Cali

Google " women's shoe stretcher" or "high heel shoe stretcher" and you will see many different wooden types, read through their info.  I have tried it only on my leather shoes and a "canvas" toe strap.

stilettos

Pointy

I been reading some of the topics and it seems that many of you don't like platforms.  I love platforms just as long as the heel height is at least 3.5 inches higher (prefer 4+). So I have heels with 1/2 to 2 inch platforms 

I think the heels with paper thin soles are just too painful for my feet.  What are your feelings about this.

MackyHeels I have the booties in your avatar.  The ones above are nice, but i'm  just not a fan of pointed toes...too painful for me.

1 hour ago, mlroseplant said:

Tip No. 1 and Tip No. 3 seem to be at odds with each other. I think as experienced heel wearers, we can tell the difference between shoes that are never going to work out, and shoes that might be quite nice with a little stretching and wear on them. From learning experience, I know that I have given up on some heels way too soon, and kept heels that were never going to work out way too long.

I can see where this is misleading at best.  There are some shoes you put on and you know right away there is no way you can even get your foot in.  way to narrow for the base of you foot.  Then there are others shoes you put on and they might seem tight but you know that they will stretch out.  It all has to do with the material they are made from.  Plastic will not stretch (unless you "cook" them a bit) but leather will. 

I have so many heels now that the shoes I purchase need to meet three basic conditions

(1) "Nice shoe", it has to be cute and something I don't already have.

(2)  FIT like a glove..Life's too short for heels that don't fit.  If I really really really have to have it I will see if I can work with it.

(3)  Can I wear it to work?  I only have 2 pairs of heels that I haven't worn to work yet (over 40 I have worn to work).

Sorry, I know very few manufacturers make shoes over size 11 (US).  I understand how lucky I am that I fit into size 10's. I imagine it must be hard to those of you that are size 12 plus. But that's how it was for me and men's shoes, nothing ever really fit. Now in women's shoes, so many styles fit I'm like a child in a candy store. Just love to go shoe shopping...don't have to buy any to enjoy it.  I now understand how an afternoon of shoe shopping and trying shoes on is so intoxicating and invigorating.

Wore the mules above to Costco. A few looks and a few "I like your shoes" from women.

I thought I would start this thread about some of the tricks to wearing high heels all day long.  I hope some of our female members will add to these.

Tip 1.  Above all, they must fit!  This is first thing I was told.  I was standing there in the clearance shelves at the DSW looking for 4 inch heels.  I had been told to raise my heels 4 inches, so there I was looking for 4 inch + heels.  A women next to me lean over and told me.  “if they don’t fit now, they’re never fit.  Life’s too short for heels that hurt.”  This is a fundamental concept that many people ignore.

Tip 2.  No slip gel pads.  I was talking to a friend that managed a shoe store.  She told me to get gel no-slip inserts and gave me two pair.  These are very important., don’t wear heels without them!  Almost every pair one of my high heels has a gel pad in them.  These pads help to keep your foot from slipping down and jamming your toes, thus causing pain.

Tip 3.  Invest in a decent pair of shoe stretchers.  I got two pairs of shoe-store quality shoe stretchers, one pair that fits normal shoes and one pair that fits high heels.

Tip 4.  Padding.  I posted this elsewhere but it’ a good tip, so I will repeat it.  Save the thin high-density foam pads you find in new shoe boxes.  Use scissors to shape toe pads to help keep the hard/sharp edges from cutting into the top of your foot.

Wait?

3 hours ago, Logjam said:

Cali, if you don't mind, pics of the clogs please. And - the ones for which you posted pics are really nice. Finally - congrats on color on the toes - I'm a big fan of that look!

Logjam

Toenails change every 2 or 3 weeks.  So which look since there are two different looks....lol

Can't find any with my feet in them, sorry, but here the product's picture. 

Steve Madden Estrella mules; 1.5 inch platform, 5 inch heels. Have two pairs. I wear these everywere.

Draw

8 hours ago, Pumped said:

I have bought a few pair of pumps, G by Guess. I need to find another brand. These are man made material and every pair is right across the top of my foot and the edge of the foot opening presses into the top of my foot. Funny, I can wear them for a few hours, but if sitting, shortly they get uncomfortable. The size is good, length width. I have noticed some brands flare the opening upward a tiny bit right at the toes. Perhaps this would not bite in so hard.

Hi Pumped,  I'm going start a new tread in the general "everybody" forum on tips and tricks of the trade I have learned.

Here's one I learned from talking to a woman who was sale associate in a large Macy's women's shoe department. While she was bringing me the shoes I asked to try on I notice she had tissue between he foot and the top of the shoe.  She told me that she was required to wear some heels and that it hurt her foot.  Well I took that concept even more.  Sometime when you get a new pair of heels, the shoebox will have some thin high-density foam for packaging. This is worth 10 times it's weight in gold. Take a pair of scissors and cut a piece of this high-density material to match the contour of the edge.  Then slip this material between your foot and the annoying edge.  This should help.

I don't wear pumps because on this problem.

Forgot about my mules.  Coming out of the bank a woman told me "I just loved your clogs", 5 inch heels, 1 inch platform.

You got to get into these styles!!!!

I have two pairs of women's Tevas that are very comfortable.  It's interesting when I am in line at a store and see a women is a similar pair 

But you don't have to limit yourself to flat sandals. Here's some of my work "sandals"

Also got the white pair in black.  The CFMs turn a lot of heads when pair with shorts.

