Steve63130

Got new GF. Told her right up front. She wasn't crazy about it but because she like me so much she has excepted it and is getting more used to it every day. Yes I have worn my heels out in public with her many times and didn't seem to bother her at all. She loves me for me and not whats on my feet. As it should be.

Johnie,

We love you for you and not what's on your feet, too! LOL

Seriously, I hope to see you again soon and meet her. She sounds wonderful! Take care!

Steve

I take issue with that last article's (fsquarefashion.com) statement that: "Top names like Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Yves StLaurent, Jimmy Choo, Alain Quilici, and Rick Owens now provide a wonderful range of shoes and boots for men, with heels." I found nothing in the men's shoe collections of Gucci, Prada, Burberry, or Jimmy Choo, but I guess it doesn't really matter, as they wouldn't be affordable even if they did have men's heels. <sigh> Steve

At the beginning of the day nobody cares either! Witch reminds me - go have a beer! Steve

Yes, I agree. It's not negative. It just isn't positive, either. I make no judgment of the man in that regard. Steve

No "probably" about it - definitely! He didn't seem interested in the subject of men's heels, unfortunately. If he did, I would have been glad to engage him in further conversation. Steve

I was shopping with my wife the other day in Nordstrom's, and as we walked through the women's shoe department, I noticed a sign that announced that shoe designer Vince Camuto would be making a personal appearance that day, and in fact during the time we were there. Sure enough, over in a corner, there he was, standing and chatting with a male colleague of his. So I boldly went up to him and asked him if he foresaw any chance of men's heels getting taller. I told him the shoes of the 70s were a lot of fun, and that men's shoes today and men's clothing in general were pretty boring. He chuckled and said he didn't think there was much chance, and in any case, he didn't seem interested in the subject, so I thanked him for his time and we moved on. So there you have it from an industry insider, for what it's worth. Steve

Ahoy, mate! Ye might be righty! I'd enjoy a schooner with ya, if it were filled with beer! HA HA Steve

Dr. Shoe, Please elaborate and explain why not. Thanks. Steve

Charlie, I gotta meet you someday! You have the same warped, twisted sense of humor I do! HA HA Steve

Kneehighs, As one who has achieved much in your life so far and inspired many of us through your thoughtful and eloquent comments, you show signs of boredom with this forum. It's natural. You have risen to the top and there is nothing left for this forum to give you. BUT, please consider giving back. Consider that your experiences and posts can and do help and motivate others, especially newbies. We were all newbies once. We all experienced the nervousness and insecurity and thrill of wearing heels because of our social conditioning. You have gone way beyond that, however, and are highly qualified to be a teacher and example to others. So stick around, post more often, and do for others all that you're capable of doing here, so they in turn can rise to your level and pass on the motivation to future heelers who stumble onto this forum looking for help. We need more people like you here to contribute posts and keep this forum exciting. Don't consider bailing out now. You have so much to offer. Steve

Last night I was asked if I had a yacht by 2 rich Eastern European girls in a very swanky bar in Notting Hill.

Benno, you didn't tell us you had a yacht! How big is it, man?

Steve (just kiddin')

The more friends and family you tell, the more liberated you'll feel. Once the secret is out, and you find out that most people don't really care what you wear, you'll wonder what all your insecurity was about in the first place. Go for it. Come out of the closet wearing whatever you found in that closet! As long as you feel confident that you present a good image, most people will accept you. Steve

I would recommend open, candid, and honest communications. Tell her what you like in women's footwear and offer to go shopping with her to buy her a pair of 3" heels so she can build up her foot and leg muscles to get used to higher heels. If she protests and refuses to wear anything like that, get yourself a different girl with a more positive attitude to heeling. You two are already very far apart on this issue, and I'd be surprised if you come closer together, but it's worth a try. Don't buy her any expensive designer shoes yet! For what it's worth, if you like to wear heels yourself, consider telling her early in the relationship. If that issue is a no-go with her, dump her sooner rather than later. It's a lot less painful. Life is too short to get entangled with a woman who hates what you like. Just my 2c. Hope it's helpful. Good luck! Steve

