Steve63130

Yeah, that's great news! Congrats from me too! When's the knot get tied? Steve

Kneehighs, That's a very good point. While it's not possible to replay the scene of that date, do you think it would be worth while for Mal to attempt to ask Kris out again to the club where he met her and where they hit it off well, with the caveat that he would tone his appearance down somewhat (say, pants instead of a skirt, and black shoes instead of red)? It seems like there was a spark of interest for a while on her part, and maybe Mal just went overboard in selecting his outfit for the date. Regardless, I still like your strategy a lot more than dinner and a show. While that kind of a date is usually predictable, the incident of having to re-queue for tickets was not at all predictable (in a bad way), and the whole scene crashed from there. We'll never know if, had the cinema gone as expected, she would have been ok with the date and perhaps go out with him again. Steve

In hind sight, Mal, when you discovered the tickets were for Sunday, you should have gone with her directly to the bar and got more wine into her system first, instead of queuing for Saturday tickets to the cinema. Then you could possibly have got another date with her the NEXT night for the tickets she had purchased online! Ah, well. When you figure out women, let me know! Steve

Hardly a day (or night) goes by where I don't have heels on for some part of the time. What's the point? I'm on earth for a short time and I want to maximize the enjoyment of the shoes I wear, so why abstain, especially because of family issues? I have some conservative clogs and loafers I can wear around family. And there's no point to abstaining for weather issues either. If it's too hot for boots, switch to sandals or clogs. If it's too cold for those, switch to boots. High heels are available in styles suitable for any weather, so I never let the heat or humidity restrict my wearing heels. Steve

I was in college then, too, and I also liked wearing men's heels as much as I could. I had a pair of 4" block heel mules with a 3/4" platform (but it was a D width and too wide for comfort), a pair of loafers with almost a 3" block heel (got married in them!), and a pair of sandals with a 4" heel and about a 1" platform (which I couldn't wear comfortably). I have never like oxfords, so I didn't have any of those. Bring back the heeled styles of those days! Steve

Why not do both? We could meet in Ohio sometime in August, and drive up to Toronto together in September! I'm in central Ohio, near Columbus. Steve

C'mon, Trolldeg, quit being negative! Maybe you were only joking, I dunno, because it's impossible to read your body language in print, but if you don't like someone else's preferences, don't be such a critic. We all have different tastes and that's what makes this forum interesting. Please be tolerant of others who don't agree with your taste. Thanks! Steve PS. Besides, clogs are a Swedish thing. I own a pair and they are great! You ought to be proud of your country's contribution to high heels, even if they aren't your particular cup of akvavit!

Great choices. I like all three. Clogs look so good on a guy. They're unisex and fun to wear. With boot cut jeans and slacks, they are hardly noticed to be out of the ordinary. I love clogs. Thanks for posting! Steve

If the heels are real leather, wearing them with thin nylon - opaque tights or sheer pantyhose, or just trouser socks or sheer knee highs - can help you break them in until they fit you well. If you can't find women's pantyhose to fit, or don't want to wear women's, search the internet for men's pantyhose and you'll find sources. It will take quite a few hours of wear for the leather to stretch this way, so be patient. I often soak leather shoes thoroughly in warm water for a few minutes and wear them stretched until they dry and conform to the shape of my feet (typically 6 hours or so). Yeah, I know, you might think that will ruin them, but it's never happened. First of all, the leather got wet plenty of times when the cow or goat wore it. Secondly, the adhesives and other materials used in shoe construction are made to be water resistant. I'm not advocating that you do this a lot, just the first time you wear them. From the next day on, they should fit great! If the heels are from manmade (or womanmade, more likely) materials, the above treatment won't work, or at least not as well. Synthetics like polyurethane will stretch and give eventually, but not as fast as real leather, so you might have to wear them a bit more until you get them to conform to the shape of your feet. Nylons will help. Plan on several days' wearing until they conform. Finally, I have used skin lotion many times and it has no ill effect on the shoes at all, but it sure makes them easy to slide on if you're barefoot. An alternative is talcum powder. The disadvantage of both of those techniques is that your foot can slide forward into the toebox and squeeze your toes together uncomfortably. The skin lotion I use was recommended to me by my dermatologist cousin (she knows of my heel passion and has seen me in heels). It is called LacHydrin Five and is fantastic for making rough skin smooth. It's pricey but works really well. Put some on your feet, put your heels on for an hour or so, and your feet will have smooth skin for the whole day. Use a pumice stone as needed to get the really hard skin off first. Hope that helps. Steve

Hey, you forgot: 5. ELOQUENT. Well stated! Steve

That settles it then! The next WHM should be at the good Doctor's storage unit! What better place? BWAHAHAHA Steve

When his wife kills him (for keeping secrets from her, not for wearing heels), his acid reflux won't matter any more! LOL Steve

