CrushedVamp

And to be fair I have done this myself in a recent novel. In my case an adult daughter of 24 years old with a self-sufficient homestead was trying to figure out where her place was in the world and yet it was NOTHING like her attorney mother. This bothered her mother to no end. It was not so much in showing that her mother wore high heels as much as her daughter would not be caught dead in them, even when she went to court. While it was not THE PREMISE of the novel, in the end her mother had learned to accept her daughter even if she was taking a much different path. And what the two wore for shoes was true symbolism of that... her mother struggling down a hiking path on her daughter's homestead wearing high heels was as telling about her personality as her daughter was in wearing Birkenstock's to a court hearing. If this sounds like it was anti-high heels I assure you it was not. The novel was about self-sufficient farming with legal troubles. It was just how the story worked itself out. My wife and I adore high heels, and HATE the look of Birkenstock's but you can't always write about just the things you love when you are a writer. The story (novel) just has to work.

And this is where we differ; in the United States we hold our freedoms to be very dear. I understand that a lot of times criminals are let go because of a technicality resulting from the Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, but that is just how the system works. The police MUST abide by the rules set forth in the constitution. Those rights are not malleable. Freedom is scary. Freedom is very scary. Yet freedom is essential. When you let some minor things go, like a police officer charging into a house without a warrant, we as a society cannot let that happen. The loss of freedom as a citizen is MUCH worse to us then the teenager who had his music up to loud and the police officer wanting to arrest him. They just cannot do that, and if they do, then the city that hired that police officer collectively has to pay for that mistake. $5000 is not going to make them think twice, but $100,000 grand will. Does the taxpayers pay? Of course they do, but through our ability to vote, we can change future hiring practices that led to such a cost. We have a system that holds elected officials accountable. It starts with the constitution allowing citizens to sue the government for egregious infractions. The problem we have here is that the police (no matter the agency represented) thinks they are law enforcers, and they are not. They are law interpreters. The law enforcers consist of the District Attorney, and a Defense Lawyer or Defense Attorney, and the District Attorney is an elected position to ensure accountability to the citizens. In most cases, it will never go past this point as it is plea-dealed out. If it does go to a jury trial, the Judge is not even a Law Enforcer. That is up to the jury. All the judge does is ensure a trial proceeds according to court rules. He does not even give a sentence, that too is dictated by the jury, the judge just makes sure it is a sentence that is fair and within guidelines. That only changes if it is a bench trial and the defendant gives up his right to a jury and lets a judge decide. But here is the interesting part, the excessive lawsuit payouts have only ONE guilty party: the citizens of the USA since a Jury decides what the payout is going to be and a jury consists of friends and neighbors. That is VERY rare though. Most of the time the lawsuit payout amount is decided by plea deals so the one paying ultimately decides how much they are going to pay. It is all very simple when you skim off the dross.

I understand fully what you are saying for sure. I do understand the outrageousness of fashion shows though, but only because there really needs to be a way for creators to just use their imagination. I mean look at the polar opposite of that... cars. Cars today, no matter the brand all look the same. A Honda CRV looks like a Toyota Rav4, etc. They all look the same because they all have to adhere to the same rigorous crash test designs. Because they are all must meet the same standard, they end up looking so much alike. They have too when the designers are making a car with the same crash test ratings, fuel mileage, range, emissions controls, etc. So if you take that away, and let anything go; sure 99 out of 100 times the design looks outrageously silly, but that one time a design might be new and different, actually works. Or... an element of the radical shoe design works whereas the other 80% of it doesn't. So I see fashion shows as a viable venue to get creativity out for the world to see without limits. My frustration is; I wish it was not dominated by big bucks. I firmly believe there are excellent Cordwainers and Cobblers doing it as a hobby making amazing high heeled shoes out there that are both unique yet wearable, but there is just no practical way to get their designs for people to see. Youtube and Social platforms help which was never an option 40 years ago, but I think high end designers get caught up in their own success and notoriety.

That is the worst thing about having a single suit. Don't get me wrong, every man should have a good fitting suit for just-in-case occasions, but if they only have one... well... every time you see it hanging in the closet you think, "that's what I'll be wearing in my coffin"! 🙂 I did see a guy yesterday wearing shorts. He kind of stood out. It was 3 degrees (F) with 30 mph winds in blowing snow! I am kind of over the top on matching colors with articles of clothing that I wear. I know this is a high heel site but a lot of times I wear a men's type of canvas shoe that is hard to describe, but there is a lot more color variation with them. That helps me because I almost always match my shoe color to my pants. So if I wear an olive green twill pants I will wear olive green shoes for instance. I am not judgmental of others because I do understand why they do not care, but at the same time I see a lot of men who do not color coordinate. Its not that I get upset at them or anything, but do know that just a few details like matching colors can make a guy look sharp... or not. I mean tan pants with an olive green shirt? Sure it technically works, but I don't think they realize they also look like a tree.

