Heelfan

It was good of WarrenB and SpikeyDan to contribute their above sightings, but it is a sad reflection of modern times that they they regarded heel heights of 3 1/2" and 3" to be noteworthy enough to report. I am not criticising them in the least - Warren and Dan were doing their best to find something exciting. No, it's a sad indictment of the lack of really SERIOUS modern heelwearers. In the previously stiletto booms of around 1960 and around 1980, high heels between 3" and 4" were so commonplace that they would hardly raise a murmer, and it was only the somewhat more special sight of a girl wearing 5" to 6" heels that attracted well-deserved attention and comment. Much as we appreciate these sightings rolling in, things have come to a pretty pass when 3" heels are the best that an enthusiastic member can find to post in about! Cheers from a less than usually cheerful Heelfan.

A good sighting/story Bubba, but a pity that it had to finish rather inconclusively from the woman's point of view. For occasions similar to this, I have been seriously thinking of getting some cards printed (credit card size) with the website of this MegaForum (and maybe Firefox's and Jenny's Forums as well) and simply handing one to the heel-wearing stranger. In your case, she could then have enjoyed discovering these forums and all the fascinating characters like you, and would then understand what your wife meant by "Your shoe collection"! Maybe other members would like to do this too(?). The bolder amongst you might like to print your own name (or your member nickname) in the corner for further identification by the surfing stranger. Probably a good way of getting new recruits - looks as though MegaForums will have 1,000 members before too long! Cheerfully yours, Heelfan.

Use your search engine to find La Piazza Shoes. Pictures of La Piazza's wedge-heeled boots being worn are on Joak's High Heel Site, worn by Joak himself. Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

Good luck Alex, but honestly, I can't see what the problem is if you follow the excellent advice carefully laid-out and illustrated by Hoverfly above. With lowish block heels and long trousers/pants, you can initially look INDISTINGUISHABLE from wearing normal men's shoes. hence no need for ANY fear or embarrassment whatsover. Then you take it step by step from there, realising as you go that it's fun and its no big deal to the outside world. If you follow Hoverfly's suggested programme, there is no need whatsover for furtively ducking outdoors at 3pm and straight back in again - just GO FOR IT and get struck straight in to busy shopping malls etc.! Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

I am not familiar with these brand names. However, could this be one of the (not uncommon) cases of two brand-name firms separately retailing the identical model of shoe manufactured in a single factory? Cheerfully yours, Heelsfan

Easy, the male equivalent of an Imelda is a Prince or an Izzard or a Firefox or a Highluc or a Xaphod or a Joak or a YamYam or a Jeff or a Bubba or a Heelfan or .......................... need I go on? Cheerfully yours, Heelfan.

Hello Hoverfly and Micha! I think the advice you are each giving to first-time street-heeling guys is EXCELLENT and your photographs are EXCELLENT! I don't think Dimpantyhose (in his thread) and guys like him would need to be nearly so nervous if they just followed your very good commonsense advice! Cheerfully yours, Heelfan.

Sorry Laurie, of course I meant "Jenny's Forum" above. Hello Bubba! Much as I admire your gallantry in defending Susan, I agree with Laurie. Those of your who have met Susan might well find her to be a warm, friendly, tolerant compassionate person in the flesh. However, she has a very unfortunate way with the written word which seems to quickly rub everyone up the wrong way, and (I now discover) has been doing so with many people for a long time. Her written words include more than their fair share of agressive and confrontational rhetoric, and a seeming great lack of humility, tolerance, compassion - all qualities exemplified by Jesus Christ whom she is constantly parading in front of us to justify her 'standards and principles'. It is all very sad. Whilst we are on this planet, it is SO much nicer if we can all try to find common ground and accept each other and their failings 'warts and all', and stick to making NICE postings on these forums. Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

Well Done! But so that we can all grasp the context of your first street-heel outing, what clothes were you wearing? From the absence of trousers/pants in your first pic, do we assume that you were cross-dressed? I ask this, because I am not a cross-dresser, only a guy in guy's clothes who likes to wear suitably-co-ordinated high heels, and I think that the illustrated advice that Hoverfly gives to such people on "Going Out For The First Time" (next to this thread) is excellent and if followed, should not give rise to ANY of the fear that you have been experiencing, nor necessitate furtively creeping about in muddy places on dark nights. With suitably chunky heels and long trousers, any guy can start street-heeling in the most busy and bustling of places, and gradually gain the confidence to progress to higher, slimmer heels and shorter trousers as required. However (as I say), not being a cross-dresser myself, if I were to dress as your photo suggests (with pantyhose and presumably a skirt), I for one would be much more scared of 'stepping-out' in my overall feminine clothes than I would by about just the footwear. Therefore, can you enlighten us as to your general attire so that we can appreciate the nature of your first 'Stepping out'? Best wishes! Cheerfully yours, Heelfan.

