jazzymj

Like freeze333311 my first pair of heels came from a Flirt catalog in 2001. I bought a pair of white seven inch slides with a three inch platform. I bought them to put on a bookshelf but tried them on and was surprised when they fit perfectly (I bought the largest size so they'd stand out on the shelf). I couldn't walk in them easily initially, but I was doing a lot of yoga at the time and quickly became aware of the alignment challenges that the shoes presented. I began practicing daily and in a month or so was up to wearing them for hours at a time. One day I was about to run an errand somewhere nearby and began to take them off then changed my mind. I found the reception was universally positive. I go through periods when I heel a lot and others when I barely do it, but the response and experience is always positive. I think my first attraction to heels came during the disco era. I LOVED platform shoes and yearned for them then. It took a long time, but it's been well worth it. -MJ

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/fashion/some-men-are-dressed-to-the-nines-the-height-of-their-pumps.html?_r=2&ref=fashion

ON a recent summer evening at Mr. Black, a dance party held every Tuesday at Bardot on North Vine Street, Sean Wagner was towering above the crowd. Mr. Wagner, 23, is tall even in socks (6-foot-2), but that night he had some extra help.

On his size 11 feet were a pair of eight-inch bright neon green lace-up stiletto ankle boots, procured from The Ladies Studio Exotic Shoes on Hollywood Boulevard.

He jokingly dubbed them “my usual hiking shoes.”

Mr. Wagner was otherwise dressed in men’s clothing: a loose-fitting black tank top with a pair of tapered black pants. He had a neatly trimmed beard, and a pair of black-framed glasses sat perched on his nose.

“I never leave the house with less than eight inches on my feet,” he said cheerfully. “It helps you see over the cattle.”

Mr. Wagner was not the only man wearing high heels (but no other women’s clothing) that night. At Mr. Black, Luke Nero, a promoter, estimated that 10 or more men were traversing the dance floor in a pair of pumps. “I went to a loft party yesterday, and there was a guy in normal shorts, normal tank and really hot red pumps. That’s it!” he said. “Everyone was like, ‘Oh my God, I love those shoes!’ ”

In a way, Mr. Wagner and his stiletto-wearing cohorts are repeating history. Until Napoleon banned them, high heels were considered a sign of nobility in France during the 18th century and were favored by men as well as women; long before Louboutin, Louis XVI donned five-inch red-accented heels depicting wartime battle scenes.

In 2009 the Atlanta hairstylist Derek J became famous after appearing on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” wearing women’s pumps with jeans and a sweater, the same year that the designer Rad Hourani sent male models down the runway in boot heels reminiscent of Prince and ’70s glam rockers like David Bowie and David Johansen of the New York Dolls.

At Mr. Black, two best friends, Coy Barton, 24, and Mark Cramer, 25, who go out together as a duo dubbed Coma, were dressed alike in buttoned-up white shirts, dark gray dress slacks pegged at the ankle — and black leather ankle boots with peep toes that showed off their black painted toenails. “I’m in Steve Madden, he’s in Chinese Laundry,” said Mr. Barton of their shoes, “These were $115. Mine were, like, $170.”

Expensive, yes, but nothing compared with the price of Gregory Alexander’s prized pair of Balenciaga six-inch wooden wedges: $2,000. They were safely ensconced in his closet. That evening, Mr. Alexander, 26 and a host at Mr. Black, had paired Yves Saint Laurent’s Imperiale platform stiletto ankle boot (original retail price: $1,395) with a leather motorcycle jacket, tight black jeans, a white shirt and a skinny black tie. “They were a pretty penny,” said Mr. Alexander, 26, referring to the YSL’s. “They were a Valentine’s present to myself. I had them engrave a card for me, too.”

Mr. Alexander, who runs a popular party called A Club Called Rhonda, said he owns about 30 pairs of women’s heels. He wears a women’s size 11, and just barely fits in most designer shoes.

Mr. Wagner, meanwhile, said he often resorts to paying for custom-made heels for his larger feet.

“I love the height,” he said. “It helps when you’re in a club. I’ve bought Louis Vuitton. I’ve bought Gucci. But a lot of designers don’t go high enough for me. I found a company in Arizona that will do 15-inch heels for $3,000.”

Jeff Paice, a clothing designer at Mr. Black who had dressed up his buttoned-up black shirt and black pants with a pair of sandal wedges, said he was bored with the usual choices. “There’s nothing for guys,” he said.

Mr. Barton agreed: “I literally look at girls and think, you have so many options. You have jumpers, you have skirts, you have dresses, you have pants, you have shorts. Boys have pants and shorts. Or suits and a shirt.”

