yozz

I think that one of the reasons is that we want to be aware that we are wearing heels. The first time wearing 2 inch heels is for many people already rather special and a new and special experience. But soon we are used to it and it becomes rather normal. We hardly even notice that we wear them. So we look for three inch heels. Etc. When you go out with heels there is the adrenaline that it brings, but after a while we get used to how we go out regularly, so we want to try something a bit more special. You can look at some of the stories of people who go out and first go with heels, then want to try to experiment with going out with skirts or even dresses. To me it looks like the same mechanism. It is a form of addiction to experiment with something new and challenging. Some people have this and some don't. Usually the people who like to experiment are the more interesting people. It does take balls for a guy to go out as a guy in heels, or additionally a skirt or a dress, so a high adrenaline level is guaranteed. There are many guys who would love to do it but do not have the courage. I never get beyond rather modest heels. Y.

About the original question: Here we are breaking the mold by wearing shoes that most people think we should not be wearing and then we are discussing what are the proper conventions. Somehow I think the discussion about what to do does not make sense. Look in the mirror and decide whether what you wear looks good in your eyes. Then go for it. Y.

There are times that a given brand has models that are much to my taste. Then, for some time, I will buy a number of pairs from them. Unfortunately, after a while, they change style and often not to my taste. On the whole I just buy what I like and think will be comfortable in the long run. The last I can never be sure about, so there are quite a few shoes in the closet that have started to hurt my feet after a few days wearing. Y.

I'm not a man but I find heels more comfortable than flats.

Shafted is half right. The first heels recorded were worn by a woman, Princess Lorainne DeMedici to her wedding in the 15th century. Heels were not adopted by by [male] riders until the introduction of the iron stirrup nearly 200 years later.

Well, I have to correct you here.

I read in a biography of Alexander the Great (more than 300 BC) that the Medes were known for their high heels.

Maybe the fashion got lost for 2000 years....

Y.

thanks, i will met up with the girls on monday to go heel shopping =) i think this will be the day ill try on high heels in the stores for the first time, damn thats another step im afraid of but hey in a group it is always easier than alone or just with my girlfriend. we will see what types of heels are available in size eu43 =)

Congratulations!

The availability of size 43 depends on where you are in Germany. In Berlin there were a few mainstream shops (I was there a few years ago) that had quite a selection and even some 44's. In Karlsruhe it was kind of hopeless. And it was the same chain. My guess is that in the North people have bigger feet than in the south and they cater to that.

I hope you find something nice.

Y.

For me it always takes some mental energy to go out in heels. And there are those days that I do not have that energy and just think "why bother?" even though half an hour earlier I was all prepared to go into town with some nice heels. Fortunately not all days are like that. Y.

I have no problems with it. It is under "more" as the fourth item. I use Firefox. Y.

Well, I'm glad that I continue to inspire people such as yourself. All the more reason to stick around so I can inspire others. And aren't denim skirts awesome?

Yes!

I have given up on buying very cheap shoes and boots. Only on rare occasions my wife and I get things from the sales. Like recently some booties for my wife which were 30 Euros while in another part of the shop they were 130 Euros. It turned out they had a slight, hardly visible, imperfection in the leather. Usually we end up in the 100-200 Euro range which seems to be the standard in the not-very-cheap shops in Amsterdam. We try them in the shop. Only occasionally you run then into boots or shoes that start being a bit painful after quite a few hours. Y.

This happens all the time. By the time you see some nice heels in the street, usually the shops are already low on their stock or completely sold out. It is only natural. One more argument to frequent the shoeshops. Of course this happens less with the very expensive designer brands. Those are more 'permanent'. But for those you have to save money for a long time. Y.

I always get the impression that womens shoes are designed for looking small and mens shoes are designed for looking big. Y.

I have noticed that 'the same brand' is often not te same at all. I have seen the same shoes in different shops with the brandname of the shop on them. Probably they buy from the same supplier and then have the option to put their name on them. And they do that with shoes from different manufacturers, probably without checking too much. You also see the same shoes with completely different prices. Example: http://www.cinderella.nl/cinderella-17-011-087-1463.html I saw the same one at Dr.Adams for 129.95 and they do not sell the cinderella brand.... Y.

That's what I was thinking. Wait till mid winter and you could probably get those for $29.99 . I was out shopping last couple days down in Cinci and those same style boots are gonna run less even at some place like DSW

If nobody would be willing to buy them at the regular price, there would be no reason for shops to stock bigger sizes.

Y.

due to several years worth of shaving, using an epilator, and use of depilatory products (hair removal cream). I notice my leg hair is much finer and sparse than it was before I started, even when I recently let it grow out for a couple of months, it definitely does not look anything like it once did.

In general (as far as I know) epilation makes the hair much thinner after prolonged application.

I have been doing this now for 9 years on my legs and even when I skip it for a month, what grows back is very thin and far apart.

Before I started this I was wearing hose and I never saw an effect. The hair was very thick and dense.

Y.

Mainstream media in this country is completely controlled by the government.

I think it is slightly different: I think the same forces that control the media control the government.

The way the system is rigged at the moment, whomever is `in power', has very little freedom to actually do things. This holds both in the USA and in Europe.

Y.

