Thighboots2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZNej78p19g

Sadly this clip really shows the true state of mind of society when a man wears a womans high heel. Full marks to the guy for doing his thing especially as the girl's laughter must have been heard by him when he stopped to adjust his footwear.

Simon.

Good on you GG. My wife also loves her bike, a Kwaka ER6F. She started last year and is really hooked on two wheels. For myself I push a BMW K1200LT around, which is a monster of a bike, but it rides really well anad surprises many with its speed and agility. We both do a lot of riding together, so I get to be the mule and carry round the tat in the luggage. Simon.

HFM, I am presuming you response above was about the shoes I posted. Actally you would be surprised about reactions you would receive when wearing them. They are mens shoes after all, and cutting edge fashion to boot (ha ha). I get asked about my Archie's & YSL's all the time. Fun. Simon.

FKA, Indeed, that is what is required. However, it is not just about designers, the manufacturers have to be on board too. There will be plenty of designers who have similar offerings to the YSL, Gucci and Archie Eyebrow shoes on the drawing board, but whilst sales of these remain niche, and none of the fashion mags prompte the cban heel, then no manufacturer will take the plunge to do a sensibly priced alternative. The cheapest is the Archie's at £175 for a real properly made leather shoe, but that is still a lot to lay out. It depends on you( and by you I meananyone reading this), just how much to you want to wear cuban heeled mens shoes - not womens shoes, but mens shoes. It means you wear them without all the mind games/guilt trip you go on when wearing a womans shoe, no matter how masculine it looks. That is until you have finally conquered your own mind as has Kneehighs, HappyFeat, JeffB etc. etc.. For those who's partner will not tollerate you wearing anything that is a womens shoe, then this really is the only alternative that will be acceptable because it is made for men. I know, this is my position. So for me it was worth saving the money I used to spends on heels from ebay and the like and it didn;t take long before I had the YSL and Archies in my hands. No regrets on spending the money - worth every penny especially when my scpetical wife came into YSL with me when I purchased the Jonny boots and then loved them. Simon.

Hi HFM, Welcome to the board. Good on you for wearing your boots on Oxford street. 3" chunky boots are perfect, and I bet you didn't feel the world was staring at you at all. Take this experience and build on it. Really, you can wear 3" chunky heels any time you want, no one will bother about them. Its the stiletto heels that will get you noticed. I wear 7cm cuban heels every day, don't worry if they are hidden or exposed. They were made for men (Archie Eyebrows or YSL) so why should I be concerned. Cheers, Simon.

Vector, Yup, I do agree, society and its attitude to things is fluid. I may be wrong, but I perceive the point is the type of heel, which to most here, if it isnt a stiletto, then it isnt a heel. Then I do agree with her. Stilettos are not, nor will they realisticly be, the norm for men. There is just too much association with sex that goes with stiletto heels. Pick the right time and occasion and they will work, but to be part of a regular man's wardrobe, sadly it isn't going to happen any time soon. This is why I have taken to cuban heels. No problem with these at all. Guys, buy and wear cuban heels. Get over your stiletto fetish for a while. The more that do wear cuban heels, the more that will do the same. Once you've gone up, it is so much easier to vary the heel style. Simon.

K6PS, Interesting they use the Gucci 6.5 ad with the gucci parts removed. I would treat this with some scepticism. Having said that, it is another resource. Simon.

I'm with Jazzymj on this - he has summed it up perfectly for me.

Ripley8,

Welcome to the HHP from me.

For cubans, look no further than Archie Eyebrows to see the styles on offer. The heels is higher than the quoted 6cm and is 7cm on my size 45. NB, these run small, so you must consider 1 size up.

Best place to get them with quick service and cheaper than advertised on the website is Tom Baker in Soho they do telephone sales, but it is worth visiting them if you come down to London. Would recommend visiting as it is important to get your sizing right. The Lenny boot is tightish, whereas the Amechi shoe is perfect. Different lasts.

Tell us if you decide to get a pair.

Simon.

Boots4ever, It is a good idea. The YSL and Archie's I own already and they are just superb - pricey, but still superb. I have only had compliments when wearing them and also many "where did you get those" too. I also have a pair of the underground winklepickers. These are the least comfortable and I think they are not good value for money. They run one size small, the leather is very plasticy and the sole/heel is a one piece rubber moulding. Really strange to walk on as the heel really absorbs the contact shock. Would be really quiet if it wasnt for the "slap" of the sole. No I don't like these shoes and regret having spent my money on them (although not as much as your site charges) and wouldn't recommend them. Whilst I may be tempted by the Rick Owens offerings, I am not such a fan of wedges and the price ensures I will not be buying these anytime soon. They just dont look good enough to me to justify the price. Some of his other boot designs I would certainly go for, but not these. Never found RO shoes for sale on the net before. Simon.

