Thighboots2

Interesting how this poll is shaping up. The two most popular answers are very similar, but by inference one restricts to private wear. When this poll started, I would have thought the "as much as possible in private" would have won hands down. How wrong I am, as I am going to assume that the "as much as possible" includes public wearing. So it would appear we have many more who wear their heels in public than you would generally assume from the board. I guess many are like me and just get on with it, then again would you really consider me a heeler? 7cm cubans aren't exactly pushing the envelope these days. Simon.

Shoegirl, You just cant beat the elegant high heeled shoe that you link too. There are lots of shoes, but that is a real classic. Simon.

Hosiery and peep-toes/sandals is just fine as long as they are sheer toe and not too high a denier, so the nicely painted nails show. There is nothing worse than pasty looking legs (to me at least) and until the ladies get a bit of tan going, the shading from hosiery looks the part. Simon.

Shoegirl, I'm with bad robot on this. A difficult question and although I am a dedicated heel wearer, they are cuban styles that dont have issues with grates and so on. I take it by "HEELS" you are thinking of stiletto or similarly slim styles. I would suggest that were you (or I for that matter) wearing a pair of stiletto heels and faced with this dilema, I would probably have a pair of those little fold-up slippers that would take up virtually no space in my bag. Wearing the appropriate footwear is essential. My wife keeps a pair of loafers in the car just in case the situation demands. Just means you have to carry your shoe closet around with you. Simon.

I would agree with Dr Shoe.

Recently purchased these from Archie Eyebrows. Needed something to go with my evening dress, aka Black Tie and these just said "Wear Me", so who am I to argue. £175. 7cm Cuban heel. Part patent/ part kid leather. Patent laces. So comfortable, it like wearing gloves for the foot. They dance well too. Nothing but good feedback from both sexes when worn. I have asked Terry de Havilland (whom I met when I purchaswed these) if he will make me a pair of all leather Amechie as the patent is a bit too flash for office wear. He said he would. Both he and Liz his wife are delightful people and just love shoes. I know they are intending to bring out a complimnetary range for women, but with a higher but still cuban heel. I also suggested that going higher with the mens cuban heel would not be out of place. Simon.

Thanks Magicheels, For sharing this with us. I'm sure it was a Happy Birthday and many more are still to come. Simon.

Jeff, Certainly you are having great fun pushing the envelope. However, I do disagree with the "wearing the sort of outfit usually seen on women" only because whilst you may see many women wearing mini-skirts, you will find very few out and about in thighboots. I was thinking about the mini-skirt thing and perhaps the shorter the skirt hem, the closer it gets to where shorts would sit. So maybe the skirt kinda gets missed. Obviously the stiletto equipped thighboots do not get missed, but in your experimentation with various hem lengths, do you feel you get less attention from the long or short hemlines? You do have Political Correctness on your side for all this and whilst I am no great fan of PC, it does have its uses and this is a perfect case in point. Simon.

Happy feet,

Wow, Megapost. Still an nice read and I do agree especially with this quote:-

The problem with a blanket statement either way is that most women have never actually thought about it. I meet women who may be taken aback at first, however once they talk to me they think it is pretty cool that I do what I want to do.

It is the case that the general perception of the word "heels" will be the current fashion, mostly stiletto. The respondant will picture their favorite heeled shoe on a man and it won't work in their mind. I too would probably agree with the picture they have in their mind's eye. However, show them a picture of a man in heels and a well co-ordinated outfit and most will then tell you if the whole look works rather than focus on just the heels.

This thread http://www.hhplace.org/girls/2272-take_2_-_what_your_real_take_concept_men_wearin-3.html#post167591 we find the girl "JAMIE 2" posts the following (repeated here to save to clicking away) which backs up my witterings.

My first reaction would be that I think it is weird. I've never actually seen a man wearing high heels. I'm picturing pumps and sandals, but if we consider other high heel types like clogs or shoes with chunky heels, maybe it would be okay. I guess if I saw a man wearing cute high heeled shoes, I might like it. At least we'd have something to talk about.

Simon.

Oh Hiline, It is so much NOT a big deal. A man buying stuff from the ladies section is not an issue. Yet another mind game. What if you really were shopping fro your girlfriend then would you feel you could do this without the concience? Don't get me wrong, I (and many here) empathasise with you, but once you have shopped for a woman, and you realise its no big deal, then you will do it for yourself and not have any close calls. Simon.

