Steve63130

Hmmmm....I think I'd dye them entirely black. A brown front and a black back would look odd, in my opinion. But they're your shoes and it's your choice. Steve

You know, that's what my parents said to me, and I'm sure that's what their parents said to them. If everybody wore what the previous generation expected, fashions would never change. Keep on heeling. They'll get used to it. Steve

I like the shape; the color combination doesn't do much for me - I'd prefer a uniform color. But what others think doesn't really matter. The important question is what do YOU think? Do you like the shape and color? Do they fit? Can you walk in them comfortably? Are they worth the money to you? If you like them, wear them! My advice is don't look to others for approval. Look in the mirror, decide for yourself, and just go with it. Steve

Thank you. Steve

Good to see you posting again. Thanks for sharing your latest adventure. Steve

Al, Good suggestion! You must do crossword puzzles! LOL Steve

Those boots look great! What size did you get and what is the actual measured height of the heel.

I agree. What's the brand? Anybody know where to get them in the US? Do they come in US Women's 12M? Steve

To some extent the best city for fashion depends on what fashion you're looking for. If you're into boots, I don't imagine Miami would be as good as New York, Toronto, London, Paris, or Boston, for example, but if you're looking for sandals, you won't find as much in those cities as in Miami or Phoenix or Los Angeles at this time of year. Another example: Although the small village of Granville, Ohio doesn't have a shoe store, you can't find a better place for men's hosiery! LOL For those who may be new to the forum, Google "Activskin" (no "e" in it). Steve

Excellent reply, Amanda! I agree completely. Steve

I don't feel at all cocky, but I do feel liberated, confident, daring, and yet just a tad cautious to make sure I'm aware of my surroundings. Not everyone might be as proud and happy as I am regarding my footwear choices. Steve

Good post, Dave, and good outfit. It looks sharp. Teenage girls by themselves aren't bad - it's when they're in a flock that they tend to giggle. Steve

Daniel, Nice choice. I like those heels. Funny, though, because I tried a couple of styles of Nine West loafer pumps this past spring and their 12, which is usually what I take, was slightly too short on me. Steve

Low heels yes - 3 inch stacked heels. Not in ice, though. Flat boots then. Steve

Moderators! It's getting steamy in here! LOL Steve

Gibby, sounds like a great start -- a "baby step" that was a successful outing for you. How long ago did that take place? Have you gone out heeling since then? We don't live too far apart. I'm in central Ohio, east of Columbus. If you ever go east on I-70, send me a private message on here and we can arrange to get together and meet in person. Heeling in public builds character. Everybody here who does it is a character! Steve

Like Foxyheels, this will not be an issue with my present trophy wife (I was smart - I married a trophy wife FIRST so I wouldn't have to have an expensive divorce later! LOL). She accepts my heeling as a part of who I am, and as long as I stay within her comfort zone, she's ok with it. Her acceptance was a long time in coming, maybe 20 years. She hated the idea at first, but became more secure as time went by and realized it was part of my personality, and that I wasn't changing gender or sexual orientation, etc. If I ever have to start over, though, I would definitely be heeling when I meet the woman, so she would be self-selecting. If she didn't like a guy in heels, she wouldn't be attracted to me (or attractive to me) in the first place. If she did like it, or was neutral, then it wouldn't be an issue. At least that's the theory. Steve

