Gige

I want to begin by asking a simple question: Has anyone ever been confronted about wearing a pair of heels, either just the heels themselves or wearing heels with "feminine" attire, such as a skirt or dress? Most unfortunately, such recently happened to me but it was not driven by any sort of "problem" some narrow-minded jackass has/had regarding a man wearing heels. Here's the story. A few days ago, I headed to my health club/gym for my usual workout following a routine day at the office. Now, in the past, I made it a point not to enter the facility wearing any article of clothing that could be obviously identified/labelled as "feminine," such as a dress, skirt, or even heels. Thus, when I knew I was going to be heading to my health club after a day at the office, the outfit for work was always pants. When I pulled into the parking lot for the facility on such days, the heels, jewelry, neck-scarf (if worn) came off and remained in my car. Given that the level of excessive testosterone was frequently on display by individual taking topless selfies of themselves while flexing muscles in front of the locker room mirror, I did not feel comfortable walking into such a setting while wearing a pair heels and/or skirt/dress. During the cold of winter or heat of summer, this "pre-changing" in my car became cumbersome and unnecessary. As my health club recently instituted a policy of no cell-phone use in the locker rooms, the instances of such selfies of flexed muscles has largely abated. Thus, I felt the time for heading to the locker room without having to remove my heels or other items in my car had arrived. Unfortunately, the first instance of such resulted in a confrontation the truly spooked me. I do not remember exactly what I was wearing that day but I seem to recall it was a knee-length skirt, a black turtleneck, and a pair of flat riding boots. I made my way into the locker room and started changing without incident. After I changed into my workout clothes, I went into the washing area to remove my make-up so that when I was sweating, it would not get all over the equipment. As I was doing so, I noticed a young man out of the corner of my right eye, shirtless and wearing "wrap around" sun glasses, quickly glance into the washing area. I made no note of it and finished what I was doing. When I was finished, I made my way back to the general changing area to ensure that my locker was locked. At that time, the same individual, hereinafter identified as "Person X" came up to me and said there was a problem with my eyes. I was caught off guard and thought that maybe my eyes were suddenly inflamed by the chemicals in the make-up remover towelette I used. The conversation from here went as follows, as best as I can remember it. "Oh my gosh, what's wrong with my eyes?" I asked "They are seeing funny" Person X responded. "What, they are not seeing funny. There's nothing wrong with them." I said. "Well, why did you 'smoke my backside?'" Person X asked. "What do you mean? I have no idea what you mean that I have 'smoked your backside!" I responded. "You did it three times" he continued. I continued to responded by stating that, honestly, I had not a clue as to what he meant 'smoking his backside.' He continued by insisting that, on three occasions, I had 'smoked his back side' and he needed it documented for the court of heaven. At that time, three words came to mind - mental illness/paranoia. Although I am not a trained mental health practitioner by any stretch of the imagination, I have been so exposed to such over the course of my career, that I have learned how to recognize it when I see it. Here, it was standing right in front of me. All that I could do was deescalate and get away from the person so as not to get hurt. Arguing with those who are mental ill is not advisable under any condition. Fortunately, the situation ended without any harm befalling me beyond just being "spooked" over the matter. After the incident was over, I quickly spoke to another patron of the facility who told me that he had observed Person X in the gym on previous occasions and felt that Person X was "disturbed." As I replayed the incident in my mind and gave it some thought, I was able to develop a theory of what happened. Person X observed me enter the gym and followed me into the locker room (I did not notice him as I was doing so). Once he saw me washing my face, he confronted me after I was done. It is my contention that seeing me enter the either the facility or male locker room (or both) as I was dressed at that moment, his paranoia lead him to believe that my outward appearance that day was somehow meant as an unwanted sexual advance toward him. Thus, the confrontation. As crazy as this sound, to those affected by paranoia, any idea so crazy can be rationalized/justified. I think was I spooked by this because a man so obviously wearing heels or a dress is going to be noticeable to average person. Should a person suffering from paranoia somehow take offense to this, the results could be deadly. I truly have to wonder if men who wear heels may be in an enhanced position for suffering harm from those whose mental illness causes them to take offense in some capacity at the sight of such.

I have to wonder if Italian heels is still operating. I just looked at their website and it appears to be "dead" in that there are few, if any, items to purchase. At one time, they offered a wide selection of items and I had considered purchasing a pair of boots. I hesitating doing so as I was very unsure if I could get them made to my specific leg measurements, as well as concerns about the quality of the finished product. You are the only person I have encountered that not only has a pair of Jean Gaborit boots, but is even familiar with the company! I have long thought about purchasing a pair but have balked because of the price. When I first learned of Jean Gaborit many, many years ago, the selection of heeled, knee-high boots was impressive and fairly priced for what was offered. Now, however, some of those models are long gone and there has seemingly been a shift to over-the-knee boots, if one should want a pair of their boots with a heel on them. Although I greatly appreciate the boots Jean Gaborit makes, it begs the question of what is a fair price of complete customization. That is an issue about which I will write in a separate thread.

