Heelfan

Well spotted! Very few Zappos have gone that large! Why not take a chance on the width. If you buy them by mail-order, I think you can return them or stretch them (see shoe modifications thread). Cheers, Heelfan

I've been to Copenhagen from time to time, touring with jazzbands - the last time only a month ago. Lovely city and people etc., but as Firefox says, nothing exciting there in the way of Danish Heelwearing or great shoeshops, so possibly not as good for a Heelmeet as say London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome etc. Cheers, Heelfan

Drummit - - FABULOUS! Cheers, Heelfan

Awesome! What a Heelmeet! Congratulations Kneehighs and helpers for a record attendance (Firefox and Dr Shoe have said 29 and 27 respectively by telephone). So sorry I had to drop-out due to jazz band dates Fri/Sat/Sun! Kneehighs - can you edit your photographs posting to add a left-to-right legend under the pics to let us all know who is who? Congrats again! Cheers, Heelfan

Absolutely! Having also attended the Paris Heelmeet which included about six from the UK and Robert from Holland, we all went everywhere in Paris (day and evening) in our heels - it was great! So, answer: everywhere! Cheers, Heelfan

Yes! I'm not that far from Reading or Oxford, and keen to attend. I'm usually free weekdays during daytimes and some evenings. Just take the plunge and name a date, time and rendezvous or restaurant (preferably by editting these into your first posting at the TOP of this thread to grab everyone's attention) and is looks as though you'll get a nice little group! Good luck! Cheers, Heelfan

Geeze! So sorry everyone that I had to ask Kneehighs to drop me off the list of attendees. My jazz trio is contracted to play at many functions for one particular firm, and they added this Friday/Saturday/Sunday to the list! So frustrating, especially as I attend virtually every Heelmeet, and I'd already accompanied Dr. Shoe to preview this weekend's meeting venues! Anyway, have a great one yuzall, and I'll catch you next time! Cheers, Heelfan

I think new_look lives in York or very close to York oop north. He's also been a keen attender at various of our heel-meets in London and elsewhere and is a friendly young member. It would certainly be worth sending him a PM message and suggesting a meet. Good luck, and give him my regards. Cheers, Heelfan

No, in my case I wouldn't say "relaxing". Certainly "liberating" (whenever I'm street-heeling), but far to exciting and stimulating to be described as relaxing. The adrenaline invariably rushes! Cheers, Heelfan

Regarding the disparity in the heel height, surely this is explained by the presence of the 1" platform. The heel might indeed measure 5" down the back, but when the lift is lessened by a 1" platform, it is really a 4" heel in true high heel terms. Cheers, Heelfan

Thanks Nigel for the picture of your Evans boots. Funnily enough, I've recently bought three pairs of the same style in size 9 UK (11 US) for myself, but in black. Although the heel is 4" and slims-down nicely towards the bottom, I find that the look enough like a cowbow boot (as opposed to an over-fancy cowgirl boot) to be accepted without a second glance by the public. Most of the Evans shopgirls (except the very new ones) usually tell me that quite a few guys (both in male mode and those fully crossdressed) are frequent customers. The same is said by Barretts' Tale & Small department, although their range seems to have shrunk from feeble to very feeble lately. Sorry for this diversion, but can we get back on topic with some more reported sightings of guys street-heeling from yuz all? Cheers, Heelfan

Great reports so far! Here's a third sighting from me: 2. Lily & Skinner, Oxford Street, London (now closed - became HMV music). 3. About 1985. 4. Whilst I was discreetly browsing for heels in their "large ladies shoes" section, another customer came in, a guy about 30, went straight to the central trying-on seats and started very clearly asking the salesgirls to bring him all their size 9 (UK) shoes with heels of 4" and over. He was obviously a regular, because all the salesgirls immediately gave him a friendly greeting and clustered around to help. He was a popular "hit" with them, as they were soon enthusiastically offering him various high heels and admiring them as he tried them all on. 5. He purchased no less that FOUR styles on the spot, and said that he might be back for a fifth pair. One pair of boots had 4" semi-chunky heels and he explained to the room in general that these were for "everyday shopping and out-and-about wear", and the rest were 4" to 4.5" stiletto heeled shoes and boots that he said were for "parties and special occasions". 6. He wore ordinary male clothes - brown jacket and grey trousers of a length that only covered the top of the heel. l 7. Looked excellent to my eye, and very confident at a time when society was less tolerant than now. It just illustrates what has been said before: that a guy with fully confident manner can carry-off any heel-wearing he chooses, whereas if guys look furtive/shy/ashamed/apologetic etc., they are far more likely to attract the wrong sort of attention. More sighting/reports wecomed! Cheers, Heelfan