Barbara, Thanks for joining in this fascinating thread. I am right with you in everything you said. Cuban heels are great for guys and personally I think they don't look good on girls unless its the casual jeans and cowgirl boots look. Difficult to find especially here in the UK, but happily they are available - at a cost! Simon.

J&J, I am enjoying your contribuion to this thread, nice to have some proper straight talking on the subject. I know bringing up the 70's again as an example is a bit old hat, just like the trotting out of all the other examples you can read throughout thisboard. However, they serve to illustrate that what is acceptable in society can and does change. Now I am with you concerning men wearing shoes designed for the female foot. What I hope is that we will see more offerings that are specifcally designed and orientated towards men. Example is my Avatar and also YSL Johnny boots. I love them and enjoy wearing them. The gay crowd are certainly more fashion adventurous than most regular guys, but other than a few rare examples they wouldn't be seen dead in stilettos or women's shoes either. I feel it is a popular misconception that men wearing womens heels are viewed as gay. All this means is the general population at large have no idea whatsoever of what being gay is. It is just a convenient label to give someone who flys in the face of convention. Then again, what a boring world this would be if there were none of these people expressing themselves in their own special way. Women's fashion for one would be as boring and lacking thought as mens is, and that would never do - would it. Simon.

What other guy shoes are there, apart from the rare Gucci, YSl, & Archie Eyebrow offerings.

J&J, With the current society mindset, I would certainly agree, it isnt going to happen anytime soon. Having said that, the mindset is a fluid & evolving thing and who knows what it will find acceptable in the future. Just look back 30 years ago now and men were wearing plats and heels. All it takes is a lead from the right people and we the sheep of society change our way of thinking. For me, even if high heels for men do come in mainstream, I will never believe most men can wear stilettos (which to me is the current definition of the term heels) it just looks aesthetically wrong. There are a few exceptions, but there are very few that can pull it off. Simon.

<mod mode>

We have a "Shoe wholesale / retail / Internet stores" forum and you may post a thread there to mention your shop. Please restrict all explicit mentions of commercial interests to that forum.

I'm not saying you are stepping over a line. I'm just clarifying where the line is.

</mod mode>

JMC, I know you are in mod mode and with the other mods are doing a sterling job of making HHP a nice place. However, perhaps you migh just like to give this new member a chance. Note he didn't push the name of this shop, location or website. He didn't come onto the board with a hard sell - quite the opposite in fact as having been asked, he has not provided the information.

It appears to me that here is a guy with a genuine interest in high heels - like us - and that it just happens to be his day job - and as there is another thread on that matter it would seem he is one lucky guy. I'm sure that if he wants to promote his shop to members, he will do so in the right place.

Simon.

^---- Bubba, how can it be a plug. Defwax2 has not mentioned where his shop is, nor it's website if indeed it has one, despite being requested. Perhaps, and I must admit for a change, here is a genuine member who just happens to work in the trade, yet is being discrete. Benefit of doubt and all that. Simon.

Insomniac

Gary, I agree with GTMHP, its a great story. You have reinforced Kneehigh's view that there is a difference in a woman's view between the idea of a man wearing high heels and the fact of a man wearing high heels. Just more evidence to support the case that if you just put your boots on and do your thing like it is entirely normal, it just is not an issue. You obviously chose the right footwear, perhaps if you had worn a pair of strappy stiletto sandals, or 6" heels platforms, you may not have had the response you described. Enjoy your next meeting. Simon.

Location - Cambridge, UK. Opposite the Grafton Centre waiting to cross the road at 5pm Sunday 26th July. Finally I have seen a fellow man out in his heels. A Goth look complete with studded collar. All black ensemble that looked from the top of the bus to be mostly leather. Carrying an umberella as it was raining. His footwear were a pair of black platform ankle boots with a chunky heel. I'd go with 1" plat 4" heel. Very remenicent of the type of shoes/boots I wore in the 70s. His walk was the thing that drew my eye to him. Kind of like he was just getting used to the walking in heels thing. No attempt to hide his footwear as he was in skinny trousers tucked in to the boots. Not my sort of look but at least I have seen a fellow "heeler". Now I just want to see more. Simon.

Seattleshoes, Follow happyfeats advice. Look for womens bootcut pants, they do come in long leg lengths. They fit you butt better too which is a bonus. Downbside is no or useless pockets, but then you just have to adopt a man bag. They are just the best thing as when you put all the stuff you normally put in your jacket and pants into the bag you realise just how much weight you wear in your clothes and that just ruins their shape. Mateu... in a normal environment, the noise goes unnoticed. Strange but true. Simon.

