Steve63130

SF is in the San Jose area. He's always looking to meet follower heelers.

Steve

8 hours ago, JeffB said:

 

I headed west into Springfield, my first stop being to Home Depot to buy some weed killer to keep my small front yard...

 

 

Jeff,

You're going about it the wrong way. Don't use poisons. Get a pair of these and stomp the weeds to death. Much more fun!

That's why they call them "killer heels!"

LOL

Steve

Cool boots. Are they Elvis's? The box implies so.

Steve

Mlroseplant,

Good for you! No demons left in your head to scare you, brother!

Now that the people at that gathering have seen you, instead of "Whoa, look at that guy in heels!" next year it will be, "Oh, yeah, that guy. Saw him last year....no big deal."

Steve

Thanks, the sandals do look nice. I wish they had a higher heel, though.

Steve

On ‎4‎/‎29‎/‎2016 at 2:30 AM, hernaezjames said:

New pair of flat sandals for the summer

 

I like those. Do they have a heel or are they flat? I can't tell from the pic. What is the brand and model, do you know? And did you get them in a store or online?

I'm looking for heels with a thong upper like that.

Steve

Ron,

Not that I can tell. Marketing hype if you ask me. But they're fun to wear, very stable, easy to walk in, and good looking, in my opinion, so I'm not about to part with them!

Steve

Thanks, Mike. Sep. 1 won't work for me, but the 15th might and those October dates might also. Are you thinking of meeting in Cincinnati (as the title of the thread suggests) or in Columbus?

Steve

Well, if I can chime in here, I appreciate what BOTH of you have done to serve our country. Freedom isn't free, so I am grateful for what you've done to protect my freedom, including my freedom to wear heels. Not that I planned it this way, but I do happen, by coincidence, to be wearing NAVY sandals - White Mountain Shoes' "Terrace" sandals with 3.5" dark cherry faux wood grain heels!

Thanks again!

Steve

5 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

The "Buddy Holly" style that has been popular for a number of years just isn't for me.

Oh, Boy!

Steve

The word from my cousin at Caleres (formerly Brown Shoe Co. in St. Louis) is that shoe sales are in the doldrums. The millennials are not buying like previous generations. They are more into lifestyle than fashion and material things, so they're spending money on vacations and travel, stuff like that. The only footwear niche that is doing well is sports footwear.

I can believe it because I constantly see sales for Naturalizer, Nine West, White Mountain Shoes, and others, and it's 20-30% plus free shipping. That doesn't leave much profit!

Steve

86.7% of statistics are made up.

Including this one!

LOL
 

Steve

On ‎7‎/‎31‎/‎2016 at 8:27 AM, Thighbootguy said:

Some time ago when I told my friend about my wearing heels, she said, "Well it could be a lot worse". 

TBG,

My wife says the same about my similar odd addiction! LOL

Steve

Good point, Heelster! I got an education in geology, then drifted into computers and business, then automation technology and project management in the fiberglass insulation biz, general management of a lab instruments manufacturer, plastics consulting, and finally online retailer of hosiery, and operating a part-time bed and breakfast. I've enjoyed and been challenged by every thing I've done, worked with great people along the way, forgot about the dodos, and had fun. Sometimes I made money, but sometimes I didn't. Life has been a good journey so far, and now I'm doing it in heels!

Steve

I got an invitation to take a survey when I was on the White Mountain Shoes website the other day, so I accepted. The last question was open ended - any suggestions? I suggested very strongly that they consider offering bigger sizes. They go only to size 11, which for me is ok in sandals and clogs, but not for loafers, pumps, and boots. While companies don't want to invest in a large proportion of large sizes, at least they could offer a small percentage in larger sizes. In companies which offer 12, that size is almost always the first to sell out. Why aren't these companies getting the message?

Steve

Did you see the fine print? "(This sign applies to women only.)"

Steve

I prefer the middle ground, too. 3" is perfect for me. I would like to find more thong sandals with a 3" heel, but most of them also have a 2" sole and look like a flip-flop on steroids.

For the past few days I've been wearing a new pair of Sofft "Sascha" sandals with a 3.5" heel and a 0.5" platform. They are among the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. This morning I got compliments from my gal pals ("shoe sisters") in the marketing office of the retirement community where we live.

I keep looking for thongs with a nice heel like these Sofft brand shoes have, but have only found a Ralph Lauren wedge that is too narrow for my bunions and I can't walk far in them.

Steve

Heckling by teenagers in groups doesn't count for anything. Ignore it. You know they wouldn't behave like that if they were alone. They do it to impress their friends. Safety in numbers, so to speak.