First - thank you for a wonderfully written response! I always greatly appreciate well-crafted responses and as hard as I may try, mine sometimes miss the mark, usually due to typos or not making my point as clear and concise as possible. In other words, I am an overly wordy, horrible proof-reader. With respect to the idea of go-go boots as a form of female empowerment, I would be very interested to read the scholarly research on such. It is quite conceivable that an argument could be made that, along with the bikini and mini-skirt, go-go boots did much to help women's empowerment following their introduction. A counter argument could be made, however, that they were simply a fashion idea that hit at the right time. Still, another argument could be made that certain forms of "feminine" footwear, such as over-the-knee boots and stiletto heels, had a greater impact on women's empowerment than go-go boots or loafers/flats. I would argue that loafers/flats, and tailored pants/trousers did much for those women who wanted to proverbially throw off the yolk of wearing heels and dresses all the time as their mothers may have done. Go-go boots at their height of their popularity, by contrast, did bring with them a sense of generational change that is typical as children often do not want to be their parents. I do not know if I would go so far as to say that such is an act of "rebellion" but more so, just a sense that what was the "norm" for our parents is not for us. I think a contemporary example is the pre-torn jeans look. For some, it may be great but for me, it is sloppy and unkept, and that which I hope fades away. Again, I am sure there is a body of literature on the societal impact of go-go boots, but I, however, do not know what it may conclude. Regardless, a great response for excellent discussion!

I profess to having a love of heeled boots and greatly prefer a pair of them (ankle to thigh-high) over a pair of pumps. For reasons I am unable to explain in a matter of a few simple words, boots, no matter the heel height, always seem to fit me so much better than pumps, loafers, etc. The problem that I face when trying to find that "just right" pair of boots is that I have slim calves and thus, I have had to pass on purchasing many of the gorgeous boots I have seen come the start of autumn. Based on my research, it appears that 15-16" (~38cm) top circumference is the "norm" and, unfortunately, I measure 14" (~34cm). If I wear of pair with a top circumference/shaft opening larger than 15" (36cm") they are obviously too large for my thin legs and can look rather awkward. Therefore when I am shopping for a new pair of boots, there are far fewer choices for me due to my narrow/slim calf size. I no longer shop for boots at shoe store as I know that what is available in my shoe size will be far too big in the calf area. Fortunately, I have been able to find a few brands that offer narrow calf boots for individuals like me. One brand that offers narrow calf boots with great quality/generally positive reviews is Naturalizer and I have two pairs of the Kalina model. They fit well and are well made, but the problem with this brand is that most of their styles have lower heels <3." Additionally, although the brand can be found at retailers outside of Naturalizer, as is often the case, once Naturalizer is out of a particular model, so is every other on-line retailer. So, as any Dutch members of this forum know, OP = OP! Another brand that I have found is Soleimani, which is sold via Slimcalfboots.com. Overall, the boots are well made and there is a fair selection of styles. I have a pair of black, 3.5" block heel pointed toe boots that have a "western" flair to them. They are comfortable and fit well through the calf but the ankle is a bit narrow which makes that area a bit tight. Although this does not affect walking in them, I can feel the leather pulling across my ankle when I bend it so my foot is pointing up. Likewise, the entire shaft is not leather as the part of the shaft in the back of the calf is a stretchy canvass-like material. Although advertised as "knee-high," some the their models are closer to mid-calf than at the knee. Despite this, I will probably be buying a pair of the same style boots in blue, and gray suede for next autumn. I very recently purchased a pair of boots from DUO out of the UK. I had added to a previous thread about DUO's self-inflicted missteps in the past and how the company just about went bankrupt due to an ill-conceived name change. As I had mentioned in that post, the number of different calf sizes available had dropped to eight, and the styles also changed. The elegant styles (with a great deal of sex appeal) which were once offered were replaced with boots that were far more "practical" and to me, bordered on "frump." The highest heel now on offer is ~3.5" (9cm) whereas in the past 4"/10cm styles could be found every season. Clearly, the audience at whom the boots were marketed had greatly shifted from "fashionista" to school teacher (No offense to any school teacher as my lovely spouse taught in a classroom for 19 years but she was always well put together). Also, there have been some complaints that the quality for which DUO was once known had fallen as well. Given the above, in respect to DUO, I was quite surprised to see the company offer a leather boot with a 3.5"/9cm stiletto heel in a snake print. To me, these seemed a bit "too" edgy for those to whom they would normally market their footwear. As my foot and calf size were available, I took a chance and ordered a pair. I was quite happy that DUO shipped these by FedEx as they only took a week to get to me (from the UK) compared to about three weeks if they were sent by post. Overall, the boots seem to well make and the calf size I purchased was perfect. The only draw back so far is that the ankle area is a bit large and the particular model I purchased was in whole sizes only (I am 9.5/US) so I had to order up a 1/2 half size. I am curious to see how comfortable they will be for a whole day. Next up...Other (usually very expensive) alternatives. The photo is from the DUO website...I will post a picture of how I wore them shortly after I do so! The black boots are from Soleimani.

