jo

Hayway are a small family-run business, and have been around quite a few years. Their factory is open to visitors to try and buy. You can buy direct from them, or from a very limited number of retailers. They also attend various TV fairs around the country. Hayway stuff is mostly PVC I think. They don't make leather shoes, from what I remember. Someone else may care to check if that is still the case.

I have a pair of shoes similar to those above, but with a 4.5 inch, non-metal, and slightly wider heel. They are great. The zip on mine hasn't got such a great range of movement, but it is an unusual design. The ankle strap is very thin, and connected to the shoe sole by a thin vertical back strap that has a metal ring half way down it. They were on sale at GBP 40, in a local shop popular with girls in their late teens though to early 30's, last summer, but I got mine from a charity shop (seemingly unworn!) for under 4 quid just a few months ago.

Do they need feeding or oiling?

I have no idea how to fix that; it is darn annoying and can happen to anyone.

I'm reminded of an extremely smartly dressed lady, a few years ago, with many designer labels, and very posh looking. She was wearing ankle strap sandals, with almost 5 inch stiletto heels, and the only distraction was that one of the shoes squeaked with every step. That really spoilt the image.

Oh My! Those are very high! Very nice, but only for the more advanced heel wearer.

There must be other retailers who do stuff very similar, and just as high, Leatherworks, The Little Shoe Box, Veronicas, Fuss, Pierre Silber and so on.

That heel angle doesn't look quite right. It looks like it is angled in just slightly too much.

I would worry that it would fold in under the shoe after only a few wearings.

Yes, fine stockings are nice to wear, and a back-seam adds interest (also for the wearer). Suspenders are fine, but I find 6 straps to be nicer than 4. For a completely different feel, the Fully Fashioned stocking are really nice. These are not stretchy (make sure you get the right size!) but are made exactly leg shaped. They have a lot more smooth feel to them, and often a nicer sheen.

Ummm, looks plenty good enough to me. Nice boots! Hmm. Leather coat, black stockings with back seam, suspenders, and those black stiletto boots

Ummm... ...in Leatherworks, Southgate Road, London (You didn't read my report on the London trip? Shame). Their factory is below a white building divided into several flats, and the small entrance door is not that easy to spot. They have only UK size 6 and 7 stuff on display, but there is more choice than you can shake a stick at. They only do leather and patent leather shoes (no plastic or PVC). They look well made, and are comfortable to wear (even the 7 inch heels that I could not stand up in, were still comfortable on the toes). Heels are 4 or 5.5 inch stiletto, or you can have 7 inches either with or without a 2 inch platform. They do UK size 3 (platforms have to be size 4 and above) to at least UK size 12, I think. Their highest heel is 16 inches, and was in the Guiness book of records. Their catalogue is on their website. Their logo is a back view of two pairs of stiletto heel shoes, imprinted in gold, sometimes with the word "Imagine". You'll recognise it when you see it. The lady staff member was enthusiastic and helpful. I have a pair of 5.75 inch red stiletto heel peep-toe court shoes from them several years ago, and had no problems.

I tried a pair of those on just a few days ago, in UK size 7 and with a 5.5 inch stiletto heel. They were well made, and felt great on. Very nice.

I like those. A little higher would be nice, but that is an unusual toe design, one that would show lots of toe cleavage were it a court shoe cut like that. Quite a cheeky design i think. Nice. Thanks for sharing them with all of us.

She wore some wonderful stiletto heels that were easily 5 inches high in 9 to 5 I remember. I was probably the only bloke in the room looking down towards the bottom of the screen though.

I think that Brazilian Orchid got a mention a year or two back in the Patent Newsletter (not too difficult to find archived copies via Google), but I can't remember if the write-up was good or bad. I know that PL did print a number of warnings about some bad manufacturers and retailers, but cannot remember who they are now.

I usually wear a UK size 6.5 (or 7 for some) and that is the same as European size 39.5 (but size 40 is good enough).

I remembered that their offices are in Shaftesbury Avenue in London. I walked down and along there on Monday, but I couldn't see which building it was as I don't know the name of the publisher, or what number it was in the road. Go in prepared, eh? I would have gone in and personally delivered my complaint, and they could have inspected my 4 inch heels at the same time.

