Chorlini

I suspect its mostly because of the competition of internet stores or bargain retailers. Especially shoe stores are feeling the heat in that regard and the whole summer one retail chain after the other has gone into bankruptcy here in the Netherlands. It's like you couldn't turn on the TV and see yet another big retail chain go bankrupt.

So I guess the big shoe stores have decided that if they're going to have physical stores which carry physical stock they're going to carry stock which is guaranteed to sell, which means only those sizes which will sell a lot and leave those sizes which are less guaranteed to sell, the big sizes, either to their internet webstores, or not at all. Which means that the big sizes become less interesting as well to the manufacturers. Thus creating a negative feedback loop leading to less supply even though perversely there is probably plenty if not growing demand. If only because in the West everybody keeps on getting bigger, including women. Capitalism in action. Not doing what is logical and best for everyone. Just what generates the quickest easiest buck.

On a sad sidenote, my local Primark store, which used to carry quite a large selection of high heeled footwear up to size UK8/EU42 (which meant I could at least wear the heeled sandals), seems to have done away with them. All the racks that used to carry high heels now only carry flats or other clothing items. With the last pairs of heels now relegated to the final bargain bin.

On 25-7-2016 at 7:03 PM, robbiehhw said:

Even in the rather casual northwest,i do see an exception to that and that is evening wear. In urban areas around clubs, bars, restaurants and other events you see people dressed pretty stylishly. I think it is true though as you say, that during the day on most weekends, you mainly see casual dress. Our area of the country has the lowest percentage of church goers per se (and those that do often go casual). so you don't see a lot people dressed for church in restaurants on Sunday afternoon as you do in some place such as Texas for instance.

I live in a fairly big city with a big university and I rarely see anyone dress up for clubs, bars and restaurants. Most women wear trousers with flats even when they go out at night. And most of the ones I see still wearing heels are foreigners. Fashionwise the Dutch woman is basically a peasant and barely manages to dress better then the average Dutch man. They actually seem to think Uggs go really well with short skirts. *facepalm!*

I'm reminded of that quote which says 'We sell in all kinds of colors, as long as its black'. In which case 'We sell shoes to everyone, as long as they're no bigger then size 10.

Still, at least it's way better then Louboutin, who doesn't like to see men wearing his shoes.

1 minute ago, Tech said:

You have seen the first post in this thread right? "Poorly fitted shoes" / "Strappy sandals allow for larger sizes to squeeze in"..

If you weigh 300 pounds / 200kg / Too many stones and whatever's, you can still fit into spandex.. You definately shouldnt expect to look your best, nor boast about about it, but sure, its doable.. Like skydiving without a parachute.. Possible, but definately a really bad idea...

If you really have to squeeze youself into something poorly fitted because its far too small, thats natures way of saying "This will look great anywhere, just not on you"...

There's a difference between thinking you can still fit into spandex when you're overweight and look hot and trying to fit into a pair smaller size shoes, because those are the only ones you can get. Because they actually make spandex outfits for people that big, they don't make a lot of high heels for larger feet. One is necessity, the other is delusion.

Will it look daft in both cases? Probably, Although people in general will have few problems with people wearing shoes that are too small for the feet inside. A morbidly obese women in tight spandex will make a lot more people groan in disgust and be struck with perpetual blindness.

And I have seen the OP and I don't think its hardly on the same page as an overweight person in tight spandex. Not even on the same continent.

Poorly fitted shoes can easily be explained by lack of options. Above a certain size choice in heeled footwear decreases dramatically. And at least strappy sandals allow for larger sizes to squeeze in.

*Sold!*

It's time to clear out the closet. So on offer a pair of ballet heel boots from Punitive Heels, the fetish brand of Italian Heels. Size EU44 and unfortunately a size too big for me. These ballet heels are probably the only ones not churned out cheaply by child laborers in China but are made with fine Italian leather in Italy. They feel really nice and having worn them once I can say that these are easier to stand and walk in then their Chinese counterparts from Pleaser and Kasiopeya. These cost like €300 new so €170 seems like a reasonable price to ask. €35 insured shipping to anywhere in the world, probably €10 cheaper for inside the EU.

PM for the quickest reply as I don't check in on hhplace every day.

On 27-6-2016 at 6:55 PM, robbiehhw said:

Indeed it is almost as if sandals for men have not seen their day as formal wear since Roman times. Although in non-western societies that is not the case. In the middle east, men wear sandals.

That's because in the middle east shoes are seen as dirty, something to get rid off quickly when you enter a person's home, as shoes are in regular contact with the street. Which in the middle east is INDEED quite dirty. This is why comparing people to a shoe, or throwing one at a person (remember that Iraqi journalist throwing his shoes at George Bush?) is the ultimate insult in those countries. And when you have to take off your shoes a lot each time you enter a home, or the mosque, then slippers and sandals start looking mighty appealing after a while over traditional shoes that require lacing. As one who has spent time in the middle east I speak from experience here.