Thanks for the response! Even though we may disagree on go-go boots, I do appreciate when anyone does offer a differing opinion/view point as it reminds me that others have a great reason for doing so. Just to clarify my point, I have always viewed go-go boots as less than a 3" heel (maybe closer to 2"). Thus, we could probably have a new discussion as to what constitutes a pair of go-go boots! Also, are your boots all solid colors, or do you have some with a pattern design?

I wanted to chime in here on a few points. First, Go-go boots. I have never been a fan of them as they are so much associated with a specific time period - the 60s. The have seemingly survived for many decades afterwards for reasons I am not sure I could determine or understand. Not that I am complaining or the like, but to me, they are very much part of the "younger crowd" from a by-gone era. Go-go boots, like any object, have their place in history and breaking that association may be very hard to do regardless of how styles and attitudes change. I conducted a quick search for modern go-go boots and regardless with what they were pared, trying to see them in the context of contemporary fashion is hard to do. This is not to say that they cannot or should not worn with current fashion, but, more so, doing so may take supreme styling ability. I would suspect that some of those who wear go-go boots now do so with an appreciation of the time when they were in their heyday. Again, speaking only for myself, they are not for me as they truly define an era where fashion trends and styling were very different. I think the pumps in question are the Nine West Etta, of which I have pair in black, and they are rather comfortable. The heel on these, as seen in the photo, has little, if any, curve to it when compared to the shoe next to it. In a practical sense, the Etta pumps are really no different that any other stiletto pump I have worn. I would tend to believe that the setting of the heel bit back is more of a structural concern than a walking issue. Although I love the lines of the "classically" angle heel, I am also a fan of the modern straight down heel as it is beautiful update to a classic. This is not to suggest that all different takes on the heel are of the same beauty. I am not a fan of the cone shape or others similar styles, particularly those that are highly embellished, are triangular, or are an upside down cone. @higherheels I have to most politely disagree with you about the block heels. I prefer block heels to stilettos as the former offer greater stability and for me, comfort when walking. Stilettos have a time and place to be worn but given the choice, I would go with a block over a stiletto. Likewise, block heels offer much less of a possibility of getting caught in a crack or pavement irregularity than stiletto heels. As previously noted, I do not care for many styles of block heel but believe that, for the most part, they are more practical than a stiletto. I would say that about 90% of my heels are of a block heel style. Just to add to the argument that not all heels are beautiful, I submit this photo as proof of that point (I am not the person in the photo). I cannot imagine that they are comfortable for the slightest degree of walking.

First - has anyone seemed to notice that the pop-up adds, as well as those coming up from the bottom of the screen, have increased and make writing more difficult and annoying? Anyways... Recently, I have been battling a slight cold that, at the end of the work day, has left me feeling drained of energy and wanting to do no more than spend the evening sitting in front of the television (nothing serious - I'm fine). So, I have (including New Year's Eve) been binge watching my favorite childhood television show, Emergency! For UK/EU members, this was (most likely) the first American drama series that revolved around a medical/fire-rescue environment and aired from 1972 to 1977. While watching the old episodes, I made some observations about the state of fashion and how certain items worn then are still being worn today, even if slightly different. First, with respect to the men's fashion du jour, all I can say is YIKES! It was bad and there is little redemption to it. With respect to the women's fashion, however, one can clearly see how certain trends worn during the time period of the show can be and are actually still worn today. In one episode, a woman was wearing an outfit that consisted of a maroon top, khaki colored wide-leg pants/trousers, and a brownish colored jacket (I do not recall the footwear beyond them being a pair of matching pumps). It was an outfit that if worn today, it would have no obvious signs that it was actually worn in the mid-70's. A later episode featured the beautiful Mariette Hartley wearing a brown striped, matching top/cardigan sweater combo, with black, wide-leg (non bell-bottom) pants/trousers and simple black flats (or low heeled pumps). Again, an outfit that could not be easily dated if viewed without any reference to the time period in which it was actually worn. The most recent episode I watched featured a young woman wearing a pair of double strapped, black patient Mary Janes, with a blue, just above the knee, slightly pleated skirt. What was most interesting about her shoes was that I have a contemporary pair that is very similar to that episode which first aired in 1975. The photo I have attached is of my pair of double strapped Mary Janes and if the heel on those were about 1/2 the height they are, one would essentially have the same shoe as seen on the TV show. Not to get off topic, but I recently wore my Mary Janes to the office with a pair of black, subtle patterned tights and a just above the knee black skirt. One of my female colleagues commented about the cuteness of the shoes and I replied that they, as well as the outfit, definitely had a 1960s mod flavor to it. Turns out, my description was rather accurate. So, I guess the two points I am trying to make here is that, first, timeless will always be timeless; certain styles will always outlive trends and fads. Second, what may separate time periods (in a fashion sense) from one another may be no more than putting a new twist on an old idea/item. Sure, the show features are many examples of mostly individual late teens/early 20s) dressing as if they were living in Haight-Ashbury and older people dressing is styles that made the 70's an awful time for fashion (just a note - wearing non-matching stripes and patterns as part of the same outfit is often a fashion disaster). There are examples, however, of the fact that, as just noted, simple pieces can be timeless. It is very much this approach has governed and influence my approach to my clothing choices. I say this with a serious degree of cynicism but I rather see clothing styles focus more on timeless pieces rather than new styles being introduced with every season. I guess if such were the case, then there is little money to be made in the fashion industry.

