higherheels

@mlroseplant good idea with your list. I have it in my head which heels are suitable for which distance/duration. Not so much for blisters (can only happen sometimes with newer pairs) but for heel height and general comfort. That's also why certain pairs are my go-to shoes for everything, but I'm trying to wear the other ones more too now, also due to our challenge 🙂

@CrushedVamp I feel the same. If I am well dressed I feel better than if I'm not. Simple as that. Of course if I'm getting my hands dirty on some work I just wear anything that's already dirty or worn out, but simply because I don't want to ruin my good clothes. The story with the waitress is just...I don't know what to say. This again shows which presumptions are in people's heads.

It's really fascinating. @Shyheels regarding the paradox you mentioned: I guess this all comes down to the point that heels are sort of a challenge. Everyone can walk in flats, but not everyone can walk in heels. So one side sees this as a bad thing, and one side as a good thing. Both can be right.

Great storys from both of you! The unexpected situations when you have to stand for a long time are something that's unavoidable if you're wearing heels often. I also could tell so many stories about that... It's funny how we're all so different, but the general paths and ups and downs can be seen in all of our journeys. You definitely took me down memory lane and since we're at it, I might as well tell you about my beginnings: I bought my first pair of heels when I was 16. It was the time me and my friends started going to clubs and parties, and since we felt like we're the big girls now, we also wanted to dress like them. Needless to say we weren't nearly as grown up and smart as we thought we were. So my first pair were cheap stiletto pumps with a plateau and much bling-bling 😂 I don't remember the exact model but wouldn't find anything about them anyways because they were no-name. They must have had something like a 12 cm heel with a 3 cm plateau. I wore them the first time for going to a club. It started pretty good but after an hour or so they already hurt really bad. Nevertheless I (and also my friends) didn't want to show any weakness so we just kept on going for a few more hours until we couldn't take it anymore and walked home barefoot. I had blisters all over the place, but that didn't stop me. I always wore them out again when I had the chance to. Looking back I really don't know how I was able to stand the pain. Probably also a part of being young and dumb. And over time it really got better, and I also bought some better fitting heels. But the big breaktrough came when I was 20 and found me a pair of ankle boots with a block heel (around 8 cm). They weren't the type of high heels I wore until then, but I wanted something different for more casual everyday wear. I couldn't believe how comfortable they were, and started wearing them for every occasion where I wore flats before. This was the moment when I properly started wearing heels - looking for a good fit and quality, choosing an appropriate heel height which is comfortable, etc. It was like a reset where I started from scratch and then worked my way back up again to higher heels and different styles. And it's basically where I'm still at now, wearing my heels daily and sometimes trying something new 🙂

Yes, I think so. True. It's simply because almost nobody does it, at least in everyday situations. Never looked at it that way but you're right. It's pretty interesting actually how shoes or clothes in general can cause such reactions/feelings in people.

@CrushedVamp Thank you for the story about the interviews. I can't remember a time like this, since my working career it was either wearing heels all day or not wearing them at all. But I have to add that I never worked in a really big city. The other part about the reactions of women and men, I absolutely agree on that. If I get any negative reactions, it's always from other women. I would sum it up as: Men either enjoy the look or don't bother. Women either enjoy the look or they feel offended for whatever reason (some possible ones you already mentioned)

A standing in heels story...now you got me curious

Yes, only standing can be a good training too, I also feel that when wearing the Hot Chicks while cooking.

@Shyheels I'm also looking forward to boots season 🙂 It's a big difference between the Hot Chick and the Pigalle. Not only the height, also the general comfort. The Pigalle are also very well worn in already. @mlroseplant Thanks! The Pigalle really ain't that bad, even for extended walks. And now with practicing in the Hot Chicks it feels even easier. I might choose some 12 cm heels again for longer walks and see how it goes. Only in the beginning I was standing for like half an hour, but afterwards mostly sitting.

