HappyinHeels

I think Shyheels hit the nail on its head when he said he believes it was announced to improve the company's inclusivity credentials. Bingo!! Virtue signalling has become the hallmark of so many woke companies recently. I don't so much mind women wearing pants or guys wearing heels as much as I would like to know what will the garment tag say when I look to see where those pants or skirts are made?? If they are not made in a country with adequate environmental and labour standards then all this inclusivity coverage is really a smokescreen. I mean, if you have the cash to blast people into outer space, then you ought to be able to produce the uniforms your employees wear under such preferable conditions. Make a real statement and make the stuff in the United Kingdom. They benefit from the stability the U.K. provides so why not pay it forward and give back?? What a concept! HinH

Depends on what I am about to do. If I'm headed to do some shopping somewhere then yes I'll leave in heels. I may have a handbag with me and I have said before I may have a backup pair of heels in that bag. It does depend on the function. If it's an outdoor wedding then you better pack some extra footwear. Otherwise I'll keep a a pair under my driver's seat in the vehicle that I drive and nobody else does. If I'm buying project stuff at Menards then no heels at all. HinH

mlroseplant makes a great point about the growth of gambling over the decades. It went from legal only in the state of Nevada and the city of Atlantic City, New Jersey in the 1970's to being widespread now. People have always gambled on sports games via tacitly accepted office pools, card games at someone's house on a weekend, or more organized gambling at a "members only" backroom at a nightclub. States and provinces always got revenue from tobacco and liquor so why would gambling be any different? Certain states have a much harder time balancing their budgets so they look to gambling as a way to attempt to correct that. Our neighbouring state of Illinois is one such example. They allow casinos, video slots in bars, and sports betting as long as one is physically present in the state. But Illinois also has the worst funded state pension system of all 50 states. You simply cannot plug that kind of gap with just gambling revenue but they are trying anyway. The operation of casinos also give states some political cover as they are nearly all run entirely or partially by Native Americans or First Nations in Canada. All such governments can say they have given these recognized tribes and nations some means of self determination. That may be true or it may be an illusion. Casinos , except those in Las Vegas, tend to attract those who can least afford a hit to the wallet/pocketbook. They smoke budget cigarettes and drink budget beer live in trailers or not so nice neighbourhoods and spend hours and hours in casinos. Money being transferred from people who largely aren't well-off to the Indian casinos all over the continent. The tribes get their revenue and the state/province gets their cut. I don't paint the picture perhaps the states and provinces want you to see just what I do see. I say all this as one who is Native American but the gambling neither benefits nor bothers me. It's just another revenue scheme. Honest and transparent opinion is all you'll get here. HinH

All, I wrote about this to a musician friend of mine in Vancouver but it's worth repeating here. :Last week I had seen coverage of concern over QEII's health and thought this could be serious given the sudden travel of various family members. I took the news, as an American, stoically yet sympathetically for our most special friends in the U.K. and then ran an errand and later came home and put my wallet and spare change on the nightstand. I woke the next morning (the 8th) to find one coin had fallen off the nightstand. It was a Canadian quarter from 1979 the same year I met my musician friend who lives in Vancouver. The sight reminded me of my friend who lost her mother last year a woman I referred to as my "Western Canada Grandmother" and there was QEII looking back at me. For some reason I palmed the quarter and took it with me into the family to watch some news and saw the news that Her Majesty had indeed passed. What happened next was sudden but perhaps not surprising. Tears filled my eyes and I then looked at that quarter again. It seemed the Canadian within was now reacting. I realised here was someone I never knew or met or had any expectation I would meet even though I once met all sorts of celebrities when I worked at Chicago's O'Hare Airport yet I had a profound sense of loss. I then realised she had been close to me for years as a face on a coin in pocket or on a paper bill in my wallet. As she was in so many Commonwealth nations. All the trips I had made to Canada as a boy and then an adult man and other locales like the U.K., Gibraltar, Belize, and Guyana and there she was. Shyheels is right she was the stable hand of the British identity because she was the consummate diplomat. Though her reign saw the U.K. change in undeniable ways at least Britons could always fall back on Their Lady for stable guidance. She loved Canada and loved the United States there is no doubt about it. She will be missed more than I ever realised until now. I guess I always appreciated her and didn't take the time to express it. Better late than never. HappyinHeels

SF, Don’t know which casino you visited but last January my wife and I met our friends from Yuma at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio for bingo. They love it and we gave it a whirl. They drove back to Yuma but we stayed the night then explored Palm Springs and later Joshua Tree National Park. It was a nice getaway. HinH

Hello all. It’s a great question. It’s never happened to me when en femme but this question was posed about just wearing heels into the male restroom. If you have to go then that’s what you do. Since I wear wedges more than other styles in warm weather and boots in colder weather these are the styles I had on when I had to go. Boots with jeans or slacks didn’t garner any looks whereas the wedges with jeans got some looks. I think what grabs attention quicker is if one paints their toes or not. Still nothing other than a few looks and mostly nothing which registered on my radar. As SF noted this isn’t an issue in California nor in a number of other places. That’s why it’s just common sense to be decent towards everyone unless they give an articulable reason not to be. 🙏HappyinHeels

