true negative reactions. I've had some gentle mickey taking, but nothing negative or sinister and it was tinged with a little admiration and humour. Positives... My god you look amazing!!! If I was 20 years younger... I have had really attractive girls seriously come on to me. A few have asked if I wanted to go to their house and be dressed up in their clothes and shoes. One girl made me take part in a 'Who can stub out a cigarette the most like Sandy from Grease' competition and then tried to kiss me. I explained that I had a girlfriend and declined. One woman told me that if she could start over again, she would have chosen a man like me and was really sorry she chose a 'Normal' boring man to marry and have children with. She unlaced my high heeled boots and asked me to lace them on her. She wanted me to wear her shoes but sadly they were too small for me. A shame as her heels were really amazing Jimmy Choo 6 inch black patent platforms. So in summary and to add to Kneehighs "the reality of a man in heels is different than the idea" comment. Yes it's so true. I try to come across as fun loving and happy. The reality is so different from the idea. Amanda. Have you ever met and spoken to an attractive man in high heels that wasn't in full Drag? That may be the real issue here.

I find London to be far better for sexy shoe shopping than any other town/city I've been to. What did the cork ones look like? Do you have a www link?

I also think, in modern, fashion they are one of the last bastions of femininity and I don't want that to change.

I don't want to be on the arm of a man wearing stilettos. Neither would I want society to accept that.

Let's stay in the old days and have the pox and the plague and women not voting and people getting taxed on windows and salt and never move on.

I'm half joking but I don't understand the thinking behind never never never.

Ben x

He's starting to sound like Apple and their current sewing endeavors.

My God. What would an Apple sewing machine look like. Would it be wireless and only sew patterns bought from their App store? : )

...and may i introduce another new pair of designer heels, for all wedge heel lovers.

Those are cool. Who made them?

I would say number 3 is the only pair actually sold in the men's section.

What was so negative about the readers comments? There were just as many positive ones. Remember that women are expected to wear high heels. Imagine the pressure to always conform... Having idiotic role models such as Skeletor Beckham doesn't help. I like high heels but I wouldn't wear 6 inch platforms everyday even if I could.

If they aren't massively bigger then a set of those gel pads work wonders.

I once had an argument with an old flatmate about pornography after finding loads of his dodgy 'women vomiting salamis' stuff on my Mac. I told him he had no taste and in my view porn should be hand drawn and from the 1940s 50s.

Broken ankles Ahoy!

Thanks guys, I'm still not sure if I want to keep them or resell them on Ebay. I originally was going to resell them but I have a soft spot for Eighties heels so may keep them for a while and then sell them. I think that with a really good set of photos, a much better description (including the brand name) and a good start/finish time they could fetch quite a bit of dosh as they are size 8 UK. They are really comfortable and much easier to walk in than other heels of similar height. Decisions, decisions...

Does anyone know about She An Me the fetish brand from Brompton Road, Kensington in London? I just received a pair of amazing 5.5 inch black patent ankle strap heels from a lucky bid on Ebay. I thought the shoes looked really vintage and took a chance bidding £13 for them. They look like they are from the early 80s but lots of these types of companies didn't change anything over the years their shoes were in production. Se the attached dodgy photos from the Ebay listing. I vaguely remember the company existed... I wonder if anyone here knows more. They look like they could have been made by someone like The Little Shoe Box. They have 'Made In England' stamped on the soles. Cheers and thanks in advance, Ben

I like both equally. It also depends on the rest of the shoe.