benno

Full of lots of small deep holes on the floor from fat men in dainty heels.

I'm a Graphic Designer and usually have my big iMac and my Macbook open at the same time. When I'm really busy I have been known to go for 2 weeks with almost no break sitting in front of a computer! Sometimes I want to give it all up and go and get a job collecting eggs on a farm, but when I look at all the nice shiny stuff I have designed it makes it all worthwhile. Oh yes and having no boss and working from home wearing whatever I want really helps!

They look like over 5 inches in the flesh. The heel is very set back so maybe closer to 6 inches! Go to the nearest Aldo armed with a ruler or simply pick up the phone and ask them.

Johnnieheel... In response to what you said. I think the man in thightboots and the woman in the thighboots will get different responses in a similar way to a woman and a man in similarly cut classic trouser suits. As a parallel it may be similar to a Black person telling Black jokes and a white person telling Black jokes... Or a Jewish or Irish jokes for that matter. I am Jewish and can get away with telling very borderline jokes because I am kinda laughing at myself. Have you seen the film Spinal Tap? There's a scene where they are choosing a new album cover... The all male band wanted to have a woman on all fours with a black leather gloved male hand stuffed in her face. A woman stated it was sexist and the band said yes sexy! She said why not have a man on all fours with a gloved female hand in his face. The stupid blokes didn't get it. It's all in the subtle details and parody.

And finally... Here are 5 favourites that my girlfriend and I own. The black patent Kurt Geiger laceups were my Christmas present from my girlfriend. Regards, Ben

Here are some more. I would have posted them all at once but 5 photos is the maximum in one go. I can see Roz lusting after the pink Nicholas Kirkwood platforms. Just to show that high end expensive stuff is not all I lust after. I have included a pair from good old Topshop.

Giuseppe Zanotti makes some amazing shoes. I have a pair and the fit and comfort is incredible when you consider that they are 5 inch heels. My favourite designer is Pierre Hardy. I prefer his slighty understated designs to the raw, almost pornographic, sexiness of Louboutin. I love the shape of the arch on Pierre Hardy's high heels. Out of last years shoes the highest version of YSL's tribute simple open toe pump was my favoutite.

I have been out in some pretty flamboyant outfits which almost always include heels. I have bumped into friends and friends of friends that didn't really know that I dress like that. Never heard anything negative said. Some male friends have said they would like to get some heels like mine but their feet are massive (I'm a UK 7 or 8 and can wear anything I see in shops). When people have lightly confronted me or joked about my shoes. I say they are just shoes, I like wearing them and they set off my outfit. More often than not what people really want to know is how I can stand and walk in them. I often give a response along the lines of 'I have ridden a mountain bike down rock strewn alpine trails, driven 100 MPH go karts and set fastest lap time around Brands Hatch out of a group of more than 40 testosterone fuelled blokes at a track day. So I think I'll be OK wearing some shoes'. It usually does the trick

A fascinator placed jauntily on your head and a little fur on the jacket would complete the look. Good on you for the bravery.

Thought I'd share these here. I find them quite inspirational.

“If you have embarrassed yourself and are going to laugh about it someday, you might as well start today.”

“The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate.”

"If you're never scared or embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take any chances."

"Perhaps, on the whole, embarrassment and perplexity are a kind of natural accompaniment to life and movement; and it is better to be driven out of your senses with thinking which of two things you ought to do than to do nothing whatever, and be utterly uninteresting to all the world."

I am trying to find a quote from either Elsa Schiaparelli or Coco Chanel that said something along the lines of 'For you to embarrass me I actually have to be embarrassed'

If someone knows that quote I'd love to have it.

Enjoy,

Ben

If you are embarrassed then tell the guy you are in a drama club and have to play a tranny. He won't care either way as you are a paying customer. Embarrassment... It's all in the mind.

