Steve63130

Since your sisters have accepted your coming out much better than your parents, have you asked them to go shopping with you for women's clothes? Start at a thrift shop, so if you buy something you later regret, you won't be out much money. Good luck in your quest for self-identity.

Steve

Are ya sure ya didn't miss one or two? BWAHAHAHA!

Thanks for the inventory. Been fun.

Steve

You're quite the stud!

Lookin' good! Enjoy wearing them!

Steve

A little over a week ago, I got an email from DSW that a pair of heeled sandals I had found attractive and put on my wish list (but totally forgot about) was now on clearance for $50, plus I had a $10 coupon, so for $40 I thought it was a good deal and made the purchase. That was last Friday, the shoes arrived on Tuesday (great service) and I put them on the minute I got the package. The fit was perfect and there was absolutely no break-in time needed. The sandals are B.O.C. (Born on Concept - part of Born Shoes) "Emmeline." Here is the link:

http://www.dsw.com/shoe/b.o.c.+emmeline+san dal?prodId=349916

I bought them in brown, size 11. That very evening, after having them on the entire day (and even baptizing them in a downpour!) I wrote a review. It took until this morning (Saturday) to post it, but they posted it as I wrote it, along with a photo of me wearing them. While this is only a 2 5/8" heel, not very high, it's a sandal I can wear everywhere, including to a casual dinner party this evening with friends of ours. I wore them with sheer nude knee highs and white bootcut women's jeans. If anybody noticed, they didn't say anything.

Here's the text of the review:

"I've always loved Born shoes - great quality! These needed no break-in period. The straps are perfectly positioned - no chafing, the arch is in the right place, the heel on Size 11 is 2 5/8 inches, the heel strap has an elastic piece for comfortable stretch, there is an adjustable buckle, an adequate amount of padding, they have non-slip soles, and they look just great! I love shoes with a modest heel and have quite a few from DSW. My wife likes my "fashion forward" choices, too!"

HiH,

Thanks! ...I think.

Steve

Good question. I don't turn it on and off like you do. I am in heels almost all the time. I have higher, more feminine styles and lower, more masculine styles. When I want to be casual in jeans and more femme heels, I do it. When I need to be dressed up and formal, like for a funeral or an evening out, I wear the latter. So I vary the shoes I wear to fit the occasion. But I don't go from pretending I love men's shoes (turning it off or putting my real self on the shelf, so to speak) to turning it on when I can. I love heels, they're part of my personality, and while I try to respect the feelings of others, I don't hide my own desires to dress as I want and to wear the shoes I like. I don't worry about what others think and don't dwell on it like you seem to do. Maybe it's because I'm older (67) and don't care as much any more. While I don't have a boss at work (I'm self employed) or a dress code I need to conform to, I do have an "owner" and she matters. But she knows I love her and she's number one in my life. And she's been with me often enough when I wear heels to know that nobody says anything negative, if they even notice.

Steve

I'm not a platform guy either, at least not that pronounced of a platform, but you look great in plats. The problem, as I see it, is that you are not willing to admit to yourself that this is who you are, and having the freedom, even for a short time, to wear what you want in public gives you tremendous euphoria. When the time comes when you can say, oh stuff it, this is who I really am and if people don't love me because of what I wear, then they're pretty shallow. I know it's not always possible with loved ones to reach that level, but I think maybe you should try to sit down with them and have a heart-to-heart talk and say this is what I love to wear and I'm tired of bottling it up inside me and pretending I can be happy wearing boring shoes. I can't.

I think the demons are mostly in your head. The people in your life love you and will love you no matter what you wear.

Steve

Amazing collection. May I make a suggestion? Turn ONE of each pair around so the the front of the shoe is facing you, and re-take the pics. That way we can get to see (and drool) over the shoes even better, both back and front. We can only imagine what the entire shoe looks like, but from the back it would apprear that the front of the shoes would be well worth looking at.

Steve

Good outfit and great story! Thanks for sharing. Glad it was a fun experience. Do it again!

Steve

I remember shopping in DSW, Macy's (huge selection), Nordstrom's, Aerosoles, Fluevog and Naturalizer, but I don't remember if we went to others. Anyway, Google is your friend.

Steve

On ‎5‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 1:55 PM, robbiehhw said:

This is wrong in my opinion and a vestige of a dying patriarchy. Whatever dress codes are created should apply completely equally to both genders. This includes men wearing skirts, kilts etc, and women in suits and wingtips.

I do agree that dress codes in general should tend toward the more casual. Formal business dress creates another level of "have and have-nots" in society. Make no mistake about it, it was always meant to. 

