Puffer

34 minutes ago, tina said:

giaro slick essence in matte black.

Can't see them - too small!

24 minutes ago, Shyheels said:

They look like they would be very stable as well - which is probably why they aer comfortable.

The stiletto heels are (for once) the proper shape and in the correct position, which doubtless makes all the difference in stability and comfort in walking, quite apart from enhancing the appearance.

6 hours ago, Cali said:

We'll contact the authorities in Kent for you.

Thank you!   But do be careful if asking for 'the Chief Constable of Kent'.   It is all too easy to spoonerise the second and fourth words and get into a spot of bother.

4 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Or, if not, that's perfectly fine too. Though I am now curious about your wife's wedges. I thought she didn't do the high heel thing anymore?

My wife professes to now dislike high heels, partly for (alleged) reasons of comfort but more, alas, because she considers them inappropriate stylistically.   She is scathing about my liking for heels as an admirer and, equally, whenever I wear even my modest cuban heeled boots, which she considers ridiculous for someone 'of my age' etc.   She does occasionally wear a modest heel (especially on sandals or ankle boots) and used to like the wedge sandals in question, but they have not appeared for some time.   I quite expect her to roundly reject the new sandals, but I can only try.   (If I disappear after Christmas Day, you will know why!)

3 hours ago, LondnBootMan said:

...

Now regarding views expressed by ASOS range my opinion is that at least a mainstream retailer has started to feature men’s heeled boots. This must be positive. There are other outlets but it can be very, very hard to find them and as others said very expensive as its a niche but growing market.

...

Regarding the types of heels, I hear the views expressed, and there are some which I don't like but I do have a couple of real leather ankle boots which are perfect and very happy with. I've had many comments from both men and women that they like my ASOS boots.  (And especially my leather knee and crotch highs that were custom made as I've got wide feet).

...

I got my nose pierced (and others above the waist) years and years ago when it was hipster for the brave because I really liked it and still wear them today but now far more (younger) men have their noses pierced and nobody says anything adverse as its now considered normal. Heels will take more time to become standard kit for men but I do think they will break through. I love wearing my heels in London and when travelling around other parts of the UK and never got any adverse reaction but only positive comments.

 

I agree with nearly everything you say.   But I would differ regarding certain elements of appearance such as piercings and tattoos.   They may well be 'normal' (i.e. unexceptional, commonplace even) for men nowadays but that does not make them automatically considered attractive or accepted by the world at large.   I do agree with your implication that 'heels for men' will become more mainstream and more acceptable - and of course they are not permanent 'fixtures', unlike the body adornments that some find unattractive.

As a matter of interest, which ASOS boots do you have?   And what is your shoe size?

1 hour ago, pebblesf said:

True, I meant that he might appeal or be appreciated by "regular guys".   Sorry for stirring up so much controversy!

No apology needed.   Your clarification is appreciated - as are your invariably positive and constructive posts.

9 hours ago, Shyheels said:

If you said someone was “a regular guy” over here it would be understood to mean exactly what it does in the US - an everyday, rank and file sort of person.

“Regularity” is a term used to describe the frequency of bowl movements - and us a term used on both sides of the Atlantic.

The US use of 'regular' to mean ordinary, standard etc may be understood by many in the UK but it is not in common use, at least outside McDonalds etc (when purchasing a drink) or for some clothing sizes.   

And I think (hope) you mean 'bowel', not 'bowl'!   Some years ago, the local newspaper reporting a flower show said that a prize winner was awarded the 'Ethel Snooks Memorial Bowel' as a trophy.   It conjured up the image of something unpleasant preserved in a jar of formaldehyde!   And I also recall that Kelloggs Corn Flakes was advertised on TV by showing a London bus driver wolfing down a full bowl (not bowel!) before going on duty.   London Transport was asked by one viewer if it would feed his local drivers on All Bran instead to make the service 'more regular'.

11 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

... Sure, I'd wear them, though I'm still not sure about that square toe. Also, from experience, I think they would be rather better if they had a piece that went between the first two toes.

Thanks.   I rather agree about the squareish toe, and can understand a preference for a toe-post.   In fact, my wife has a pair of toe-post strappy wedges that I admire and I think you would approve of.   If I can locate them, I will provide a pic for your delectation.

You 'liked' my post, melrose, but would you wear those sandals I pictured?   Just curious, knowing your tastes.

21 hours ago, pebblesf said:

you are so right.....

Did anyone see Lenny Kravitz on last night's rock and roll hall of fame show?  Lenny does a great job promoting regular guys wearing heels, and he looked great.  Even Lionel Richie was rocking some ankle boots with mild heels.

pictures of lenny kravitz at rock and roll hall of fame induction - Google Search

I'm not sure what you mean by 'regular' here.   (In the UK, someone who is 'regular' has predictable bowel movements!)   From what I can see of Lenny Kravitz, his overall appearance is far from conventional/normal/regular and the inclusion of heels merely strengthens the prejudice against men wearing them.   I cringed when I saw his outfit.