First - has anyone seemed to notice that the pop-up adds, as well as those coming up from the bottom of the screen, have increased and make writing more difficult and annoying? Anyways... Recently, I have been battling a slight cold that, at the end of the work day, has left me feeling drained of energy and wanting to do no more than spend the evening sitting in front of the television (nothing serious - I'm fine). So, I have (including New Year's Eve) been binge watching my favorite childhood television show, Emergency! For UK/EU members, this was (most likely) the first American drama series that revolved around a medical/fire-rescue environment and aired from 1972 to 1977. While watching the old episodes, I made some observations about the state of fashion and how certain items worn then are still being worn today, even if slightly different. First, with respect to the men's fashion du jour, all I can say is YIKES! It was bad and there is little redemption to it. With respect to the women's fashion, however, one can clearly see how certain trends worn during the time period of the show can be and are actually still worn today. In one episode, a woman was wearing an outfit that consisted of a maroon top, khaki colored wide-leg pants/trousers, and a brownish colored jacket (I do not recall the footwear beyond them being a pair of matching pumps). It was an outfit that if worn today, it would have no obvious signs that it was actually worn in the mid-70's. A later episode featured the beautiful Mariette Hartley wearing a brown striped, matching top/cardigan sweater combo, with black, wide-leg (non bell-bottom) pants/trousers and simple black flats (or low heeled pumps). Again, an outfit that could not be easily dated if viewed without any reference to the time period in which it was actually worn. The most recent episode I watched featured a young woman wearing a pair of double strapped, black patient Mary Janes, with a blue, just above the knee, slightly pleated skirt. What was most interesting about her shoes was that I have a contemporary pair that is very similar to that episode which first aired in 1975. The photo I have attached is of my pair of double strapped Mary Janes and if the heel on those were about 1/2 the height they are, one would essentially have the same shoe as seen on the TV show. Not to get off topic, but I recently wore my Mary Janes to the office with a pair of black, subtle patterned tights and a just above the knee black skirt. One of my female colleagues commented about the cuteness of the shoes and I replied that they, as well as the outfit, definitely had a 1960s mod flavor to it. Turns out, my description was rather accurate. So, I guess the two points I am trying to make here is that, first, timeless will always be timeless; certain styles will always outlive trends and fads. Second, what may separate time periods (in a fashion sense) from one another may be no more than putting a new twist on an old idea/item. Sure, the show features are many examples of mostly individual late teens/early 20s) dressing as if they were living in Haight-Ashbury and older people dressing is styles that made the 70's an awful time for fashion (just a note - wearing non-matching stripes and patterns as part of the same outfit is often a fashion disaster). There are examples, however, of the fact that, as just noted, simple pieces can be timeless. It is very much this approach has governed and influence my approach to my clothing choices. I say this with a serious degree of cynicism but I rather see clothing styles focus more on timeless pieces rather than new styles being introduced with every season. I guess if such were the case, then there is little money to be made in the fashion industry.