You are right, we are specifically talking about Trademark, my bad... But law is a different matter. My FIL, MIL, BIL and SIL are all attorneys so when we sit down to Christmas dinner our discussions tend to be around the latest rulings of the Supreme Court and the implications that it might have on various aspects of our life. My FIL was even able to bring oral arguments to the Supreme Court something only a VERY few attorneys have ever done considering they only have 100 cases heard per year on average. He has a huge certificate of his achievement hanging in his house commemorating the event, one he won by the way, further cementing case law. It was rather surprising though that United States sided with CL on this issue however while the European Courts tended not too. But the reason the USA does place a much bigger priority on punitive damages in the court system is because how we were founded. We have a lot of liberties granted to us, but to protect those freedoms from abuses we were given the opportunity to sue the government and those who break the law. Its how we affect change because in the societal world value is most often associated with a monetary amount. So, if the police enter my house without a warrant, and I simply win my case against them and no monetary amount is charged, nothing changes because there were no meaningful consequences. That is not quite the same when the police department has to pay $100,000 to me. And its an even stronger consequence in the business world because money is EVERYTHING to a corporation. On the surface it does seem like American greed at play by the US court System, but that is not the real situation. Its affecting real change by doling out dire consequences, and it's had a ripple effect on the world markets because we do. There have been some abuses of that system, and the most dire examples become the best known, but as a whole, punitive damages have had a profound effect on business ethics.

My most memorable emotion to someone faltering was some model wearing high heels at a fashion show. They were unwieldly and almost unwalkable and she kept falling on the runway. I am sure she was chided and lost her entire modeling career by falling so many times, but I never laughed even though today, and years later, the video clip is often seen on fail type shows. My reaction was out of concern; for her physically from falling on her face so many times, and from the humiliation of it all that probably ended her career. As I have said elsewhere on this site, I appreciate art and creativity, and understand the NEED to have a creative outlet where efficient manufacturing realities and function are not required, but with shoes they do need to be walkable in them. To me her humiliation was entirely on the designer of the shoes who failed miserably, not the fashion model.

I think people notice people in heels, it is just that they just act like they don’t notice. I see it with my wife wearing high heels quite often, but honestly, I am situationally aware to a fault. For instance, I always sit in the back of the restaurant and face the front door, always have a second means of escape, judge people for nefarious intent as they come in and out, and of course carry a concealed firearm. Yep; I am situationally aware to a fault. But I see guys checking out my wife a lot, and these are looks that my wife never sees. She is too engrossed in not tripping to really notice what is going on around her. And while guys want to look, the last thing they want is her husband (me) knowing they are looking so they hide how they look. I would never fault them; my wife and I are almost always well dressed when outside our home so it garnishes attention. And part of that is high heels becoming less common to see so it is noticed more when they are worn. On my own front, I notice what people wear. In fact, in men and women’s fashion it is said to buy the best shoes that you can afford because it is the first thing people note about you, and the longest lasting impression fashion wise. I like high heels and know which women at our church tend to wear them and watch for them as they arrive. I am always discreet and not creepy about it, but I notice, and I do not think I am alone in that. So I truly think most people notice, its just they don’t act as if they do.

You make many valid points… about hymns as well as this being far removed from the topic of gait while wearing high heels. This will be my last post regarding it, although I do appreciate the conversation immensely. Maybe I was overthinking singing hymns and songs though? That maybe rather than taking the singing of songs to be a vow before God, I look at it more like I do a sermon whereas the sermon can either be uplifting in that I realize I do some things well, or at other times, look to challenge me to do better. It’s something I will have to think about.

The problem with that is, CL has both won and lost legal cases over the past few years that has diluted patent case law establishment. Even on cases that were won, the supreme courts of various countries have both sided with, and sided against, lower courts. There have even been cases where CL won, but no punitive damages were levied against the sued imposters. It is literally all over the board with court rulings. CL certainly has claimed victory as it is better for their brand, reputation and stock prices albeit only 25% of the company being publicly traded, and I understand why they add "spin" to their wins, but its not been clearly established internationally. I understand today every company adds a bit more of this color or that to create a new patented color, but it does not pass the simple test. That is, ask one hundred kids what color the bottom of the shoe is, and they are not going to say it's a variation of red, but 100% will say its red. I just don't see that simple color as being a viable argument to their shoes being that unique.

In full disclosure, this quote was NOT directed at me, but I find hymns intriguing so I thought I would reply without angering you @mlroseplant . If I do, that was truly not my intent. But I grew up in a very conservative church where hymns were still sung. Today I go to a more progressive church where the tempo is more energetic, but in either situation I have kind of a pet peeve. People just seem to sing songs, citing words they never listen to, and do not apply to their lives. As an example, the hymn "It is well with my Soul" is a tragic song. It was written by a man that could not travel with his family on a steamer ship to England. Yet on the way it had a boiler explosion and the ship sank with his four children drowned. Only his wife survived to send a telegram back home as to what happened. From that he wrote the song. I can't sing that hymn. I say this with utmost humility. I love God with all my heart, but I also love my six daughters. If they all perished I could not just say, "it is well with my soul". I would be traumatized forever. I know, I lost one son and I can't forget him though I wish I could. Parents just don't get over the loss of a child, so how could I ever sing "it is well with my soul" at losing ALL my children? I can't. I just can't. But listen to that hymn and other more progressive songs. We sing one where it says "we will praise his holy name". But do we? We are singing to an almighty God, can we really say we are doing those things the song says we will do? Some of the wording is pretty specific. I just see so many people get caught up in the music that they don't take the words to heart. Its just something to do and follow along with everyone else without heart. But some songs I can sing, like "I can only imagine" which was written by a guy whose father beat him endlessly and mercilessly. Now that I can relate to, and the words are heartfelt, finally being with a father that acts like a father should. So I do see the value of music, and especially so at church, I just people would listen to the words and apply them. Music can have such power in the right context.

