heidi.bier

I’ve got at least two pairs of boots that have laces which need undoing all the way down to get my feet into them. There’s one thigh length pair and another knee length one. It definitely adds to my getting-ready time. Yes, thigh boots do keep you warmer, but that can be an advantage for evenings out in the winter in these parts. My usual everyday outfit is a long Goth girl skirt (I’m particularly fond of some of these http://www.daregothic.co.uk/Skirts%20shop/skirts1.php) and a little top with narrow shoulder straps, in a sort of tank or bustier style, so with my skirt swishing about and bare arms, my body has lots of opportunity to keep cool. Of course, if I get cold I put jackets on, or long sleeved tops, but I can always peel these off if I get too hot.

No, I’ve never liked slides or mules much, with all due respect to the people here who favour them! As far as I’m concerned, part of the pleasure of shoes is the way they change the shape of your body. When I was a little girl I remember seeing ladies wearing pumps (or courts as they were called in this country) and thinking they were so sophisticated. I like the way I can be barefoot one moment, looking all Bohemian in funky nail varnish and toe rings, and then put my shoes on and all of a sudden my posture changes and my feet are all sleek and sexy, with killer heels. I’d never get that feeling with my toes sticking out of the end of something!

Yes, I like riding boots too, but I haven't got any at the moment. So much footwear, so little time . . .

Alexa

You have an interesting style Alexa! Layering was all the rage in fashion in both last year as well as this year and to go with bare arms when you want to be cooler and have a jacket to throw on over top of that allows you to be ready for any type of climate. Especially if it is hot outside and then once you step inside, the air conditioner makes the climate frigid.

Since your long over the knee boots require a lot of lacing to be done, how often do you wear them? Do guys have any patience for the laces?

Speaking of thigh highs, that's one pair of boots I have yet to wear. I'll bet it gets hot inside even more right? As compared to knee highs.

I am just like you Karen, I do not have any boots that are higher then my knee. I think some of the non-fetish looking over the knee boots look great but I am too shy to try something so bold and daring.

Given the fact you like shoes you can slide off in seconds, I take it over the knees is not for you either, right Karen?

I'll wear socks with my boots too. But they're usually the ankle socks except for the thick ones. Mainly the light weight variety. I like to look like I'm not wearing anything with boots and hide the fact that I'm wearing socks underneath it, hehe. For some reason, guys seem to like girls wearing boots barefooted.

Guys like: See women wear as little as possible

Girls like: To wear as little as possible to look sexy

Karen, I see why you would want to try to hide your ankle socks inside your boots so it looks like you are wearing less.

I started to wear boots when I started to like heels. Boots allow me to hide pantyhose and socks inside without it being too obvious I am so covered up. Of course guys who like to stare at legs must hate me with a passion as I like to wear skirts that are knee length and longer and then wear pantyhose then wear boots that go up to my knees so they have nothing to look at.

Yes, it's surprising how quickly a little microclimate builds up inside your shoes or boots and how cool it feels when you take them off. I know what you mean, even though I go barefoot often, there's that sudden feeling of openness and vulnerability when you slip a shoe off or unzip a boot. Feet are very sensual objects in some ways, and very sensitive to temperatures and textures.

Alexa

The term 'microclimate' is a very apt term for describing the environment inside a shoe or boot. The temperature really can be very different from the outside environment. I wore a little black dress and my knee high fur trim high heeled dress boots to a party yesterday. Since there was dancing involved, I also wore skin tone dancers pantyhose as well as a pair of thick wool socks for padding. The warmer it got inside my boots, the more sensitive my feet became!!! If an expert masseuse or reflexologist were to expertly touch the right places on my hot and sensitive feet, they could make almost make me ...... *blush*, well, that is a story for another day

Today, I went out on a date with a guy for the first time in awhile. We were walking along the Santa Monica Pier when I accidently stumbled in my heels because one of the heels got caught between a wedge on the ground. My foot popped out and almost fell. I felt so embarrased! So this guy picked up my shoe and I caught him smelling it, lol!!!

He got lucky and didn't even have to try to take my shoes off because they already are off, ha. That's the last time he's trying that. I barely know this guy.