Cool Lady, I hope this board gives your hubby the inspiration he needs. The single biggest hurdle is the support of your wife and as he has that, there should be no stopping him. Welcome to you both. Simon.

We are talking "designer" and those guys really know how to charge. Their business model is the complete opposite of the high street shops. Sell a little at vast profit, whereas the high street is all about volume at timy profit. Realistically, no one here would consider paying that sort of money for a pair of boots, but they are not aimed at the likes of us. We recently saw a designer put models bot M&F down the runway in identical heeled footwear, because he wanted the boots for himself. Cant remember who it was, but have they become available anywhere yet? Simon.

Kikepa,

Interesting things to consider, however the following quote

"women pay more attention to the fashion of other women than they do men's fashions"

I must disagree with the initial statement you make. Women very much pay attention to mens fashion as the way a man dresses is the initial key. It is this fashion statement that serves to allow the man to make an approach or not. Get the look right and the man will be able to progress to the next step and engage in conversation to see if that backs up the look. Shoes are totally irrelevant, but they will be noticed and by choosing heels, it will generally intreague and so the door opens. Women who reject the idea are probably of a closed mind and so probably not the sort of woman you wish to talk to either.

It is identical the other way round. The look of a woman is the first thing a man takes in, but if she has an aweful voice, then she is unlikely to progress further.

Too no-one in particular - Heels are just another tool men can use in the dating game. The few on here who have realised this have told you time and time again just how effective they are to break the ice, they must be bored of telling you.

Simon.

Buy - Wear - put away. Its so much cheaper.

Its taken me a little while to track down a photo, and sorry its a bit small, but it was all I could grab. Like many I keep my eye out for the "heels for men" trend and so far we have seen Gucci, YSL and recently Archie Eyebrows. So here are the Rick Owens heeled boots. The heel is certainly much higher than normal and more typical of a womans "sensible" ankle boot. A Plat is provided. All in all a 70s platform boot but the heel is slimmer than it was back then. The whole look is really unisex and easily worn by both men and women in a more relaxed situation. I do like them, but the price is $1150, so I won't be rushing out for a pair. Now I thought $700 for a pair of YSL was a bit steep, but over a grand is just too much. However, it does show that this has gone from being just a runway item to catch the attention of the press. Simon.

untitled.bmp

Max, Excellent look - all about fashion and nothing to do with heels. Nice dip into the female side whilst making it distinctly masculine. Kneehighs would be right with you on this look. I'm sure I have seen him post a pic of similar attire but in darker colours. I like the white/tan combo it is very striking and not somber. Good job - you should try it on hotornot. Simon.

It is a mental hurdle but by extending your comfort zone you can get over it. It's very much about extending your comfort zone. It's very clear from my pant length I'm in heels. I look & feel good in 'em -- and it shows in my attitude & confidence.

GTMHP

Indeed it is a mental hurdle, the height of which is determined by your location. Central London - Manhattan are two places where the hurdle is really low and you would have to be a limbo expert for it to stop you getting out in some sort of heel, but it isn't universal. Some places your whole body is not welcome, let alone what you have on your feet.

Its why I am such a devotee of cuban heels, these are a good half way house.

Simon.

See that too Jo, Maybe site taken down for a quick revamp.

As I said before, the idea is fine. The execution needs to be very careful to avoid the obvious pitfalls and so the original idea is diverted from its target.

In any case, I will be wearing my heels all week, IF 7cm cuban heels are classed as heels around here.

Simon.

Hiline,

I guess your boots have a distinctly feminine heel so covering them I can understand. At 3" high, your walk is hardly altered, and if necessary you can run just as you would with a 1" heel, but it is the limit for proper running. If the heel is slim, then running will not be an option either.

Despite what Kneehighs, Stilettoscot, Maximillian, Happyfeet, and JeffB plus others may say, it is HARD for most guys to get over the hill of wearing heels and especially as it seems to be all about wearing of stiletto heels which our programming tells us is either pervy or fetishy and its a real mind game to get a stiletto heel to the fashion for man thing. It is so much easier with a cuban heel though.