@Shyheels, you have low temperatures already, but that's perfect for boots. In Germany it's still warm (20° C+) but that's about to change now. @mlroseplant Wow that's a great pair and a far distance, great job! I lately only practiced in my Hot Chicks at home. But I wore my other pair of Louboutins (Pigalle 120) to an event, the walk was a bit below 400 m one-way. This was the first time I wore a 12 cm heel out since the beginning of our challenge. And I felt the progress in the 12 cm heels too, they were easier than ever 🙂

For me it's also helpful and if I didn't have the conversation with you I probably wouldn't even have started this, or sometime later in the future. Oh yeah that would be so nice, to meet in the challenge heels! But talking about our experiences online is also nice 🙂

What a great day that you encountered two who realized your shoes and even almost correctly knew the model! I have the Hot Chicks and am starting to wear them out more. They absolutely turn heads, but so far no one approached me about them. The Hot Wave are absolutely gorgeous too 🙂

For sure you're not that far off. I'd also guess this translates to 11,3 cm or so. I think the challenge isn't that much about absolute numbers anyways but more about the personal goals from each of us 🙂 Don't restrict yourself because of the price tag, the heels you already have are absolutely fine. I wouldn't buy the Hot Chicks for practicing either, it's more of an coincidence that I can use them now because I already have them. When I bought them I didn't even really think about wearing them, I just bought them for the looks. And for that it was hell a lot of money!

Thank you mlroseplant for the history lesson, the 80s were before my time. In the 90s and 2000s high heels weren't worn that much for tours/trips I would say. I still like to wear my heels for city trips and such. It's mostly only strolling around anyways so I find a low heel very suitable.

That was also my first thought - why these sandals? Who knows, maybe she'll end up here on HHP one day and we can ask her this question 🙂

Yes, walking downhill for some time almost feels the same as wearing a higher heel than you actually are. That's definitely a progress! I feel that too. Quality and fit is very important, especially in these heights. I can understand that you don't really have motivation to wear these. Yes they're very well made, for sure can't complain about that. The downside is that they're very sturdy and take a long break-in period, and the toebox is very tight. So not a very comfortable shoe in general, and if you add the 130 mm heel even less 😉 But I'd always choose them over some lower quality ones with a looser, more comfortable fit. They might feel more comfortable on the first try-on, but definitely not while walking.

Quite interesting and impressive, but also probably one of the worst acticities to wear heels. Hiking on uneven terrain requires a very good support and tight fit of the shoes, which certainly any sandals won't offer. I do many things in heels but I won't try that, at least not in sandals 😉

@mlroseplant Absolutely understandable that you felt a big difference. 1,6 km is not that less and I would also feel the difference between a 8 cm and 11 cm heel. Good job! I'm done with my mid-heels week, my feet are recovered and I'll get the Hot Chicks out again this week 🙂

Absolutely true. And heels don't get boring, even after decades. As it can be seen very well with our spontaneous height challenge 😉

I can relate to what got you into high heels. It's actually not that different from myself. And even though I'm a woman, I sometimes feel like an outlaw for wearing heels. In my youth it was totally normal for most girls to try high heels, and see how far we can go 😉 Nowadays I'm already an outlaw for wearing heels to the office, not even speaking of wearing anything more than a 10 cm heel.

Yes, humans definitely are a strange species 😀 Many cultural norms are so manifested that people can't think outside of them. I was also surprised that there are mostly men here on hhplace, like how could it be if I don't know of any man wearing high heels? But I'm open-minded and for sure learned a bit already 🙂

Even though in Germany it's very uncommon (or even non-existent) for men to wear high heels, I believe that the reactions would have been different. Most people wouldn't know about this history and rather be interested in it.

Seems we're all currently more going mid-heels. But as shyheels said, nothing wrong with that. I also like these styles very much, at least if it's not below 7 cm. And they're way more suitable for everyday wear, for both the look and the comfort.

I remember that back in the days some cinemas were like this. Nowadays they're still going downwards from the back to the front, but with steps in every row. So the floor is always even. So that's a plus for taking 13 cm heels to the cinema.

Yes, I can also feel the difference in lower ranges like 7 - 11 cm, which I wear to the office. But since it's a normal chair and desk I'm fine with anything in this range. 13 cm would probably feel different, but I won't try these for the office 😉