The article is taken from the same source as the article in the Economist (another thread on here). I don't find 11 women a statistically valid population. 1100 maybe, but 11? Nah. Like most internet articles, there isn't much good science here. Steve

I'll be in Boston for a couple of nights, July 20-21. Any heelers want to meet up? I'll be at a hotel near Downtown Crossing, but won't have a car. PM me if you want to get together for drinks, dinner, coffee, or just to chat and get acquainted. I'm open to all, M or F, CDs, anyone. Steve

Mal, Good to hear that you're not nuts. Most of us knew that. While all the guys here on this forum may have various degrees of passion for high heels (some just like the look on women, some wear in secret, some wear discreetly in public, others are more bold) I don't think any of us are nuts. We're different, and there are a lot of us, so it's a pretty significant minority. I'm glad your psychologist agreed that you're ok, and that you don't have any serious problems. Where you go with this is up to you, of course, but if you're enjoying your lifestyle by clubbing in skirts, hose, and heels, it would be better to find a new gal that is ok with it. Your ex could adjust to your style, but only if she really wanted to, and it doesn't sound like there is much desire to do that. Don't get back with her just for the sake of your daughter. I doubt if that scenario will work successfully, and it may have a bad outcome for each of you. Steve

Going from 3.5" to 4.5" (not including any platform) is rather easy.

Well, not for everyone. I have found that 3" is my most comfortable heel height for walking in public. I can do 3.5 with some effort and concentration to maintain poise. Although I can stand in 4 and 4.5" heels ok, I admit I just can't walk gracefully, and I hate having to take tiny strides, plus I feel very self-conscious not walking smoothly. Perhaps with practice I could do it if I wanted, but I'm quite happy at 3 to 3.5".

My toes don't bend enough to go any higher than 4.5", and since I'm not interested in pain, I won't even try. A long time ago I bought some shoes with a 5" heel and couldn't wear them. I applaud anyone, male or female, who walks really well, with poise and graceful movements, in heels 4 inches high and higher. It's not for me.

Steve

It is a good idea always to give the Ebay seller the benefit of the doubt first. It is possible that the seller didn't know they were defective. If the seller handles lots of pairs of shoes every day, the seller might miss a detail like that on occasion. I sold a pair of new shoes on Ebay recently (my wife bought them and didn't wear them because they didn't fit that well), but the buyer said they had a defect but were still wearable. I didn't see it when I described and photographed the shoes. I worked out a partial refund with the buyer, who was happy and gave me good feedback. It was a win-win situation. If the buyer had just given me negative feedback, I would have been very unhappy that the buyer didn't try to work it out with me first. Steve

And? Did you? Steve

Let's face it. Shoe fashion is all about WOMEN's shoes. The trade journals, like Footwear News, give 90% of the space to women's shoes, 5% to men's shoes, and 5% to children's shoes. I don't expect a lot of men to be in the show, but if they are, and they're wearing men's shoes, it's going to be a very boring part of the show, right? If they're wearing women's heels, then it could be interesting, and might even popularize the idea and help us get respect. I won't hold my breath, though. Anyone seen the show or know about it? Steve

Mal, There is a tremendous outpouring of great advice and suggestions from a lot of caring mates you have here. I can't think of much else to add, but I do want to underscore that you need to be totally honest with your daughter and tell her whatever you think her 11-year old experience can understand. Show her that you love her very much and no matter what you wear, that will never change. Good luck in handling this tricky situation, and please keep us posted on what happens. We all care and want the best for you. Steve

I dunno, TBG, you might be passing up a golden opportunity here to learn a new skill, and take advantage of a situation that could be a good money-maker in retirement. Remember, SEP's are also opportunities! Mostly in jest, Steve

Mal, your detailed descriptions of your outings make fascinating reading, and you have dispelled all kinds of notions of what men THINK gals like or don't like as well as what other men would or wouldn't do. The bar man thinking about wearing heels and skirts - that was great! The drunk being a nuisance - if you weren't wearing heels and skirt, he'd have found some other thing about you to pick on - your outfit was just convenient. Let us know if Dr. Kim goes out with you, and good luck with her and your other women friends. Your outfit is sure a great icebreaker! I definitely look forward to hooking up with you on my next visit down under! Keep up the great writing! Steve

Barbara, I ALWAY wear hose with shorts (and capri pants)! I wear hose all the time - pantyhose or thigh highs usually (Comfilon's Activskin - google it), but if I have to wear long pants in hot weather, then knee highs. I hate going barefoot in shoes and I like the support I get from light or full support hose. Most of the time nobody notices, and if they do, they never say anything. To each his/her own! Steve

For those of you into pink heels, here is a pair my wife is selling. She bought them for an evening out once and never wore them, so they are brand new and pretty hot, I think, but she said they didn't fit her narrow foot well. Her loss could be your gain!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190408837222&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Steve

I have worn heeled clogs with shorts and capri pants on many occasions. Usually the heels are 3 inches and are either block or wedge. Nobody pays any attention. Steve