Spikes

I love to shop thrift stores for heels.  Savers is my favorite because they keep their shoes by size and prices are always in the $3-$10 range.  You all are correct, that the size I wear (10 women) is fairly limited in selection, but I have been lucky on occasion.

When I go in I look at all of the shoes from size 5 on up and always check out the highest heels.  What amazes me, is how unused most of these shoes are.  There usually is very little wear on the sole.  I don't know if it is because as others have said, they are just too high and uncomfortable and therefore, donated to second hand stores or maybe they were worn one time for a wedding and discarded.  I still like the second hand shoe aisles because I try to picture who bought the heels and how they looked on them.

My first encounter with heels was in the second grade.  I was at a friends house and we were playing hide and seek.  When it was my turn to hide, I snuck into his big sisters closet.  She must have been in her late teens.  When I closed the door, it was dark and I was standing among her large collection of high heels on the floor.  For some reason I picked one up and the sweet smell of leather, perfume and sweat overwhelmed me.  This was way before I know what being turned on was all about, but something in my head switched on and I was hooked.

Subsequent encounters involved me housesitting for the next door neighbor.  She had some spectacular heels.  I was probably 12 or 13 at the time.  I recall laying by her closet, pulling different stilettos out of shoe boxes and holding them to my nose while I played with myself.

I'm in my late 60's now and have a small collection of heels that I wear on occasion, but those old memories feel like they were just yesterday.  Amazing how strong that imprinting was at such an early age.

I guess my statement is more honest than my signature line.  Do I dream of wearing 4-5 inch classic pumps in public? Hell yes.  Have I done it?  Of course, but only in very controlled environments.  What I really mean is that I'm comfortable wearing ankle boots with a 3 inch heel in more public places than stilettos.

I voted myself as a #2 for a couple of reasons.  Since my wife, family and friends know nothing of my heel wearing, I'm reluctant to be exposed by one of them.  There are two types of heeling that I like to do.  When I'm wearing ankle boots with a blade or stiletto heel, I feel more comfortable in public because they seem more discreet.  But my real love is 5 inch stiletto pumps and that's where the problem lies.  Somehow I have it in my mind that the ankle boots are more acceptable and less obvious.  The stiletto pumps though are obviously totally feminine, which is why I like to wear them so much.  I can go into a department store wearing the ankle boots and feel comfortable, but am totally self conscious about the stiletto pumps and have never tried to wear them in public for fear of ridicule.

Recently, I found a website www.omegle.com that allows you to video chat with strangers. The website claims that there are usually over 20,000 people on-line at any given time. When you log on, you connect with someone, you see their camera and they see yours. The whole thing is totally random and either person can leave the chat and move on to the next stranger. Still being a bit uncomfortable with public heeling, I've started wearing heels for these video chats. Typically, I will wear 4-5 inch stilettos with jet black pantyhose and a short skirt. I focus the camera on my legs and shoes so as not to identify myself. The question that comes up 90% of the time is "What, are you gay?". Of course, I say no, I'm straight and that I just like to wear heels. Why do people think you have to be gay to wear heels? With the exception of the frustrating stereotype that these strangers try to put me in, the experience has been mostly positive as it has led to some interesting discussion about high heels. These are a pair of heels that I've worn on Omegle.com

Added my location today. From looking at the map, I feel like I live in "no man's land". Tell me it isn't true.

I'm not sure if this link has been posted before, but I ran across this compilation of the wildest assortment of high heels. I wonder if anyone in the group owns a pair shown in the video.

This thread reminded me of something I tried a couple of years ago. I placed an ad in the Clothing section of Craigslist. I think the title was "Let's go shoe shopping" in which I proceeded to offer a pair of free high heels to any woman who would go shoe shopping with me. The only caveat was that I got to pick the store. I was surprised at the number of replies I got, finally settling on one very interesting lady named Veronica. She said she loved to shop for shoes, so we decided to meet at Burlington. I knew that all of the shoes range in the $20-$30 price. It was so exciting to share my fetish with a perfect stranger and she enjoyed it also. We went shopping on three different occasions, she tried on many pair of sexy heels and she always went home with free pair. She said I was fun to shop with and had a great eye for shoes. Unfortunately, she moved out of town. Maybe that was a good thing. I could have gone broke buying her heels.

As I said in an earlier post on this board, I finally purchased a pair of "practical heels" to begin my ventures out in public. If I could, I would prefer to parade around in 5 inch stilettos, but have been way too shy for that. So these heels are black leather ankle boots with a 3 inch heel. I wear longer pants, but the heels are still pretty exposed. So far, I've been to K-Mart, shopping, gas stations, the post office and feel very comfortable in them. There have been a few looks, but nothing negative. I'd really like some comments from people who notice because that's what we're all probably interested in, but nothing so far. Toning it down a bit made a big difference in my courage level.

LOL Touche

I was having trouble falling asleep last night. In trying to occupy my mind with something other than problems, I started trying to put together the longest description I could think of for a pair of heels. Here it is: Black patent closed toe hidden platform stiletto heel zip up thigh high leather boots (14 words) I couldn't come up with anything longer. Perhaps someone else would like to take a stab at it.