Here in the Pacific Northwest, i can say that it is largely gone. You can see executives in jeans most days of the week. The suit still makes an appearance in government and a few related businesses, but by and large it is gone. I notice the difference between Seattle and Washington DC for instance, is fairly great in dress code. Elsewhere the more casual look is catching on. Even the traditional business casual of men in khakis and polo shirts is being challenged. 

 

Robbie,

I agree with you. You won't find me wearing a suit and tie to the office. Jeans and casual tops, shorts (often with tights or pantyhose), and heels are the rule. I even keep a spare pair of heels at the office, under my desk, in full view of anybody who stops to visit.

Steve

Most shoe store sales people won't flip out if you try on heels in their store. They will usually act very professional, ESPECIALLY in that liberal city, so you don't have a thing to worry about. Besides, they've seen it all, so you're nothing new. Macy's and Nordstrom's are good places to start, but you can find lots of boutiques, like Aerosoles for instance, with great choices in a wide variety of styles. They welcome anybody who wants to be their customer. Just start walking around. And if you shop while wearing heels, sales people will not be surprised that you want to buy more heels. It shows the sales associates that you're a serious customer and they'll give you more friendly help and good suggestions. I walked all over the city in the Aerosoles "Platonic" sandals pictured in my avatar. I never got stopped and never even detected a stare at what I was wearing, and I felt safe everywhere I went. The biggest problem was walking down some of the steep hills wearing heels. My ankles don't bend that far!

Steve

TBG,

In your photos you didn't show the upper part of those thigh boots. How high does the navy blue leather or fabric portion go?

Just kiddin' ya. Those pumps look good. I had a similar pair from Nine West a year or so ago, but in 12M they were too small (in length) and I had to return them <sigh>. Hope those fit you ok and are comfortable.

Steve

If I could charge my plane ticket to your credit card, I'd be there in a minute (or two). Or if you want to come to Ohio, bring your heels and we'll go out in public together and have fun. I'm sorry I'm not a little closer to Yorkshire.

Steve

11 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Sugar, bacon, coffee, alcohol, fizzy drinks, fruit juice, red meat, spaghetti sauce...the list of things that are bad for you grows and grows and grows. 

Whoa! You forgot tobacco! LOL

Steve

I'm put off by the "contact" page. I don't think of myself as a "queer feminine man." Sorry. I'm a fashion forward guy who is happy in most respects being a guy, happily married, too. I just want a lot more latitude in clothing and shoe choices, the same as women get. Like others have commented, though, I don't care for their styles. Way too funky for me - a throwback to the 1970s. I'm not going there, and not at those prices. I realize they're serving a small niche market and won't get any economies of scale, but I don't predict a high level of success with those styles.

Steve

I found this quote on the internet today, in an article on foot care:

"You Can Wear High Heels

Was he just purging his collection of stuff he no longer wears or likes or doesn't fit, or is he giving 25 pairs to every HHP member and you were just the first?

Please post a photo or three of the items he donated. Blahnik? Choo? Louboutin? Payless?

Steve

If you want to be in stealth mode, try bootcut jeans which come down to a couple of cm from the floor. That's what I wear mostly, and I think it's a good look on guys. Wear a bright colored shirt so it attracts attention and nobody will notice your shoes. Contrast attracts attention, so match your jeans, wedges, and socks/tights so they're all dark.

Be careful about taking heels in a bag with you into a cinema, store, office building, or museum. Often such parcels are checked by security people, and you don't want to be answering questions that make you out to be a pervert. You're much better off to wear the heels into the cinema and "own" them outright. Nobody will question you or cause embarrassment that way. Just act confident and don't give the impression that your heart is racing, even though it is!

The first times are the hardest, but after a while you'll wonder what the fuss was all about, and you'll be kind of disappointed that people DON'T notice or say anything. Most women who notice you will smile, give you a compliment, or give you thumbs up. Men won't care. Teenage girls in groups will giggle. Don't take any of it seriously. Your shoes are your way of expressing yourself and you have every right to wear what you want. Let us know how it goes. Good luck!

Steve

I have a gal pal in the marketing department who is my "shoe sister" (but not my "sole mate!"). She is petite, wears size 7.5, and is crazy about heels, so I drop into her office frequently to chat about marketing (oh, yeah, and talk shoes! lol) for a few minutes, and we compare what we're wearing that day. Today I dropped off an Aerosoles catalog I got yesterday and showed her several pairs of sandals that would be good business wear for her for summer. She liked my suggestions.

