Steve63130

It's usually the position of the arch that stops me. I have an arch that's somewhat forward from most women, I guess. A lot of heels that I try on have an arch that's too far back for me, so all the weight is on my heel and ball of my foot and there is no support in between, so they're uncomfortable. Steve

It was in the fall of 1971, and my gf (now my wife) had a tall room mate who was moving out and asked me to take a bag of her clothes to a local charity bin. I was glad to comply and noticed a gorgeous pair of size 11 burgundy leather sandals with squarish toes and heels. I wondered what it was like to wear them, and those sandals never made it to the charity bin. I wore them a lot in private and enjoyed them. Later I bought a pair of cheap white sandals from K-mart, and enjoyed wearing them also. Later I ventured into pumps and eventually boots, loafers, and clogs, and for years never wore sandals, but in the last couple of years I've gone back to enjoying sandals. Steve

Bluejay, I like your look, too. I have two pair of similar looking loafer pumps, but they're both uncomfortable. I should sell them on Ebay. I tried to replace them with loafer pumps from Nine West last December, but their size 12, which is what I usually wear, was too short on me, so I had to return them. I'll keep looking for nice loafer pumps like yours. Steve

Louboutin isn't the first to trademark a color. Back in the 1970s Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. trademarked the color pink for its fiberglass building insulation. It wanted to prevent other insulation manufacturers from using that color for their insulation, because Owens-Corning felt that its pink color was distinctive and had a marketing edge by presenting a "warm" color. There is nothing wrong with Louboutin trying to trademark a red sole as his. If its approved by the country's patent and trademark office, it should hold up in court if its challenged, but it isn't guaranteed. Judges could rule otherwise and disallow it. Steve

SF, I agree about Aerosoles' quality, fit, and value. I have many pairs myself, and they're among my favorites. The two you mentioned are very attractive. I have my eye on them also. I like the Lollipowp best, but the heel is too slim for me, and I suspect too high for you. The Abracadabra style looks great in black, but I don't like it in white. That heel would be no problem for me. Let us know if you get either. Steve

I've shaved (epilated really) my legs since 1998 and will never go back to hairy. Hosiery feels so much better, stays up better, and of course looks better. But if you don't shave or your wife loves your hairy legs, you can get away with black hose to solve that problem. As to painting toenails or fingernails, I never had an interest, but a couple of years ago I tried it with subtle colors, such as satin rose and copper colors, which really look pretty cool. I've had quite a few compliments from women, including a flight attendant on our trip to Ireland on April 5. My male friends don't say anything, but they accept it just fine; I haven't lost any friends over it. So if you're thinking of painting your nails, but aren't sure, go for a more subtle color than bright red or pink. A copper, or satin rose might be just right for you, too. As to shorts, I like wearing shorts and hosiery in warmer weather. I like capri pants and capri jeans, too. I have a few pair of sandals that have higher heels (2.5 to 3 inches), but arent' stiletto, and I'm comfortable wearing them quite exposed. I show five of them here: Steve

Heelster, I'm near Columbus, but I've been out of town for the past 2 weeks. PM me next time you're visiting and maybe we can meet up for a beer or coffee Steve

I'm with you, Megan. Steve

HappyinHeels, It's very interesting to learn of your background, and it makes sense in explaining why you're so good at "cheerleading" or coaching, if you will. I have a lot of respect for your eloquent postings. You help in no small way to keep this forum alive and interesting. Steve

Shafted, Please explain your comment. Thanks Steve

Wedgemao, That's a great idea for a present I'm sure she'd like. Take the advice of the others here, though, and get something timeless. It's a big investment and shouldn't look outdated in a couple of years as fashions change. October is a long way away, though, and her shoe size could change after the pregnancy is over. You might want to wait until her weight is back to "normal" and then buy her the shoes. Congratulations on the new baby! Steve

jorisken, I think you would do very well to plan a clothes shopping trip with your mother. It will be a chance to talk about fashion, learn about her ideas of what you look good in, bond with her as a loving son, and get some fashionable clothes that blend well with high heels. You'll be a chick magnet! Steve

Blackpatent, Sorry your thread got off on the wrong feet, so to speak. You posted one tiny thumbnail photo which shows no detail, and you provided no details on the shoes (brand, style, heel height, do you like them? comfortable? stable to walk in? etc.). From my objective point of view, I'm sorry, but there really wasn't much point in taking up space to do what you did. Please start over. Let's just forget the first part of this thread and star anew. Post a bigger photo so that we can see the shoes clearly, and tell us lots more detail about them. It would be nice to know where you live, too (nearest city or town) in case someone else who lives near you wants to invite you to meet up for lunch, beer, coffee, or shoe shopping. Welcome to the forum, and let's try it again, ok? Steve

Speaking as a guy I think you're right about that Megan. Of course there are exceptions but on the whole men do seem to compete with each other to try to demonstrate superior knowledge and knock down what others are saying, whereas women do tend to show more empathy in their conversations. On the other hand I've had women friends tell me that there's often an air of insincerity about that empathy whereas they find the directness of male company quite refreshing.

Strangely I tend to feel more sidelined in mixed social groups at work, perhaps because that competitive way of interacting is seen as more aspirational and overpowers our more collaborative qualities. Maybe that's why I like wearing heels as a guy, as an exp<b></b>ression that those collaborative qualities are more aspirational than the selfish individualism that predominates in society, and that a bit more femininity in the world would make it a better place. For some reason most guys feel threatened by the very thought of that, like it's some kind of competition! "The gold medal for insecurity goes to..."

Very well stated! I've never been a very competitive guy. I never excelled at sports, and have little interest in them. I much prefer collaboration and conversation. My idea of entertainment is browsing shoe web sites. "When the going gets tough, the tough go...shopping!"

Steve

Kris, Good post! Thanks for sharing. That's one smart store manager! She has seen it before and she figured you out instantly. Which just goes to show you there is no point in playing games. Being honest with the sales help is usually the best way to go. They're trained to help, they know their inventory (if they're good) and they want to help you (part with your money and) get good value. So trust them unless they act like idiots who would rather you didn't come in. Let us know when you go back to get the shoes. I bet you buy a second pair at the same time! LOL Steve

Thanks, TBG! Steve

Great to see you posting again, Mal. Keep up the good work! Steve

HappyinHeels, What a great post! Were you ever a cheeleader in school? LOL Thanks for the encouragement, and I agree with you, as usual. Steve

Pumpcat, Take a holiday if you must, but you, of all people, have done so much to come up with interesting and worthy topics, so please don't be gone too long. We'll miss you. I just wanted you to know I appreciate all of your contributions to the forum. And you look great in those boots. Thanks for the pic. Come back soon! Steve

Really nice carpet, Debbi! hee hee...just kidding. The shoes look great on you. :-) Steve

But Mal, you're still insane, just like the rest of us! lol Good to see you posting again, mate. Steve

I should have added a warm welcome also. I emailed my friend in Falkirk about you. Steve

yozz, I understand what you're saying, but that's moving from one end of the spectrum to the other instantly. It doesn't have to be like that. You could move so slowly, say over the course of 2-3 years, to adopt some styles of unisex heels that hardly anyone would notice or comment on. Pushing the envelope slowly rarely gets noticed, whereas jumping from men's flat shoes to 6" platform stilettos is a major change. Steve

I have a heeling friend in Falkirk who lurks on this site occasionally. Where in Scotland are you? I could put you in touch with him. Steve

ILK, Careful on the spelling. http://www.nastygal.com gets you to the site. http://www.nastygals.com (plural, as you wrote in the title of this thread) gets you to a porn site. Don't ask how I know. lol Steve