Shyheels

Fashion is cyclical - always has been always will be. That's the very nature of fashion. Yes, fewer women are wearing heels at the moment, and for the reasons you say. It is not the same as corsets at all. Everybody wears something on their feet. There will continue to be diversity in styles, and shifting tastes. It is certainly easier for a guy to wear heels. I have been wearing my chunky heeled ankle boots (3.5" heels) and chunky heeled OTK boots in the old coal mining towns where I am now and do not attract any notice or attention whatsoever. Whether or not high heels are in fashion is largely irrelevant to me. They're in fashion with me. If I was worried about what everyone else was wearing, I'd never have started wearing heels in the first place.

Same here - I can and do go around in 3-3.5” chunky heel boots. They’re my favourite style , the ones that are the most ‘me’ and so although I own a couple pair of stiletto boots - two pair of 4” boots and a pair of very nice chocolate brown 5” knee boots - they just don’t get chosen often, and because they don’t, I’ve not really practiced much in them and certainly not to the degree necessary to go anywhere in them without looking silly. And because I can’t walk gracefully in them there is even less chance of my wearing them other than experimentally around the house. Which then goes back to my natural aesthetic choice - a kind of closed circle

Yes you can get some really good buskers in London, especially around Covent Garden. And it sounds as though you saw a fairly representative cross section of people and footwear in London. The percentage of heel wearing is notably higher up north where I am. As for Crocs, there seem to be more of an American thing. We have them here but I'm struggling to recall seeing anybody wearing them out and about - my guess is they are more slip-ons for gardening or going to the beach

That really is a shame. This could be such a lively and engaging site

Over here bank branches are vanishing like spring snow. Even decent sized towns might not have a physical banking presence

I like the elegant lines

I’m far more understated. Black, brown or dark grey suede are my choices

Knee boots with chunky heels

Banks branches are disappearing in Britain pretty quickly too - a bit like stilettos

I know what you mean about stilettos. I’ve a couple pair of stiletto boots that I wish I could walk fluently in but my natural aesthetic taste is always fit block heels and so I always choose those whenever I decide to wear heels

Those are very nice boots.

Those are wonderful boots! Love the styling and the heels! And proper leather too

I’m so pleased it all worked out so well for you - and also that you have such a sympathetic wife. A nice story with a happy ending

Even in blocky 3.5” heels a lumpy towpath can easily cause you to miss for footing or turn an ankle.

My feet are narrow and long and I’ve always had trouble finding shoes that fit with any precision. Footwear manufacturers just do not seem to believe that anyone has narrow feet - any more than they believe there are any females with feet larger than a UK8