Gige

Thanks! Can't wait to go! Super excited! Thanks! Can't wait to go! It's a place that my wife and I have wanted to visit for quite some time - super excited to finally being able to do so!

Heading to France - Loire Valley via Paris, for a week in late April/early May. I anticipate a lot of walking so I'll be in my trainers but expect to be arriving and departing in heels of some sort.

I wanted to expand on this a bit as it leads to a point worth making. @Shyheels is correct in noting women's clothing offers far more choices in terms of colors, cuts/styles, fit, versus men's clothing. As a result, women do have far more ability to express themselves in what they wear whether it is in a professional, business casual, or a relaxed setting. This, in turn, leads to greater acceptance of what women "can" wear in professional/business casual settings when compared to men. I make my case via a pair of camouflage pants. I have struck up a casual friendship with a woman who works in another unit in another part of my office building. She often dresses in what I would describe as "relaxed professional" attire - well fitting jeans, a solid color sweater, "appropriate" make-up and accessories, and modest trainers (for footwear - no flashy colors, etc.). One day not too long ago, she was wearing a black sweater, matched with camouflage dress pants, and black loafers. The pants were clearly dress pants due to their cut, style, and fit - they were certainly not fatigues nor aerobic style tights/leggings. I commented to her that I not only loved her pants but that she wore them into the office in a very stylish manner. She mentioned from where she purchased them (which was a higher end department store) and a short time later, I purchased a very similar pair but from a different store. When the weather warms a bit, I intend to wear them to the office with a some sort of maroon or black top and loafers or kitten/low heels. I expect that no one will notice/care and if I do so and head out somewhere after the end of the day, to receive a compliment or two. I would tend to believe that as women have far more latitude to express themselves via the clothes they wear, wearing a pair of camouflage dress pants to an office will not receive much attention. If a man, however, should do the same, that would clearly be noticed and depending on a variety of factors, may very well be frowned upon even if a relaxed dress code where in place. I will not be shy in suggesting that when it comes to attire in professional environments, women have a much greater ability to express themselves via the clothes they choose to wear. I am indicating that, yes, there is a double standard in place where, in certain situations/environments, male conformity in attire is expected or even demanded. Not that I am at all trying to disparage, belittle, or insinuate any negative comments towards anyone, but at my building, the only men I occasionally see in camouflage attire are the heavy maintenance workers (e.g. HVAC, plummers, etc.). Although my superiors have established a reasonable dress code for all employees, I would tend to believe that a man wearing camouflage fatigues to the office would not be welcomed. This is the result, in part, of certain clothing holding certain stereotypes for men and women. Camouflage pants/shirts, etc., for a man are "automatically" fatigues but more 'houte couture' for women. Just to prove my point, I recently purchased a well fitting, knee-length camouflage skirt I wore to the office yesterday with rather plain, 3" heel, knee high black leather boots. From my point of view, I felt the outfit looked quite fashionable but I did not receive any comments on the outfit as there were very few other individuals in a work station (still digging out of a snowstorm and arctic cold). I would also make the same argument for animal print clothing and cargo pants as well.

Well, congratulations for a job well done are in order! Should anyone ask me how many miles I walked in any specific pair or all of my heels this year, my answer would be far more modest, probably along the lines of "Thursday...!" Like you, however, I am under a polar vortex and it has been rather chilly around my part of the world. And, and, AND to top that, this past Sunday/Monday, the central midwest/plains got hammered by a major snowstorm which dumped 9.5"/24cm of snow on my area. In fact, my little hamlet received the most snow of the central Illinois area. Winners! Unfortunately, the snow has hardened and turned to ice, so the areas that are not well plowed are very slick and will be for the foreseeable future. Thus, until the spring thaw starts in about 2.5-3 month, my outdoor footwear will be my heavy-duty Timberlands or Hunter boots. I will have to limit my looking pretty to the indoors for the time being.