An important tip is to wear heels with PLENTY OF ROOM in the toebox. Many of my shoes and boots were slightly on the small/tight side and whilst street-heeling I got excruciating "toe-burn". This turned out to be lack of circulation, because as soon as I changed to a larger size in the same style (wider and roomier), much beter circulation returned to my feet and the pain disappeared. Make sure that a) you can wiggle your toes very easily, that the toebox is wide enough for your foot, and c) that your ankle and instep are not squeezed by your shoe or boot. It worked wonders for me! Cheers, Heelfan

Only in my young teens I was too nervous to try anything in the shop and bought "For the girlfriend", but this lead to many misfits and disasters. However, for years, I've tried ALL my shoes before buying. Not only has this lead to successful fitting, but a spin-off is all the most enjoyable fuss and attention that I and fellow members get from gorgeous and enthusiastic salesgirls! I avoid most salesguys (as they're sometimes a bit sniffy), but 99% of the girls are absolutely fantastic, especially as more and more guys are apparently 'coming out' and trying on the ladies' large sizes. I wouldn't miss it for the worlds! It's one of the best things about the whole streetheeling experience. Oh yes, and I always wear the out of the shop! Cheers, Heelfan

Way to go Jeff! I heartily congratulate you on your taste in selection the above pairs to re-start your collection! The boots are superb! Cheers from the UK, Heelfan

OK guys - thanks for a great set of reports so far. Most encouraging to the universal guys-in-heels movement! To keep the pot boiling, here's another one from me: 2. Hayle, Cornwall, England. 3. About 1982. 4. Our milkman!!! (aged about 40). Sighted when I answered the door to him early one frosty morning. 5. He had struggled down our path in stacked leather "Elton John" 4" chunky heels with only minimal 1/2" platforms, and immediately said "Gaw, these high heels ....It's been very difficult in such high heels this morning slipping and sliding along everyone's icy paths carrying all these crates of milk bottles. However, he said nothing about abandonning them, and I complimented him on his heel-wearing! 6. He wore a leather jacket and flared jeans that barely reached his ankles and showed off the heels very well. l 7. Looked good in that 1970s male Platforms-&-flares fashion. I should have asked him what reactions he'd had from his other customers. I hope this first batch guys-in-heels sighting will encourage lots more similar reports below. Cheers, Heelfan

hearty congratulations to all posters on this thread! and especially to kneehighs for starting it and for posting some really great pics > especially his impressive set of today! keep up the good work one and all! cheers heelfan

Suggestion: If the large majority of street-heeling members are "straight" and are worried about appearing to be "gay", then why don't we call it "Straight Men In Heels Day". Then, whenever the event is held, the date would not be an issue. This suggestion is not meant to upset anyone, but of course it might upset gay streetheeling guys who wish to "come out" as gays on one of the days mentioned on previous postings and would feel excluded by a "Straight" event. If this is case, then I hope another way can be found of pleasing everybody at a men-in-heels day, and I hope any other thoughts of suggestions can be posted. Cheers, Heelfan

OK, I'll get the ball rolling myself: 1. I can recall about five sightings. Here's one them for starters: 2. England. Heathrow Airport arrivals gate. 3. About 1990. 5. Age 30ish. "Russian Cossack" appearance - Dashing moustache, swarthy complexion, black curly hair, loose white silk shirt, short cape, cummerbund, baggy trousers tucked into highly polished "Cossack" brown leather knee-boots. 6. Heels about 3.5", chunky, but slimming somewhat to the bottom. Very high quality hide boots of top "riding" quality. Heel fully exposed due to trousers being tucked in. 7. Arrived as central figure amongst a group of about four other Russians, similarly but not so colourfully dressed. They all seemed to admire him as the dashing key figure. Also, many similarly admiring glances from other travellers, especially the ladies!!! My own comment - this swashbucking "Cossack" image was a very natural and effective method of showing off male high heels in a very co-ordinated acceptable way! It certainly worked 100% and I highly recommend it! Cheers, Heelfan

Have you seen any guys (excluding members at heel-meets and those fully cross-dressed) street-heeling? I think I detect a growing number of such sightings scattered in other threads. If so, this is most encouraging. However, for us get a better picture, can as many members as possible please assist by posting their reports below. Please adhere to this format for your response: 1. I can/cannot recall any sighting(s). If "Yes", then add: 2. Nation and place of sighting. 3. Year of sighting. 5. Age, clothes, image of street-heeler. 6. Description of heels worn (height, thickness, boots or shoes etc.) 7. Any comments or reactions worth mentioning (yours or others). Everyone please post, even if you can't recall a sighting! Cheers, Heelfan

Congratulations tubehead on getting your first (and second?) pair of heels! The experience has already given you so much obvious pleasure, and this is great to see. My advice is NOT to have the slim heels changed for thicker ones. Instead, if you want to please your mum and also feel more comfortable streetheeling, then get some chunkier heels to start with, and then I guarantee that within a few weeks/months when you have got used to street-heeling, you will want the excitement of wearing your stilettos and will be very pleased that you didn't get them altered. HAPPY HEELING and don't listen to any killjoys. Go for it (like I and many friends on these forums have done for many years). Cheers, Heelfan