>> Has anyone had any feedback from the magazine as a result of their emails yet? <<

Too many windows open? I've done that. I guess you meant to post in:

http://www.hhplace.org/hhboard/viewtopic.php?t=1690&start=20

Last weekend I had a trip round London.

I bottled out of trying on some shoes in Sasha, in Kensington High Street, as they had two male staff working in there. They could have had two, four, ten even, female staff and I would have bluffed it; but other blokes. Hmmm. Damn. They had some nice J-Lo boots in my size, half price from GBP 70 down to GBP 35, though a slightly higher heel would have been nicer. Double Darn.

Bertie near Covent Garden didn't have a lot of interest.

I looked in Shelleys, in Covent Garden and elsewhere. They have a "50% off sale" but nothing very nice on show. Looks like they made a big wrong decision as to what to sell; and have been left with loads of stock to shift.

Office in Covent Garden had some nice, and really high, sandals. They had their delivery at the time, so I avoided any sort of problem with macho warehouse guys untrained like the shop staff, by not trying anything on. Got a few odd looks as there were about 7 or 8 staff/delivery people, and only one other customer.

Poste Mistress just round the corner has some very nice stuff, but nothing under about 200 quid. Ouch! I especially liked the high court shoes with an ankle chain that had 4 or 5 miniature dangling solid metal high heel shoes (about 5 or 6 mm long models) each on little chains dangling from the main ankle chain.

L K Bennett in Covent Garden has some wonderful stiletto sandals, with a four and a half inch heel. They have a thin silk toe strap, and a thin stiff leather vertical back strap. The leg tie is a ribbon, and they do these shoes in about 6 or 8 different colours. There was a little Chinese girl trying them on, and she walked really well in them, at size 6. Very expensive for what is a minimal foot covering though. They were about 80 quid. eeeeep.

Barratts, in Oxford Street, had lots of nice sandals and mules, and a range of court shoes in a lot of colours; many around or just above four inches. The shop was very busy.

e! expensive in Beak Street (closing down), and Oxford Street, have some interesting high, "gladiator style" sandals. A nearly 5 inch heel, and then a leather panel on the front of the leg, with straps round the leg, but at over 100 quid in the sale still overpriced.

Aldo, ah yes, Oxford Street, have some sandals that I saw people wearing out the night before. They have a medium-width toe strap, with a metal ring midway joining the two halves. At the ankle they have a cross-over strap over the top of the foot, which ends in the same type of metal ring each side. Then there are very long laces tied to each of the ankle rings which wrap around the leg, as leg ties. They have a metal heel that is very thin, and must be easily 5 inches high. They do have a small platform though. I really wanted to try those, but there were a lot of young girls trying them on; and I don't usually try stuff on when kids are around. They were all saying the shoes were painful, and none of them bought any. I guess it was their untrained ankles, as the people wearing them the night before were on their feet around Leicester Square all evening, and late into the night.

In Leicester Square, two lads (one very camp), and three girls (one very Gothic) were with another person who was very tall (head and shoulders above the rest), with short, but girly styled hair, very short shorts, a bandeau top, and jeans style knee boots with nearly 5 inch blade-ish heel. I thought it might be a man. A few people started heckling, but they got it all back, and some. A few macho blokes started pumping up their chests and it could have got nasty, but the original group just walked away. A few people followed them for a short distance. Bloody apes with egos.

Faith, again in Oxford Street, didn't have a lot of interest. There is a Faith close to home which I looked in a month or so ago, and I also looked on their revamped website, so nothing new was seen in their London store.

A trip to Leatherworks in Islington brought a vast array of things to try on. They have too much stuff! I mentioned them in an earlier post yesterday, so won't go into more details here, except to say that 7 inch heels are as difficult as they look if your ankles aren't flexible enough. I didn't have a problem with the extreme toe shape though.

