Shyheels

Sounds monstrous.

Passing through Leeds train station today. Although the overwhelming majority of people are in trainers, there are a surprising number of heels being worn including stilettos. Nearly all the heels being worn are boots, and generally chunky heels There are sure a lot of ugly boot styles out there …

I’ve made a virtue out of necessity by buying very good quality- but very few pairs. I think it’s worked out well!

According to the Italian Heels heel height chart, a 12cm heel is actually 14.5cm in a size 45. As you can see they base their nominal heel heights on a size 38. So you and @higherheels will be pretty close to the nominal heel height, but I don’t get to “cheat” by having longer feet. The lines, proportions and the steepness will be the same as yours. Which is nice, even if it means I can’t cheat and have to work just as hard to master 12cm heels - it’s not the number that I like but the aesthetics and so I am pleased to have the same aesthetic despite my larger size. How frustrating it would be otherwise! Sizeaaaaaaaaaa 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 . Heel 8 cm 07,0 07,5 08,0 08,3 08,5 09,0 09,3 09,5 09,7 10,0 Heel 10 cm 09,0 09,5 10,0 10,5 11,0 11,5 11,7 12,0 12,3 12,5 Heel 12 cm 11,0 11,5 12,0 12,5 12,7 13,0 13,5 13,7 14,0 14,5 Suede is not readily worn in Britain either although this year you can pretty much wear suede with impunity. We’re having a drought here, our reservoirs and rivers are at historic lows and some of the canals are closed because there is insufficient water to work the locks.

The one in the right definitely looks significantly taller, although I can also see where it could be an optical illusion too. But 6mm would definitely make a difference in terms of wearability - especially at those lofty heights. I wore my 12cm boots for a couple hours this morning - making breakfast (in the midst of which I had to go out on my well deck (bow) to change gas canisters! Right as I was heating water for coffee.) I still have a long way to go to achieve anything like effortlessness in 12cm stilettos

It must be the angle. I'm on my way back to my boat after ten days in the Scottish highlands. Not great for wearing heels! I did get some practice in at my hotels. Slowly getting used to the extra height and steeper pitch

That’s the one! Sitting in front of a tapestry that once belonged to Henry VIII. This image has been brightened up considerably - photoshop? The real one is much more muted. Men in those days were peacocks at court- all silks, laces, bright colours and heels. The along came the Age of Enlightenment in the early/mid 18th century and suddenly science, intellectualism, and philosophy were the fashion. Broadcloth and sensible shoes were in, heels and silk stockings were out

I don’t think anyone should be required to wear heels - or a tie for that matter I would like to see a whole lot less rigidity in how we dress, and much more freedom of expression.

Out and about today in Edinburgh and while strolling through the art collection on display in the Throne Room at Holyrood House I took a good look at the grand portrait of Charles II in all his 17th century splendour - which included ankle boots with what appear to be 10cm heels. A reminder of the days when high heels were a specifically masculine fashion

As a creative I detest AI and boycott it scrupulously - on more grounds than I can count.

I was thinking of your Hot Chicks and guessing they were roughly the same price as my custom OTK boots. It’s nice to have something special like that. Definitely worth the effort of learning to walk well in them! I hope that is going well

Yes they are expensive. Depending on the style - they do quite a range of boots, from fashion to country boot to vintage styles for the classic car/motorcycle/aviation enthusiasts - the prices range from about €650 to €1200. Mine are at the lower end. Most custom makers - and there aren’t many these days - charge a lot more. These are all hand made in France and are fully custom, even the soles. Mine fit perfectly, the nubuck suede is thick and luxurious and they’ll last forever. So it seemed a good investment. My other two stilettos are not custom though. The OTK ones are special

Yes it is very difficult to find nice fashion heels in my size. It can be done but you have to be committed enough to spend. I’d always wanted to try wearing heels and when I finally summoned the nerve to do it, I decided to do it well and buy some really nice ones. Jean Gaborit is fully custom and make gorgeous boots in just about any size. And so my collection of heels is quite small but very nice.

Thank you! I’m quite pleased at feeling more at home in them. i wear a 45 or 46 so it is not always easy for me to find nice heels. I have no interest at all in fetishy ones which are what you usually find in larger sizes. I bought a couple pair of knee boots from Italian heels - very classic style - and a pair of really lovely custom OTK boots from Jean Gaborit in a very nice black suede. They are my favourite pair by far - and the 9cm heels are really easy and stable to walk around in. They were expensive but I absolutely love them.

My 12cm heels are very definitely the proper angle for 12cm stilettos - they were made for the right proportions for my size. Even just wearing them as a potter around and sit and write I am starting to feel more at ease in them. They are becoming more familiar which is a help. I just need to put in the distances and practice. And probably with an 11cm first!

Italian Heels has a chart on their website that gives the actual measured height for each size and style. Handy

I’ve also never tried a style like that - I’ve always worn boots. Some attempting 12cm in sandals seems like a great way to turn an ankle!

I would not gave guessed those were 11.5cm. At this angle I would have guessed they were 10cm. My 12cm heels look much more than 0.5cm higher. Then again, my 10 and 12cm stilettos are both scaled up for the larger size that I wear. The standard for the style is a 10 or 12cm heel based on a size 38 shoe - the actual measured heel height is scaled up (or down) as you move away in size from the standard 38. This keeps the lines and proportions consistent for that particular style throughout the size range. If the maker of your shoe does not do that it would explain why your 11.5cm heels look lower. My collection is much smaller than yours - I have two pair of stiletto knee boots (10 and 12cm) and one pair of suede OTK boots with 9 cm heels

I agree that heels are an accessory - a finishing touch, but the act of choosing heels is a statement. By the same token the heels I like are those in which the heels are part of a larger whole. They should contribute to the overall aesthetic, not dominate it. I love the aesthetic of 12cm heels but 14 and up just ruins the look for me. At that point it’s all about the heels

Heels themselves are a statement - they’re about self expression

I don’t have any 11cm heels but it sounds like a great idea to buy some and use them to train for the 12cm height.

Absolutely! In places where I’ve moored the towpath is doable in heels and there I’ve certainly noticed the difference between that and walking on the hardwood floor in my boat! im not embarrassed by the fact that I like wearing heels - but I would be embarrassed to be seen fumbling around in them.

Because I have to walk a ways down the towpath to do my shopping I have a good sized rucksack for carrying groceries. No problem to put my stiletto boots in and change at the park once I’m off the towpath. The walking surface is good in the park. As for photos you are mistaking me for someone else. I’ve never posted a photo of myself in heels. There was another member who lived in the north of England who used to post pics of himself at cafes. Not me. That said I am thinking of setting up some shots in the park if I can work out some good compositions. Professional pride won’t allow me to post snapshots. So I’ll work out some good angles and backgrounds, practice a bit and see how I go

To everything a season

Like you I wish I had been able to summon the nerve to wear boots and heels much earlier. It is silly and foolish to allow yourself to be so hobbled by the opinions of others, especially in something that in the bigger scale of things is so trivial. It’s not like wearing heels is a sin, or a crime, or damaging to anyone - it’s simply expressing yourself in fashion. Allowing yourself to have fun. And once you realise and accept that it is such a relief to unload all that useless angst