I've been there and I am so glad I found 7cm cuban heels in a mens range from Archie Eyebrows. I wear heels ALL the time. They are stable, strong, sufficiantly high ehough to know you are wearing heels, and get nothing but positive remarks from both women and men. What I would like is to have them made in 8cm, 9cm, or even 10cm. I will have to drop Terry de Havilland an email about this.

BTW, if a 9cm or 10cm cuban heeled zippered ankle boot (Lenny) http://www.archieeyebrows.co.uk/collection.htm who would be interested? I might as well know. BTW, the price n the website is wrong. It isnt £240, its £175. Sure its steep, but over half the price of my Avatar Johnny boots. They are full leather and properly made by craftsmen. Worth every penny.

But whatever heel you choose to wear, do NOT try to hide it all under your trousers/pants. It looks so tacky to have the hem of the trousers/pans dragging on the floor. You only hide it because you are not confident enough to wear the shoes. Gain confidence in lower/cuban/block heels 3" high first. You will be so surprised how quickly you will find you wear them wilt the heels in view. Save stilettos for evenings and fun times just as the ladies do.

It took me a long time to find my comfort zone and the heels I was happy to wear. You could take this as me saying I don't like stiletto heels. nothing could be firther from the truth. I do not see why men cannot wear them if they want to. The man may not look good in them, but that should not mean they shouldn't wear them. I would lke to incorporate them into my wardrobe, but right now it is something I am not ready to do and maybe I never will (dressed as a man anyway) but I am happy to be using mens cuban heeled boots and also womens heeled boots with thicker heels and no fine pointy toes either as often as I wish (my SO refers to these boots as my dyke boots).

BR, glad you found some my post useful. Its not about finding a suitable town/city to heel in, rather it is about finding your comfort zone in what you are preparred to wear and have others see you wear. That will become your baseline. People soon get used to wearing heels and once that is done, and your confidence is sorted, then you can add variety and start selecting from the female side to add spice.

But whatever you wear, enjoy it.

Simon.

Shoemaniac, A nice idea - with some reservations. Why are the only pictures on the site featuring guys wearing stiletto heels? To participate in national high heels week must a man wear stiletto heels? I hope not. I feel you should bring some balance into the site so that other heel styles are represented. Why not ask Firefoxif you could borrow some of the pics he uses on his heels site as that way will bring some balance. Also, why not International as opposed to National. This is an International board. Sure there are lots of UK members, but be inclusive as there are prominent heel wearers all over the world. Get in touch with Bryan boy, he is well into heels & fashion and would maybe asist in spreading the word via his very well read blog. Kneehighs offer of the facebook is excellent too, just what is needed. I'm not trying to pee on your bonfire - certainly not, but balance needs to be struck and just highlighting the extreem will not do any good at all. I agre with Bennos final statement. Simon

Discretion is the better part of valour, so I stick to wearing boots with jeans and about a 1 1/2 inch heel in public for the present time....maybe I will brave a Higher Heel in the near future

BR, you should brave a higher heel, upto 3" and in full view, unless it is overtly feminine (aka Stiletto) of course, you'll find that no one will bat an eyelid as long as you just go about your business as if there was nothing whatsoever out of the ordinary. Gets tougher once you go above 3".

Of course this doesn't mean don't wear stiletto heels, far from it. If you have the confidence to do so, then what are you waiting for. However, most guys don't and so the blockier/cuban heels are a much better and easier to wear without feeling you've got a big neon flashing sign over your head saying - "look at me wearing pervy girls heels". We know they are not pervy, but it is how we and society at large are programmed to think - sadly.

I have to take my hat of to the guys who wear stiletto heels out and about. They do fly in the face of public perceptions, and are certainly taking a risk because anyone who is different is a potential target and you only have to be one block out to go from safe to unsafe. Still the more it is done, the more others in the safe zone will see and join in and so it spreads. I just like to not have to worry about where I wear heels and if they have to be cubans to wear them wherever I please, then so be it.

Simon.