@mlroseplant Thanks for the compliment! Indeed, the boots are fabulous and for the most part, rather comfortable in both wearing and walking. I was recently doing some "experimenting" with different looks with these boots and realized that they can be "dressed up," as seen in the photo, or "dressed down" with a pair of skinny jeans. The "issue" I face is that I have very little real life reference as to the current state of contemporary fashion. As I have noted, probably ad nauseum, my employer has no dress code of which to speak other than "jeans are permissible." Beyond that, just about "anything goes" provided that one could make a case that the item covering one's body is somehow clothing. The only mandate that has been expressed is that when I or some of my colleagues are out in the field for a meeting, we present ourselves in a professional capacity. For some (mostly my male counterparts) it means simply changing from a t-shirt to a polo style shirt and that is as far as it goes. Likewise, with the exception of the "Goth Chic," I could count the number of times I have seen any woman in my building wearing a skirt on two fingers, and I have never observed a man wearing a necktie or so much as a dress shirt. This, sadly, pertains to all individuals within my building across all five floors of it. Thus, trying to determine what is/is not appropriate office fashion is really left to my own discretion. So, with no real point of reference as to what others are wearing, I tend to lean towards conservative pieces so as to be safe. Some time ago, I purchased a pair of black, flat heeled riding boots that, for me, were more embellished than I would normally wear (with exactly what, however, is hard to describe - see the photo). Perhaps interesting to some degree, I am much more comfortable wearing these that a pair of towering heels. I guess that I am stuck on the notion that the taller the heel, the closer it is to being unacceptable for office attire. With respect to the second point, I find it to be interesting that above 4," each measurable increment (e.g. 1/2," 1/4," etc.) truly make a difference in how easy it may be to walk in whatever heels are being worn. Thinking about the boots that are the topic of this point, I recall that the first time I wore them they felt incredibly tall and perhaps, even "too tall" for me at the time. Without a doubt, I needed to practice walking in them prior to first wearing them out. Now, however, they are very manageable but probably at the maximum limit of what I realistic can wear. Sure, I can walk in 5" heels, but not for very long or very far. At 5," however, I can feel that my stride is much shorter and my cadence feels choppy as if I am taking half-steps. I just do not feel that I have the grace in 5" heels that is needed to make them a normal item to wear as much as I would love to do so.

This is a spin-off of my last post entitled, "Sadly, That Will Not Be Happening Again!" because part of this story is a related to that thread and part of it is not. Part One: My swearing off of 4"+ heels only lasted for a week as today, I wore a pair of beautiful 4.75" block-heeled, western styled boots to the office. At either the end of 2023 or the start of 2024, I purchased a pair of beautiful boots (Brand - Raye/Model - Inferno, an appropriate name as they are hot!) via Revolve.com. I have only worn them out once because they always seemed a bit too fancy for wearing wearing to the office. They seem (and are) to be very appropriate for a fancy event or other "dressy" occasion. In fact, I wore these boots to a fancy dinner with a former work colleague about two years ago. Since then, they have sat in my closet waiting to be worn again when the opportunity presented itself. Since that first wearing, however, I have never really had the opportunity to wear them out as fancy dinners or other similar events are few and are between. Given such and my belief that any item I own should be worn out at some point, I have long contemplated selling them in some way, shape, or form. Today is New Year's Eve and I was in the mood to dress up a bit for the office to celebrate the last day of 2025/coming of 2026. I have a lovely burgundy dress that I had yet to wear which, like the boots, is a bit on the fancier side. So, I decided to pair them for the day and what a pairing it was! I generally gravitate towards dresses with a waist tie but as this dress did not have one, I took a black neck scarf and used that as I waist belt. I had thought the boots were a 4.25" heel but when I measured them upon arriving at the office, only then did I realize that they were 4.75." I realized they were taller than I had believed as they just had a certain feel to them, in terms of heel height. Regardless, they were very comfortable and after my work day was done, I ran a quick errand to pick-up a few items for my New Year's Eve dinner. No problems in wearing them all day on any front - no pain in the hips, back, knees, and/or ankles. I just have to wonder if slightly lower heel (0.25") really makes a difference or if they are just of better quality that the once I recently wore. Regardless, I am glad I kept them. Part Two: Some time ago, I happened to view a picture of a female reporter wearing a pair of gorgeous black leather boots while interviewing an individual on the air at her Texas television station. Sadly, there was no information about her boots although when seeing them, I remember thinking to myself that they were "killer" and I would give my left eye to have a pair. I bookmarked the photo as a reference/reminder to look for a similar pair as that would probably be the best I could do. Shortly after I received that boots that are the topic of this post, I went back to that photo to see how my boots compared to those which the reporter was wearing. After carefully examining the boots in the photo with mine, low and behold I realized that, quite by chance/luck, I had purchased the same pair the reporter was wearing! Needless to say, I was quite surprised for a few reasons but more so than not, in a state of disbelief of my find. The manner in which the reporter was wearing them for that interview was very much an inspiration for my New Year's Eve outfit. What's interesting about these boots is that when I first wore then out, the height of the heel was challenging for me but today, not problem what so ever!

Thanks so much for the encouragement and compliments! Hopefully, it was just an off day as I love those boots!