If I might add my two cents. Up until this week, I have always been reluctant to sport high heels in public. Of course my favorite style would be a 4-5 inch stiletto pump which I am certain would draw attention. It occurred to me that a more sensible shoe might give me a bit more confidence than parading around in stiletto pumps. On Monday, I found a great pair of black leather ankle boots with a rounded toe and 3 inch medium heel. Since purchasing the shoes, I can't seem to get enough of walking in them in public. Yes, they still look like a women's shoe, but the look is less radical than the stiletto pump and I feel much more comfortable wearing them in public. I wear boot cut jeans that are slightly long, so most of the shoe is concealed, but the sound of the heel as I walk around people in department stores is incredibly sexy to me. I don't know why I hadn't tried this approach before. I feel that confidence building with each trip into public spaces.

I first remember Springolators when I was maybe 6 or 7 years old back in the 50's. My parents were throwing a party with people from the neighborhood. I was fascinated by one of the ladies who was wearing this shoe that I'd never seen before. She could walk perfectly in them and I couldn't understand why. It was only sometime later when I began to visit the thrift stores in the 60's that I realized what made them work....that little elastic strap under the arch of your foot. I still remember this neighbor at another party taking one of her springolators off and pretending to whack the gentleman's hand that was sitting next to her. As a kid looking on, it was very mysterious to me and I wondered why all of the adults were laughing at her antics.

I've only done this once, but it was a great experience. I went into a nail salon that had 4 beautiful Vietnamese ladies doing the work. I was wearing a pair of black 4" blade ankle boots with a slightly pointy toe. The woman who did me was wearing a pair of silver mules with about a 3 inch heel. I told her how much I liked her shoes, but she didn't comment about my boots. All of the ladies were chatting in their language and I'm sure they were talking about my heels because there were looks and giggles from them. I really wish that they had been more curious about my heels as they lay there in plain sight for the whole pedicure. When she was finished, she asked what color I wanted my toenails to be painted. i opted for clear, but I think it was her admission that because of my heels, i might be interested in some nail polish more feminine looking. The fact that there wasn't a conversation about my heels, I attribute to their shyness. Still a great experience.

Unfortunately the store was only there temporarily for closeout shoes. I've subsequently used the "company skit" story for other shoe shopping experiences, but have never had a sales clerk as playful and eager to see me in heels as these two did. Many in the group have said excuses for trying on shoes are unnecessary and in recent years I've tried to follow that advice.

I think my first shopping experience (and still the most exciting) was at least 30 years ago. I went into a closeout shoe store and told the two female sales clerks that I was looking for a pair of high heels to wear for a company sales meeting where I had to dress as a prostitute for a skit. Well they helped me find this great pair of strappy sandals with about a 4 inch heel. At the sales counter they said they would give me a 10% discount on the shoes if I would try them on and model for them. This being my first public venture into a shoe store, I chickened out and paid full price. Here were two attractive clerks prodding me to model the shoes for them and I blew it. Boy do I wish I had the chance to do that one over again. I'm still a bit nervous trying on shoes in stores, but have never been coaxed like that again in 30 years.

The closest I've come was a couple of months ago in a Mall. I always like the check out the shoes in Aldo. When I entered, there was this guy comparing heel heights of various stilettos by standing the shoes next to one another. Although he wasn't wearing any nor did he ask to try any on, I was fascinated to find someone doing the same thing I like to do in an Aldo. He walked out, so I followed him to another store where he did the same thing. I told myself, if he did it in another store, that I would approach him to discuss our mutual interests. I thought he was heading to Macy's shoe dept. so I took an alternate route to the shoe dept. When I got there, he was nowhere to be seen. I still kick myself for not approaching him at the second store. I'm sure we would have had many things in common.

When did the documentary originally air?

This find must have been posted on this site before, but in case it hasn't, I found a very interesting video on the History and Designers of High Heels. It is a documentary by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and is quite good. It runs about 45 minutes and has some great shots of heels and interviews with ladies who have huge collections.

http://www.babelgum.com/4020526/high-heel-confidential.html

hope you enjoy it!

It was the term spring-o-lators in the title of this thread that caught my eye. I was probably no more that 6 or 7 when I first noticed them. The neighbor behind our house wore springolators exclusively and I was always enfatuated by the elastic band in the shoe that helped to keep them on her feet. But what was more memorable to me was the slapping sound that the shoes made on the bottom of her feet as the elastic pulled the shoe back into place. I remember one pair in particular. They were black patent with a gold metal tipped heel. One evening when my parents were throwing a party for the neighborhood, she wore them. As the evening wore on, and the adults were sitting around joking and having fun, she took one of the shoes off and pretended to use the heel of it as a weapon on one of the male guests. The combination of her holding it in her hand and seeing her walking in them has made me a long time admirer of springolators.

