Steve63130

I think you have it exactly right. Guys who wear nail polish, high heels, or legwear are perceived as confident and confidence is sexy. Guys can often be as insecure as women, so a guy who's confident and shows it by boldly wearing something that reveals his softer, feminine side really stands out from the rest of the male crowd. Kudos to Kneehighs and Shafted for demonstrating this point, and to HappyinHeels for articulating it well. Steve

RonC, I agree that a lot of heels have no arch support and are therefore uncomfortable to wear very long or walk very far. I've discovered that many of the shoes in Aerosoles line have excellent arch support (at least for me) and they have become my favorite brand of late. No insoles needed. Give them a try and let us know what you think. Steve

The only label I really like is "fashion forward." That's a label I can not only live with, but flaunt! Maybe we should change the forum name to Fashion Forward Footwear! Steve

Hey, Shafted, this isn't news. Read Kneehighs' many posts on the subject. Now you've become a chick magnet, too! Ok, you can go back under your rock now. Ha ha! Steve

Sadly, there are so many women that now refuse to wear pantyhose daily and they compain about them being so uncomfortable, which I don't understand. Anyway, many hosiery retailers are now specifically marketing to men to make up for a large decline in sales to women...

Most of the women who complain wear cheap hosiery that doesn't fit them right; they probably opted for a size that was too small. If a woman would take the time to try higher quality hosiery from an upscale retailer, and with patience and an open mind, she would almost certainly find something that was comfortable, stylish, showed off her legs nicely, and it would be something she would enjoy wearing. I know of women who tell me they no longer wear sheer hosiery because they don't want to bother to shave their legs. That's just lazy.

I question your second sentence. Please tell me what retailers are marketing to men? The only one in the US that I'm aware of was one hosiery company, Berkshire, who has tried selling a brand they called Lexwear since the early 2000s, and it was only on the internet, but they had a very limited offering and never expanded it after finding out that the market was too small. Oddly, their web site is still up at lexwear.com but you can't order anything. And in Europe there are a few suppliers, notably Wolford, Gerbe, and Levee, who have dabbled in the men's market and withdrew for lack of sales. There is one distributor in the UK that markets exclusively to men:

www.Legwear4men.com

The company stocks several European and one Chinese brand that are marketed to men. there are also distributors in Europe (Sweden, Greece, Romania and Moscow) who sell some men's hosiery brands.

Steve

With a shoulder bag I have both arms free; with a clutch, I'd have to clutch it. No thanks. A clutch is for klutzes. I like a shoulder bag, so I can stuff everything including the kitchen sink in it, although the weight sometimes drains me. I hate stuff in my pants pockets. It make me look fatter and it's uncomfortable. Besides, women's jeans have smaller pockets. Steve

Yes! They published it and my compliments to you for taking my advice seriously. Good going! In my experience, and this is shared with a lot of guys here, mentioning that you're a guy (and I like your term "fashion forward guy") will usually not stop a well-crafted review, even if it's not a totally favorable review, as long as it's fair, analytical, and balanced. Your review supports this. Your comment about being a guy is just right, there is nothing the shoe company would consider inappropriate (like mentioning fetish or cross dressing or using inappropriate language) and it obviously did not kill the chances of the review being published. Bravo! Steve

Great idea! Establish a date, time, and place, post an announcement in the Real Life Meetings section, and see who responds. Perhaps you'll be pleasantly surprised at how the event goes. Good luck! Steve

Men, for obvious reasons cannot wear pantyhose alone and it's best to have the support of snug panties on first. Until the time comes when it's fully accepted for men to wear pantyhose, it still is best to wear pants over them, unless, of course, one is already comfortable wearing it with shorts or skirts.

Legwear (tights, pantyhose, stockings, trouser socks, and foot covers) made for and marketed to men is becoming more and more popular and I'd say that as a fashion it is way ahead of men wearing high heels. Men's styles of legwear don't require additional underwear because they are designed with room for "male equipment" and they're supportive and comfortable. And it's fully accepted for men to wear them. Now. Today. In public. Even with shorts (not in sub-freezing weather, but in cool weather and of course in warm weather as well). Legwear under trousers goes all but unnoticed, unlike high heels that are more obvious if the pants aren't long enough or if the wearer is seated.

There is a group very much like this forum called Legwear as Unisex Fashion. Men who want to wear legwear have the same insecurities, challenges, goals, and achievements as guys in high heels. Check it out, on Delphi Forums at http://forums.delphiforums.com/legwearuf

Another source of information on men's legwear is www.activskin.com.

Steve

Glad they published the review, but in my opinion it would have been better if you had mentioned that you're a male and that you like heels. I think it's important to let the suppliers (and other customers) know who's buying high heels. Steve

One of our own members here did a "Cutting the grass in thigh high stilettos"...

Hey, Tech, take it easy on him. It was a cutting edge performance!

