chrisr

I'd advise caution dealing with FSJ. I ordered some boots from them, but what I got was very different to the pics on the website. First image is from the website, second & third what I actually got.

They didn't hit their quoted delivery date, by a mile. I only got the boots after chasing them up via email.

Their initial response to my complaint that I didn't get what the website showed was 'no one else has ever complained about the materials'. Eventually, I got a 50% refund, but TBH, I don't think the boots I got were worth even that. They are just of really cheap chinese construction.

It's shame because a lot of what's on their website looks really good. I kept asking 'how would I get what you show on the website?' but they never answered that question.

La Redoute in the UK has quite a selection of shoes and boots in size 43 and 45. None in 44 though! I've been on that site in the past, and I'm sure they didn't go that large. Just ordered a pair of suede boots, myself.

FWIW, my advice is: It's harder and trickier to do than stretching leather. Synthetics are less flexible and tend not to be so 'forgiving' as leather and if tyou intend to try a lot of stretch, you could end up wrecking them. If you want to give it a go... I'm presuming you already have some means of providing the stretch in mind. I've found warming the PU with warm water before you start helps - not too hot, or you may crinkle the surface finish. Go steady while applying the force and watch the PU where it's under stress. It's very easy to overdo things once it starts stretching. Be aware that the PUs are usually a laminate, and the 'body' of it is made of different stuff to the surface. The different layers can behave differently AND/OR can delaminate under stress. If you were asking 'does anyone know of chemical that softens PU?', I don't.

And Evans go up to 10 but they tend to be generously sized

Like many others I first started with short walks in dark out-of-the-way places. But I soon lost interest in that. I thought: 1/ this isn’t what I’m really wanting to do, 2/if I go 'public' no one is going to notice and even if they do, so what? Why shouldn’t I wear heels? Half the population does. 3/ If anyone does notice, they don’t know me and will never see me again anyway. So I just went for it! My first real outdoor heeling was in a town next nearest (so as to minimise the chances of seeing anyone who would recognise me) to where I live. A Saturday, I think, a stroll up and down the main shopping street. I was wearing black ankle boots, with a chunky 3-inch-ish heel, I believe; it was quite a while ago. With my jeans hanging a bit lower than normal to cover some of the heel! I’ve no idea whether anyone noticed. I didn’t see any reaction. But I wasn’t really looking and I didn’t care anyway. It doesn’t affect anyone else so it’s nothing to do with them what I wear. My key bits of advice would be: 1/ your own state of mind is important, 2/ be confident: someone looking furtive and guilty will attract closer inspection, 3/ be sure you can manage the heels properly: someone not walking properly will also get a closer look, 4/ unless you are really wanting people to notice your heels, stick to darker colours and thicker heels, 5/ go somewhere busy. Once the first trip is over and done, you just think ‘well, what was all the fuss and worry for?!’

That is a possibility to consider. But because the lining no longer reaches it the heel 'cup' has also been damaged and it is all scrunched up and crushed. I can't get my foot in the boot properly because of this. As shoerepairer says, I think a proper repair would mean disassembly.

Thanks, shoerepairer, I think you've confirmed what I was thinking :-(

The damage is right at the bottom, and it's quite a mess, not a simple repair, I don't think, so I'm sure the whole boot would need disassembling to repair it.

As they cost me 50UKP, probably not worth the repair cost. I'll just have to hope I see similar again on Ebay.

And I think a complaint to Ebay/Paypal is my next step...

No one has mentioned yet that women do now wear plenty of what was - at one time - exclusively men's clothing. They take it over and make it a feminine thing. I dare say the more conservative of the population were aghast when women started wearing trousers. I don't think I'd mind what my wife wore really. But I would mind if she started doing things that changed her basic sexuality (is that the right word? sex, gender?) EG growing a 'tache or taking male hormones.

They do at least some in a US12 as I have a pair. I imported them from the US. Plain matt black. They seem to run small though and I find them rather tight. So sadly, rather uncomfortable to wear. Chris

Would you have any contact details so I could ask? TBH, I have my doubts about whether they could be fixed, but I like the boots. And they were 50UKP. Worth it if they were wearable, but...

I recently acquired a pair of knee high, pull-on leather boots via Ebay. I checked them over when I received them (a few weeks ago), but now, having come to wear them, I’ve discovered the lining of one is torn, down near the foot, and it makes the boot impossible to get on. The lining rucks up and stops my foot going into the boot properly. (People who don’t reveal defects when selling on Ebay really annoy me – they must have known about this).

They are a nice pair of boots apart from that and I’d like to keep them. So, does anyone know if it would be possible to get the lining repaired/replaced? If so, how and where? I’m in the UK, btw.