As you will see from the "Real Life Meetings" forum, many of us members go a great deal further than telling the odd buddy, and get together in London or New York or Paris and many other cities for whole-scale Heel-Meets that have sometimes exceeded fifteen or twenty of us openly street-heeling for a whole day. Kneehighs is currently organising a World Heel-Meet in London this Spring that looks like exceeding thirty attendees. Why not join us for a great day? Cheers, Heelfan

What a great mini-heelmeet ... most enjoyable! Kent (crossed over from Shanghai), Tara (crossed over from Dr Shoe) and I, Heelfan (crossed over from Davies Street) met up as planned in Oxford Street. Tara wore an exotic fur-trimmed knee-length coat below which protruded tall boots with 5" semi-chunky stacked heels and thin platforms. I (as always) was in male mode except for my elegant Magnus cowbow boots with slim 4" heels visible. Kent apologised for wearing flatties as he travelled light from China on business. First we decided to "do" South Molton Street (shame Xaphod had got sidetracked into trimming his brambles instead, because that's one of his favourite heely streets). As we sat sipping our hot chocolates, Tara bowled me over by presenting me with the gift of the most amazing pair of full length black leather thigh boots with superb 6" stiletto heels (back home I tried them on and the fit my legs and feet perfectly! Seconds afterwards we almost spilled our drinks as we were gobsmacked by an amazing sighting! A trendy young teenage girl teetered gingerly past us in a knockout pair of black suede court shoes with low-cut toes and 5 1/2" slimmish skyscraper heels. FANTASTIC!!!! Within moments she was followed by two or three other charming young ladies soloing past in very high stiletto heeled boots. AAAAAAaaaaaaaah! Moments later Tara was leading the way into all the street's mouth-watering shoe shops, but for us "bigfoots" it was the usual frustration of lusting after hosts of gorgeous styles without being able to get our feet into any of them because there was nothing much larger than size 7 UK (9 US). Therefore we were soon streetheeling up to Chiltern Street, the home of several shops specialising in shoes and clothes for large ladies. However, despite spending an hour trying-on numerous shoes and boots with some near-misses, we didn't find anything that quite clicked. Sadly, many of the heels were only 3" or less due to the manaufacturers' irritating theory that big women don't want to look too tall. Irritating, because whenever one sees a striking tall lady in daring 5" stilettos, she looks so stunning. Oh, wow!!!!! Next we streetheeled into Baker Street for lunches of spaghetti carbonara and spaghetti bolognaise. Replete, we heeled back to Oxford Street and Tara and I went a bundle on some wonderful boots in River Island and in Faith with some great heels. A lovely copper-skinned assistant admired our heels and helped us with great enthusiasm. Then we in introduced Kent to Evans (ladies shoes up to size 11 UK / 13 US). I've bought dozens of pairs of heels from Evans over the years, and couldn't resist buying yet a couple of fresh pairs - both natural leather knee boots with 4" slim (almost stiletto) heels. I kept one pair on and wore them for the rest of the meet - terrific! Then Tara dodged us through the Oxford Street traffic across to another shop selling varied dresses and shoes, and bought a stunningly splendid red silk Chinese dress with embroidered dragons etc. that went very well with Tara's red/brown wig. Tremendous, although I look forward to seeing it worn worn with slinky skyscraper stiletto courts rather than Tara's chunky shopping heels. Next we visited Aldo (one of Xaphod's favourite shops) and Tara Found and purchased a very outstanding pair of cowboy boots with 4 1/4" heels. Very special! They will also suit Dr. Shoe in male mode! Finally, we took Kent along to Barrett's "Tall and Small" shoe department. However, as expected, their selection was somewhat small and feeble, so ironically, although it was meant to be Kent's day, he was the only one to finish empty-handed. Kent thanked us and said he'd enjoyed it very much, and we suggested some of the best museums for him to visit the following day, and we split up at 5pm as Tara was going to an evening cross-desser's party and I had to play my double bass at a jazz band Berkshire. All in all, one of the most enjoyable heel-meets that we'd been to. With only three of us (compared with 15 to 25 attenders), it lacked the "big buzz", but was very pleasantly laid back and relaxed, helped by a lovely sunny, crisp winter's day. Roll on more heelmeets in 2007. You can't beat them! Can't wait! Happy Christmas to yuz all! Cheers, Heelfan

Come on any more attendees for tomorrow's heelmeet - MAKE YOUR MIND UP TIME! Cheers, Heelfan

If any members are to nervous to go public streetheeling alone, then Heelmeets are the answer. There's saftey in numbers! Many shyguys "came out" for the frirst time on Heelmeets, realised that the world doesn't cave in and are now quite happily streetheeling solo in everyday life. In fact we're having a heelmeet tomorrow 16th Dec 06 (see "Real Life Meetings") in London, and Kent is coming over from the States again. Cheers, Heelfan