I realize that I do not need to share the excruciating details of my everyday life on this forum, but I had an encounter this evening that made me wonder if, while out in a pair of heels, we do not notice others who may notice us? A bit of a backfill is needed. My employer mandates that all employees have to exhausted certain types of Acquired Benefit Time (i.e. personal days and/or vacation days) by the end of the calendar year or lose it. As Christmas and New Year's Day fall on Wednesdays this year, about 99% of the staff take extra days off throughout December. I am, unfortunately, that one percent that still has to make my way into the office. As we approached the end of 2024, my bosses began sending emails to their staff indicating on what days they would/would not be in the office over the last two weeks of December. Given that I was the only poor soul who was not taking any time off over the holidays, I decided to make the most of all others being away by designating the last two weeks of the year as "High-high heel days." I decided that I was going to wear those 4+" heels into the office with some outfit that, until very recently, I would never have otherwise considered doing so. I very much wanted to make sure that I was comfortable doing so now so that I could do so again in the future. This past Tuesday, for example, I wore an exquisite knee-length leather skirt with my 4.5" Jessica Simpson - Tulip (model) boots. Today I wore a delicious animal print, just above the knee skirt with 4" wedge boots and a black turtleneck. As a whole, the ensemble was quite haute couture if I do say so myself. After the end of the workday, I headed over to the local wine bar in town as the place has a Friday after work special. After sharing a drink with a friend and colleague from another department that is the monstrosity of my employer, I decided to engage in my favorite, least desirable activity - weekly grocery shopping. FWIW, my colleague raved about my outfit and I told that if she continued, she was going to make me blush, which was not that hard as I was already wearing a nice rose colored blush! As I made my way into the hair care products aisle, I encountered two younger aged women, who I would place in their early 20s. I took notice of one of them because she was wearing very casual, just over-the-knee, 2.5" block, black microfiber heel boots, with distressed jeans. I grabbed some hair conditioner and made my way to the end of the aisle where I encountered the two women. The woman wearing the boots then says to me words along the line of "I love your outfit - you look fabulous!!" "Oh, thank you ever so kindly!!" was my response, which is my standard response and I truly do mean it. The same woman told me that she loved the skirt and I find that making small talk when given a compliment has been received is a means by which to show sincere appreciation of such. I told the women that, in fact, I found it at the local second-hand store, and was amazed to find an item so cute and in my size. Seeing that it fit me so well, I "had" to buy it for the few dollars marked on the price tag. The woman continued to compliment my outfit and then told me that as soon as she noticed me turning into the aisle, she was "checkin' me out." I told her that I honestly did not notice her doing so and again, thanked them both for their kind and encouraging words before heading to the next aisle. In all, I would estimate that I was in the presence of the woman for ~15-20 seconds before she made any compliment to me. Needless to say, it is encounters such as this that I truly enjoy and reinforce my confidence. The fact that I did not notice the woman looking at my outfit made me wonder if, after a certain point of routinely being out in heels, do we drop our guard and not even realize it? Do/can "we" become so confident that over time, we no longer notice who notices us? I suppose one could argue that it is a defence mechanism for any of us to focus on what we are doing when out and about in a pair of heels so that we do not notice others reaction to our presence, if they actually should have one. There have been may posts on this forum regarding whether or not others actually notice "US" when were are out and about while wearing heels. I would venture a guess that the consensus is that no, many others do not notice us when we are wearing our heels and if they do, they care little about such. So, I have to ask if we become like "them" and after a while, take no notice of those who notice us? I can certainly say that I have reached the point where when I am out in heels, I do not notice what anyone's reactions may be as doing what I need to get done is the focus. Thus, if someone should notice me, my reaction is..."And?" The wedges were supremely comfortable but as I had been in them for 12 hours when I finally got home, although my feet and calves were not screaming "uncle" they were tired. I think @Tech will be awarding me "Best Dressed of 2024" any day now!