What pair of heels I choose to wear on any given day entirely depends how I feel when I roll out of bed in the morning and what fits as my feet tend to swell a bit while sleeping. Christmas Eve was a "normal" work day for me and when I was deciding what to wear that morning, I felt a strong desire to do "something adventurous" as part of my outfit. I anticipated that the office would be fairly empty for obvious reasons and thus, I decided that the choice of footwear was going to be a "killer" pair of 5" (~12.5cm) beige, block heeled knee boots. I had purchased the boots during the time when I erroneously believed that the higher the heel, the better. It should be noted that the opportune word here is "killer" as that was what they almost did to me! I put together my outfit and following the "normal" morning selfies to document such, I headed out to my car. As I stepped out of my place, I could feel the stress on my knees and ankles from the tall heel but I brushed it off thinking, "I'll be fine as I will not be doing much walking." The walk to my car was a slow one as the heel height very much restricted the length of my stride. I encountered a neighbor along the way and we briefly chatted about "having" to work on Christmas Eve. Admittedly, however, the brief meeting was intoxicating because of the fact that I was wearing a pair of such tall heels out in public and the person who noticing me doing so really did not care about it. This was that which I always wanted to happen. I made my way to my office and took the long and slow walk across the parking lot to the main entrance. Again, I could feel the stress on my knees and ankles, and realized that such tall heels need a slower cadence. The morning when well but at lunch, I decided to head out for a short errand. The first store at which I stopped did not have that for wish I was looking, so I moved on to a second store. As I walked through the aisles of my second stop looking for an item (and noticed some "old-timer" taking a photo of me!) I was in heaven but the discomfort was starting to build. Rather than walk around the store aimlessly as I would normally do so that all of the other shoppers could see me in heels, I found what I needed and headed back to my car. Although I have a habit of parking my vehicle at the rear of any parking lot for many reasons, that day I was regretting doing so as the walk back to my car was rather tough. I made my way back to my office and desk certainly feeling the stress on both knees and ankles. The remainder of the workday was marked by limited walking and by the time I was ready to head home (and after taking two pain relief capsules) my knees and ankles were not "so bad" but now, my mid/lower back was feeling it. At that point, all I wanted to do was get home but I remembered I had a minor error to run while en route. Following such, and a wonderfully given and received compliment from the cashier on my outfit, I arrived home and the boots immediately were removed from my feet. Seemingly, every part of my lower body, as well as mid-back ached from the heels and my back continued to ache for the remainder of the evening. Sadly, I had to promise myself that 4"/10cm is the limit of heel height from this point in time onwards - I just do not think I can handle a heel much taller than that. What is interesting about all of this is that on the previous day, I had a visit with my nurse practitioner and brought forth the issue of joint health and preservation, knees and ankles in particular. I had mentioned that I had been frequently wearing up to 10cm heels, without any problems, and was concerned about the stress that doing so may place on my hip, knee, and ankle joints . The nurse practitioner took a look at my heels, and after expressing her opinion about how ridiculously cute my heels were and that I was so well dressed that day, noted that the best course of action is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight, so as not to place extra stress on the joints. So, as much as I may want to continue to wear 5"+ heels, that most likely will not happen any more or only for very special occasions. I am not sure what I am going to do with the boots...they are size 42 if anyone wants them. Here is the outfit I wore on Christmas Eve and that to visit my nurse practitioner.

Last week, I was in The Netherlands to celebrate a milestone birthday for my wife. We went to dinner on the evening of her special day and for the occasion, she selected an intimate setting about 2kms from our residence. Given that the notoriously unpredictable Dutch weather was cooperating (No rain, non-hurricane force winds, and mild temperatures) we decided to ride our bikes to the restaurant. My outfit for the evening consisted of a pair of just delivered, custom made, black leather, high-heel knee boots from Noe, my favorite brand, which just happens to be based in The Netherlands. They feature 4.25" heel with a .5" platform and ~14" top circumference. Simply put, they are "to die for" gorgeous! Pair with a very "flirty" grey skirt and black top, it was a beautiful outfit if I do say so! If anyone has ever biked in The Netherlands, they would know that doing so can be a challenge in its own right. Doing so in heels, however, adds a new level of difficulty. Admittedly, the ride to/from dinner had to be done carefully so that I did not damage the heels if the ball of the foot area slipped off the pedals, or I had to come to a sudden stop. The sole of the boots is not rubber such as that found on a pair of trainers, so their slipping off the pedals was somewhat of a frequent occurrence. Fortunately, I made it to and from dinner with no damage to the boots. And I loved being seen wearing my new boots!

Is anyone interested in a "Best Dressed" contest for 2026? If so, respond and I will be happy to organize it all! I'm in with an intent to give others (i.e. @CAT) a run for his stilettos! The photo is a picture of some new pumps from this past summer.