Thanks for a great link. Like others have already expressed, I don't see where the article is in the slightest bit negative!? All that was said was that high heels are hard to walk in. One part even says: 'The truth: 6-inch heels are just about the sexiest thing you can put on your feet.' Cheers, Ben

As I said before... Don't buy either of the red soled shoes with the set back heels! The pair I had were by the 'Highest Heel' and I bought them because they do look a bit Louboutinesque if you squint or are very drunk. However they look really really cheap in person and are VERY badly made. The box was far better in it's construction than the shoes. Go for the classic black pumps in number 2. Cheers, Ben

I have always hated those bobbles they put on the pavement at road crossing so blind people can feel where to cross. Also any shiny floors where it's easy for heels to slip sideways. Never fallen though!

Don't buy any of the pairs with the red soles.

I had a pair of the shoes in 5 and they were so badly made that I sent them back straight away! They were really poorly constructed. The heels were badly attached and they flexed almost to the point of breaking with every step. I know how to walk in heels and my girlfriend used to model and can walk the walk properly.

I'd go for the simple black courts (2) out of the choice you have given us.

Try burlesque blue for some nicely made and not too expensive shoes.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Burlesque-Blue-Shoes

Best regards,

Ben

Full of all sorts of craziness...

www.virtualshoemuseum.com

Have a look, it's worth 10 minutes of your time.

Oh don't get me wrong There are much worse thing in the world than taking a photo of a woman in the street wearing nice heels. I have nothing against it. It just seems a bit sad that's all. Cheers, Ben

I don't know. I find all this taking photos of women in the street a bit lowlife. Skulking about in the background and acting shifty. Totally different if you go up to someone and say 'You look great can I take your photo?'.

Thanks for sharing that video. I would love a pair but way out of my price range. I enjoyed the guy in the video who tried them on. I wanted to tell him he looked good. And so did the hosts of the show who were wearing them. I agree that someone will come up with a knockoff of these shoes and sell them for a less expensive price (I hope).

They have been knocked off.

See my post above.

Apart from the black strappy wedges all the shoes you have posted look like something playboy bunnies would wear round the pool! Not my cup of tea.

I find that locking your knees so they don't bend is a good way to practice. Imagine you have no knee joints. As you walk about experiment with bending your knees a little more.

It may also be a good idea to study how catwalk models move and see if you can copy it. Have a look at style.com and watch a few of the videos. Companies like Chloe or Balenciaga always have mega heels so may be a good place to start. It looks like they lock their knees as they put their feet on the floor.

ON a final note. Remember that 6 inch heels are really high and it's very hard to ever get truly used to them. It's fun trying though.

Cheap and nasty.

ive seen these in soulmates magazines...

well at least they wont get caught in between gaps in the paving....

would like 2 try them on and see it i could hack it....

but its not really wearing heels is it !! lol

Surely if your heels are placed in a higher position then they are in fact 'High Heels'

I have lots a shoes. Over the years I couldn't even try to guess how many have been owned and worn. More than 250 pairs maybe. I would rather have one pair of Junko Shimada shoes than a pile of mass produced artificial leather tat by Pleaser or Jante. Designers like Shimada will push things on to the next level. I have had 1 pair of 6" Pleaser shoes and they were horrible. I also have a few pairs of hand made 6" heels and the difference is huge. Everything from the styling to the feel of the shoe and the craftmanship is in a different world. I have always been part of the school of thought that 'Good design costs relatively nothing' My girlfriend and I have made a pact to only buy really good quality well designed shoes. Even on the High Street here in the UK I won't even consider buying shoes from Primark, George or even New Look. I have not spent less than £70 on new shoes in the last couple of years and I will never go back. If you can't afford to spend lots of money then either save up or scour ebay for designer bargains. Once you have and wear and cherish some incredible heels you will see what I mean. Just look how the attached shoes follow the shape of the arch. Buy cheap, buy twice. Ben

I love this style IF it's done properly.

The 3 attached images are shoes I would love to own. I hate the gold strappy Antonio Berardi sandals. They are an unbalanced, clumsy mess, but the black patent peep toe version really works style wise. The Marc Jacobs backwards heels make me go all wobbly every time I see them. They are my favourite shoe of the year.

I will fully understand if anyone thinks I'm crazy.