Steve

Nothing subtle about those boots at all - they scream for attention! You've conquered the demons in your head very well. Wearing any shoes that are less obvious will now be a piece of cake! Attaboy! Steve

DSW has lots of shoes in size 12, but they're all online. Not many 12s in any DSW stores I've been in. Sometimes I'll find an 11, which I can wear in a backless shoe (clog or sandal), but in a shoe with a back (pumps, loafers, slings) I usually need a 12. Steve

Keep us posted on what you find/buy! Steve

I've met lots of people from here in person, and some have become good friends, so the answer is yes. Steve

Welcome back, HF! Glad to see you are still among the living (and heeling). Great outfits, as usual. While complacency might set in after a period of wearing heels and finding out that nobody else cares, you have to remember that guys like you who are on the forefront of getting out there and strutting your stuff are an inspiration to a lot of wanna-be heelers here who want to go public but have issues and hangups doing so. Mostly the demons are in our heads, but you have to show by example, with details, photos, and real world experiences. You've always done that well and inspired lots of others here (including me). Your job here is to continue to lead us out of darkness and into the light. Stick around and give us your best ideas and fashion wisdom. Please, no more long absence! Steve

Great news! I'm pleased to report that I got a new pair of black sandals in the mail Friday, "Born Free" from Aerosoles, with a 2 3/4" block heel and a nicely embossed leather strap over the foot with an attached toe ring. Immediately after trying them on, the "Wow" factor hit a 10 and I was really impressed with them. I wore them for an hour and just had to write up a review, so I did and posted it to their web site. I mentioned in the review that I was a guy, thinking that might be a red flag and they possibly wouldn't publish it, but that didn't happen. This morning they approved and published my review, totally un-edited, just the way I wrote it. Good for them!

The page is at http://www.aerosoles.com/eng/product/born_free/born-free

and the site, for those who are outside the US and can't read that link is at www dot aerosoles dot com. Search for Born Free and read the review by Aeroloyal (me).

I also took a photo, but they didn't publish that. I'm attaching it here.

And for archival purposes, at some point in time when the shoe is no longer available and the web page is gone, here is my review:

"Outstanding comfort and fit

February 17, 2012

I'm really impressed with these sandals. They fit absolutely perfectly from the moment I first put them on and it was like they were custom made for me. They have a 2 3/4 inch heel that is perfect for me, as I like heel heights of 2-3 inches. They seem to be well made, and I love the soft fabric of the footbed. It has just the right amount of cushion to be very comfortable, and grip for walking without slipping out of them. The toe ring is quite adequate and very comfortable, and the non-slip rubber sole and heel are quiet and give great traction. This is not my first pair of Aerosoles sandals, but my seventh! I love this brand. And by the way, I am a male, happily married, dress in male mode, and I have a narrow foot, so women's shoes fit me better than men's. My wife is fine with it and says guys can look good in the right shoes, even if they're intended for women. Thank you Aerosoles!"

How could they NOT publish that, eh?

Guys: Here's a supplier worth supporting! If you wear a size 12 or smaller, there are a lot of good styles here, the fit is great, and the quality and customer service are exceptional. Report it in this thread!

Steve

I detect a lot of pent-up hostility in your posts. Chill out, mate. It's just shoes. And we do have that right to wear the shoes or boots we want. Right now. The world is not hostile to us heel wearers. The demons are in our own heads. The only way fashion changes is for people to be bold enough to wear it, be seen wearing it, and get it to go viral on youtube! LOL Negativity won't win you friends and company here. Steve

And she did mention that I am NOT the only guy shopping for womens shoes - ha ha... sf

No, I was the other guy in her store. HA HA (just kidding!)

Steve

PS. What are the sandals in your new avatar? I like them.

I thought maybe I was the only one who didn't like anything I saw on the Payless web site lately. I'm finding that none of the Aerosoles or Naturalizer current offerings appeal to me either, and those are my favorite brands usually. Guess I'll be saving money this spring <sigh>. Steve

Yep, the boy chases the girl until she catches him! LOL Steve

Most often when out on the cycle, I'm in the boots in the jpg attachment. I've scuffed them up a bit so I'm not likely to wear anything else at this point...

You'll catch cold.

Steve

Cheating? This isn't an examination. Just wear what you want. If you like plats, great; if not, that's fine also. It's all a matter of personal taste. The concept of cheating here doesn't really apply. It's like asking if wearing flat shoes is cheating. Steve

HappyInHeels, I agree with you on everything you said. I started getting a professional manicure monthly in April and had my first pedicure in July of 2011. It was a wonderful experience and I wrote about it in this forum. I have been shaving and epilating since 1998, and would never go back to hairy legs. Legwear (tights, pantyhose, stockings, and knee-high hose) feel wonderful over smooth legs, and stay up much better, too. I keep my nails in good shape - it makes the hose last longer - with regular care and light pink polish (which looks natural). Since April 2011 I have had only one person notice and comment on my nails and it was very positive. Steve

My heels cast a shadow on groundhog day.. is that a good thing?

I think it means six more weeks of no sandals <sigh>.

Steve