First off, thanks for the thanks! Zakk is a great guitar player and I know a bit of his oeuvre with BLS. That show was the second and final time I saw Ozzy live - the first time was with Anthrax opening for him in December 1988. I know he, Rex Brown, Phil Anselmo, and Charlie Benante were touring as Pantera and that is a horribly talented group. I am sorry, but being a purest, without Dime and Vinnie, it does not strike me as "true" Pantera. It is not to say the did not have a great show, I think it is more of Anselmo trying to capitalize on Pantera's legacy. As I have gone back and listened to some of the hair metal artists of the 80's, I realized that there were some decent bands and music but it is hard to separate that/them from the whole scene of the time. Yes, Vito was a decent guitar player but, speaking for myself, I cannot separate him from the who hair metal genre. A

@pebblesf Thanks!

Yeah...I know I'm breaking the rules here, but this outfit was just "too cute" not to share....My leather skirt and 4.5" Jessica Simpson "Tulip" boots. Although I adore these boots and I bought them unworn, the interior lining is quickly deteriorating due to their age (maybe 10+ years?). I have already started planning out their replacement. Regardless, what a thrill it was to wear such high heels to work. Received several compliments in the ensemble as a whole!

Last entry of the year! Wore this outfit to a glassblower/artist's open house. Note: Jumpsuit can be very cute, except when one needs to use the washroom. And just in case I "forgot" any month.... an at the office outfit.

This post was truly inspired by @Mr. X's recent post regarding the wearing of heels while playing a drum set. As I have also done such in the past and did not want to get weighted down in the minute and boredom of the technique in doing so, I decided to spin off a new thread as his post revived a 1/2 unpleasant memory of attending an event which involved heels many, many years ago. July 15, 1989, was somewhat of an unusual Saturday night as I and my then next-door neighbor travelled across the Chicago metro area to attend a concert by the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. He was touring in support of No Rest for the Wicked, his first album with his newest axe grinder, Zakk Wydle, and we had fourth row seats. Most unfortunately, there were two opening acts through which we had to suffer before Ozzy et.al. hit the stage. One of those acts was White Lion, a band who then, as they and the whole ‘hair-metal’ genre of the 80’s continue to do, fill an area of a needed void. The first act to take the stage was a four-piece, female, glam outfit who called themselves Vixen. Although their music should be forgotten and they reflected just about all that was “wrong” with the ‘hair metal’ scene of the time, which is everything, to two late teenaged guys, they were gorgeous and we did not want to miss their set only for this reason! That night, all of them wore skin-tight clothing and heels, and had hair that extended several feet in the air, held in place by several gallons of hair spray. Being that close to their heels was the only aspect of their show that was tolerable in any capacity. Vixen had a video that received somewhat regular airtime on the difficult and frustrating to watch MTV’s mistitled Headbanger’s Ball (To the European members, think Eurovision but somehow, far worse) on Saturday Nights. The song was entitled Edge of a Broken Heart and although completely laughable by today’s standards, I went back and watched it on Youtube the other day. Although all of the members of the group are wearing tall heels in the video, it was interesting to see how the style of such has changed from the late 80s to today. This compelled me to think about how heel styles have changed over the years and who was at the forefront of such. Clearly, one can identify those individuals or television shows where the fashion du jour was on full display. That which I find to be amazing is the fact that although the idea of high heels essentially remains unchanged over the past few decades, designers can continually find new ways to change the physical design from year-to-year. Thus, it may be easy to place any pair of heels in the decade in which they may have been worn without any clues beyond the heels themselves. It truly stinks, to put it mildly, to know that some styles of heels have a life-style span of a season or two before they are considered to be “dated.” This, I think, is why I learn towards classical styles as what is trendy now will not be so next year and timeless styles are just that – timeless. I would rather have and wear a pair of heels that hail from Jackie Kennedy’s time than from last year as classic styling never goes out of style. The idea of short-lived footwear trends can be represented in a pair of boots I have – ‘Tulip’ (model) from Jessica Simpson. They feature a 5” heel with a ½” platform but the top has a fold-over flap which was the style about 10 years ago. When I wear these boots, I take that flap and fold it into the actual shaft for a more contemporary look or unfold it to give them an over-the-knee look. As for the show itself – Ozzy, as expected, ROCKED! Zakk covered all of the Sabbath songs very well and played those incredible solos performed by the late and great Randy Rhodes note for note. Sadly, however, it was the second time I had to endure the craptacular show of White Lion, who I witnessed open for AC/DC the previous September. The best part of their set was when it ended and the road crew moved their gear out of the way for the main act. Here is a picture of Vixen. If you should watch the video on Youtube, I highly recommend you do so with the mute on so as not to damage your hearing by simply listening to the song (if you could make it all the way to the end).