It just so happens that Halloween is my wedding anniversary and this year, I wore a pair of faux suede, just OTK boots with a leather skirt to dinner.

I, too, love wedges. To me, however, they seem to be more of a summer shoe but I do have a pair of wedge knee-high boots that I love. I tend to think that when worn "properly" wedges can be just as alluring as a pair of stilettos, as illustrated by my photo.

Hi Heelguypa! I think any of the "regular" members can appreciate your feelings. First, those Larina heels are wickedly gorgeous! If did not have seemingly 300 pairs of shoes and boots, you better believe that I would pick-up a pair! When it comes to wearing heels out in public, there is "a lot" of advice on this forum about how to approach doing so - all of it good. Any man/male who has ever worn a pair of heels out in public knows exactly how you feel, and any one of them will tell you that the first time doing so is always the hardest. Trust me when I say that it gets easier the more you do it. I recommend that you read through those posts on the "for the guys" part of it as there are many great stories and encouragement about doing so. If it was not for this forum and the stories of others I read some time ago, I probably would have never summoned the courage to take that first step - literally. Now, rarely can I head out in a pair of heels without receiving a compliment. I have said this in many previous posts but it is always worth repeating - "Those that mind don't matter and those that matter don't mind." The photo included is the outfit I wore to work to day. So yes - it can be done and doing so is one step at a time. The outfit: Boots/Jessica Simpson Tulip; Boot chains from Shoebidoo (out of Utrecht).

So true! And yes, I have quite a stride in those heels! Just to add - I have not yet found the video of me crossing the street on YouTube, Facebook, or Tik-Tok.

No problem - that outfit is fabulous!

Oh mama! That's it! We're having a best dressed of 2026 competition! You in?

I am sure this topic has been discussed ad nauseum and "resolved" long before it was known that the moon was not made of green cheese. A situation regarding my wearing of heels has surfaced within my family and I came to the realization that the confidence I have gained from doing so has spilled into other areas of my life. Allow me to explain. I have younger brother who is deeply conservative on all matters and he informed me (indirectly) that his eldest daughter (20.5 YOA) had tickets to hear Charlie Kirk speak when he was scheduled to on her university campus. He was murdered, however, before the event at my niece's campus occurred. Needless to say, I sent a carefully worded response about the true nature of Kirk's rhetoric towards the transgender community to my brother and noted that I strongly disagreed with Kirk's positions. The response I received was a profanity filled diatribe about how the transgender community is trying to force their agenda on everyone...blah, blah, blah. Also, it was apparent from his choice of words, that, in general, men wearing heels was somehow wrong because it is not in line with his worldly view. I did not dignify his response with my own response, but not to be arrogant and respect for the fact that my brother is in poor health, both mentally and physically, as an investigator for 20+ years, I could have driven a truck through the holes in his response. My line of belief on this, couple with other recent posts I have offered, made me realize that the confidence I have gained from wearing heels has spilled into other areas of my life. I am much more confident about my work, my decisions, and, just wearing tall heels (4"+) in public and not giving a da(r)n about what anyone thinks or feels about it. For the most part, I have received so many compliments from (mostly) women in my office who love my style and color choices. Most of the men do not care but I still have great conversations with them even if I am wearing a mini skirt. This made me realize that if I can tell a family member "I do not give a (long string of expletives not included) about whether a man wearing heels fits in with your narrow minded worldly view" then what is to stop my confidence from continuing on an upward climb? I realize that over confidence can easily become arrogance and want to avoid going down that road. I guess what I am trying to say is that, I will be more than happy to tell my brother that if he can not accept the fact that I wear heels, then that's too bad. I am going to do so because I like and encourage every man I see to do so the same.

I have the ability to take my lunch period anywhere from 11:30 - 2pm and usually do so around 12pm as it is the half-way point of my work day. It is not at all uncommon for me to head out to the small park across the street from my building and sit in the sun/shade for a few minutes while video chatting with my wife for a few minutes (better signal). The Thursday of the week before I wrote this was a delightful day and I decided to take a stroll to the park in order to chat with my wife who lives seven time zones to my east. I was wearing a gorgeous pair of 4," tan-ish ankle boots (almost pumps) with a pair of medium blue trousers, and matching short-sleeve turtleneck, beret, and accessories. Not to be condescending about it, it screamed style and sophistication. Upon finishing chatting with my wife, I headed back to the office by way of the intersection separating the office parking lot from the park. As I was crossing the street, I noticed a man driving a larger truck carrying a dumpster full of construction debris. I happened to notice, from my right eye, that as I was crossing the street, the individual driving the truck was recording me as I did so. I did a double-take as I was not sure I what I briefly observed was correct. Such enough it was - he had his cell phone out recording me as I was walking across the street. I quickly waived "hi" and continued on my way. I could do no more than shake my head in disbelief - ignorant Neanderthal. Sorry - not the greatest photo but you get the idea.