I'm guessing that these mules would be something you would wear, melrose.   Size UK8; narrow 4" wedge heel; almond (pale cream) colour:

I spotted these during a shopping trip yesterday, reduced from £30 to £5 in 'Linzi'.   I HOPE my wife will wear them, although she will probably find an excuse not to.   But, for £5, worth a punt.

1 hour ago, Shyheels said:

I’m a writer. I prefer short sentences. But there are times when the flow of a longer supposedly run-on sentence just works better

I quite agree; there are many occasions where the thrust is lost if interrupted by a re-start.   And the semi-colon [see previous sentence] deserves greater use to allow connected thoughts to flow as one.

That said, I can think of two eminent men whose preference for short, sharp sentences was very effective in getting their points across:   Field Marshal Montgomery (particularly when addressing his troops before a battle), and Lord Denning (in his judgments).

2 hours ago, at9 said:

Reference please. Did it actually happen or was it a made up story?

It was a press item from three or four years ago, as I recall.   The venue was somewhere in Nottinghamshire.   I can't now find a specific reference online.   It was reported as fact (and perfectly credible at the time) but it may have been a wind-up.

5 hours ago, Shyheels said:

I've heard "vertically challenged" in use over here.

4 hours ago, at9 said:

"Vertically challenged" is certainly used in the UK. Usually in a humorous or sarcastic way. Other useful euphemisms include "horizontally challenged" and "hard of thinking".

Yes, those terms are (alas) used in the UK, and often seriously.   My point was that they are unneccessary and imprecise.   Too much PC-speak nowadays, e.g. the  pantomime that a certain Council insisted was renamed 'Snow Green and the Seven Persons of Restricted Growth'.

On 10/10/2022 at 10:28 PM, Cali said:

Went kayaking over the weekend. When I got to the parking lot, I hopped out of my car and started to untie my kayaks. The English chap loading his kayaks onto the truck next to mine shout out, "I need those shoes."  I had my worn out 4" wedges on and he was vertically challenged, needing a stool to reach the top of his roof.  We laughed.

If he really was English, he certainly wasn't 'vertically challenged' - just 'short'.

1 hour ago, Shyheels said:

Nothing too wrong with the occasional run-on sentence. Even Hemingway has an 83-word sentence in one of his novels ...

Indeed.   Inadvisable.

2 hours ago, kneehighs said:

...

How out of touch everyone here seems because they project their own tastes onto the broader market acceptance.

...

Perhaps that is simply because most people here have a balanced and sensible view of style - what works and what doesn't in everday real life.

Acceptance by the (unwashed) 'broader market' is not the same as good taste.   In the UK (London in particular), there is alas a fast-growing incidence of serious knife crime - broader indulgence/acceptance by a despicable minority but scarcely in good taste.

1 hour ago, at9 said:

Yet more reaction to my Asos leopard print boots. My wife and I went to an event in central London last night. We spoke to a woman who was wearing some very sparkly 3" stiletto shoes. She said she had seen me on the way from the tube to the venue and had hoped to meet the guy in the leopard boots.

On offer right now at £49.00. All sizes except UK12.   3" heel claimed.   Does your wife approve of them - and of men in heels in general?

15 hours ago, at9 said:

In the UK there is an absolute right to return goods ordered online for a full refund. I think the time limit is 14 days but it might be 30. The person who bought them originally presumably didn't get round to returning them in time.

There are other possible explanations for why they ended in a charity shop but that seems the simplest.

The right to cancel must be exercised within 14 days of the date of delivery.   You then have a further 14 days to return the unwanted item.
I quite often see on a product review page a comment from someone who didn't like what was bought online, or that it was not as ordered/expected or was defective, and said that he simply 'threw it in the bin'.   A complete waste of money when there was a clear right to a refund, assuming that the item was not so cheap that returning it was not worthwhile.

5 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

Why are these heels too extreme for you? Is only because you can't handle the height or is it because you're worried about what others think?

Hopefully the prior as a little, I mean little, practice and you shouldn't have any issues. These are really not very high relative to men's sizes. If it's the latter, then it's unfortunate and  part of the problem.

If those boots were made in a plain black or dark brown (with no silver toe trim), I would consider them a wearable style, although possibly a little too high for lengthy outside jaunts (which would not be known until I tried them).   I would be concerned about the reaction of others if the whole boot was clearly visible, but much could be concealed under suitable bootcut trousers, which is how I would expect to wear anything like these.

14 hours ago, at9 said:

Asos have a lot of men's boots with heels. The highest, at 5", is this example which to my mind is hideous: https://www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-heeled-chelsea-boots-in-stone-monogram-print-with-toecap-detail/prd/202817383?clr=stone&colourWayId=202817388&SearchQuery=mens+heels

I was aware of the growing ASOS offerings with heels - of various styles and heights - but hadn't spotted the new one you link.   I agree that they are hideous in terms of the pattern, although the overall style and heel is quite appealing, albeit too extreme for public wearing for most men, including me.   What I had in mind as a possible (and affordable) 'ASOS winner' is a close copy of the YSL boots with a heel of around 3.5".   There is nothing quite like that from ASOS at present, but who knows ...

