Steve63130

One of my friends bought this pair in 13w from Avenue:

http://www.avenue.co...=1&StyleNo=0235

When she got them, she realized that with her recent weight loss, she dropped a shoe size! So.....she asked if I wanted to buy them off her. I bought those and a pair of wing-tip platform pumps that she got from Torrid as well! I absolutely love my new boots and can't wait to rock them out and about!

Very sharp looking boots!!

Steve

Rob, It doesn't matter how often you visit here, as long as you continue to be part of our community and contribute as much as you can. Thanks! Steve

Kris, glad you like them. Don't forget to write a review on www.payless.com and note that you're male. Steve

It looks like good quality stuff. Has anyone here bought that brand and if so, please tell us about the experience. Steve

Don't these posts belong over in Flat Heel Place? heh, heh... Steve

Well, first you have to teach customers left from right, so they get the shoes on correctly. That could take a few hours of practice with some drill and exercises. Then they have to remove the shoes from the box, and take off all the inserts, cardboard, wrappings, etc. At least an hour for that. Then they have to identify the left shoe from the right one. It would be really helpful if manufacturers would label their shoes so people would know which is which, assuming they can read. But since manufacturers don't do that, you need an artist to draw illustrations. Then, and here's the really tricky part, the consumers need to match the right shoe to their right foot and their left shoe to their left foot. More illustrations. Since there is a 50 percent chance they could get it wrong and have broken foot bones by placing the wrong foot into the first shoe, you would need a few pages of legalese boiler plate to keep the supplier from getting sued, and an army of lawyers to back it all up and prufe reed it. But here is the (pardon the pun) kicker. Suppose they have everything all matched up and they are ready to go. They still have to figure out which side of the shoe is up and which is down! It would be nice if each shoe would be labeled "This side up" in bold letters to tell the consumer how to orient it. A label "Front" and a label "Rear" would also be helpful. But shoes don't have these instructions, so it will need to be in the manual. More illustrations. Ok, so now the wearer is ready to go. The wearer slips a foot into the proper shoe oriented the proper way, (and we need to note "toes first!") and then completes the application by fastening whatever holds the shoe on - buckles, Velcro, clamps, laces, duct tape - whatever. So you see, there is a lot more to instructions than you probably thought. Moreover, it's not easy for one technical writer to think up all the things that could go wrong, so you'd need a team to put together the manual's troubleshooting section. That could amount to several pages. And then it has to go up 14 layers of management to get approvals. Writing manuals is difficult and demanding work, don't you think? Good luck! Steve

“It seemed to me,' said Wonko the Sane, 'that any civilization that had so far lost its head as to need to include a set of detailed instructions for use in a package of toothpicks, was no longer a civilization in which I could live and stay sane.”

― Douglas Adams, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

Excellent quote, Megan! But you have to give up your sanity if you're going to spend time wearing heels and posting on this forum, so we're already past that.

Steve

The designs will be based around one or two designs of last. You are not really designing a shoe, you are creating a style from a set of parameters. I would even go as far as to say that the components are cut from stock patterns too. You won't be able to selct a heel height not on the list nor a toe shape that differs from their stock shapes.

Having said that, it does look like a good way to buy shoes and I believe represents the future of online shoe ordering.

I agree. Now if they could only figure out a way to try on shoes over the internet, we'd have it made!

Steve

I have submitted photos of myself from the knees down in bootcut jeans, showing off heels I bought from Aerosoles once, and from Naturalizer twice. They posted the reviews all three times, but not the photos. I thought the photos were pretty good, in focus, good lighting, etc. They never gave me a reason for not posting them, but I didn't ask either. Steve

Gosh, Megan, I never thought of that! I think you're onto it. Maybe shoes should come with an owner's manual, eh? lol Steve