Myself, I can’t see how it can be repaired in situ, but tradesmen often have ingenious problem-solving tricks up their sleeves.

ChrisR

There you go then. Have a play around with it!

heights.zip

I guess you mean a US8 & 13? I wouldn't think so high - maybe 3.75". That's assuming what you mean by 'relative' is the same angle of the sole in respect of the ground. I created an Excel spreadsheet, ages ago, that attempts to calculate the angle of the sole leaving the floor and so compare the different heel heights for different shoe sizes. I'm not saying it's 100% accurate, but it's fun to play around with. I'll try and post it if you want it.

Chicks66 Sorry for the delay, I don't browse HHP regularly. Here's some pics of the mod. The first two show my second attempt at this which is rather better than the white pair, which was my first try. But you can see the inside on that pair, the innner sole is back in the others so nothing to see. It might look a bit obtrusive on the inside, but with your foot being vertical, you don't notice it at all.

I won't disagree with you, bubba136. That's why I said, all other things being equal I'd go for the originals. I'm sure they'd be better made, nicer to wear and last a lot longer. Yes, the Pleasers are just synthetic and yes they do feel cheap. But they were. You get what you pay for. Anyway, I can't get the genuine Tributes in a UK10, so for these there's not a choice really.

Well, if I had the money I'd always go for the Natacha Marro/Leatherworks; they do look classier. But not everyone has. I don't. As onyourtoes says, that's how the whole fashion world works now. Something becomes popular and within a month there are clones in Tesco, Walmart, etc etc. What's wrong with making things more accessible to the 'financially challenged'? And to the original question: yes, I got hold of a pair of Bordello Teezer (which are the YSL Tribute rip-offs). True, they are clumpy, but I confess I do rather like them. Surprisingly easy to walk in, I thought. And considerably cheaper than YSL (if they did make a UK10). I won't be going out in them though! They're just for fun.

The steel doesn't have to be every hefty, as most of the load runs along it lengthways. I used a small piece, about 2cm wide, 2-3mm thick and perhaps 10cm long (from memory). The trickiest bit is getting the two opposing bends just right to fit the boot. I used a countersunk bolt, with the countersink inside. So, yes, you do see a nut on the underneath of the 'sole'. But again, as the load on the bolt is sideways rather than lengthways, the bolt is not a particularly large one and I don't find the visible nut annoying. The other fastening, nearer the toe, was a countersunk self-tapping screw as in that area there is no steel reinforcing in the boot, and nothing particularly solid to bolt to/through. On this the countersink was on the sole side, so it just disappears from view. I had to cut the screw down to a suitable size (after I had cut the threads into the steel piece) so it didn't stick in my foot! Anyhow, the upshot was I regarded it as a 'success'. The boots stopped collapsing and I think they are easier to wear. (Though still a struggle, for me!) I can email you some pics if you want (dunno if I'd be able to post them here).

Well I love mine - wear them nearly all the time. Ok, they don't look great, but they are certainly comfy.

I think the cheaper bbs are always prone to collapsing the toebox. The more you wear them the worse it will get. On my first pair after I'd adjusted the heel height to get the heel vertical (see other posts about this) the first time I wore them for any time the toebox scrunched up (by about 5mm) and put the heel all wrong again. I was annoyed. So, I made a flat-s-shaped strip of steel and fitted it into the toe of the boots, bolting it to the steel strip that runs down from the heel. I made it long enough to force out the toe again. This does 2 things: it stops the toebox collapsing and - providing you feet are tight fit in the boot - removes some of the direct load on your toe-ends. Makes the boots much easier to wear. It took me about half-a-day to do.

I have 2 pairs and like everyone else above I think they are great. Quality and workmanship are very good. They feel really solid and well made. They are expensive, but worth the money. Unfortunately, yes, you will have wait a while for delivery. But hey, like all good things.... A further bit of advice: in my experience, when you're doing the measurements (if you are getting some mtm ones) err on the generous side, especially if you want to wear them over jeans. The boots are made spot on to the measurements and are a very snug fit to the leg.

I don't think they are Buffalo. Buffalo have thicker, lower heels and higher platforms. I think they are by Raid (which I think is/was connected to Faith). They first came out in the Autumn of perhaps 3-4 years ago. Faith also sold a very similar boot, with the same shape but with some fancy piping/leather-work down the seams. There were several variants of ther same basic shape, some in cheap sythetic, but most real leather. Keep looking on eBay and you will see them come up from time to time. They often go for knock-down prices - I can't understand why! I have a pair myself and the (possible?) good news is that they seem to run large. I can wear the 8 quite comfortably and I am usually 9 or even 10 (though I did have to stretch them a tad). They certainly are sexy boots, both to look at and to wear.