Karen, you are cute, you get embarrassed when your heels fall off on a date?

I know thin heels look sexy but easily get caught in things. You are good in that you can balance in very high thin heels! I take it this guy you went on a date with really appreciated the effort you took to look good, dress up nicely and wear the very high heels?

That reminds me of a few experiences I had in my student days. Once I was at a party and one of my acquaintances decided that he would like to try that old Hollywood scenario of drinking champagne from a high heeled shoe – mine in particular. After a little play fighting my legs were grasped firmly by his companions, my shoes removed and before I could struggle upright, they’d poured champagne into them and were drinking out of my favourite pair of pumps. They didn’t stop at champagne either. I think beer, wine and orange juice were involved too. Eventually, they tired of the game and I got my shoes back. As you might imagine, they were all wet and sticky for the rest of the night, and on the way home, despite my wiping them out with tissues. The shoes were never quite the same again. On another occasion, again at a party, I was sitting at a table and one of my male friends bent down, grabbed my shoes by the heels and whipped them off. He ran through the house, brandishing them like a trophy, with me following behind trying to avoid treading in broken glass and spilled food. He ran out the back and threw my shoes in a garden pond. I had to hike my skirt up and go wading in to retrieve them. I can’t help feeling that there’s some sort of sexual or fetishistic undertone to all this.

Now my social life no longer involves drunken students I find that my high heels and I are treated with a great deal more respect. By contrast, I find that boyfriends are more likely to want me to keep my heels on, especially when things progress towards the bedroom. But that’s a story for another day.

Alexa

Party girl Alexa!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny story about the guys wanting to drink out of your heels. They weren't afraid of getting bacteria infection or that you will take your heel and conk them on the head, HARD?! haha

What kind of heels do you like to wear on dates now Alexa?

Do guys actually ask you to keep the heels on everywhere you go, even at home when you are around the modern day, non-caveman like guys?

Cinnamon, these days, are you going more with hold up stockings, stockings that clips to a garter belt or just bare legs? What seems to be popular in the UK these days, or more particularly London, one of the fashion capitals of the world?

Prior to discovering how comfortable it is to wear 3" heels with a pair of padded boots instead of pumps, I would wear pantyhose with my lower heeled pumps and could just slide into them, then step down to make sure the pump is fully on. Now it seems, whenever I go out, I am always wearing padded zip up high heel boots so no shoe play for me other then rotating my ankle and letting guys at my office try to guess what kind of socks I have on by slightly lowering the zip on my boots at work haha

It's either the strappy shoes or boots. Both take time, but I believe for me, it's the straps that tend to take the most time. At least with boots, you just slide in, kind of readjust the panythose you're wearing, and zip up. With straps, depends on how many you have to adjust, haha.

Really? Interesting, I am the opposite. When I come home from work and I change from my high heel boots to my comfy flat boots, I might have to adjust my pantyhose & socks when I take off my boots.

You said you need to re-adjust your pantyhose when you put your boots on? Do your pantyhose bunch up when you put them on?

I‘ve got some boots with laces that take a while to get off and on, because they have no zips and I’m forced to re-thread the laces every time. I tend not to wear them in to work, because I like to be able to slip things on and off quickly, but if I’m going out socialising or to a party in the evening I’ll put them on because I know I’m going to be wearing them for several hours and it makes the extra time with the laces worthwhile.

Alexa

I am surprised Alexa, I would have thought you would like slides for when you go socializing so you can simply slide them off when you are sitting down and slide them back on when you get up. I never knew you were a lace up boots person.

I find riding boots really comfortable when on but because they are slide on, they take a long long time to get off for me.

Great post Alexa. I completely agree with you about how important a car is. I am glad you posted about the wet wipes as I too find them indispensable in the car. I need to go to the grocery store and pick up a new plastic container of wet wipes. They are useful for everything from wiping my hands prior to eating to making sure salt or dirt stains do not permanently mark up my boots on days with bad weather. Karen, Alexa, everyone, what do you find to be the 3 most useful items in your car? For me, 1. wet wipes (wipes dirt, salt off my boots, used most often, wipes hands) 2. maps (in case I drive into an area I am not familiar with) 3. pantyhose (spare pantyhose is useful in case one pair gets a run)

It is amazing how many people will notice what brands you are wearing even if the brand name is not extremely obvious on some products. Brands like Miss Sixty, Coach, Calvin Klein usually have a buckle or zipper accessory that denotes their brands but I know of many other brand names that do not clearly denote their brand, especially on footwear. I take it Bebe Liza's are easy to identify?

