geo_t

I'm still have Windows XP on one computer, and Linux on another. I'm not considering an upgrade until Service Pack 1 arrives. And draconian DRM system built into Vista makes me think twice about upgrade.

I hate to break this to you, but to watch high-definition ("premium") content on any equipment you will be using DRM, even on your TV. High-definition content requires the use of HDCP over a HDMI connection. Any other connection (composite, component) will be reduced to standard definition, as will a digital connection (DVI or HDMI) that doesn't support HDCP.

This isn't a specific Microsoft thing, it's being driven by the content companies. Any other software or hardware company that wants to display high definition content is restricted in the same way. The first generation of Toshiba HD-DVD players used a specialized Linux operating system with HDMI/HDCP for the main high-def output. MS Vista just happens to be the first publicly available OS that supports all these content restriction systems. If Apple wants to let their systems play HD content, they too will have to support HDCP and the attendant restrictions. Too bad that the leading technology companies are being held ransom by the movie companies.

Rigid boots are something I have wondered about from time to time. I thought about molding some knee-high boots out of some kind of composite material. They'd be complely rigid, which would make walking near impossible, so for more mobility I thought about adding a platform sole that curves up from the ball of the foot to the toe (like the pink Vivienne Westwood shoes at the bottom of this page). You'd still have no ankle movement but you'd probably be able to walk in short steps as you roll forward on the platform. Not that I suspect you'd be walking far...

Looks like I won't get to wear heels around the airport after all. My sole reason for travelling has been cancelled, so I'll be staying home wearing heels instead. Lots of good feedback here though. I haven't been through airport security for a while, and knew about removing shoes. Didn't realise about the reduced amount of toiletries though - 2.9oz bottles of shampoo seem really tiny! Thinking about the aircraft, I don't think I'll be wearing my heels on board. I weigh in the region of 240lbs, and a 1/4" square stiletto (the heels on my boots) would put an extreme load on the metal floor of the plane. Although walking around the terminal would be a good feeling - all those stone floors, almost total anonymity and lots of security personnel around to deter aggressive behaviour. Oh well, maybe I'll get to travel again sometime soon.

I have spent time in many cities in several countries, and I would have to say that location does play a role in deciding whether to wear heels or not. I spent a lot of time in London and the surrounding towns, and felt comfortable wearing heels (as well as some more overtly feminine clothes/accessories) in a lot of places, but equally some area had the vibe that a guy in heels is just asking for a good kicking. Soho and the Kings Road area seemed to be pretty much the most relaxed with regards to what a guy can wear, which was good as that was the areas I tended to gravitate to. Some shopping centers are also good - being out and about in heels in both Lakeside and Blue Water posed no issues. On the other hand, I did wear heels (and short dress, etc) in the town I grew up in, but that was only after dark and in limited areas. Anything else was just pushing it too much. Now with the apparent rise of "chav" culture, not to mention the increased public surveillance in the town of my birth I don't think I'd be so free with my heeling any more. Paris was odd... while the ladies often wore the most gorgeous clothes and shoes, the feeling that the Gallic way is for men to be *real* men was pervasive. It's kind of odd getting cat-calls in french while standing waiting for the metro, although long hair, pink nail polish and patent stiletto heels kind of stand out. Now I'm in the good old US of A. Life has taken me around a bit. Of all the cities I lived in or near, Atlanta seemed to not give a damn. The first time I went to Underground Atlanta wearing heels was nerve wracking as there were a *lot* of people around, but I didn't get any comments, just a few people (mostly women) doing double-takes. Many trips to UA later, all wearing heels, and it seemed a bit passe really... which is both good and bad. A part of me kind of longs to make people eye's swivel, but the other part likes to just pass mostly un-noticed. I have spent time in other cities; Tampa and Orlando just didn't seem to care. The only double-take I got in New Orleans was from one of the hotel maids as I click-clacked my way down a tiled hallway, but a freindly "hola" seemed to break the spell. I may as well have been invisible on Bourbon Street and in the French Quarter. What can I say... a guy in stilettos and pants just doesn't cut it compared to the exotic Mardi Gras drag queens, and the mait're d at Emeril Lagasse's Nola restaurant was just too polite - I don't think he'd have made a comment if I'd been naked. Except maybe about needing a tie. Now I find myself in a fairly conservative town, not a millions miles from asdf174, but I don't feel any animosty while out wearing my only pair of not-quite-so-outrageous heels. Not that they are low heels - faux suede ankle boots with 5" stiletto heels mix both the outrageous (heels) with the subtle (black "suede"), and with the correct attire (longer black pants) seems not to get attention. I don't think patent or colored shoes would work here with or without heels, never mind skirts or dresses, but I'm having fun taking things slowly.