OK - I can not resist responding to this topic because, I, too, was a drummer and played a drumset in heel and, thus, can and do deeply relate appreciate this topic. I do apologize if I am giving you tips and/or advice on techniques of which you may have already learned. In sum, abandoned the "heel-toe" method of working the bass drum and hi-hat pedals. I was taught to use that and found it to be good only for limiting my speed and agility. If you keep the heel of your foot planted on the bass pedal, for example, it limits your ability to use that for 16th note pick-ups before the first beat of the next measure. Without wearing heels, keep the heel of your right foot on the ground and hit two 16th notes before coming in your snare or toms on the one. Then, trying the same with your foot in an elevated position as if you are wearing heels. You will notice that the elevated position allows you to hit those pick-up notes much faster than with your heel resting on the pedal. Also, as you have/will learn(ed), using the heel-toe method causes the muscles in your foot and ankle to grow tired rather quickly. Thus, the primary movement really comes from the hip while the knee remains stationary (for the most part) and the second note is a quick follow-up with the ankle. If you are wearing heels while playing and resting the heel on the pedal, the primary movement is still coming from the ankle, which is not what you want to do - movement of the leg from the hip is the best technique. Resting your foot on the pedal, heel or not, limits you ability to use your hip and ankle in combination as all movement then comes from your ankle. You will find that you can move your legs from the hip much for quickly that you can move your ankle on the pedal. Go to Youtube and search: Neil Peart - Cotton Tail with drum solo and watch the movement of his legs and feet - there are plenty of close up shots that will clearly show how he places his feet on the pedals. You will notice that only the ball of his foot is on the pedal and the movement of such originates from his hip. FWIW, this solo is undoubtedly one of the finest on a four-piece drum kit you will ever see. That which I do not like about it is his use of traditional grip - don't EVEN get me started on that!

@Goose @CrushedVamp Welcome to the forum! I believe that you will find many of the active members to be encouraging and supportive as you progress in wearing heels out in public. I find it to be very comforting to know that what I have and I am currently experiencing, others in this group have also done the same. Thus, that which you share with this group will be very familiar to most everyone and the advice you receive/can find will be very helpful. On that note, allow me to offer a few suggestions. First, read through many of the threads started over the past year or so. As I started venturing out in heels about a year ago, I, too, had many stories of success as well as many questions. I found the responses, encouragement, and advice in the responses to my postings were invaluable. You may not agree with all that has been offered in the words of each individual but for the most part, I have found that which they wrote to be enriching and rewarding. For me, reading the stories of other men wearing heels in public was the motivation I needed to take that first step, both literally and figuratively. Within a year, I have gone from “Oh god! Someone may have seen me in heels!” to “Someone saw me in heels. I hope they thought my skirt and top matched my boots/heels!” I often receive compliments on my outfits and that never gets old (and/or tired). Second, be sure to share your stories, thoughts, and comments with the group. Again, many of us can relate to your feelings and will be able to offer tips, pointers, and if needed, cautions about wearing heels in public. I find that writing about my initial experiences of wearing heels in public was very helpful in processing all of it. Likewise, you will always get a response to your posts. Building confidence in wearing heels in public varies from individual to individual. Some can throw on a pair of heels for the first time and head right out in public without a care in the world. For others, it may take a bit, and there will be a few who may still be hesitant for a very long period of time. Finally, do not feel stupid, silly, ashamed, or otherwise if you truly want to wear heels out in public. There are members of this forum who range from just wearing only heels to individuals like me who are either genderfluid or fully transgender (I have started gravitating to the latter) but what binds us together is that we all wear high heels. The how, when, and where you choose to do so is entirely up to you and I hope that you will eventually become like other members (myself included) who prefer heels to other footwear. At first, yes, it is going to feel as if the eyes of the world immediately fall upon you when step out in heels. With time, practice, and determination, that will change. Again, read through some of the older threads and look at he outfits some of the members have worn out in public. When I first started wearing heels in public, I dreamed of the day I could wear a similar outfit in public. Now, I do and want “everyone” to see it! If you need advice, encouragement, or the like, always feel free to make an outreach!