Kikepa, This has been my point for some time now. Generalising as you must, the male body is just too large to look aesthetically right & proportionally correct when on top of a pair of stiletto heels. Its not about the height of a heel, it is about the proportion and its ability to do the job. Sure a stiletto heel can easily cope with being worn by a 200lb guy, but it looks too fragile. Change this to a cuban heel - same height - and it just looks right. If it looks right, then it is right. Women do like men who wear heels, but it has to look right. Slender guy can wear slender heels, normal guys have to wear cuban heels. Simon.

Hi and welcome to HHP. Why not click on the link below and go fill in the thread so we can see a little more about you. What styles are you into and so on. Are you looking to incorporate heels into your daily guy wardrobe as I do? Are you a stiletto or nothing sort of guy? Do ramble on about yourself and how heels feature in your life. The more you put in, the more response you will get back.

Cheers for now.

Simon.

Heres the link:-

http://www.hhplace.org/everybody/15-let_s_get_know_each_other.html

I completely disagree with this sentiment, "save the stilettos for around the house"...Women respond differently to the REALITY of a man in heels versus the IDEA of a man in heels. If you just talk about the idea, there is vast response difference than when you actually live the reality right before their eyes.

and totally agree with this succint comment. Nice!~

Kneehighs, It is not often that I would disagree with you, but in this instance I think I must. There is a time and place for everything, and you have found the time and place where you can wear stiletto heels and work them superbly. Thus you confront women with the reality of a man in, specifically, stiletto heels at the right time. But do you wear stiletto heels all the time - heck no, but from the pics you have shown us of yourself, you do borrow from the fashion scene and happily do the skinny pants with boots over look. Flat heeled boots for sure so the emphasis is on the boot-over look and so it isn't too much controversy at the time. Nope you save the high stilettos heels for partying as a bit of alchol in the mix is immensely liberating.

However, for the many who do not live in a cosmopolitan city this is not an option because it is outside their society's envelope and would make them feel wrong.

I feel sorry for the many members on here who are not able to wear any of their stiletto heels out because they don't live in these cosmopolitan cities. What does surprise me however is their complete lack of willingness to adopt the cuban heel which at 3" passes as a mans heel (especially when put on a boot that is sold as a mans shoe). This knowledge that the shoe is made for a man is a huge psycological crutch that allows the wearer to walk out of the door in heels as much as you (kneehighs) do in your 4" stilettos.

Then again I also feel sorry for the members who will only consider stiletto heels and nothing else. Other than the right place and time, and these are rare (but if you know what you are doing you can make the most of them as does kneehighs) they are not going to be wearing heels with their normal daily wear. I came to this conclusion about 2 years or so ago as I was in the stiletto heels or nothing brigade myself. So I decided that the cuban heel was worth looking at and hey presto, I've been wearing between 2.75" and 3.5" heels ever since. Some are mens shoes and some are ladies that fit my foot, but none of them have an overly thin heel and so I wear them without a thought and more importantly I didn't care about what anyone else thought.

It harks back to the statement someone on HHP said (and I can't remember who to give them the credit) to look into the mirror and if you are happy stepping out in what you see, then so will everyone else be. This is so true.

Actually I do have a question and perhaps I sould start a thread to find out why - Just why is it that we men are so fixated on wearing stiletto heels. Nothing to do with looking at girls wearing stiletto heels, that is really obvious and much as been written on what the heel does for a gal. No it is why is it stilettos or nothing for men. There is a huge trade in the footwear, society knows about it, but sweeps it completely under the carpet. Talk about double standards, it seems to be a very Victorian attitude.

Simon.

k6ps, The Johnny boot is just superbly comfortable. Sure the heel could be higher and another 1/2" would be ideal. In the UK they are £400 and I am sure you could easily get a pair made for less than that. I may well look into that as a posibility as then the height of the heel can be what you want. The Johnny boot is pretty close to my dream. I like ankle boots. I like a cuban heel most of all as it is a really good shape for a man. I like heel height between 7 & 10cm as this gives good height without restriction to mobility - Going higher just restricts mobility and additional height gain is negligible. I also love the Archie Eyebrow oxford styling. It is a nicely pointed wingtip on a 7cm (don't believe the website) cuban heel and looks just amazing. It walks superbly too. As to my dream shoe to see on a woman - we are there right now, although I would restrict the platform to a maximum of 1.5cm as anything more looks clumsy and inelegant and a womans shoe should never be inelegant. Simon.