I'm always looking for women to compliment on their choice of footwear. Unfortunately when I find one, I feel like a stalker because I'm trying to get up enough nerve to speak to her. I'm not sure if I have ever been noticed that way, but certainly have no intention of making it look inappropriate. A couple of weeks ago there was a woman wearing these great platform mules in a store and rather than follow until for the opportune moment, I just quickly walked up to her and told her how much I admired her shoes. She said thanks. I noticed a detail on the shoe that I hadn't seen from a distance and asked her if the zipper was actually functional. She replied that they were functional, but didn't need to unzip them to get the mule off of her foot. She then proceeded to demonstrate bysliding the shoe off and put it back on. I asked her who made the shoe and she said they were Jessica Simpson. I again complimented her and we parted. I think she would have been willing to continue the conversation, but my nervousness cut things short. I wish the encounter had lasted longer.

I have always sought stores with female sales associates, so I can't really speak to the benefits of male sales associates. All of the females I have encountered in stores are very helpful, but that's probably because I seek their opinion and love to show off in the heels. The comment I hear most often is how well I can walk in the heels. I'm usually shopping for 5 inches or higher. As for age of the clerk, I try to stay away from very young ones (I don't want them to be uncomfortable) and much older women because they tend to be more judgemental.

The first pair of heels I actually bought in a store were tan 5 inch mules with a half inch platform sole. I wasn't really looking for tan, it was just the highest heel in the store. The store was a closeout shoe store and their inventory was laid out in boxes on the floor with the matching shoe on top. After I'd found my size (size 10), I took it up to the lady at the cash register. I made up some lame excuse that they were for a Halloween costume. She called the other female clerk over to the register to look at the shoes and tell her my story. Then out of the blue, they said they would give me a 20% discount if I would model the shoes for them, but it was very early in my heeling adventures and I politely declined as I didn't want to appear eager. If only I had the chance to do it over, I would have gladly paraded around in front of them. The store has long since closed.

Yesterday I felt extremely adventurous and decided to go for a pedicure which I have done in the past, but this time I decided to wear by black 3.5 inch blade ankle boots into the nail salon. As I was walking from my car to the salon, I passed a very cute Asian girl getting out of her car. She didn't notice my heels, but I certainly noticed the 4 inch glittery mules she was wearing. I smiled and followed her into the nail salon. Well, as luck would have it, she was one of the salon technicians and was just coming to work. I asked if I could get a pedicure, so she seated me, dropped her purse and started filling the spa basin with water. There were three other technicians in the salon and none of them had customers. I was the only one there. I took off my boots and made placed them next to the chair in a conspicuous manner. All of the girls were speaking Vietnamese, so I don't know if they were talking about my shoes or not, but they were certainly animated in their discussion. When I had the opportunity, I told my girl that I really loved her high heels. She giggled. Then I told her that I bet she wore a size 5 and she was amazed that I'd guessed her shoe size correctly. I told her I was pretty good at that. She finished the pedicure and I slipped my high heeled boots back on. One of the other technicians said she liked my boots, so I walked to the back of the shop to show them to her. She giggled and said something in Vietnamese to the others. I paid them $20 for the pedicure and walked out of the store. It was well worth the $20 to receive all of that attention from four very pretty ladies.....and a great pedicure to boot. Maybe next time I will ask them to paint my toenails.

This is a great thread that brings back many fond memories of my love for high heels. Although my interests in heels have changed over the years, my first memories feel like they happened just yesterday. My first awareness of heels was 1955 in the 2nd grade. I was playing hide and seek at a friends house and had hidden in his older sisters closet. All I remember was standing among all of her shoes, most of them high heels and the wonderful smell of perfume and leather that permeated the closet as i stood there there in the dark with the door closed. From that day forward, heels have been on my mind. I think my second encounter with heels was at a party at my parent's house. I was probably 7 or 8 at the time and this neighbor had on a pair of heels I'd never seen before. I later learned that they were called Spring-o-lators. She was being teased by someone at the party so she took off her heel and pretended to use the heel to attack the person who was teasing her. My last prepubescent experience was sighting the mother of my best friend as she prepared for work. We were playing in the living room and she came out wearing nothing but a merrywidow, stockings and these beautiful 3 inch stiletto pumps. At the time, I couldn't understand why my groin was tingling. As I went through high school and college, I found myself most interested in the girls who wore the highest heels. I even had a habit of stealing my girlfriends high heels just to have them in my possession. I wasn't until I was in my late 30's that I started wearing high heels. And when I discovered that I really liked how they felt, it made me wonder why it took so many years to make that discovery. My first heels were a pair of teal satin pumps that I found in a second hand store in my size. I was wearing them in my car the week before Halloween when a couple of young ladies stopped me and asked me for a ride. I said sure. When they got in the car, they immediately noticed my heels and couldn't stop offering compliments about how great they looked on me. I made excuses that the heels were for a costume party. They even asked me if I could get out of the car and walk around for them. From that moment forward, I became a wearer. I'm in my 60's now and the collection has grown to about 20 pair over the years. My favorite thing to do is wear them with my "man clothes" of boot cut jeans and walk into department stores, convenience stores and basically anywhere that they might get noticed. My favorite style is classic closed toe stiletto pumps with at least a 4 inch heel. I also adore low cut boots with a similar look. The interest in this particular style probably came from my first experiences because stiletto pumps first began to appear in the late 50's to early 60's