Thanks for the kind words. It sure feels better to have a supportive community now, unlike years ago when I was convinced I was the only guy out there wearing heels.

By the way, Geo-T, a "fetish" involves something of a sexual nature. Unless you're unable to obtain "relief" without wearing heels, it's not a fetish. Rather, it's merely a personal choice of apparel.

Well, you know... I don't think I should go into too much detail here (lest this get moved to the fetish forum) but I think that wearing heels (and partaking of other items/behaviour) can end up being a means for "relief". Maybe the available choice of heels is a subconcious push towards the fetish side - for the longest time the only places I could find heels that fit me was the fetish stores, who had plenty of black, shiny 5" and 6" heels available. I believe we are fortunate now in that more brands are selling larger sizes of "womens" shoes. Too bad a pair of boots I lusted after all winter only go up to a size 10.

When I first started doing heeling and/or TV activities, I quickly found out who my real friends were, as those who really weren't were put off/pushed off by my appearance, while those that were true friends were very supportive and didn't take any offense.

Amen, brother... sister... fellow human. True friends will stick with you.

I still remember the first time I appeared in heels to some really good friends. We were getting together for a low-key party and I wore high heel pumps. After an initial round of "wow" "awesome" and "how do you walk in them" it was a non-issue and we just got on with having a good time. Maybe I have been fortunate in those I call friends - no-one turned their back on me because of what I wear.

Now work acquaintances are different. In an office of several hundred people there's only one person who knows my "secret" (and she's also good friends with my SO which helps) and a few people have seen my Halloween pictures but I don't think they know what I do the other 364 days of the year. As I now find myself working for the man in a very conservative field of business, in a very conservative city in a very conservative state I somehow think that wearing heels in the office would have disastrous consequences for my career in this town. Now meeting work people away from work while wearing heels... ah, I don't know... guess I'll worry about that if or when it happens.

So I've got to fly cross country (USA) soon, and was considering wearing heels for the trip. However, recent TSA advisories seem to be trying to get people not to have anything metallic on their person, and heels seem to be mentioned a lot. So I ask the forum, do yo think it would be likely that I get unwarranted attention from the TSA people if I went through security wearing heels, or had heels in my carry-on bag?