My wife and I have also some boots from Duo. We are very happy with them. The only problem for many guys is that they do not have foot sizes beyond 43 (and most only go to 42 or even 41). Once in a while they have them on sale and if they have your size you have to be rather fast. It happened to my wife that between selecting them and paying them somebody else had taken the last pair. Y.

Provided your feet are not much bigger than size 42, you could have a look at duoboots.com They sell boots in lots of widths, but they do not have extremely high heels or very large sizes. Y.

Did anybody see this? http://www.businessinsider.com/daniel-shak-suing-beth-shak-over-shoe-collection-2012-6 700 pairs of Louboutins...... Wow! Y.

I usually drive with flats, but I have driven with heels. There is no problem after an initial period. Then your feet are used to the somewhat different angle. The problem is in the beginning if you have to hit the brake fast. Here in Europe most people do not use automatic gear shift and hence you have to move your right foot from the gas pedal and onto the brake. And if you have to stop fast you have to hit the brake fully and forcefully. In my eyes this is the only problem. If you drive with an automatic and you have your left foot ready for the brake or maybe even on it already, there should be no problem. This is however something we learn here not to do because we have a third pedal for the clutch. That is the domain of the left foot. So, like all things with driving, if you try something new, practice first in a quiet place till you feel confident and then there should be no problem. And remember: also people in flats occasionally miss the brake pedal. Y.

In my view the problem is really the lack of political unity. Every country is looking at the crisis in a different way and each of them tries to propagate its own ideas. The result is hardly any action and if there is action it is too little too late. In many cases any policy would be correct as long as it is consistent, but at the moment there is no policy. The USA has the advantage of a single policy and so do countries like China and Brasil. The situation is worsened by the lack of trust in the politicians. They have obviously failed in many respects, as mentioned by HappyInHeels. The result is that extremist parties get a large vote and run on cheap nationalistic and `anti Europe' platforms. In short: a big mess. Sorting it all out will require some new type of politicians. Y.

You know, like the board game Risk, but we could invent a high heel dimension. I don't know how exactly, but one of you chaps must have experience of inventing games

Like a game in which you have to take over all the shoe shops in London?

Y.

The Dutch are outnumbering the English! Y.

Well, that was instructive. It took a while, but I also read all the comments. What it boils down to (in my vision) is that Sketchers advertises them roughly like "finally get in shape without going to the gym" and you can imagine how many people fall for that. But then most people wear them the whole day. Many are very happy with it and claim that they have no more backpain etc. and others claim that they made them twist their ankle or caused pain in their knees or made them even need surgery. For the rest many comments are a lot of name calling. As a scientist my first question is: are the claimed problems related to the shoes? People hurt their ankles also in normal shoes. I did once. My sister has even orthopedic shoes to help her and even then occasionally she just falls on the ground. It is part of getting older. It would also be nice to see some statistics of incidence of problems vs bodyweight. And the same for regular shoes. (and maybe also for flipflops or high heels). The shoes I bought have an information leaflet with them that explain how to walk in them and that one should gradually break them in. In my eyes they are purely for during "exercise". That is, when my wife wants to take me for a one hour walk each day. And if I feel that they start causing problems, I am not going to continue wearing them as apparently some of the people in the lawsuit did. On the other hand, some people claimed they wore the shoes for a long time and then suddenly they broke their ankle (and it was not clear whether they had discomfort before). Sounds to me a bit like a woman getting a baby and claiming that she never noticed that she was pregnant. Personally I think that the same shoe can have different effects on different people. What are good shoes for one, may be bad shoes for others. Often I have bought shoes that seemed fine in the shop, but after a few days they ended up in the closet. Maybe most of us have a closet like that. There were a few people in the comments that mentioned that they had bought the shoes, they did not like them, and they brought them back the next day. OK, I hope I did not bore you with the little report on those 13 pages of comments. I will try to be careful with the shoes. Y.

It baffles me also a bit. But then, there are probably people who fall down the stairs and then sue the manufacturer of their socks. It mentions in the manual that you should get adjusted to them slowly because they make you use different muscles than with ordinary shoes. This I noted already. They are rather funny because in a sense they have negative heels. Y.

Yesterday I went shopping with my wife and her sister. We were originally planning to have a look at some Pikolinos shoes because they usually give a rather good fit, but they did not have anything that was either to our liking, or in any of our sizes. So we left the shop and ran into the shop next doors which, o miracle, was selling shoes as well. Just not high heel shoes. The brand was MBT and my wife and her sister both had heard about this brand as being very good shoes for when the doctor tells you to take a walk every day. Now I always have problems finding shoes in the mens section because of my size, so for years I only buy in the women section. And the ladies talked me into buying the shoes pictures below. I tried them on in the shop and the guy was very helpful. They have a rather round bottom and you have to walk in a rather particular way to get full benefit from them. We paid and left and walked through the shopping center for a while when both the ladies decided that actually they wanted shoes like that as well. So we went back and bought each of them also a pair. At that point I decided that I might as well wear them on the way back. Indeed the walking is rather `different'. You have to put down your heel first, and that rather clearly, and then basically roll your foot forward. And apparently, after walking for quite some time in them, you will get some sore muscles the first few times. But I am not that far yet, because the trip back was by car.... Has anybody tried such shoes before? Y.