higherheels

I don't know anything about any boats, but I believe you on that 😉 I cannot recommend. The highest ones I've driven with must have been a 11 cm heel. I didn't feel unsafe, but uncomfortable. The hardest is pressing the clutch pedal, because you have to stretch your foot more than in lower heels. If I wear anything higher I'm just letting my husband drive.

I don't think that's the problem. Just because there is more or less open area at the front doesn't say anything about the shoe's shape. That's a nice pair by the way! I also tried insoles in the past. But the best they could do for me was to make bad-fitting shoes fit a bit better. Now I'm very picky when buying shoes and since that I never used insoles again.

This line could be from my husband, I'm sure he said that before 😅 I also don't find any thrill in it. For me it's a practical thing. If I wouldn't drive in heels I'd have to change shoes everytime I get in and out of the car. For longer trips it might be OK, but not for the everyday drives. Also I can't find any downsides of driving in heels, as long as they're below 10 cm or so. If they're higher, the heel gets a bit in the way when pressing the pedals.

Haha then I'd rather stick to practicing in Hot Chicks than in Converse 😉

What a pity, and at the same time interesting that flats which should apparently be comfortable aren't. I can't even speak of recent experience because I only have one pair of sneakers left, and use them for working only where I'm not really walking a lot. But yes, they feel like offering no support at all. Are you talking about pumps or closed shoes? I never really had this issue. This happens to me too, especially with higher heels.

Yesterday evening it buggered my mind so much that I can't find good everyday occasions for the Hot Chicks, that I just put them on and went for a walk around the block. Actually this might be the best training occasion anyway, because it's simple, I can always do it, and I can vary the length. And my neighbours know me anyway so they probably won't even realize if I'm wearing 13 cm heels instead of 11 cm 😅 Usually I also always drive in my heels, but somehow I never tried in the higher ones. And I have the same issue with scuffed heels from driving, so I wouldn't want to do this to my Hot Chicks. That sounds very good 🙂 Exactly! Nobody walks like that, and I don't see any sense in that. Maybe it's a thing of the look coming from the runway...

They certainly are! Normally real world walking is the only way for me (except while breaking in a new pair), but since the Hot Chicks are such a challenge it was good to do more indoors. My biggest obstacle for wearing them out is that they don't feel suitable for many things. I don't have that many occasions with limited walking distance, and can't yet overcome myself to wear them for basic things like grocery shopping. Also this would bring the issue of driving in them, which I don't feel safe to do so. Typical luxury problems of living with Hot Chicks 😀

That's great! Real world practice is always a good idea, and I feel you for wanting to be good enough when really wearing them out for a specific occasion. As mentioned above I wore them out again (this weekend) and was a bit surprised. Even though I wore them regularly at home and felt some progress, it was totally different wearing them out again. For sure the home practice helped, but not as much as I expected. Now I want to find some occasions where I can wear them out more frequently, it's not that easy 😄

@Shyheels That's great progress, and going to a cafe should be a good occasion for the first time. I think you're not that far away from it 🙂 @CrushedVamp I think such videos can help. But in my opinion the most important thing is to choose the right shoes, start low and keep practicing. The rest should basically come itself from practice. When I started, tutorials on Youtube weren't a thing yet like they are now. I just wore them. Later on i've watched such videos, but basically didn't learn anything new that I hadn't already found out myself.

Backup shoes are totally fine! I don't use them myself because I know very well what I can handle in normal circumstances. If something unexpected gets in the way it of course can become uncomfortable or painful, but that's not the norm. Generally I'm also in team "if it hurts stop". I don't see any benefits in intentionally getting yourself into pain to become better. In my youth and beginnings with high heels I went this way, and yes I got better. But I'm sure I would've also gotten better the other way, and without pain. I really wouldn't do it like this again and also don't recommend it to anyone.

