Shyheels

Yes, there are other aspects beside heel height that contribute to a shoe or boot's ease of wear. I have a pair of lovely side OTK boots custom made by Jean Gaborit with slender - nearly but not quite true stiletto - heels that measure about 9.5cms. They are so incredibly easy to walk in, not much different than walking in chunky mid-heels really. If I had the money I would love to get some more of their boots.

Working from home as I do, I have no commute. If I go out shopping it’s a minimum of about 8000 steps, most of that on a badly rutted or muddy towpath. If it’s dry or frozen I’ll do it in chunky mid heels but for wearing stilettos I need to take them with me and change at a park bench or bus stop in town. I do sometimes but the time and hassle factor is a disincentive

Yes. I suspect that single extra centimetre makes a whopping difference. When I was tottering about in my 12cm boots I tried imagining what that extra centimetre’s height in your Hot Chicks would be like. Definitely too high for me even to attempt. That said, I think when I either fix my present boots or buy some new 12cm heels I will start making decent progress. Seeing the tilt on that left heel when I was examining the boot on the tabletop explained a lot of my difficulties so far. I’m really looking forward now to giving 12cm a proper try. until then I’m getting plenty of time in my 10cm heels

Here’s a case where appearances are deceiving. The actual height of those heels is 14.7cm as per Italian Heels chart on heel height relative to size - the height based on a standard 12cm heel for size 38. The photo was taken in August in a hotel room while I was on assignment, and shot with an iPhone so perhaps the angle from which it was shot - the phone was propped on a chair - might have skewed the perspective. i have a pair of 10cm heels in that same model, which I am wearing right now. i can tell you as fact that 12cm heels are plenty challenging for me, and that I feel no need to up the ante to 13cm - nor is there much likelihood of my finding decent quality 13cm heels in my size even if I wanted to.

I’m very impressed!

Wow! What height heels were you wearing for most of that. Surely not 12cm or 13cm! I’m guessing mostly 10cm - which is hugely impressive.

Thank you. They are Italian Heels’ Tina model. I have a pair of these with 10cm heels that I am wearing right now. I don’t think it was anything I did which caused the problem - not my walking style or anything - I think it is just a materials failure. A pity because I really like these boots. I was really hoping to master 12cm stilettos - and I have had such good support from @mlroseplant and @higherheels At least I can see that my lack of progress was t just down to ineptitude! For the time being I shall work on becoming very polished and graceful in 10cm heels

Here for the record are my challenge heels - my 12cm knee boots

I’ve just been researching the possibility of repairing my boot and it seems it is possible if you take it to a good cobbler - so I’m taking a bit of heart. It’s worth a shot!

Yes, they can’t read a map or tell time on a traditional clock. If we brought those two things back, plus stick shifts on cars and cursive writing we could take down the whole western world

This morning I was back in my 12cm stilettos and as I was tottering about making breakfast I realised that something just wasn't right with the left boot. It's not just lack of practice or an inability to make the jump from 10cm to 12 cm, but something wrong with the heel itself. I took the boots off and gave the left boot a thorough examination. When I placed the sole flat on my table, so I could crouch down and see how the heel met the surface, it was obvious that the shank has twisted slightly. The heel is definitely a few degrees off vertical. It wasn't just my imagination or lack of talent. It's a relief in some way, I've been feeling frustrated, thinking how @mlroseplant and @higherheels have made such splendid progress while I seem to be getting nowhere. It's depressing too. This is my only pair of 12cm heels. I've been looking at the offerings of Fuss-Schuhe as recommended by @higherheels in another thread, and I like some of their boots very much, but alas the magazine world is not so brilliant at the moment and it might be a while before I can afford to buy myself some nice new 12cm stiletto boots. In the meantime I am going for immersive practice in my 10cm heels - hoping to maintain my abilities!

My first was a Minolta then a Canon AE-1. I loved film and could disappear into a darkroom for hours. I studied photography at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque back in the day when Route 66 still ran through the heart of the city (Central Ave). Lots of cool stuff to shoot. Much as I loved my hours in the darkroom I wouldn’t go back to that - I like digital. i want to try some shots in heels, but I want them to be stylish - artistically speaking even if the subject is not stylish at all!

I am the same. I use a laptop for writing and editing my photos, but I’ve skipped the whole GPS thing entirely - I use paper maps exclusively.

I do that often enough with my professional work! I’ve been very remiss with my challenge heels this week. We’ve had some truly vile weather here and my nice warm heavy suede OTK boots with mid heels have been calling to me when I get up!

Very nice! I like that style

I'm afraid I went in the opposite direction - long Covid was not good to me and I need to lose about 7kgs and it doesn't seem to want to shift....

My collection is far more modest: 1 pair stiletto knee boots with 12cm heels 1 pair stiletto knee boots with 10cm heels 1 pair suede OTK boots with slender 9cm heels 1 pair suede OTK boots with chunky mid-heels 2 pair leather knee boots with chunky mid heels 1 pair ankle boots with chunky mid heels and because I like tall boots of all descriptions, 4 pair of low-heeled knee and OTK boots

I actually have a fair bit of professional expertise is self captures with camera, tripod and programmable timers, but I’ve never tried photographing or videoing myself in heels. My stuff is more expedition oriented. I’m kind of interested in trying. It would be an interesting challenge

Wow congratulations! Mastering 13cm heels puts you in some pretty rarified company. Even among high heel aficionados very few can rock 13+cm boots or Hot Chicks! Well done!

I just don’t get as much real world practice as you and @higherheels. This past year I have been more or less stuck in this very rural - albeit very pretty - stretch of canal for various reasons and have no place to practice short of walking a mile along a towpath first, changing into my heels, practicing, then changing back and hiking home along the muddy towpath. Not impossible but the commitment in time to do all this has seen me duck out and confine my practice to home. I do plenty of standing and a reasonable amount of pacing (and much sitting at my desk) but that’s no substitute for your long walks or @higherheels visits to Christmas markets. I’m hope this year the canals will be a bit more navigable and I can get to places where practice is as easy as stepping off the boat

I suspect that women’s models may be made in narrower lasts but otherwise the size - length - would be the same, although like you I’ve notice odd conversions between UK and EU sizes

English shoe sizes are unisex.

Yes, doing this with @mlroseplant and @higherheels has really made a huge difference to me. They’ve become virtual colleagues and I think of them fondly whenever I am practicing, even if I am bringing up the rear in terms of my skill level. Their encouragement has been a great help

It’s funny how you can vary day to day in walking in our challenge heels. Some days I feel like I’m really getting there, and then a couple of days later and got no obvious reason feel like a little kid borrowing his mothers high heels. Maybe not quite that bad, but a long way from graceful. I think this is where your long walks and high mileage really comes into play - or @higherheels years of experience in lofty stilettos. You guys have built up a foundation that I lack.

No, I get it! I’d be worried too about that very thing.