Love the juxtaposition.  I have a friend and even though she is shorter, she has borrowed several outfits from me and has lend me some of hers.  It's possible.

New yet not new boots.

Today I opened up a box I had forgotten about and was surprise what I found.

I got a pair of Madden Girl Krisis calf high boots in Cognac many years ago and it has become my go to boot (see below).  I liked them so much that I got them in black as well.

If you know women's fashion, shoes are designed for one season, once gone they rarely return.  So this spring I saw the last pair of these in size 10 on EBAY and got them. Inside the box was my third pair I ordered in the beginning of February, this pair was also in cognac.

Hi

Am also new this week.

I got heels for the first time in the 70’s when my first wife gave a pair of hers that did fit, too big for her.  They were a little tight but otherwise great. 3 inch heels.  I wore those shoeties until they fell apart sometime in the early 90’s. About 12 years ago I found out the I could wear women’s size 10 shoes when a store was out of shoes in my size but had a similar (nicer color) one in women’s sizes.  The women’s shoe fitted better.  These were my first women’s shoes I bought for myself.

Ten years ago I decide to find running shoes that fit my foot.  I searched the internet for men’s shoes made for a larger toe box and narrow heels with a high arch.  I found out the reason I couldn’t find those running shoes (or any shoe for that matter) was that shape foot is considered a woman’s  foot.  So I order a very inexpensive pair from DSW.  They fitted better than any running shoe I ever wore. Got flat sandals, they fit!  I not bought a pair of men’s shoes since that day. 

I had been “jealous” of the women’s booties I had been seeing around, so I order a pair off of Macy’s website. Beginner’s luck then fit and felt great.

Several years ago I had a medical need to wear 4 inch heels for months.  During this time I discovered the 4 inch heels gave me pain relief from a major injury.  I decide I was going to live my life as much as possible in heels, mostly 4 inches and higher.  I do a lot of activities where flat shoes are mandatory. But otherwise I wear heels everywhere.

Winter/wet I mostly wear my boots and booties.

Summer/dry I mostly wear my wedges, sandals,

I also have some pairs that will blow your mind.

I use to hate shoes and shoe shopping because nothing ever fitted.

Now that I wear women shoes and heels I just love shoes and really enjoy shoe shopping. It’s fun to have shoes that fit and look good. I have over 40 pairs, mostly high heels.

Santa Cruz.  

I'm a lucky size 10, so I don't know it they carry larger sizes.

The shoe stores around Stanford carry larger sizes.

How else do you practice walking fast in heels?  He's got handle bars if he slips.

I got some narrow bookcases on Overstock and then made some addition wood shelves. I can adjust the height of each shelve and store two pairs of boots/booties per shelve, three pairs of some other heels.  Cost ~$70/case but I have over 40 pairs of heels and I want to be able to find my shoes. 

I like to shop for shoes in person as much as possible.  Not only do they need to look good, they need to fit perfectly.  So I spend several hours each month just walking thru shoe stores looking and trying on shoes.

My favorite store is a small boutique.  They treat me very well. Since I'm a regular client one of the sales women will come over and show me what they have that is new.  I try on shoes there that I know I would never be able wear anywhere, but I just want to know how they feel.  Many times they will ignore women customers to service my (shoe) needs first.  I have found some great heels there (7+ pairs) in the past 2 years.

But my favorite brands are Steve Madden (Madden Girl, Steven, Steve Madden, Freebird) and Charles by Charles David.  Not all heels in these brands fit, but many seem to fit better than other brands.

So what about you.

Do you have a favorite shoe store you love to visit often?

Do you have favorite brands?

Unfavorite brands? Why?  (For me it's "Jessica Simpson", "Ivanka Trump",...just to narrow)

I told a new women friend I wore heels while hiking at Point Lobos.  The next time I saw her I wore my 5 inch Steve Madden open-toe Mules. I'm still seeing her.

I love my black boots too. 

Got a pair of the these in Freebird Blaze in Brown and had to get them in black. Wore the black to work last week with dark blue cords.

It's a function of you foot's shape: HIGH ARCHES.  

I have size 10 women-shaped feet with high arches. The only boots I have without zippers are Uggs and two pairs of Madden Girls calf-high boots that I can get on and off...they are hard to get on and hard to get off. Otherwise I have given up all hope of ever fitting boots without zippers.  I ordered some Steve Madden KHB this winter but couldn't even get my foot halfway around the ankle choke hold, had to take them back.

The high arches make our feet too voluminous for the choke hold at the ankle, and if you add more material there the shoe would not fit correctly once you get your foot in.

The good news is there are plenty of great boots in our sizes (7 and 10) with zippers.

Name: 

Age: 62

Gender: M

Location: On the Monterey Bay in California

Occupation: Science Professor

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 170 lbs

Shoe size: Women's 10

What's your favourite heel style: Block and wegdes

What's your favourite shoe style: Booties, Boots, open-toe high heel wedge sandals

Do you wear your heels outside: Always and everywhere

What is:

   Your favourite heel height: 4.5"

   Your highest heel height: 7"

How often do you wear:

  Your favourite heel height: Everyday

  Your highest heel height: Rarely

Do you wear socks, hose, stockings or bare feet with your shoes:

Knee high socks with boots and booties.  Bare footed in my sandals.

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