I only slightly remember game shows from my childhood days, I can't even remember what the models wore. The concept alone sounds painful already. If we're talking about any serious heel height, it can only become painful by standing all the time. That's one of the good things about fashion generally going more towards comfortable footwear. I don't think anybody should be forced to wear something that's painful in their job. I think the key point is practice and routine. The second factor is of course the situation. Your described hockey game is a perfect example. I also kind of "live in my high heels", but walking, then standing for a long time, then walking again is also probably my worst-case scenario. In a comfortable pair with let's say up to a 9 cm heel I will be fine, but with a 12 cm heel or more this can get really uncomfortable, even painful.

There are some interesting ideas of using heels to make work easier. I have to admit I never thought of using them for such. Making dough is my favourite, I will definitely try that once. For me it was time to wear out the Hot Chicks again. It's been a while since the last time, and I was again surprised how big the difference between wearing them indoor and outdoor is. Indoor is always a good training, but outdoor with actually continuously walking is a different league. They are becoming easier, but still strain the feet and muscles very much. I think I'll have to wear them more frequently now before winter comes, so I can still make some progress this year.

Impressive that you tracked all the walking! They held up well.

@CrushedVamp yeah it's really funny, but cooking simply is the task I do most at home while being on my feet. The story about your wife is actually a great idea! I'll think of that when I have to make dough or something like that.

That would be a vicious circle. I hope it won't come that far.

The rational way would be to start with 10 cm, but we're not all that rational when it comes to heels, are we? 😀

The same here in Germany. Close to citys like Munich I see them a bit more, but only chunky lower heels. Especially now in autumn/winter they become more. Stilettos are very rare. I'm happy that they are still sold, not that if it goes on that way they'll even stop selling them because there's no market 😅

I can recommend to try out these styles, that's what I love so much about heels - the variety! I think it's best if you start with pumps as they're generally easier than sandals. In difficulty I'd say they're close to boots, the only downside is the missing ankle support. The biggest difference is in comfort. Pumps must have a very tight fit, which isn't necessary to the same degree in boots. But don't worry, pumps can still be comfortable once they're worn in. Many of my everyday shoes are pumps, so no big deal 🙂

In such a climate I can also imagine wearing boots all year. In Germany the summers mostly aren't that hot, so it would somehow also be possible to wear boots all year - but when should I wear my sandals, wedges etc. then? 😉 Yes, 12 cm stilettos definitely are timeless classics, I love them so much. Doesn't matter if boots or pumps. I realize that even though I'm actually practicing in the 13 cm Hot Chicks, I'm also really looking forward to the benefits I can get in 12 cm heels. It would be so nice to wear them for some shorter trips maybe.

I can definitely see that trend in my environment. Almost everybody is choosing flats, even for dressier occasions. I don't mind. I'm old enough to know what I want and will do that regardless of current trends.

Ah, so you basically grew up in boots 🙂 How du you deal with summer temperatures and boots (or don't you have hot summers at all?) Please don't feel dispirited! You're doing fine by even wearing your 12 cm heels at home this often. It's just easier for me because I'm used to this height for more than a decade already. One day you'll be wearing them and they'll feel like your 10 or 11 cm boots do now 🙂

Indeed very supportive from your girlfriend, that's a good thing.

@mlroseplant great job with your walk, even more after having an injury before. I don't have many mules but yes, they can vary widely. The straps on yours go high up, that will make them easier than others. Absolutely! I think that's probably the biggest beginner's mistake. For me, boots season finally started 🙂 So I chose to wear 12 cm boots out instead of the Hot Chicks. They're so comfortable and easy compared to the Hot Chicks. But I for sure will try to wear out the Hot Chicks a few more times until the deeper winter hits. But even with wearing them indoor I'm making a bit of progress by wearing them longer. There's no need to worry. Many of my stiletto heels have hundreds of kilometers on them. Yes, it happended to me that stiletto heels broke, but only on cheap pairs. What's more of a problem with stilettos is that the heel tips wear off quickly. But they're easy to replace. I always have them in stock and it's already routine work for me 😄

Hi and welcome from your neighbouring country Germany! Great to see that you wear your heels now as you always wanted to 🙂 Do you and your girlfriend wear heels together or is it just you?

I've heard of such clubs for books, but I didn't know that these exist for shoes also, very interesting