Shyheels

Context is everything. It had been years and he wouldn’t have been expecting to meet you - and when he did encounter you, his eyes were drawn to your sandals. That’s what his impression would have been based on, and the corridors down which his thinking went. Small wonder he didn’t recognise you. Had you been in jeans and work boots I think he might well have recognised you

I woke up before dawn this morning, noticed some interesting blue hour conditions and decided to go out with camera and tripod. On a whim I decided to be brave and wear my midi skirt and chunky heel boots. It was four thirty and no one was around. I was setting up a shot when I heard a cheery voice behind me - a woman out walking her dogs, with a camera slung over her shoulder. A fellow photographer as it turns out. She must have noticed I was wearing a skirt - the heels were less obvious - but made no comment or gave me any strange looks. We chatted about light and photography. The conversation was as natural as if I’d been in my usual hiking boots and jeans. I went from feeling momentarily embarrassed to prolonging the conversation. It was just two photographers chatting we now follow each other on Instagram

I am the same with my stilettos. I love wearing them, but worry about wear and breakage. They’ve become my office shoes. And I’m quite satisfied with that. I’m never unaware that I’m in heels when I wear them - I don’t need to be out logging my 10,000 steps a day.

Yes those are nice. I’ve seen Leviticus Boots website. More elegant than the ones in the article. I was encouraged by the tone and the hope that if tall boots in general can become accepted as men’s wear, that will open the door to a wider range of styles.

An interesting article about a Swedish actor turning up at the Cannes film festival in a pair of (low heel) thigh boot by Saint Laurent. What was interesting about the article is that the writer did not disparage the idea of men in tall boots, and indeed went into the history of boots as a masculine fashion, and threw the story forward by suggesting that maybe tall boots could be coming back into style. I certainly hope so, and found the tone of the article encouraging. The boots pictures are not to my personal taste although there is nothing outlandish about them. It would be nice if this story did indeed herald a return to tall boots for men. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/20/style/alexander-skarsgard-thigh-high-boots-in-cannes

They look very classy

Yes, stilettos would be a real disaster there. And on a towpath too.

I'm quite familiar with Avebury and the henge - its a beautiful walk, as is the one out to Silbury Hill but not one that would be advisable in heeled ankle boots!

Definitely not!

Out and about - silly photographer in heels (me). I went out in the evening with my camera and, given the dry weather, and not too rough state of the towpath thought I might just risk wearing heels - in this case ankle boots with 3.5” block heels. The walking wasn’t too bad although complicated by carrying a tripod and with a heavy camera bag slug over one shoulder. The funny part came when I was changing lenses, standing in rough ground in 3.5” heels and bending over to pick out lenses from my bag, on the grass. Especially with a dodgy back. And trying to be quick with the light changing rapidly. Next time I’ll stay with my low heeled knee boots!

I remember the clogs craze in the mid 70s. I was at university by then. I liked clogs and can recall wanting a pair but nothing like my desire for a pair of white go-go boots c.1970

Me too. For me it would have to be white - that’s what I so vividly remember! It was the girls hair that was red. Wonder what ever became of her?

For me it was never so much the bell but the overall feminine styling. I never fancied cowboy boots, or cowgirl boots either for that matter. For me it started with go-go boots, which really don’t have much of a heel at all, and then sorta evolved. The heels became a part of it, since many feminine boot styles also have heels. In terms of personal style and preference I like block heeled boots. They feel more “me”. I’m ambivalent about stilettos. I love the lines - especially 120mm stilettos - but I’m not sure they are really me. And I’m not sure if that’s residual self consciousness or a sense that they don’t - quite - fit my style. i own two pair of Italian Heels stiletto knee boots - same style (Tina), one with 10cm heels the other with 12cm. I like them both very much and would never get rid of them. But I feel much more at ease in 7-9cm block heeled boots (ankle, knee and OTK)

Congratulations! I have fond recollections of the moment that I decided at long last to buy myself some high heeled boots - in the event, a pair of very nice (expensive) black suede OTK boots with four inch slender (not quite stiletto) heels. I decided to treat it as a bucket list thing and although expensive as boots go, vastly cheaper than the exotic travels that usually feature on bucket lists. That initial purchase has led to my buying several more pair, although nothing like your numbers. I love wearing them though and regret the years I needlessly went without

Nice job. I don’t think five photos is too many nor do I think they are too small. The look and concept is conveyed. You look great, very presentable. I would like to do some shots but it’s tricky on the towpath …!

The French have plenty of style whether they are wearing heels or not! Id never heard of Noe of Antwerp. That looks like a very nice pair of boots! I love block heeled boots especially with rounded/almond toes.

Sounds like an interesting person! I like her sense of style

You and me both!

Nice!!!

Glad all is well at your end! Very quiet too at mine. Just moving along the canal

Still very few along the towpath, although I’m in a town now - about 15,000 population - so perhaps …

A perceived small market

True - an actual measured 4” heel in a size 5 would be considerably steeper than an actual measured 4” heel is a size 12, but then you’d be buying and talking about completely different style of shoes, with differed billed heel heights. The variations in heel heights according to size can be surprising. I was surprised to see that according to the chart on the Italian Heels website my 120mm stilettos (official billed height) were actually 147mm in my size. That’s a full inch variation. But it keeps the styling and proportions consistent with the 120mm in size 38 on which the design is based

Shoe size doesn’t make any difference in terms of the angle of your foot - at least not with the better makes of shoes and boots. When they market a model of shoe as having, say, 4” heels, that will be the base line height for a base line size, say, a size 6. As the sizes go up or down the physical height of the heel will vary so that the lines and proportions are identical right across the range of heights. A size 7 would have a 4.2” heel and a size 8 maybe 4.4” but they would still be sold as 4” heels as that is the standard for that particular line. A size 5 might have a 3.8” heel but would be sold as a 4” heel. It’s all about consistency and keeping the same proportions. Italian heels even has a chart on their website giving the exact heel heights for 100mm and 120mm heels each shoe size. I have a pair of their 120mm stiletto boots. In my size the heels are actually 147mm to keep the correct proportions. I think in their case the heel heights are based in a size 38 as standard. Other makers do the same. So having a bigger size does not change anything. Neither does having a smaller size. They keep all the proportions and angles the same

For me 3” to 3.5” is very “unnoticeable”, especially in chunky heeled boots