Today I did something that I haven't done in a long time... I went out in public, dressed as a guy, wearing heels. Just like the old days. And it was the most satisfying heel wearing I have done for a long time. I'd been experimenting with more complete transvestism lately, wearing heels with more obviously feminine clothes such as short skirts and dresses, and generally pushing the boundaries of what's considered acceptable. I've also been playing in the mud in drag, which while somewhat a rush just seemed to be leading me to more extreme situations - where I once was happy being ankle- to calf-deep, I found it took being at least waist-deep in mud to stir feelings. So the lack of gratification coupled with the recent demise of a pair of pumps and a pair of knee high boots in the mud (and taking two exhausting hours to get out) caused me to return to my earlier saner experiments in wearing heels. And it was good. It's been cold here, so boots were appropriate. For those interested in details, they were black Hayway faux-suede lace-up ankle boots with 5" stiletto heels. I wore black dress pants over these with the hem just resting on the toe of the boots when standing. A dark polo shirt, black leather trench coat and black Oakley-style sunglasses completed the look. In case you can't tell, I tend to favor dark colors. I'd been at work in the morning and had to run some errands. I changed into the boots in the parking lot, then drove to the bank to make some deposits. There were several cars outside the bank, and I almost chickened out and went through the drive-through lanes, but I persevered and went inside. I was greeted by the bank officer as usual, and no-one seemed to take any notice as I click-clacked across the tiled floor to wait in line for the teller. I finished my business and turned to leave to find quite a line of people waiting - apparently I arrived just before the lunchtime rush. I got a couple of glances from men and women, but no comments. Outside I passed a couple of Hispanic gardeners, but they were too engrossed in their work to notice anything. Next stop was getting some gas. I stopped at the nearest gas station and filled the car using the pay-at-the-pump facilities. While refuelling, I washed the windows which meant walking all around the car in full sight of everyone. Many people were coming and going, all focussed on their lives and not the 6' guy in heels. Unfortunately, the receipt machine wasn't working so I had to go inside for my receipt. The store was busy with people doing their lunchtime tasks, and I got no more notice inside than I usually get. As I walked back to the car someone wolf-whistled. Whether it was directed at me, or the cute girl in the demin mini-skirt and Ugg boots filling her Miata is unknown. Who am I kidding, who wolf-whistles a guy? No-one. Well, no-one except Mrs. Geo_T. Finally, food. I hate to admit this, but I broke my diet with some McD's. The drive through lane was wrapped around the parking lot, so buoyed up with my experiences so far I went inside. I ordered food (quarter pounder with cheese meal, for the detail-aholics among us ) and waited for my order. The store was almost empty, just a gaggle of teenage girls talking about teenage girl stuff, a couple of construction-looking guys and an older couple reading the paper) but no-one paid me attention. (This is getting bad... what must a guy do to get attention these days?? Ah... don't answer that!) I got a slight double-take from the cashier, but whether or not she saw my boots, or was impressed by the sight of the tall, dark, handsome (ha!) stranger is open to question. So I ate, left and went back to work, pausing to change back into "normal" shoes before going into the office. Quite a successful lunchtime outing. So what have I learned from this? From a purely physical aspect, standing and walking in heels out of the house felt natural after the first few steps. There really isn't any magic in wearing heels, apart from a well-tuned sense of balance. When at the gas station I was suddenly aware that I was standing like a girl - feet together - instead of the usual wide male stance, which suddenly made me concious of being up on my toes. For personal satisfaction, street-heeling is a whole lot more fun than keeping my love for heels in the fetish closet, and in a non-sexual manner. Doesn't mean I don't like my 7" heels or strappy sandles or shiny locking-ankle-strap pumps, but the more conservative shoes and boots may be getting more of an outing than they have in a long long time. The Hayway ankle boots I wore today are nice, but the lacing tends to cut into the top of my foot limiting how long I can wear them, and being a man-made material won't stretch much over time. I can feel some shoe shopping coming on again, for some matte-black items instead of my usual black patent items. My SO has a pair of black leather Ellie pumps that look great on her, and I think they would look good on me too. A quick perusal of online stores brought me to Snaz75.com, who seem to sell a lot of Ellie products. Does anyone have any experience dealing with them online? Hayway shoes products seem to fit me really well, but placing an order from my current geographic location is prohibively expensive.

Awesome pumps. If you don't mind my asking, how high are they and where did you get them?

Well, I like the feeling of tottering in too-high heels (red 7" pumps ), and my SO, well... she really likes to watch me walk like that.

Currency exchanges get everyone... I want to get another pair of Leatherworks knee boots, but at todays exchange rate the 130 pound cost is $260, plus shipping, import duty and taxes. Even I can't justify spending that much on a pair of boots, no matter how comfortable they are or how well they are made.