Nothing to do with fashion, people, all about convenience.

On 22-6-2016 at 10:34 PM, robbiehhw said:

I'd love to see a survey. I think you may have been more right in the past. Today you have more and more gender fluid and gender questioning folks than in the past. Most did not know it was even a thing until recently. They are mainly young people (ok not David Bowie, Prince and Boy George but in general). There is also a whole category of gender questioning folks that are dressing in heels at times, and will eventually decide they are women. This is what I did, i wore heels about 20 yrs before i decided to transition. I think my first pair were around age 21. So, in these categories you have a lot of non-fetishist wearers. Except possibly as a teen, i don't ever recall having a fetish like thrill from wearing shoes or any women's wear. It was and is more a calming and "makes me feel good about myself" feeling.

What i see on Tumblr, instagram, and Twitter is possibly representative of those groups of people.  

 

Confirmation bias makes us see what we want to see. Especially if you are part of a certain subculture you tend to encounter a lot more members of said subculture then if you're outside. And you tend to overestimate the impact and importance of what your subculture is doing. I see ZERO men in heels, I see ZERO transgenders, I see ZERO young people exhibiting gender fluidity. I live in an university city that's both fairly big and VERY liberal. It's so leftist it's nickname is to name it after the capital of communist Cuba. And in all the time I lived here I've seen ONE guy in a skirt. No heels.

Now I believe my city does have a transgender community. But I doubt its that big and I doubt it's changing culture. What I do notice is that in this city I live in the ONLY store that sells high heels in larger men's sizes is a sex shop. The biggest women's shoes you can find in the retail stores are EU42, very limited choice, with the odd EU43 somewhere, and usually so ugly I might as well buy a pair of men's shoes instead. Now this may be confirmation bias on my part, and maybe I'm not part of the right circles. But it was starting to become more common amongst young people to start wearing women's shoes wouldn't that translate in the retail stores stocking more larger sizes and offering a better selection as well? They're not stupid, and they're in it to make money. If there exists this growing customer base, why are the only ones tapping in to it sex shops and fetish heels web stores?

I'm always amazed and enthralled by ballet dancers who are able to walk en pointe. And lament that I can't walk in ballet heels. But then again it takes them years of constant training to be able to do that. The degree to which the human body can be trained or adapted, provided if its done gradually and with care, is truly amazing. Too bad most of us lack the patience and discipline. Instead we op for quick fixes and solutions, and when they inevitably fail we lament that it cannot be done.

2 hours ago, Gudulitooo said:

Chorlini, I hope you are wrong by stating 99% of hhplace members only have a fetish for womens shoes. Maybe only 98% :-). Anyway, some of them are bringing (or willing to bring) their women shoes on the street, aren't they ?

You probably misunderstood me, in which case let me clarify. I think 99% of all men who buy heels are fetishists. But that the remaining 1% is way over represented here at hhplace, which probably makes them think there are more like them then there actually are. Because it creates a sort of echo chamber that reinforces that kind of thinking. The internet does this all the time. The vast majority of men buying heels however have little to no interest in changing fashion and/or buying heels aimed towards men.

One of the reasons I think this  is because almost ALL the webstores that sell fetish heels offer large sizes. So apparently they know and recognize who's also buying them. Whereas all the stores and webstores that sell more normal heeled shoes barely offer anything beyond size US10/UK8/EU42.

Methinks 99% of all men buying heels are high heel fetishists who just want to buy women's shoes, just in a size that fits their feet well. And then there's probably that 1% that hangs out here on hhplace and dreams of high heels for men being as normal and accepted as high heels for women. Which probably skews the thinking of some here. I'm probably more into the former group then the latter but I find it nice to hang out online with other men who share similar interests.

Now you could try to introduce heels for men as a mainstream fashion but you'd be fighting an uphill battle. For your intended customer base does not exist yet while you basically ignore the already existing customer base. Now, who knows what you can accomplish with smart advertising and savvy social media campaigning but methinks it depends on the zeitgeist. High heels for men would do well in the 70's when platform shoes for everybody were king. Or a few years ago when metrosexual men were all the rage. Right now, I don't think so. Considering that all the hip people are growing beards again I don't think there's a potential market to be tapped for footwear that still is considered female by the vast majority.

It's been my experience that you can get used to anything, provided you practice it for a long time. I'm into ballroom dancing and I'm used to dancing in ballroom dancing shoes. The odd time I forget to bring them along and have to dance without them feels like I'm dancing on sandpaper. And yet I see plenty of people who still dance with regular shoes, or even sneakers. They're used to it. I used to be used to it too at one time. What you don't know, you don't miss, and anything can get used to if you have to.

Were they ever in fashion? Other then with celebrities and wannabe celebs that is? Rarely if ever do I see a woman in 4" heels or higher with no platforms, they're like UFO sightings. Much talked about but no confirmed sightings. They're being bought, as I see women try them on in stores by the score, but actual wear? 