None of the men interviewed considered themselves to be in drag. “I always make it very clear that I am a man, and I’m not trying to portray an illusion to anybody,” Mr. Wagner said.

Though some would call it a form of drag, he added, “As far as we’re concerned, this is just bringing a look to a club — which is what you are supposed to do.”

“I wish society was more acceptable of men wearing heels,” Mr. Paice said. “I think it’s fun. I think it makes a statement.”

Mr. Alexander cited reasons for wearing high heels many women have known since they were invented: “It’s a power thing. You’re higher than everybody else. You make more sound. You walk a different way. It makes your legs look better.”

He added: “I don’t ever take them off. I even drive in them — stick shift.”

Last summer, he broke his ankle trying to jump a fence to get into a party while wearing a pair of heels. “I was in a cast for four months,” he said. “They told me I should never wear heels again, obviously.”

“But I don’t know,” Mr. Alexander added, admiring his YSL-clad feet. “I’m back.”

A version of this article appeared in print on October 16, 2011, on page ST12 of the New York edition with the headline: A Tall Tale, But True: Men in Heels.

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What I would like to know is- was it mostly a conscious decision for extreme high heels in general for you or very often just the look of a particular high heeled shoe?

Definitely a conscious choice for the extremity. A lot of what I enjoyed about very high heels was how thoroughly they re-aligned your center of gravity. I love that challenge more than anything. Also when people on the street ask me about wearing heels so high, I like to tell them that "if you're going to wear high heels, you have to be a man about it." It's a joke but a fun line to whilst walking through the supermarket in seven or eight inch heels.

-MJ

It was about nine years ago. I had ordered a pair of seven inch heels kind of like these, but mine were in white and had a slightly higher platform. I had enjoyed wearing them around my apartment and got in the habit of wearing them daily for several hours at a time, since I work at home. One day, my landlady needed me to come downstairs about something, I opted to keep them on. She freaked out saying they were beautiful and that if I could wear them I should wear them all the time.

So that night, I walked out to a small repertory cinema near me. It was showing Some Like it Hot, which seemed appropriate. A few people there saw it and we had drinks afterward. I still remember walking to the cinema; my heart was in my throat. But after I saw the reception I received, I began to wear them more often. I still don't wear heels out as often as I'd like.

-MJ

Never saw anyone here in NYC area either (except cross dressers) but not men in regular "men wear" wearing high heels.

Come downtown or to Williamsburg. I see men in heels about four times a year in those areas.

-MJ

ps: I'm not counting myself!

jazzymj,

Thanks for the awesome pics! I think they melted a whole in my screen!.....

In return for the favor, I looked around the web a bit. The Pleaser website does not have the boots like the ones in the pics. I did on the other hand find these:

http://www.pleaserusa.com/ProductDetail.asp?div=1_PLEASER&dpt=A_BOOT&ctg=&STYLE_CD=XTREME%2D1020&PROD_CD=XTM1020%2FB%2FM

The Xtreme 1020. They don't have the stripes but I'm thinking you could put some on yourself if you're good with that kind of thing. Looks like they are available from several stores online.....including Sears! Yes, Sears! I couldn't believe it when they popped up in a search. Looks like they've come a long way since the last time I checked their shoe dept. Anyway, hope that helps.

H.

-MJ

Thanks! I own the mule and often see it for sale. I'm after the ankle boot, which seems far more elusive. -MJ

These boots, modeled by Bianca Beauchamp, are part of the Pleaser Xtreme series, but I can't find them on the web anymore. I own the slides in this series and they are among the most comfortable shoes I own (not the most comfortable high heeled shoes, but most comfortable shoes period). I'd love to get this pair of boots. If I do, then the NYCers here will here of many more sightings of men in heels!!

A week ago Monday, I had my favorite encounter yet with a man in heels. I was in Williamsburg on Bedford Avenue, when outside of Fabienne's a patisserie on North 5th, I noticed a guy wearing high heel wedges. I got closer and realized that they were a pair of Dior shoes from several years ago that I so admired that I put pictures of them on my wall. He was sitting on the bench smoking a cigarette, so I offered my profuse compliments. I wish I'd ask to take a picture. I'm sure from my enthusiasm, he knew that I wished I was in his shoes. -MJ

Welcome tights! My other sartorial fascinations are tights, leggings and unitards/catsuits. Those came first and the exhilaration of wearing them in public gave me the courage to start wearing heels in public. I hope you get to enjoy the same thrills. -MJ