Max, You, along with Kneehighs, Jeff, Stilettoscot, Dave&cathy (apologies if I have missed you out), are one of those who are fashion forward and bravo to you for being so. It takes people to do just what you do, challenge society's perception of right and wrong, to effect change. Perhaps you miss the point of what I am driving at though. I was not saying that all men will never be able to wear stiletto heels, I'm saying that most men will not be able too. Whilst I was not "fishing", you have taken the bait and confirmed my opinion that the meaning of the word "heels" is "stiletto heels" around here. Almost all postings by guys are about stiletto heels. What is so wrong with cuban heels which are definitively masculine and so much more in proportion with the male body size and shape. You, as so many have before, trot out the "earring" thing as a case of society changing its perception. OK, so men now wear earrings - BUT - look at the styles, there are distinct and limited styles worn by men. You dont see dangly earrings that women wear on any man. The earring styles for men are very plain, a simple stud perhaps with a diamond or plain small ring only. Nothing flamboyant or feminine. This brings me back to heels. Stiletto heels equates to dangly girly earrings. they wouldn't look right on a man. So I am going to stick with the word "never". Heels for men are a reality - I wear them every day. Stiletto heels for men are a fantasy and will remain so. Its not what I want, but I am being a realist. I too only wanted to wear stiletto heels for all the reasons that have been written by so many before me, but I also wanted to incorporate heels as part of my regular guy wardrobe, so I had to make that shift of thinking that there were other sorts of heels I sould consider. I look in the mirror and I am happy with the reflection of 3" cuban heels. I feel that other men will look at me and so want to wear a pair of cuban heels too and say so openly. Men will look at you in your stiletto boots and whilst most will want to do exactly as you, and wish they had the balls to do so, they would never say so. We really need men to want to wear heels, so they have to feel that they can see themselves in them and that their ladies will want to see them in heels too. I'm sure that Amanda would not have any objection to her future man wearing YSL Johnny boots - they are mens boots after all. Perhaps Amanda will care to comment on this point. Anyway, I hope you had a nice lunch and your stiletto's didn't get stuck down a crack in the sidewalk. I'm off home in my cuban boots Simon.

Amanda,

Thanks for the definition. We blithly use the word heels around here, but there are just so many styles and types. I do happen to concur with your thoughts. Not that it changes what I would "Like" to wear when I choose and all the other constraints that society puts upon us about our appearance etc etc., however, it does mean that I do wear footwear specifically designed for men that incorporates a heel E.G. my avatar (Archie Eyebrows) and YSL Johnny boots, both of which IMHO would look ridiculous on a woman.

I am firmly of the opinion that the footwear should reflect the wearer and that men and larger ladies do not look right stiletto heels, (sadly not may women do that very successfully either, but that is because they can't walk in them!) becuase they proportion is all wrong. Slender delicate and fine things are restructed to slender and delicate frames - no exception. Why does a proper kilt look right on a man, because the shape and weight of a proper kilt does not work for a slender and delicate frame.

There is this longing around here for all men to be able to wear stiletto heels where and whenever they want. If that is the case they they should just get on with it, however, it will never look right. Just as a regular woman will never look right to me in a business suit, tie and oxford shoes.

Simon.

Amanda, Can you help define the term "heels" in terms of acceptability to you as our representative female (yup, I'm asking you to speak for all womankind here). I ask becuase you are open minded and present reasonable arguements as to why you wouldn't encourage a partner to wear "heels". Indeed are there "heels" that are acceptable? Simon.

You are so right Amanda, come on New Look, spill the beans. You can't leave us without these vital stats. Adding to what Amanda has asked you just have to post a pic of the little lady you know. Seriously, congratulations to you both. Both joy and heartache await, but never regrets. Simon.

Hi Wowser - and welcome to the High Heeled Place, You know your lady - hopefully, so only you can judge how she might react. Getting yourself a pair of 2" cowboy boots (thread elsewhere) would show you have an interest in heels and then you could take it from there. Really this just depends upon you. Type of heels you want to wear, where you want to wear them and how. It may surprise you, but she may just be quite receptive, especially if you wish to be stylish about it. Are you into fashion, could you be? Ladies do love a guy who can relate to fashion. Do you help her shop? These sort of activities will help. At the end of the day though, you will have to talk to her about heels you like, on her - on you, and what it means to you. The more open you are, the easier it will be. Cheers Simon.