Oh, I see you get to have all the "fun" weather! 🥶

This post is a spin-off of comments made on another thread that I thought might make a good topic of discussion on its own. As I did not want this to get buried somewhere very far down on the thread for which it was intended, I decided to just create a new topic. I have been giving much thought to the idea of what advice I/we could offer to any man who wants to venture out in public while wearing heels but lacks the confidence to do so. Almost all of the advice I have read here has been solid and offers a great step-by-step guide on how to do so. As far as I know, no one has giving advice to a “first-timer” along the lines of “Get the highest stilettos and shortest leather skirt you can find, go to a biker bar…” I agree that starting small and gradually working towards bigger steps as one becomes more confident is an excellent strategy. The term that has been often mentioned is “confidence,” and I agree that such is essential to a man wearing heels in public. The term “confidence,” however, may have a different meaning to everyone and thus, how such is defined may be open for some degree of debate. I would not disagree with the notion that having confidence is of critical importance, but I recognize that how long it takes for any of us to reach the point of where such exists is dependent on the individual. That which has recently dawned upon me is that there are certain facts/truths that any man who wants to (or actually does wear) heels out in public has to accept. I would argue that in order to build confidence, one must be seen in heels while in public but yet, being seen in heels while out in public is that which we fear. This fear, in turn, prevents an individual from heading out in a pair of heels, which, in turn, prevents the building of confidence needed to overcome the fear of heading out in public while wearing a pair of heels. As just over-explained here, this can be a vicious circle and breaking it may be easy for some, take bit of time for others (like me) or cannot be broken by the rest. I think the key to breaking this cycle begins with the recognition no matter where “we” go, what “we” do, or how hard “we” try to cover our heels, someone will always notice what we are wearing on our feet. Accepting this reality/fact is, as I see it, truly the first step to heading out in public in a pair of heels. If one accepts the fact that they WILL been seen in heels by someone somewhere, and such is the key to building confidence, then “the rest” will eventually come. In time, being seen in heels in public will not be an issue to the wear of such to the point where one may wear heels that other forms of footwear. There have been instances where I have been out in public while wearing heels that have been 90% covered by long pants/jeans and yet, someone notices by directing a compliment to me on what I am wearing. Given what I have learned, I do not know if I would have handled those “early days” differently. Speaking from my own experience, however, now, there is nothing more exhilarating and a confidence builder than being seen in a pair of heels, regardless of if the heels are fully exposed or not. It speaks so much of confidence to go out in public to do one’s whatever, and not give a single care to who sees me or what they think about what I am wearing.

OMG!!!!! I am sooo insanely envious! I have my eye about three pairs of boots from FB but, unfortunately, there are some other pressing priorities at the moment. Could I ever so kindly ask you to share the details of your experience in ordering these wonderful boots? Were there any issues with the fit? How long did take to receive them? I absolutely want to get a pair from FB but also want to ensure they will fit me "just right."