Ya, people seem to make negative comments especially about the metal heels. I have em, I've worn em out in the past, and the minute I'm on a wood floor its like 'Miss, you can't wear those type of heels in here'. 'Why not"? "Miss, you're ruining the floor with them!". ::sighs:: "FINE!"...all the while thinking I'd like to stomp on their foot with my heel.Plus of course the looks just got to be too annoying.

Where did you encounter a situation where they made you take off your heels? Was it a museum? Shopping mall? Office? Clinic?

Alexa, thanks for the very helpful details! I'm very grateful and I think you've convinced me. One other thing, do they seem like stripper heels? This isn't remotely a bad thing, but it might be worth knowing. Glad you're so happy with them-they're adorable!

Do strippers even wear shoes? I thought they just wore a bathrobe which they strip off LOL

I like your analogy Alexa of your car being an extension of your hand bag. I am too, although to a lesser extent. How many pairs of flats do you keep in your car? What other supplies do you keep in your car? I try to avoid keeping makeup in the car as I am afraid some of the more expensive products might go bad given how the car gets hot during the day in the parking lot when I am not driving it.

Yup, that concludes the theory. Most California girls don't mind getting their feet wet since flip flops is the de facto shoe year round there

I guess so. I mean, we wear whatever we want. There are certain dress codes, but we all know to dress appropriately and still look good at the same time. We don't dress super sexy and all that, just super casual. We've never had a problem with dressing what we want though.

Think back to your prom Karen. Was it in California? If so, did you go on a full length ball gown or did you just go in a sexy dress with mini skirt?

I think your friends might have a point Heidi. After reading about how well wrapped up you are, and how you only dare undo your zipper a short way, I feel like saying 'Go on, be a devil and take your boots off at work!' The world won't come to an end!

I dare you!

All the best,

Alexa

LOL Alexa, you are funny!

At work today, I wore a deep purple dress that had an elegant frilly long skirt. I matched that with a thick black waist cinch and my fur lined knee length boots with 3" silver heel. After doing a presentation in the board room, I was walking back to my desk when I felt the supposed knee length wool sock in my right boot slide down and was slightly bunched up around my ankles. I waited for an opportunity when no one was around. Then I quickly pulled my skirt to knee level, unzipped my boot, straightened my long purple sock which took some time as it was inside my pantyhose and quickly zipped my boot back up.

The moment I unzipped my fur lined boots, I felt a rush of cold air rush in. I realized the temperature inside my boots is quite different from what it is in the office. Perhaps I am not only shy, I am used to having really warm legs.

Yes, I hear about the key aluminum ingredients in antipersparents too and how it may have that cause. I've always just gotten away with body spray, perfume, and lotions. Luckily, I don't sweat much since i work in an office all day where it's ALWAYS cold!!

What temperature do they set the air conditioning at in your office?

I am not goth but I find that most of my shoe collection is black. In a distant second place comes brown and then there is only a light smattering of white, red, silver or other colors ...... I know black is easy to match with everything but perhaps I need to go shopping for more colors. Is it like that with everyone else too? Mainly black, then brown and few other colors?

For all your shoes in your collection, what kind of shoe takes the most time to remove? How many seconds does it take you to remove them? Because those shoes take so long to remove, do you tend to wear them less?

Was she wearing nylons? I know with nylons, shoes can slide on or off a LOT quicker. For some of my pull on boots that do not have zippers, buckles or laces, I always wear them with my pantyhose on the outside and my wool socks on the inside. The pantyhose allow them to slide on or off quicker. Especially at night, prior to jumping into bed, I do not want to spend several minutes wrestling to get my riding boots or cowgirl boots off before I sleep. With my wool socks inside my pantyhose, the second advantage is that when I pull off tight boots, my socks don't go flying off as well, forcing me to retrieve my socks and put them back on before sleeping.