I wish I had to wear 4" heels to work. If only to shut up all those complaining women. Maybe if most women actually wore heels more often then they wouldn't complain so much when wearing them. It seems like the only time 99.9% of them put on a pair is when they go to a posh party. Where they sit down most of the time. Other then that its sneakers and flats everywhere. Practice makes perfect and if you never practice you'll never become good at anything. 
 

As for this case, it seems like the usual SJW fad of the month. How dare a company forces its female employees to look smart and representable! Heresy! Quick! To the Outrage Mobile!

3 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Sugar, bacon, coffee, alcohol, fizzy drinks, fruit juice, red meat, spaghetti sauce...the list of things that are bad for you grows and grows and grows. 

Thank you for illustrating my point exactly.

3 hours ago, Shyheels said:

I cycle a hell of a lot, thousands of miles a year, and the presence of traffic has nothing to do with the dangers of riding in heels - it's the chance of having your heel slip into the drivetrain on your bicycle. You could have tgat happen on the quietest country road or bike path.

I have zero risk of that happening, as the average Dutch bike always comes with a cover for the drivetrain. Only bikes built for speed or off road come with exposed drive trains. That and really, really, really old derelict clunkers used by students.

3 hours ago, Shyheels said:

i take your point on the listening to music whilst riding, though. That to me would be a much bigger risk than riding in heels, especially in traffic. It astounds me when I see cyclists coccooned in their headsets, oblivious to everything around them. Not only is it dangerous but it detracts from one of the great joys of cycling - the immersion into the landscape, and the immediacy with your surroundings

To be honest I'm guilty of doing it myself. Music helps me to maintain a good tempo. But I always try to be aware of my surroundings. I leave room for others to overtake me and I always look around when I have to make a crossing.

On 27-4-2016 at 8:15 AM, softmover said:

Whenever I ride my bike in high heels and my kids notice I would get comments like 'Dad, cycling in heels is dangerous, don't do it' and the like.
 I must admit that they are right, so I try to limit it to my less high block heeled boots and only relatively short rides.

Why would it be dangerous? On the odd chance you might slip?

Listening to music while cycling is infinitely more likely to get you killed in traffic. Chatting with your fellow cyclists is infinitely more likely to get you killed in traffic. Browsing social media is INFINITELY MORE LIKELY to get you killed in traffic. Considering that kids are the biggest offenders in that last category I'd tell your kids they should stop worrying about their dad wearing heels on his bike and put away their smart phones somewhere where they can't access them whilst cycling.

On 30-4-2016 at 1:33 AM, LovesHiHeels said:

Not quite true. Most New Look stores will only stock one pair in a few styles of uk9 in stock but look online and there be plenty.

Well, there are certainly more of them online then in the shops, but on the other hand I do notice a lot that particular size seems to run out quicker though. So methinks they are still not making enough of them.

So I wonder, is this a case of picking and chosing till we find a doctor who says what we want to hear? That because one doctor goes against countless others it now has to be true? The Internet Has Therefore Spoken?

In the end though he doesn't say that much that goes against established medical opinion. Don't wear heels that are high (2" to 4" are hardly high heels), don't stand on them for all day and take time to recover. In this case using cold water. Hardly a flaming endorsement of high heel wearing. I suspect he just changed tactics, instead of telling people not to wear high heels, knowing the aficionados will not listen anyway, he hopes giving safe guidelines will fall less upon deaf ears.

Other then some of the music I'd rather forget everything about that foul accursed decade. ESPECIALLY the fashion. It boggles the mind that people still want to dress like that. 

I always love to see collections like these. Then mine doesn't look so outlandish by comparison.

6 hours ago, Lawrence said:

I sure wish I could have been there.  I'd have stopped and chatted a bit just to see where he was comming from.  Maybe sat down and had lunch with him and got to know him a bit.  For sure discussed our mutual dress preferences.  To bad the boots were flat.  Looks so much more aluring in heels.  Patterned hose wow he was brave!!  Just guessing by your discription it must have been a mini skirt?  Do you remember any of the colors of things he was wearing?  Did the outfit all match?  Just wondering.

All I remember was him wearing a tan coat that came to his hips, and panty hose all the way down there. So it must have been a mini skirt, otherwise he'd be really bold. I briefly considered talking to him and at least complimenting him for his bold choice. But I had to go back to work and you know how it goes, a million excuses not to do a thing.

I didn't want to open a separate topic for it but for the first time ever I saw a guy in a skirt today. Really short one too, with black patterned pantyhose and flat pair of boots. I originally thought it was a chunky girl as he had long hair then I passed by close and noticed facial hair. It's not something I would like to do myself but I admired his guts in doing so. Not the least because it was quite chilly.

Oddly enough even though I agree that generally with Italian heels you should always go up in sizing (it's like they haven't caught on the very idea that there are people with broader feet), if you're going to order from the brand Italianheels, which also does the Punitive brand of ballet heels, do NOT order one size up. For some strange reason they seem to be the only Italian brand made true to size.