While I detest that advertisement also, I see their point. The ad's purpose is to distinguish that this product is for men, but unfortunately it does so in a way that offends us heelers. I face the same kind of delicate situation in my business. As most of you know, I sell support tights, pantyhose, stockings and socks for men under the Activskin brand (no "e" if you google it) and I have chosen to market these products as a men's product, not as a unisex product (and certainly not as a women's product) that "it's okay for men to wear." Men are socially conditioned to be strong, so wearing legwear, which is considered mainly for women, challenges that conditioning, and literally terrifies most macho guys. Thus, given that a lot of men are very insecure about wearing (or at least getting caught wearing) legwear for women, it seemed to me like a good idea to give them something that is especially for them. Our products, particularly those with a fly opening, are clearly intended for men, and a guy who is otherwise paranoid about wearing legwear can feel comfortable in a product intended for guys. Directing your product to a niche market is called market positioning, and it's exactly what L'Oreal is trying to do with its moisturizer. The ad is attention-getting (men like to look at women wearing high heels) and it does an effective job, I think, at establishing a separation that positions the product clearly in the men's market niche. As advertising goes, it's not bad, and the use of the high heel icons to make the letters is clever. We just happen to be in that tiny insignificant minority that is offended by it. I don't think L'Oreal cares. Steve

Whew, too pricey for me. But I'm glad to see them starting to show heels for men. It's about time they rose to the occasion (so to speak). Steve

I'd go along with that! I've had a great time wearing my new Aerosoles sandals in public, and have yet to see anyone notice them. I wear with boot cut jeans and don't make any effort to hide them. It was in the 50s (F) this morning when I went out, and I'm afraid it will soon be too cold for sandals here in Ohio. Steve

I voted for both, but I buy most of my heels on eBay and have gotten some real bargains. A lot of them are second hand...

Ummmm...wouldn't that more properly be "second foot?"

Steve

I'm with JeffB on this, but I have to add that the most fun I've had wearing heels in public was last June at the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event in Columbus, with 380 other people (mostly guys) in heels! It was a hoot, and even my wife, who approves of my wearing but is conservative, had a good time! Public wearing is great, but public wearing with lots of others was fabulous! Steve

What kind of batteries do those retractable heels take? And if the batteries go flat, do the shoes go flat, too? HA HA Steve

...All together I was in the Loft for about an hour, tried on 5 skirts types - some in multiple sizes. A couple skirts I repeatedly tried - switched back and forth - and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

So what did you end up buying? You didn't say, and it kinda left us all hanging...please put some closure on your great adventure!

Steve

RonC, What's the Aerosoles model name? We can look it up on Shoe Carnival's web site. I love Aerosoles. Steve

Charlie, Now THAT'S a good reply! I'll have to remember it. Steve

Jabble, It was worth a shot! (get it?) Steve

I didn't find anything particularly attractive there either. They had quite a few Size 11s, but nothing that I wanted. I did fall in love with the Eurosoft Dakota clogs, and as I had a $10 off coupon, I bought them! Steve

Amanda, I'd like to explore your opinion further with you, since in part I agree with you and respect you. Please bear with me while I explain. There are a number of features about footwear that we are programmed to interpret as "feminine." Among them are: Heel thickness. I think a big man (as well as a big woman) can look "silly" (or at least precarious) perched on thin stiletto heels. (I'm sure I'll catch flak with that statement, but I've looked at myself in the mirror in stilettos and I just don't like the look on me. I'm not fat, just stocky, a little bigger in the waist than I should be for my height, and I could stand to lose a few pounds.) In my opinion bigger people look better with thicker heels to support them. Thinner people look right in thin heels. Wedges are problematic if they're thin (in width), too, but better if they're wider. Platforms, if they're about a centimeter or so thick, don't look particularly feminine to me. But thicker plats could be, depending on the configuration, especially the multiple layered plats and stripper heels. Instep. I think another feature that can look feminine to me is the amount of instep, or the top of the foot that is revealed. Pumps/courts with a low throat that show toe cleavage are especially feminine. Boots, booties, clogs, and even loafers are at the other end of the spectrum, because these cover the instep, and thus make the overall appearance less femme. Thin straps, such as you find on sandals, slingbacks, maryjanes, and even boots (for decoration) look feminine to me. They make the shoe look dainty and less capable of holding the foot in place than a thicker strap. Frilly fabrics, such as lace, knitted fabrics, braided straps, transparent gauze or clear plastic can make a shoe appear feminine. Shiny patent leather, PVC or polyurethane can also look femme. Accessories that catch the eye, such as buckles, bows, flowers, jewels, sequins and shiny metal pieces, or other decoration, can make a shoe appear feminine. So when you say that you think guys look silly in high heels, please pause for a minute and consider the overall appearance of the shoe you have in mind. Are you thinking about shoes that have one or more of these feminine features? Please consider this. There are a lot of (women's) shoes with high heels that don't have the above mentioned feminine features. Examples of some are shown below. Do you agree with this distinction I've made? Could a guy dressed in heels like those below look "not silly" but rather "all right" or even "attractive" to you? Or in your opinion do most guys in high heels, no matter what the shoe looks like, look silly? I'm not being anal - just anal-ytical. Not all heels are created equal. :-) Respectfully, Steve