I've seen the movie in many different theaters in several countries on two continents. Going to see it in my homeland was fun, and the props and talkback were great but I didn't have the personal confidence to dress up. I more than made up for it after moving somewhere warmer, where there is a cast who meet almost weekly. I went many times, dressed in everything from normal guy clothes to skimpy lingerie and f-me heels to full ancient Highland dress (think Braveheart) to a Magenta costume. Watching the movie in a tiny basement theater in Paris was a blast, especially as the movie was in English with French subtitles. It seems the concept of dressing up is somewhat lost on the French, as my PVC miniskirt, velvet top and 5" pumps got some bemused looks from other patrons, although the cast seemed to approve. Parisienne's don't seem to care how much rice or water gets thrown about, with the result that everyone is soaked and the floor is slick; it's not easy to Timewarp in heels when the floor is slick like ice. Where I live now we have an annual Halloween Rocky showing that I attended wearing my Magenta costume, complete with feather duster and high heeled boots. For some reason that seems to go over really well, especially in an area where most people don't bother to dress up for it. Geo_T: Also old enough to know better, but young enough not to give a damn.

The cool thing about Hay Way is you can go there and try the shoes on, and sometimes get things changed while you wait. I spent many a happy hour there in times past trying on all sorts of shoes and boots. Their "Maria" heel (5" ish) knee boots are the most comfortable heels I've ever worn. My pair is starting to get a bit ratty now (8 or 9 years old!!) and I'm thinking about getting another pair or two. Don't know what shipping would be to my current non-UK location would be though.

Depends where you are. Wearing white shoes (heels or no) after Labor Day or before Memorial Day in the South will get you plenty of disparaging comments. But then again, people in the South look at you strange if you don't eat your grits.

Wow, that was very masochistic of you. Will you be trying that one again?

Probably not. I was going through a period of personal discovery, and was trying lots of things. A little bondage is good, but when enforced it wasn't so much fun. Having said that, now life has changed for the better and I may be up for my SO taking the keys to work all day and leaving me at home in heels...

I don't know about permanently, but I used to have a pair of black pumps with a locking ankle straps from Leatherworks. One time I posted the keys to myself while the shoes were locked on, and spent four days in 6" heels. At first it was very erotic, but by the time the keys made it back I was glad to get the shoes off! Doing boring household stuff in extreme stiletto's get old, real fast.

Name: Net identity Geo. Real life identity classified because too many people are negative about men wearing "feminine" clothes and shoes.

Age: 35

Gender: male by birth, if not appearance

Location: FL, USA now. Formerly SE UK

Occupation: Computer related

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: too much

Shoe size: 13US/11UK

What's your favourite heel style: stilettos

What's your favourite shoe style: pumps/courts

Do you wear your heels outside: sometimes, when I'm somewhere I'm not known (see "name" question)

What is:

(a) Your favourite heel height: 5 1/2"

( Your highest heel height: 7"

How often do you wear:

(a) Your favourite heel height: almost daily, for many hours at a time

( Your highest heel height: occasionally, when I don't have to walk far

Do you wear socks, hose, stockings or bare feet with your shoes: usually barefoot, although stockings worn under a short, flippy dress with really high heels looks great

Anything else you wish to add: Living in the UK I found I could get away with wearing heels without any comment. Several times I would wear 6" stiletto boots, without anyone so much as turning a head (at least, not obviously!). The US is so different, at least out of major cities. Walking around Atlanta in the same 6" heels didn't cause a ripple. Where I live now people are so petty and small minded, and just like to cause trouble for anything that is not "normal". Although the local Rocky Horror cast are cool. I always seem to get compliments on my shoes or boots with them, but they haven't seen my red 7" pumps yet!

I enjoy the feel of the height and walk 10 Fashion - an indispensible accessory 6 For the extra height and confidence. 7 A way to emphasise my feminine side. 7 I am sexually stimulated by wearing them 8 To be more attractive. 6 Perhaps I'm just a wannabe tart, but for me it's the feeling of wearing really high heels above all else.