I liked the idea of higher heels for guys back in the early 70s, but I never found any heeled men's shoes that fit well or were comfortable to wear. I bought a pair of off-white 3" wedge heel sandals that were too big and very heavy, so I returned them for a refund. I found a pair of 3.5" block heel mules that had a round toe - not what I'd prefer, but there weren't a lot of choices. It was not particularly comfortable for walking far, so I didn't wear them that much. I also had a pair of dark brown leather sandals that were nice, but the thong was rough between my toes, and the 2" stacked heel was smaller than the back of the footbed, so it looked odd. They weren't very walkable either. The shoes I got married in, in 1974, were a pair of brown loafers with a 2.5" plastic heel with a stacked look, but they were cheap, too wide on me, and I didn't wear them too often. So I would have to say that my experience with the heel fashion of that time was less than satisfactory, and if my sampling is anything like representative, it's no wonder the fashion trend died. It deserved to! With today's manufacturing technology and the wide array of materials available, there is a much better chance that men's heels would be more comfortable, fit better, and be better for walking long distances than those sad examples of my youth. But whether or not the fashion ever comes back and we see a proliferation of men's heels, it doesn't matter. I've learned to be comfortable with myself and others in women's heels, and I'm getting more so every day, thanks to this forum and meeting other heelers online and in person. By the way, I had never heard of Rush and had to look them up in Wikipedia to find out they were a Canadian band in Toronto back in the late 60s. They didn't make it to my radar screen, I guess, but then I was never much into popular music. Steve

I think it's important to give shoe manufacturers and retailers feedback that guys are buying and wearing their products, too, and hopefully in increasing numbers as we come out of the closet, so to speak. Doing so may encourage them to offer more choices in larger sizes, and more styles that are toward the menswear end of the spectrum (i.e., not super feminine hot pink stiletto stripper plats), but more conservative pumps, loafers, sandals, clogs and boots that heelers can feel comfortable street heeling in. Another good reason is to educate the public. Other customers, mostly female, will read the reviews and realize that men buy and wear those styles, too. At first it might seem odd, but if they see it a few times, they will get used to the idea. Tolerance and maybe even acceptance will increase. Finally, if a male customer reads the review, he might find it comforting to know he's not alone in liking that shoe, and he might even show it to his wife/partner/gf/SO to demonstrate that fact. If the review is negative, the reviewer has helped a fellow heeler avoid a problem shoe. So I think there is more than enough justification to mention that you're a fashion-forward male, and leave it at that. I'm guilty of going overboard in the past and dwelling on it more than necessary, but I've learned my lesson and will keep it brief in the future. I will continue to state in my reviews that I am male. Steve

They are certainly not what most people think of when they think of high heels. Steve

I always prefer to wear hose. I don't like wearing shoes barefoot. They get hot, sweaty, smelly, and very uncomfortable. I hate that and it's not good hygiene. Sheer or opaque hose lets my feet breathe and the perspiration doesn't accumulate. There is little odor, and it's a lot healthier. The exception is with sandals. Some of them (like my Naturalizer Daquiri and Aerosoles Kayak, for example) I'm quite happy wearing without hose. Others are better with hose. Some, like thong sandals, simply can't be worn with ordinary hose. Steve

I wore stack heeled clogs often when I visited my mother. No comments ever. I wear heeled clogs, loafers, and sandals around my non-heeling friends quite a bit, but usually nothing too femme. They've never asked about them, though. I've worn heels (some more femme ones even) to the nail salon, because the nail tech is into shoes and we always have a good conversation. I also have 2 "shoe sisters" - friends of ours who are into shoes and they love what I wear. And of course I've worn heels with quite a few guys (and wives) on this forum that I've met in person. If you're traveling through central Ohio (east of Columbus), pm me and we can arrange to get together for coffee or beer (but not both! HA HA). Steve

Yes, but nothing feminine. Block heel loafers and clogs get no attention at all. Steve

Good choices for street heeling. I like that kind of heel for public wearing myself. Good that your wife tolerates it. Make sure you treat her right on your anniversaries and every day in between! Have a Happy Anniversary! Steve

I'm sure they suspected you were buying for yourself. Lots of guys do it, so you're not the only one in the world. Perhaps they were just having fun with your insecurity? Or maybe they were too busy or just not interested enough to be bothered fitting a guy's foot, pantyhose or not. Whatever, next time stand your ground and ask to try them on. If the women are smart they'll of course let you do that. If they say no (which I can't imagine), then get up and leave and when you get home, post a really nasty post on their web site. You'll not only get a polite apology, you'll probably get a coupon to save money next time. Customers all deserve to be treated well. Steve