A look round Camden was planned, but I got there as things were closing down. Still several shops have J-Lo boots (of various quality) on clearance starting at GBP 25 you know; and there are always piles of the perspex platform-soled "stripper" shoes. What always amazes me about Camden is that those shoes sell for GBP 25 in the local United Footware but some shops in Camden mark them as GBP 70 -- Half Price Sale -- GBP 35; Pink Piranha being one such shop that I remember. There must be 30 shoe shops in Camden High Street alone (but none are your regular High Street type outlets).

A look round Soho on the way to find some food, had the usual Paradiso offferings of 5 and 6 inch court shoes and so on.

I went in quite a few other places, but just can't remember them all right now.

Hmmm. Julietta! Behave; you're acquiring some expensive tastes, y'know.

As his missus Victoria Beckham is a shoe-a-holic, shopping regularly at Gina, as well as liking all the really expensive Italian stuff, I expect that David already has some. In public, she has dressed him in sarongs; he borrows her thong knickers; and he wears nail varnish. So what do they get up to in private then?...

Jo - are you repeating yourself in all the threads?

The same question came up in four different threads in the same evening, so the answer I posted in one could be adapted to two of the others, and the last I didn't reply to as I closed the window and didn't see it again.

I found Ballet Boots easier, as it was easier to get the line of the ankle right. The ballet boots were painful the first time, and I quickly got cramp in my foot. The second time was a lot easier. Standing up wasn't a problem, but walking needed a new way of thinking, and surprisingly it wasn't too difficult for short periods. It helps if the boots are quite tight, then the whole boot can support the foot rather than put all the weight on the toes. With the 7 inch court shoes, I couldn't straigten my legs enough to stand up straight, so walking was not at all easy. I could not bend my ankles enough, they need more flexibility first. I did not have any problem with the extreme bend in the toes. This is with UK size 7.

[dupe]

Superb 7 inch heels. I have loads of respect for anyone that can stand up in them, let alone actually walk around. I have tried them and they are just a bit too high to be wearable, unless it is just for sitting around in, but that isn't as much fun.

I think that Faith in the UK have something like this in their London stores already. Umm. But, just maybe I mis-remembered where I saw them.

I like that ankle chain, but I like the 7 inch steel stiletto heel, red patent court shoes a lot more.

I tried something like those the other day; in black, and with a normal, not metal, heel, in UK size 7. I couldn't quite straighten my legs. I have a lot of respect for anyone who can even stand up in them, and lots more if they can actually walk in them. It needs a lot of ankle flexibility.

Hmmm. Barratts and Ravel and Faith should keep you busy for a little while.

Ravel seem to have closed down in a number of towns over the last few years. I know of several that have gone. Same with Dolcis.

Those look like 7 inch heels by Leatherworks.

I visited their showroom and they have an absolute massive selection of shoes. Well worth a visit, but note that they only have size 6 and 7 shoes out on racks to try on. I expect that some styles are available off the shelf in other sizes, but a lot of stuff is made to order. They are a reasonable walk from Highbury and Islington tube station, or an easier bus ride from the Angel tube station in London.

They do 4 and 5.5 and 7 inch heels, from UK sizes 3 or 4 up to at least UK size 12 (I think), and the 7 inch heel can be with or without a 2 inch platform.

I tried a 7 inch heel in UK size 7, similar to those in the image above, and I could not quite get my leg straight. I didn't fall over, but no way to walk in something like that without getting a lot more flexibility in my ankles. I didn't have any problem with the extreme toe angle, as I have small toes anyway. Amazing shoes.

Leatherworks have a massive selection of shoes. Well worth a visit, but note that they only have size 6 and 7 shoes out on racks to try on. I expect that some styles are available off the shelf in other sizes, but a lot of stuff is made to order. They are a reasonable walk from Highbury and Islington tube station, or an easier bus ride from the Angel tube station in London.

They do 4 and 5.5 and 7 inch heels, from UK sizes 3 or 4 up to at least UK size 12 (I think), and the 7 inch heel can be with or without a 2 inch platform. I tried a 7 inch heel in UK size 7, and could not get my leg straight. I didn't fall over, but no way to walk in something like that without getting a lot more flexibility in my ankles. I didn't have any problem with the extreme toe angle, as I have small toes anyway.