Steve

It looks fixable. Try some fast setting epoxy, but wait 24 hours before wearing them to allow the glue to cure to it's hardest state.

If you're wearing those spikes on grass and they're sinking in more than an inch, then you're putting a lot of weight on the heel which isn't going straight down. It's leveraging the heel and bending it off the shoe. Shoes like that are not made for grass. Go to a sandy beach instead!

Steve

Ron,

They are 11W and fit pretty well. I normally take a 12M in a closed heel shoe like a pump, but can often wear an 11 in a sandal or clog. I was glad I got these in a wide width. I would like a bit more arch support, so I added a gel arch. The ball of the foot could use a little more padding but it's not bad. The leather is buttery soft and doesn't irritate my hammer toe. They are very stable and easy to walk in gracefully, and I like how they look.

Steve

I like what you've written, Kneehighs, and I am optimistic, too. On a grand scale, I really don't know if the world will eventually embrace men in women's high heels, but on a personal level, I have achieved a lot of small victories, the most important being the support of my wife. I wear heels every day, and I must say I have really enjoyed wearing sandals this summer, although I never used to like them (on me or others), but I've changed and love them now. This morning we went to the coffee shop to have breakfast with friends. The adjacent table had a group of a half dozen women. I wore my Naturalizer "Dahnny" sandals in black, bootcut jeans, and a black polo shirt. I don't know if anyone in the room noticed, and I didn't care. I did see a lady look down at my feet when I stood in line for coffee, and when she looked up, I just smiled. I don't know if she really noticed the heels, or that the sandals were women's shoes, or that I had on a dusky reddish-purple pedicure. She didn't react. But I was out and about, enjoying my time in heels, and if anyone else noticed, fine; if not, that's fine too. I appreciate having given myself the freedom of wearing what I like without worrying about it anymore. It's really liberating!

Thanks to you and many others here for the encouragement to be comfortable with myself!

Steve

Gives a whole new meaning to "sharp dresser!" BWAHAHAHA!

Steve

Gorgeous! Lovely presentation! Look forward to meeting up with you this fall if we can arrange it.

Steve

Very tactfully stated, TBG!

Nice outfit, Jeff.

Steve

Eighteen years ago, in 1998, I took over a defunct family hosiery wholesale business and with help from a supplier willing to take a risk, we designed and began selling pantyhose and tights for men, online, retail. Our business (www.activskin.com) flourished until last year when our two hosiery suppliers both went out of business, leaving us scrambling for new sources of supply. We're not dead yet, but business has suffered while we have tried to develop new products with new (but not truly dedicated) suppliers. We're struggling, but we are still optimistic. I'm looking to find a pony somewhere in this pile of manure!

Based on our success with hosiery, I have been watching for a market opportunity for heels for men. I think I know what it would take, but it's a very different challenge, much riskier, and because of the nature of the product, much more difficult to design successfully. Finding a domestic supplier willing to try it with me is out of the question, I think. Most of the world's shoes are made in China and I'm not willing to form a risky venture with people half a world away. It's been a struggle just to have Chinese distributors of our hosiery products!

One of the biggest problems I would face as a heels for men supplier is reaching those millennials who would be our potential customers, with styles that would be attractive and fashionable, and via social media (which I know very little about, but then I knew very little about the internet and web sites back in 1998 also; thankfully I hired the right people!).

So I have no problem considering being the first to sell heels for men, designing a line of styles that would mix masculine and feminine elements, and being attractive (I hope) to enough customers to make the business a financial success. I just don't feel like the stars are lining up properly:

Unlike hosiery, we're dealing with relatively expensive items that are much more durable. Very different expectations from the hosiery market.

I don't think designer heels for men in the $800 price range will ever succeed. There has to be a mass market in the $80-$120 range, but you need quantity to justify a low price like that.

Guys can't try shoes on over the internet, and the chances of getting the fit right the first time are often slim. That means lots of shipping and we're talking about relatively heavy items compared to hosiery. Many people don't want to buy clothes or shoes over the internet anyway. They'd rather try them on in a store. I don't have the capital to start a chain of stores, and I don't want to move to a big metropolitan area to open a retail store where I (or my staff) have to work long hours to be open.

I'm sure there are lots of other problems with starting a business selling heels for men, but that's what comes to mind off the top of my head. I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. But in experimenting with wearing women's heels over the past decade, I've developed an appreciation for what works (for me) and what doesn't, and I've learned a lot. I've had a lot of fun, too, and made lots of friends on this forum. So I'll keep looking. If you have any great ideas for a breakthrough, I'm interested!

Steve