Hello Lucy! Great to see your Instalment No 20 appearing! Another fantastic set of your reminiscences. I loved the 'shoe-play' in front of the Japanese tourists! Keep 'em coming! Cheerfully Yours, Heelfan

Wow Bubba! That sounds FANTASTIC! I've often clicked on to La Piazza to admire their ultra-sexy and erotic high-heel styles, but I'd no idea that all the staff routinely wore them - what an amazing notion! That would CERTAINLY make a fantastic destination for a Heel-Meet in Germany. We're currently working on fixing-up Heel-Meets for London (October '03), Birmingham UK (November '03) and France (February '04), but shorty I'll add on a suggested La Piazza trip for Spring '04! If the Germany Meet does come to fruition, does anyone have any suggestions for a second or third place worth visiting in Germany (is FUSS German?). Coming back to possible past or present Club premises dedicated to High Heels - FIREFOX, HIGHLUC, XAPHOD, JOAK or ANDREW we haven't heard from you 'experts' re. this thread - do any of you have any information on High Heel Clubs? Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

Julie and Laurie - thank you for your most kind postings! Julie - Following your reference, I took the trouble to look up and read all of the old postings on "Women's views of men in high heels" and your postings were WONDERFUL. You went to all the trouble of patiently informing Susan of the whole history of men in heels - all fully illustrated. But as for Susan - she comes across as a very sad and bitter lady who like Don Quixote - fighting windmills! Not knowing about your above painstaking postings, in the last few days I have been taking part in the debate which is currently raging on Lucy's Forum. You've guessed it - Susan Against the Rest again! I took her through the whole virtually identical history of Men in Heels (only lacking your excellent pictures), finishing up by saying how sad it is that she sees fit to judge a man's masculinity etc. not by getting to know the actual man, but simply by what fashion accessories he happens to be wearing on his feet at the time! At its best, the great thing about debate is to have a healthy exchange of views and then to try to arrive at some common ground. However, in Susan's case, I find, as you did, that this seems impossible, and is met only with entrenched inflexibility. In 2002 Hoverfly wrote "I have read enough from Susan to get the impression of male bashing - she could possibly turn this board into another war zone"! and Guest wrote to Susan on 10th June "You come across as a very bitter person". Sadly, I am forced to agree, as large numbers of people since then have continued to point out in their various ways that in every heel-wearer (male or female) a human heart beats, but to no avail. To offset this negativity, it warms my heart that kind, warmhearted ladies DO exist on these forums like you Julie and you Laurie, and Mel and Texas Bumpkin and Phuong and Lucy and Erica and everyone. Thank you for your acceptance, understanding and friendship! Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

This was weird. Nothing to do with high heels as such. But when about five or six years old, I was left to my own devices and found a sharp cutting-knife and for some reason I cut several little square 'windows' out of the front toe-part of my rubber wellington boots (gumboots). Naturally the boots were ruined, but I was overcome by the most incredibly strong sexual sensation, even though I was only half the age of reaching actual puberty! By nine or ten I was fascinated by how could the townswomen balance in their high heels as they walked around the shops, and tried-on my mother's heels and enjoyed the wobbly sensation. At that age I LONGED for the time when the girls in my class would be old enough (12, 13, 14?)to start wearing their own high heels. It was FANTASTIC when that moment came. Most of all I enjoyed admiring them in heels (especially their very first 'virgin' attempts!), but from the age of 12 I would also creep out for some late-evening street-heeling using my mother's shoes. By my mid-teens, my feet were larger than hers, so I saved my pocket money and secretly bought my own. I have been wearing high heels both indoors ands outdoors on and off ever since. Thius week I have been thoroughly upset by Susan 'The Original's' sweeping statement on Jenny Forum that "Guys in heels have lost all masculinity" because I am a happily married man of 31 year's standing with a loving wife and family and neither my wife nor any friends have ever questioned my masculinity until this bigotted statement comes across the Atlantic from someone who has not got to know me and has never even met me! I am just one living proof that it is perfectly possibly to have a great time enjoying watching/wearing heels whilst leading a perfectly normal, masculine life, and I am sure there are many others guys like me! There, this'll be my 150th posting; will my avatar change, or is 200 the next promotion I ask myself?. Do I upgrade from the 3" wedgies yet - click now and I'll find out ........ Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

Yes Bubba, I did! In fact I played a major part in organising the recent Oxford Heel-Meet on 12th July at which six of us (including regulars Firefox, Xaphod and Calv) turned up and it was GREAT. So much so, that I've posted (see "Real Life Shopping and Fun Meetings") suggesting a London Meet in October, a Birmingham Meet in November and an international EuroMeet in Paris around February 2004. However, over and above that, I'm asking everyone if they know of any past or present club premises devoted to high heel enthusiasts. Can anyone come up with any information? Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

Well, hold on a minute Laurie, You're normally a very responsible contributor and moderator (if I might say so!). If you are wearing steel-tipped stilettos and have approach someone's room with a very new, expensive wooden floor, don't you have ANY regard for looking after it? Much damage was done to London art gallery floors when stilettos appeared for the first time, and rubber heel-protectors were issued (mentioned in one of Lucy's stories) but too late for some floors. I hardly ever wear stilettos outside the house, mainly block heels. But my wife, daughter and lady friends have respect for other people's expensive floors by walking on the mats, or tiptoeing in their heels or by going barefoot. Surely you would advise trying to prevent damage to other people's property, especially when they are a generous host inviting to their premises in good faith? Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