Sorry - just catchin' up here. Generally speaking, in response to the original question, I will wear higher heels (3"/9cm+) to the office and places I need/want to go on the way home. If I am heading to an event, it will depend on what it is, the weather, the "feel" of it, and other factors. My local library, for example, is having its annual local artist exhibition in about two weeks. It is an early evening event, 5pm - 8pm, with drinks and nibbles. For this, I will forgo heels in favor of a pair of animal print loafers with black pants and a black short sleeve turtle neck as heels seem to be a bit "too much." Every year my local library also presents a murder-mystery play as a fundraiser on a Friday and Saturday evening. For this, I'll step it up a bit and throw on a skirt with a less than 3"/9cm pair of knee high boots. If I was attending a cocktail party or a fancy dinner, my outfit would be made around a 4"/10cm+ pair of heels. I am never in heels for mundane activities like grocery shopping unless it is done on my way home from the office. If I have to head out to run errands or going to an event where I expect to do a great of standing or walking, my trainers are it. This past Saturday was the annual Oktoberfest my town's civic association and as I knew I was going to be walking around, and socializing with the venders and doing "a bit" of drinking, my coral colored Vans were the choice of the du jour.

I have a pair of Leviticus 2.0 Lug Heel OTK boots and I love them! Sizing is true to size but perhaps just ever so slightly a bit on the large end. Interestingly, sizes are only in 1/2 sizes (e.g. 8.5, 9.5, 10.5) etc. They are very well made and very much worth the price. I, generally speaking, have thin calves and thighs, so my boots shafts are a bit on the large side. Thus, I wear them over a pair of jeans and they are fine. They interior is not at all on the cheap material side, which is great, and the foot bed is very roomy (no cramped toes!). I plan on purchasing the new Kenzie model in a bit and if they are too wide in the shaft, I'll have them reduced in size a bit by a professional leather worker in St. Louis. I would make an out reach to Kristina (the owner/designer if you are full sized (i.e. 9, 10, 11) for her recommendation as to going up or down to the next 1/2 size.

This is not a heel topic per se, but it certainly applies to wearing such. I'll ask the question first and then provide the back story for those who want to read it. The question is, have "you" ever not worn a pair of heels (Pumps, boots, etc) or not worn them in a certain way because doing so was "too young" of a style? The back story: Last week I was at my local large shoe store (part of a national chain here in these good ol' United States of America) looking to purchase a few "heel backers" for the hoard of new heels I just purchased/received. As I finished perusing the discount section, I noticed a pair of "chunky sole" Mary Janes (Steve Madden "Millee") that were intoxicatingly adorable. Needless to say, a short time later I had me a pair. I wore them to work today but due to swelling issues with my feet, they alternated between being just right, to loose, to rather tight. This is due to the fact that I spend a large part of my day sitting and thus, there is build-up of blood/fluid in my feet from time-to-time. This happens in the mornings as well, so that what pair of heels/boots I wear any given day is largely dependent on what fits in the morning. This is relieved by simply getting up and get moving for about 15 minutes. I have become much more aware of the condition of my feet/toes and now put forward more of an effort to care for them via trimmed nails, moisturizer at bedtime, and better fitting shoes. Likewise, I prefer to wear socks/tights to prevent blisters, and use bandages to prevent my skin from rubbing against the side of the shoe/boot. I was wearing my new Mary Janes without socks as when I left my place this morning, they felt just right. As the day wore on, however, they went from being too tight to too lose, and I was constantly having to put on or take off "footies" much to my annoyance. Given my constant having to put on/take off the footies, I realized that next time I wore these shoes, doing so with socks or tights will be a necessity. I am not disappointed by this as they can be dressed up or down. Interestingly, however, I went shopping in them without socks/footies and they were fine. There is a young woman at my "normal" grocery store who has exquisite style, and I have observed her wearing black patent Mary Janes with white socks (my new Mary Janes are leather). I have absolutely love the look as she pulls it off so well, but then again, she is probably in her early 20s. I did some research on the style and most of what I found/read seemed to be geared toward those individuals young enough to be my children (again, IF I was a parent). So the question arose of if there are certain styles of footwear, or wearing footwear in a certain manner that is "too young" for some of us. I am of the opinion that the Mary Janes with the white socks is uber cute but do not want to appear that I am trying to wear fashion my children (If I....) would wear. I suppose if I can make it work, then why not? Just to clarify, I wore my Mary Janes with a pair of above the ankle black jeans and a t-shirt sporting my love for the "Other woman" in my life, Girl with a Pearl Earring.