gwl1

Heelguy, Since you were talking over the internet, and not in person, what you had in mind when you think of a guy in heels might be far removed from what your gf has in mind when she thinks of a guy in heels. Her impression could be a clumsy, awkward scenario of a burly guy perched on thin stilettos, a guy tottering hopelessly in 7" ballet boots, or a guy in pink pumps, none of which might be very exciting or interesting to her. On the other foot, if you could present a well-put-together outfit like HappyFeat or JeffB do, it could be very attractive. I don't know how much detail you and your gf got into about the subject, but "man in heels" could be a range of images that could elicit anything from "Wow!" to "Ewww!" If her reception was lukewarm, as you implied, you might do better to show her a great outfit in which the heels really fit in and add to it, rather than an outfit in which the heels look awkward, ugly, or silly. Good luck in developing the relationship. It sounds like she's open to the idea, anyway! GWL

Johnie, I dunno about graceful, but VERY confident and totally at ease. Nice job! GWL

http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/r/rigaud/louis_14.html

Click on picture to enlarge to 200% and see shoes up close.

This famous portrait of King Louis XIV of France shows him in buckle shoes (beige or bronze) with 2.5-3 inch dark red block heels, buckles and bows. In addition he is wearing white silk tights, garters, lace, petticoats, and a wig. Yet he still look very masculine.

GWL

I agree. You can succeed. But the first step is VERY important, and that is to get a business plan formalized. Put it all down on paper, and work through the financial model to see what you need to do to make it successful. You can play what-if games on a spreadsheet that will tell you how much gross profit you need to cover all the fixed and variable costs, and come up with scenarios that give you a good idea what to expect. If you don't know anything about creating a business plan, consult your local library. Do your homework first and you will be rewarded later. If you skip this important step, you're asking for trouble. Good luck! GWL

Zebra, would that be at the Easton Mall in Columbus, Ohio? Dick's Sporting Goods is next door to DSW there. But it could be at lots of other places, too. Just curious. GWL

I'm with you, Johnie. We don't have a (working) TV either. Just a couple of old no-longer-functional analog ones, and no cable. Haven't watched TV in years and you know what? I don't miss it at all. It is one huge waste of time. Of course, there are some that would say that about our heeling hobby, but they're wrong, obviously. HA HA GWL

Johnie, Those 3-strap heels look terrific. It would take me 20 minutes to get into and out of them with all those little buckles! And Ruth's boots are hot looking! Great finds. Hope to see them in person in a few weeks. Luxxyheels, Great looking pumps. Love the toe cleavage. Enjoy them. Heelguy, Nice shoes. Hope they're comfortable. They look great. GWL

Don't forget, we're after quality, not quantity! LOL Hugs to Ruthie. GWL

My wife and I married in the mid-1970s when heels for men were the (too-short lived) fashion rage. My wedding shoes were slip-on men's loafers with 2 1/2 or 3 inch heels. I remember they didn't fit all that great because they were a standard D width and I have a narrow foot, so I slid forward in them a bit. Nevertheless they were heels and that's what I loved. I don't have them any more. (I do still have the necktie that I wore for the wedding, and it still fits! LOL) We didn't have much money, and neither did our parents. Our wedding cost $300 for a cake and punch reception (for 50 guests), musicians, minister, and venue. But the marriage is still going strong and there have been a lot of (better fitting) heels since! GWL

Since April I have acquired 3 pair of sandals that I use just for sleeping, and yesterday I acquired one more pair. Although I have tried pumps, I find that my feet get too warm in them after a couple of hours, and I have to take them off. Not so with sandals. I can sleep through the whole night with them on, and if I wake up during the night, I love having them on. They aren't very high (3-4") so not too much danger of falling. But they're high enough that I feel them and I love the feeling. It's fun to wear them to bed and wear them when I get up. I recommend trying it if you have some heeled sandals and either a partner who is ok with it (like I do) or live alone (like I might if I kick her with heels on!). GWL

Mr and Mrs GWL will be there! Thanks for arranging the plans and planning the arrangements. Hugs to Ruthie, GWL

I'm with you, Tech. If it looks like a lemon, smells like a lemon, tastes like a lemon... But I gotta respect Dawn HH if he thought he got a good deal and it was worth it. Dawn, drive it to the Canton Heel Meet for us all to look at. If we don't see ya there, we'll assume it broke down unless we hear otherwise. HA HA HA Ok, back to high heels.... GWL

Wow, there are 306 photos and LOTS of pretty heels and pretty girls! Some of the shoes look fairly good on the guys, too. Many of the photos were very imaginative. Worth looking at, I thought. GWL

This plan is starting to come together nicely! I'm looking forward to it! GWL

My wife might come after all. She found out today that the event that conflicted with her attendance at the heel meet is really the following Friday, so there is no conflict. Tell Ruth she can't chicken out now! GWL

Unless anyone has other ideas, I suggest we meet at 11:30 at Ruby Tuesday's, have a leisurely lunch, and head off to DSW and the big mall across the street, just like we did last year. Johnie and Ruth, you know the area better than any of us, so if you know of other places that we might try this year, please suggest them. GWL

Saturday, Oct. 10 is the only Saturday I'm available (but the wife is not). Hope that's good with everyone else. GWL

Women's boot cut jeans are definitely the right thing to wear with heels. I get most of mine from JC Penney. They have a good selection and great mail order service if you don't want to bother shopping in a store. While you can get a good idea of the fit in a store, you can't take 10-20 pairs of heels with you to try them on with, so mail order works best for me. GWL

I recently acquired a pair of those Nine West sandals myself. They are very comfortable and easy to walk in. I love them for lounging and for sleeping in, too, because they don't make my feet too hot. Anyway, good choice for touring the city. GWL

Mr. X - the outfit goes great with the shoes. My only concern is that the jacket sleeves are too long. Maybe the jacket is too big, but we can't see the entire jacket to tell. It should be easy to have a tailor shorten the sleeves a couple inches. Regards, GWL

Somehow, combat boots just don't go with skirts, in my opinion. Lose the big heavy clunky footwear and substitute more form fitting heeled knee high boots, heeled sandals, or mules and I'm all for the new look. What do others think? GWL

Very cleverly done video. I had the song going through my head for an hour afterward! GWL

Unisex, from Staples. American Tourister is the brand. Leather-like material, will accordion to hold a laptop as well as papers, magazines, books, and a spare pair of shoes and pantyhose! Weighs very little empty and it looks good, I've been told. It's basically a soft sided brief case with shoulder strap. GWL

Check out www.activskin.com if you want to invest in something that fits better and is more durable.

GWL

A shoulder bag is something I carry everywhere. I really love not stuffing my pockets with a ton of junk (wallet, keys, handkerchief, pocket knife, cell phone, coins, pen, etc.). With a shoulder bag I can carry it all and then some - small flashlight, umbrella, bandaids, business cards and brochures, calendar, memory stick, and even 8.5 x 11 inch papers or a magazine. I keep the essentials within a small fanny pack inside the shoulder bag, so I can just take the fanny pack out quickly if I want to go someplace where I don't want to take the big bag. At first my wife thought I was crazy carrying all that stuff around, but after a few times when she needed a nail file or a postage stamp, she stopped chiding me. Funny how that works. If you wear women's jeans, slacks, capris, or skirts, you will definitely not want to put stuff in your pockets. In fact they may not even have any. Keep the lines nice and straight and put your junk in a bag, where it belongs. Warning: The surgeon general has determined that once you start carrying a shoulder bag, you may never go back to stuffing your pockets again! GWL