I am a writer so I am worried as well. I want AI to wash my clothes and do the dishes, you know the mundane stuff. The creative stuff I want to do, but AI is so backwards, its making being a human robot like. I want it the other way around and see it as imploding on itself. Its just not sustainable.

I can understand that. When you truly love something and what to carve your own niche, most artisans are pretty cognizant of not using other people's stuff but really try and be creative on their own front. I am that way as a writer. I write fictional novels but read non-fiction one prolifically. It just ensures that I have my own writing style without so much a subtle copying of another writer in any way. As for hymns, our church is more progressive in its music choice, as we have drums, base guitars, electric guitars and keyboards, but my Great Great Great Uncle wrote a hymn in 1871 that is still sung in churches today. He had a very interesting life, and despite 2/3 of the cemetery being family members, I take my hat off when I walk past his headstone. He is the only one that I do as he deserves a lot of respect. But in taking this reply full circle, it was interesting that Mark Twain, a prolific plagiarist who read other peoples literary works and resold them to support his afflicted lifestyle, stole an account from this great great great uncle of mine regarding a strange sailing trip he took around Cape Horn. Like others Mark Twain stole from, his account was almost word for word my great uncle wrote. It is why I have such a deep hatred of those who plagiarize and guard so well against it in my own writing.

Pretty much all music. There are a few songs I like, but very few. I guess my detest of it is because most of it is forced on me. Walmart Radio... Really? But in other stores, or in being in an elevator, or even putting gas in the car, there it is, some noise that someone somehow thinks I will like, or actually think I need as I stand there and pump a few gallons in? Really? What are people so scared of? The thoughts running through their heads? What is wrong with silence? Music Pollution is just so prolific that people do not realize how much they are subjected too. I just don't need it. Give me silence so I can think about the content of my novel. How I am going to renovate the upstairs bathroom. What I am going to post on a forum about high heels. I got better things to do with my mind then uselessly scroll over some words that someone else has created and other people have sung or played instruments too. Now that I have said this, you will realize it too. Music is EVERYWHERE and most of it is garbage we don't even like. More to the point, the next time you are in a place where music is forced on you, ask yourself, who would die if there was silence at this moment? What would it really hurt (and how much money in totality would it save) if music was not being played? We are inundated with music pollution.

I am not sure what to say here; certainly feeling sympathy and empathy for you on your feet and calf health issues, but also impressed with how you chose non-traditional ways of improving your situation for the best. It is inspiring to hear that high heels alleviated pain rather than hearing about so many people who claim to have been crippled by the wearing of them. I have not had the issues you have had of course, but once worked at a factory where we had to stand on concrete for 10 hours per day, 5 days a week in mandatory footwear where you could not fully lift your heel. EVERYONE suffered, but I got an acute case of placiar fasciitis. IT HURT. That is why I said I sympathize and empathize with you both. Not quite the situation you had I know, but do know debilitating foot pain. Thank you for setting me straight, and taking my question as I truly meant it. I love discussion where my views are challenged by well spoken people who can explain a differing view. What you and @Shyheels said makes perfect sense. The music analogy makes a lot of sense and was a great way to convey your thoughts. Not that it is the best for me. 🙂 One strange thing about my wife and I is that we both greatly dislike music. We even skip the first part of church so we are not subjected to that, or ever listen to it in the car, and never at home.

May I ask a question, stated as such so you know this is not a challenge to what you said but rather a bonafide curiosity and with the utmost respect? Isn't that the intrigue, and mystique about wearing high heels, that it's the wearing of something that can be mastered perhaps, but not every step, nor over every possible medium, and certainly having varying challenges with different shoes? I do not wear high heels so I cannot answer that question, but for those that do, men and women alike, isn't part of the fun treading that fine line between being comfortable in wearing them to not? To walking casually on a concrete sidewalk one moment and then having to thread grating the next? Perfectly posed one second, and then struggling to balance the next? I can say with utmost authority wearing my work shoes I barely give a thought to what is on my feet as I go about my workday, but I would think one of the huge drivers of wearing high heels is the acute awareness that you are wearing challenging footwear at almost every moment. I would think, to get to the point where you could walk anything but a slackline in high heels would get... well... boring. I understand not wanting to look like you are doing the dying crab as you walk down a sidewalk, falling and stumbling as you go, but never fully mastering wearing of such challenging footwear would seem to me to be part of the thrill of wearing them? I would think it would be good for ALL high heel wearers to keep that excitement and thrill. The wearing of high heels being a lifelong journey and not merely mastering them as being a goal.