She recently told me she bought a pair of Naturalizer "Michelle" pumps in taupe but she hasn't worn them to work yet, as the heels are a bit higher than she's used to, but she decided to keep them anyway and try to break them in and practice wearing them at home. One of these days she'll wear them to work. She showed them to me on Naturalizer's web site and they're very attractive pumps with 3.5" heels and a 0.5" platform. I didn't think I'd be getting them for myself - the heel is very thin (for me), and although I have a few pair of pumps I do wear in public, the heel print is at least 1.5 inch square. These are much less, and the heel is tall (for me). But as I said before, never say never. One evening a couple of weeks ago, I saw on Ebay a pair of Michelle in black shiny finish in my size, 12M, for a starting bid of $19.99. So on a whim I bid that but no more, as I didn't want to pay a lot for something I probably wouldn't wear in public. The auction had about 17 hours to go, and I was astonished to learn that my lone bid won the prize! I mean, this is a $99 shoe on Naturalizer's web site (before any discounts). So getting it for $20 (plus $10 S&H) was a real accomplishment! Where were the other bidders? I felt very lucky.

The seller shipped them right away and I received them a few days later. They were tight at first, but they felt like they'd stretch, so I kept them and have been breaking them in by wearing them each day. I told my gal pal about buying them, and she said, "Hey, great! We'll have a 'Michelle' Day soon and both wear our heels!" Well, now I'm committed! Actually, I have worn them in public a few times, but just for short outings and I'm not sure if I was even observed. But I'm gaining confidence!

I submitted a review, which Naturalizer published on their web site at http://www.naturalizer.com/en-US/Product/EC0217745-3014069/Naturalizer/Black+Shiny/Michelle.aspx and of course they listed my gender as male, so there could be no doubt:

" I agree with previous reviewer CNol, who said these pumps were not as feminine as Lennox. That's exactly the reason I bought them! I disagree that they're "clunky." They're super cool. They're easy to walk in and to drive in. They have great padding. The arch is in the right place and gives good support. They don't slip off my foot when walking. I love the feeling of quality craftsmanship when I slip them on. I love the way they stay on my feet when I walk. I love everything about them. Mine are in black patent. The rounded toe doesn't look feminine and they go great with the bootcut jeans I usually wear. My wife is comfortable with me wearing them. My gal pal in the marketing department raved about her pair of "MIchelle." She knows of and also supports my fashion forward taste and recommended this style very highly. I'm glad I followed her advice! I have many pairs of Naturalizer shoes, but these are among the most fun to wear. Life is too short for boring shoes! "

Cool, eh? Size 12M and 12W are still available as this is written. Let me know if you get a pair and how you like them!

Steve

Early last week I received my first new pair of shoes in a very long time: an end-of-season sale of Naturalizer "Brenna" booties in black with 3" heels. I liked the look, got 30% off, and they were available (and still are as of today) in women's size 12M. (Of course the day after I bought them, they extended the sale to 30% off PLUS free shipping. Ugh!)

So here's my review, published on http://www.naturalizer.com/en-US/Product/EC0200049-3014247/Naturalizer/Black/Brenna.aspx (where by the way, I'm a "Top 50" contributor, whatever that means):

"It's been a while since I've worn a pair of shoes with the "wow factor" that these have, but I really did say "wow!" when I first put these on. It was like they were custom made for my feet! They needed absolutely no break-in time at all. I wore them all day the first day I wore them. Besides the excellent fit in length and width, the arch is comfortable, the construction quality is superb, and the fabric collar is perfect. I was afraid the booties might be too warm, but they're not. They're comfortable either with nylon hosiery or barefoot. I have many pairs of Naturalizer shoes, and my wife is comfortable with me wearing all of them, but these look really sharp. They are fun booties and I recommend them highly!

They also published my gender as Male so there could be no doubt.

Here are two photos, and I'm wearing them (with black sheer nylons) as I write this. If you wear size 12 or smaller, get a pair. You won't be disappointed!

Steve

A recent purchase of mine was a pair of Naturalizer loafer pumps of a discontinued style called "Demand." I found them on Ebay, new, in the box, size 12M, made an offer, and the seller accepted and promptly shipped them. The fit is perfect, both with nylons, and without (as in the photo below). I have two other pairs of loafer pumps (both are Clarks) that I don't find too comfortable, so I was glad to find a pair that exceeded my expectations. This pair is intended to be my go-to shoes for dress-up occasions, even with a sport coat and tie, and dark sheer nylons. The heel is 3", the shoes are very stable and easy to walk in, and I can wear them anywhere and everywhere. Naturalizer did a good job on these, as the arch is in the right place and they feel very good.

.

Hey, I tried!

Steve

TBG,

In Sweden they will see those boots from kilometres away.

Steve