I have casual boots that I wear after work or on weekends that are a knee high cowgirl or English riding boot inspired style pull on boot that are very hard to take off. Here is a boot similar to the ones I am talking about.

http://www.zappos.com/frye-frankie-buckle-boot-tan

If I wear something like that with extra padding that includes thick socks and padded pantyhose, those boots might not come off in the 5 second time range like your pumps or strappy shoes ..........

Alexa, have you ever practiced that one flick and your heels are off. One flick and your heels are back on move you saw on television? I think it would be a cool move to have. I could never do that with the high heel boots I wear, there are just too many moves required to get them on or off.

Haha, yeah. I would have to go in fishnets though to bring out the "vampire" in me. Seems like all the women vampires in the movies are always so sexy.

You can be the hot vampire in red dress, red fishnets & red heels.

I can be the innocent vampire in a white dress, white fishnets, white boots.

hahaha ..... let the drooling begin

Hi Alexa,

Since you are going for the goth look, are all your clothes, shoes and makeup black? I can see the time saved in not having to worry about color co-ordinating everything.

You mentioned you alternate between some Pleaser Teeze strappy pumps, some Bebe Liza pumps, some Office ‘Big Fun’ pumps and a pair of their Paradise open lace ups lately. Do you keep them all at the office under your desk so each time you step out, you can do a fashion show by wearing new high heel sandals?

As for myself, I would dare unzipping my boots only halfway down on a really hot day if no one was around. If I was wearing just one or two pairs of pantyhose underneath my boots, then it is fine. If I wore my wool socks as well as pantyhose inside my boots for padding that day, then I wouldn't want others to see the thick wool socks I have on inside, it doesn't seem to match with the rest of my outfit LOL

I love the cute car perfumes! I have one with the bottle designed like a cute bird and the fresh smell comes out when the wings are spread. When the wings are closed, the vents are closed and no cute smell comes out. My guy friend has car perfume of a Converse sneaker. I always joke saying his car perfume makes his car smell bad hahaha Does your perfume smell get into your car Karen?

Haha, yeah. Sometimes I type like I talk. It just comes to me and next thing you know, whoop, it's on the computer.

When I was in school, heels were never a fashion statement here. Girls wore ballet flats, loafers, lots of sneakers. I think girls were actually made fun of if they wore high heels, lol. Funny huh? I'm sure these days, they probably wear them for different reasons .

Your high school and my high school had some differences in the way girls dressed. Your high school seems more relaxed. I read in a fashion magazine once that people in California tend to wear more relaxed, casual styles as compared to places like New York, Paris, Frankfurt, is that true?

I'm not a pantyhose expert, but you could try a company like this:

http://www.hue.com/legwear/hosiery/micro-mesh-control-top-pantyhose.aspx

You mentioned before that you wear two panythose a time? It's mainly for padding right? Do you get hot wearing nylons in layers like that?

Thank you for the link to Hue! They seem to have the micro mesh design in traditional colors. I will see if they sell that brand near where I live. I usually don't go by brand very much, I select whatever is at the pharmacy or socks store. I like to choose by color and pattern more then anything else. I know for you, it is convenient since you don't need to match your pantyhose with your clothes

For certain functions, if I know I will be standing, walking, dancing for any length of time, I would either wear two pairs of pantyhose or one pair of pantyhose and one pair of socks inside my high heel boots.

Two pairs of pantyhose minimize the odds of running and I prefer dancer pantyhose as opposed to regular pantyhose. Dancer pantyhose is much thicker, it is the kind cheerleaders wear in America. They run less and have more padding as well.

If I want even more padding, I would go with one pair of dancer's pantyhose and have wool socks on inside the pantyhose to absorb sweat. The pantyhose + socks + fur lining inside my dressy high heel boots all combine for excellent padding which allows me to wear the higher heels, 2.5" or higher for long periods of time without tiring out so fast but you are right, it can get pretty warm, especially during the warmer months. Oh, the things we girls do to look pretty in our high heels