Histiletto, I found the same thing, and I was disappointed. I took a pair of sandals but I couldn't change the heel from stiletto to stacked or tapered or block. I couldn't change the configuration of the straps or the pointedness of the toes or anything else important to me, so I gave up. All I could do was change the colors and materials of their fixed styles, which is pretty limited. I had to agree to receive their emails, which I did, but unsubscribed the next day. They said they were sad to see me go, but they never asked why I was leaving, unlike a lot of places do when you unsubscribe. I would have told them the truth, but it's not worth the effort to email them. Steve

One thing that bugs me are the many OMG photos on ebay of a pair of shoes in size 11 or 12 being modeled by human feet or a manikin's feet that are many sizes smaller. At the risk of offending someone here who has done this (I apologize if I do), I think it looks goofy. Feet don't help sell the shoes if they don't fit the shoes properly, or if they're not pretty feet. Obviously either a wife or daughter is modeling a husband's or father's heels in the photo here, for example. Does anyone (other than the sellers who do this) really think the presence of feet adds anything to the attraction of the shoes? Does anyone else here find this annoying? Steve

Aly and Jamie, I often wear sandals to the office, even in winter when it isn't too cold or snowy. Or sometimes I'll wear boots to the office and change into sandals there. I really like wearing sandals. I usually wear tights or sheer hosiery with them, but in hot weather I might be barefoot. And yes I have a pedicure, too. And the boss is ok with it (it helps that I'm the boss! lol). But I see we've hijacked this thread so maybe we better fly back to get on topic. Steve

Parts of me just wants to get it over with so I can move on w my life. I think I'll eventually do just that!

Thanks for all your responses. Im checking activeskin right now! Sounds like something id like!!

Please note that there is no "e" in Activskin. It's a trademark. The web site is:

http://www.activskin.com

Steve

My family and friends all know. They thought I was a nutcase before, so there's no surprise there! I mean how many other people do you know who sell pantyhose to men? Check out www.activskin.com in case you don't know me. Steve

Patsy, those look absolutely carnivorous! lol Steve

Happy, well said. I agree that the best part about wearing sandals is that it motivates me to take good care of my feet. In December of 2011 I acquired a toenail fungus that required the dermatologist to remove about 1/3 of my big toenail. It took 6 months to grow out, and I was determined never to let that happen again. So I've been wearing sandals a lot more throughout 2012 and into this year in order to keep my feet in a dry, fungus-free environment as much as possible. While I love clogs and boots, I try to wear sandals for at least a part of each day (indoors in winter) when I can. Whether I wear with tights, sheer hose, or barefoot, I am motivated to get a pedicure once a month, keep my nails trimmed, keep the heel skin moisturized to avoid cracked skin, and watch for corns, calluses and blisters so I can treat them right away. I spend about 5-10 minutes paying attention to my feet each day, and it's really paid off. My favorite polish colors are a satin dusky rose, satin pewter, and copper, all of which my wife loves on me. I usually color my fingernails to match. Can't wait for warmer weather. We had a teaser last Sunday when it got up to 70 F for a few hours, but something inside told me not to put the snow shovel away just yet! lol Flurries today. Steve

Yeah, what JeffB said! They look fantastic. Thanks for the eye candy! Steve

The demons are often only in our heads. Steve

Looking good, Jim. I like those boots! Steve

...So high heels as we wear them today are fairly new to this world stage and the ownership that women seem to flaunt doesn't have historical backing. In fact, being as heels are desired and worn by men today gives them just as strong a position in the men's wardrobe.

Histiletto,

You know that and I know that and the others here know that, but there are billions of people in the world that are clueless about it.

Steve

Even better is the Italian brand Calzuro, made for medical and health care professionals, chefs, and others who are on their feet a lot. They have better ventilation than Crocs, harder rubber that will last 3-4 years, are as easy to walk in, and have good arch support. They're waterproof and can even be autoclaved if needed. See them at http://www.calzuro.com. I have both the style with the vent holes in the top for summer and the style without the top vent holes for winter. The heel is 1.5 inches. Both of my pairs are in black but they have 16 other colors. Steve

Thanks, Kikepa. Steve

Kikepa, I don't understand your post. Is it in the wrong place and related to another thread? Steve