Several times. But then again, I live in New York City. The most recent time was Saturday night on the subway, A tall thin guy was going to a party with a few friends and had on fashionable black wedges skinny leather jeans and a black leather jacket. He looked great. Three times in the last month and change or so I've seen different guys in my neighborhood wearing pumps or wedges with otherwise masculine ensembles. It made me wish I too was wearing heels at the time. Lastly, about three weeks ago in Whole Foods Union Square, I saw someone wearing a great looking pair of heels and when I caught up to them to ask about them, I realized the wearer was a guy (his long hair was cut into a bob), and when I asked he brightened, assuming that I wanted to get a pair too. We were both in a rush and parted but it was a great encounter. -MJ

Although she's better known for latex catsuits, Bianca Beauchamp belongs on this list. Most of her galleries feature incredible seven and eight inch heels. -MJ

oh i completely forgot about Kelly Ripa she is always wearing heels on Regis and Kelly

-MJ

My favorite pair of heels have clear platforms and heels. I like the stripper connotations as those women wear heels many hours a day, and I'd like to think that's the level of heeling I'm approaching. Also, I probably have a skewed version of the profession since a former GF worked as one and enjoyed the work immensely, and I see incredible pole dance fitness classes at my gym. -MJ

I was in my 20s and seeing a woman. I always tried to get her to wear sexy heels, and one day she said I should get a pair if I liked them that much. So I went to NYC and bought a pair of bone pumps -- nothing special. This was before the internet, so it was harder to get information; had I only known about places like Lee's Mardi Gras.

I told her I had done it and she had me put them on. When she saw me, she was not pleased. We stayed together for another year, but she was never happy with the fact that I wanted to wear high heels.

That's really too bad but I can relate.

My other major fetish is catsuits and in the mid-late '90s I briefly dated a woman who wore them every day. She enjoyed showing off her fit bod, and was confident to walk around town just in boots and catsuit. I loved wearing catsuits too and after a long haul, I had gotten my body in shape to wear them regularly too. One afternoon I wore one to meet her to do some shopping. We got soooo many compliments as "the superhero couple." But when we were planning our next date, I was instructed to wear jeans and told that would be my dress code. We lasted only a few more dates. She had a rigid definition of masculinity and it wasn't negotiable.

-MJ

There are two answers to this question. For one, my first pair of heels were the platform shoes I wore to my eighth grade graduation in 1974, the peak of the era when men wore platforms. They had 3.5 inch heels and 1.5 inch platform. I loved them but rarely had occasion to wear them elsewhere, and we moved from a hip Chicago neighborhood to an conservative Texas one soon after.

Although I continued to admire heels and even during college worked briefly at a high end NYC shoe shop, I didn't wear heels again till I was in my early 40s. I wanted to decorate a bookshelf with a pair of heels. I looked online and found something like these on a clearance page of a website and ordered them. I didn't think deeply about sizing as I simply assumed any pair of women's shoes would be too small for me. Then they arrived and I took one look and thought they might fit. They did, perfectly in fact. I took two steps and realized that I had a physical challenge on my hands. I was taking a lot of yoga and alignment classes at the time so they fit (sic) right into my training regimen and within a couple of months I was able to wear them outside and around.

-MJ

I went about four and half years, mid 2003 to early 2008 without wearing heels. I dove into my work 24/7 abandoned heels and catsuits and didn't consider them again until I came up for air.

I bought these and since then I've been wearing heels several times a week.

-MJ

In addition to my heels, I have a pair of moon boots and the sandals I wear all the time are Birkenstock thongs that were made for men but are far more commonly worn by women. In general women's clothing focuses on feel more than convenience and I like that. Whenever I can integrate something from the feminine repertoire into my wardrobe, I do. -MJ

Most of my guy friends know and a few have seen me in them. They don't make a big deal about it. Most of my female friends are more actively supportive. -MJ

I wore seven inch heels (two inch platform) to a New Year's Eve party and was in them for about eight hours. Usually, I wear similar shoes for about five to six hours at a time, these days. -MJ

I wish I were in your shoes tonight! Have a blast!! -MJ

I'm 5'9" and all my heels are seven inches or taller, so it's really noticeable to all my friends and neighbors when I'm in them. -MJ

Thanks for the tip. My fave has been Kelly Ripa here in the States, but Perry is quite the heeling force!! -MJ

I had just begun to practice yoga and was already hooked when I began taking classes from a woman who only wore high heels. She said it reinforced all the alignment training she learned by practicing yoga. I was even more deeply hooked at that point. -MJ

I do a lot of yoga and various forms cardio (treadmill, dance classes, and spinning). I would love to do one of those pole dance fitness classes. It would be a great way to wear heels in a fitness context. -MJ