SF, You may not care for shorts now but if you were to make that move to the Arizona desert you might change your mind. Light clothing and more ventilation whether walking, shopping, or out on the golf course during the hot months of May-September is always a good idea. Tucson-Phoenix-Yuma averages 125-175 days of 90+F maxima (32C) a year . Phoenix is the sunniest large city in the USA and Yuma is the sunniest place on Earth at 4015 hours of bright sunshine a year. Everybody wears them there. Just sayin’. HinH

Mlroseplant, I remember seeing you in those Bonnie sandals so I know they were special. Given the narrow vamp and no ankle strap I think these mule sandals did well for you. 116 miles is 322-325000 steps for me and you’re only about an inch or so shorter so the sandal lasted for a distance almost stretching from Des Moines to Omaha. Keep up the great gait work 👡HinH

I agree with our esteemed NC member. The choices on the women’s side are far far greater and less expensive. If you’re lucky enough to fit shopping on that side I highly recommend it. As more demand creates more supply only then will prices come down. Besides who else rocks pumps better with dress pants than this guy!? Heels for thought. HinH

mlroseplnt, I’m surprised these wedges were not cumfy and felt unstable at the farmers market. They’ve always been my top choice for wearing outdoors at a wedding, a picnic, or even walking around your place. Of course we all now know some shoes simply don’t feel as good as they seemed in the store. I wouldn’t stop wearing wedges generally. I’ve enjoyed wearing them with jeans, skirts, and dresses and none of mine are under 4”/10cm. Several members here remember seeing my wedges. It’s part of my style as your shorts are of yours. You’re different from me but in understandable ways. If we weren’t then we would live in a bland and uninspiring world. I’ll take the multi-coloured hair girl or the shorts-wearing guy with wedge sandals whether I agree with all their views on the world or not. The creativity and freedom to express thru style is what life is about. HappyinHeels

All, Nice topic indeed as I suspect many of us have evolved our style over the years. I started wearing heels with bootcut jeans where the bottom 1-2" (2.5-5cm) or so of the heels were visible. Later I tried mid and high rise skinny jeans with either wedge sandals or pumps. Now I'll even wear shorts with wedges. HinH

flavio, It warmed my heart to read this. It's nice when a decision, long in the making, is supported by those around you. I can't remember how long you've been in France but am comforted to see you have found your groove there. Thanks for sharing and trusting us for that's why we're here. Nous vous remercions de partager et de nous faire confiance. C'est notre raison d'etre. Obrigado por compartilhar e confiar em nos. Por isso estarmos aqui. HinH

All, Had to watch video and read entire thread to get the whole perspective. What follows is my observation based upon 31 years in immigration as a border patrol agent, an inspector at a land border crossing and 16 years at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport some of which was as a supervisor. Nearly all countries recognize their borders, airports and seaports as unique zones where the government has exclusive authority to conduct border security which includes examination of passengers and baggage. It’s known as “border search authority “ and, in the USA, is contained in INA Sec 235.1. Whilst passengers are owed professionalism in the exercise of border inspections they are NOT given a pass if they slap, obstruct, or assault bystanders in a border area. I have been in some 40 countries and went to Poland twice on official business. Poland arose from the yoke of Communism to become a thoughtful and model democracy of some 38 million people. The country is clean, secure, and filled with people who love freedom and are tough as nails under adversity. That guy wasn’t knocked down because he was wearing heels rather because he assaulted a federal officer. It is standard law enforcement procedure for anyone assaulting an officer to be taken to the ground. Many members have related their stories wearing heels while flying or crossing borders and never had a problem. They weren’t harassed for their footwear. They also didn’t slap anyone. Borders are serious places. Places such as Ben Gurion Airport, the Turkey-Syria border, Moscow’s Sheremeteva Airport, and Heathrow Airport are some I can remember outside the US where it looks serious and is serious. All borders should be taken seriously whether you think so. This guy, yes those heels are amazing, didn’t take it seriously and suffered the consequence. That’s my opinion based upon a career which I retired from in 2018. But I still cross borders! HappyinHeels

Shyheels, I was in Arizona over the winter and didn’t have much contact here on the forum so am only now seeing this. I remember her perky postings and it warms my heart knowing you developed a digital pen pal relationship with her. I say that because I developed a pen pal in 1978 and she is now an independent musician in Vancouver and has met my wife and kids. Her mother became my Western Canada “grandma “ and fond of my kids. She passed in 2021. So much we received in return for a 15 cent stamp on a letter sent 44 years ago. So I imagine it indeed hurts. Hopefully the grief is somewhat lifted by the words of support you receive from my heart to yours. From others here as well to you. These are the times when our words can wrap the grieving like a warm blanket. HappyinHeels

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