Hello Zathrus! Best of luck to you but the answer to your questions is just common sense. Most of us worked it out for ourselves and I am sure you can: Regarding the heels, as has just been said, sdtart with lowish block heels and long trousers, and then, when the world doesn't cave in, gradually work up towards higher, slimmer heels and shorter trousers until you reach your goal. Regarding place, BUSY places every time to start with. Everyone is bustling around much too much to worry about you and your heels - you're just a tiny part of ther general scene. Nothing more self-concious-making than your footsteps echoing along an almost-deserted sreet with just two or three people standing around weith nothin to watch other than your every step. However, in busy places, avoid confrontational thugs and hooligans, and parites of giggling schoolgirls. Best of luck and ENJOY (like the rest of us!)! hgeerfully yours, Heelfan

Does anyone know if there are (or were) any special HIGH HEEL CLUBS to visit - maybe in London, New York, Tokyo etc.? I know there are general fetish clubs where high heels might be a part of the general scene, and I've read about a restaurant in downtown Manhattan where the lady restauranteur/high-heel-lover has done the decor on a high heel theme, but I am talking about any clubs where high heels are the main focus for seeing/wearing/discussing/cabaret acts etc. It seems an obvious theme, and one book on shoes makes a vague mention of one being in London without being specific. Can I ask for your posting on: a) If high heel club premises do exist - your information please! If, to your knowledge, they do not exist, then do you think it would be a nice idea? Cheerfully yours, Heelfan.

Hello and welcome wheels! Can we examine what you mean by 'Prejudice'? I am particularly interested to know whether you can cite ACTUAL personal examples of having experienced prejudice, or is it your assumption? Many guys contributing to these forums say that the only inhibitions are the fears in the budding wearer's own mind, and that if only they conquer that and start publicly streetheeling on a regular basis (like Firefox and Xaphod and me for instance), then they realise that virtually everybody either accepts the footwear or doesn't react in the slightest. As I say, please help us understand by being specific about any examples of prejudice. Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

Morning Firefox! Thank you for kindly 'moving' this thread to "For Everybody", but I'm afraid it's still here on "For The Gals" (on my screen at least). Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

Thank you Laurie for your 'Moderator's Clearance'!:

1. I assure you that I won't make a penny out of this. Far from it - I'll probably end up going on their courses and becoming happier but poorer!

2. How can you possibly doubt that it's true when the posting is from none other than your rock solid and trusty Heelfan, a veritable pillar of the global high heel community!

3. I put this on 'For the Gals' by mistake. Can you please move it to 'For Everybody' because all could be interested in the following information:

Here we go! The Website for these shoe-making courses is:

http://www.tradepartnersuk-usa.com/products/xq/asp/SarticleType.6/Article_ID.1029/qx/productsshow.htm

You never know, maybe we'll all find ourselves meeting each other on the courses - maybe we'll arrange a prize for the sexiest shoes created by one of us! Anyway have fun, make some fantastic stunners and don't forget to post a pic of your materpieces afterwards!

Cheerfully yours, Heelsfan

Guys and Gals! (and especially for those guys who can't find the right size and style for themselves) - I've found a pair of shoe-making companies that run 2-day courses in designing and making your own high-heeled shoes! One Company is in the UK and the other is in the USA - they advertise jointly and both run in-house courses where your shoes are made in two days. ALSO they run a full week's course in Spain, where you combine a week's holiday with (presumably) making your shoes with greater time. ( I remind myself that those Classic Pumps and Lovely Pumps in that superb soft thin leather are made in Spain!). Presumably though I can't post their names & websites as that would be advertising(???). What great courses though, eh? Cheerfully yours. Heelfan

Come on Folks! Poor old Hoverfly there is wanting you all to get suitably and thoroughly depressed and ultra-grave at the state of the shoe industry and somehow within a couple more postings you're found to be waffling on merrily about car engines instead, and ignoring the poor fellow's plaintive expostulations completely. Ahah! Sudden thought! Conversely, if we surf the net and manage to discover a MotoForum on car engines, the subject-matter might have drifted on to the MUCH more stimulating and sexy subject of high heels! I wonder ....... surf. surf, surf! Cheerfully yours, Heelfan.

Hi Frantic! Welcome to the Wonderful World of Heel Worshippers! Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

Moderator - can you please move this above thread to a more appropriate place to leave this section free for proper 'Real Life and Fun Meetings'? Cheers, Heelfan

Hello Trolldeg! I don't know quite what you mean by 'unstable'. If you simply mean that the stiletto heels feel more wobbly, then I think we all find that sandals feel more wobbly than courts/pumps, but courts/pumps still feel more wobbly than boots because the more the shoe encloses the foot, the more it grips it. However, surely the 'wobbly' feel of the heels is all part of the fun isn't it? It certainly is for me!!! Cheerfully yours, Heelfan.