2 hours ago, Cali said:

I was just looking at their website to see how many heels they have, That's the only one, the Ziggy. But at  $1450 I'll pass and buy 10 to 20 heels for that price. 

https://www.ysl.com/en-us/boots/ziggy-zipped-boots-in-patent-leather-709047AAAPQ6012.html

I can't see the Ziggy being too popular with men, even assuming they can afford $1,450!   Saint Laurent is also listing several ankle boots with 3" slim block heels that are somewhat more restrained in appearance, albeit still $1,250+.   I expect ASOS will produce something similar and much more affordable ...

12 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Again, you misinterpret what I say. I am making no absolutist claims, nor am I claiming to have conducted a survey. I am merely pointing out that in my personal experience the prevalence of heel hearing among gay men is the same as that among straight men - zero, or virtually zero. None of my friends or acquaintances wear heels, or if they do they keep it very much to themselves.

it’s an observation the vast majority of people could make.

The point is there is no logic in associating heel wearing with gayness, as gays do not seem to wear heels any more than anyone else.

Why are you surprised that the feminine lesbians I know do not wear heels? Are you seriously suggesting that a woman who doesn’t wear heels is deliberately trying to look less feminine? Seriously? I know very few women at all who wear heels - most women don’t these days, for a wide variety of reasons, but I very much doubt that an attempt to appear less feminine is one of them.

We both appear to accept that there is no direct link between sexual preference/identity and heel-wearing.    Fine: that is a non-contentious and reasonable conclusion.

I have not suggested that the position is otherwise, but your original reference to your understanding of the 'zero' heeling activity amongst your gay and lesbian acquaintances did suggest otherwise - by effectively eliminating any heel-wearing where, statistically, some at least would be expected.   There is a difference between 'zero' and 'virtually zero' and I am at a loss therefore as to why you made the point as it does not support the accepted situation as we both believe it to be.

As to women in general wearing heels or otherwise, I certainly do suggest that heels remain an important aspect of 'femininity' - although not of course the only or main one.   I did not (and do not) say that a non-heel-wearing woman is trying to look less feminine on that account, although if that is her aim, avoiding heels will be a help.   The popularity of high heels (or their universality in everyday situations) has certainly declined but they remain one of the hallmarks of femininity which most women recognise, even if they do not necessarily subscribe - and sometimes roundly criticise or even despise.   

5 hours ago, Shyheels said:

I never said or even implied that no gays wear heels. I said that none of the gay people I knew wore heels. Taking that as a representative sample I would say that the prevelance of heel-wearing among gays is about the same as that among straight men  - which is to say, very little. And given that, the assumption by the rank-and-file that a man in heels must be gay is an ignorant one. You could, with just as much logic, make an assumption that a man in heels must be a diabetic.   

And by the way, lesbians are not trying to emulate men, although some may appear "mannish". There are plenty of femiine lesbians and of the ones I know, not a single one wears heels. THat is not to say there are not those who do, just that once again the prevalence of heel wearing appears to be the same in the population overall, regardless of orientation.  

I don't doubt your particular observations but, with respect, you put forward your samples as being representative - demonstrating that neither gays nor lesbians wear heels - whilst also admitting that they were NOT, on the basis that heel-wearing amongst such people was in truth likely to be much the same as the population as a whole.   You cannot have it both ways!   I certainly accept that heel-wearing is not clearly linked to sexual orientation.   

My previous reference to lesbians was clearly to those who appear 'mannish' if and when they try to emulate a man, which of course not all lesbians do.   But I do find it most surprising that no 'feminine' lesbian you know wears heels, suggesting that they are intentionally LESS feminine in appearance than typical heterosexual women, many of who do wear heels.  

13 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Yes, this assumption that if you wear heels you must be gay is really rather odd. I have quite a few gay and lesbian friends and not a single one of them wears heels.  

You make a good point, but your logic is inverted.  (I am reminded of 'All policemen smoke pipes.   My neighbour smokes a pipe, so he must be a policeman'.)  👨‍🎓 

 If 'I'm gay and I never wear heels' is a true statement (as your 'researches' suggest, although it cannot be a universal situation), it does not follow that 'I wear heels so I cannot be gay' is false.   😖

Moreover, a lesbian, if trying her best to emulate a man, is very unlikely to wear heels, so a denial would be normal to hear.

23 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Indeed. And these days, in terms of public statements, the best option is to say nothing or else something so anodyne that nobody could possibly take issue with it.

I have not yet read the article.   In general terms, it is sad that so many people seem to take offence (often totally vicariously) at an article or other pronouncement with which they simply disagree, regardless of how moderately and logically it is expressed.   We seem to be degenerating into a world of extremists who are incapable of even listening to anything but their own gospel.   (And my view of extremists is that they should all be put against a wall and shot!)