RonC

Pardon me while I change the subject, but you say that woman is 50???!!! Wow, she looks incredible! Man, am I jealous! A lady that looks like

that, who likes heels, and likes you in heels as well....please, don;t wake me from my dream! lol

Wow, I don;t know what happened to my avatar, and why is says something about Crocs. I hate Crocs!

Finds from Nordstrom Rack and DSW this time:

First Pair are from Nordstrom Rack, Marcos Santi "Emilie" sandals in size 10, for $16.90.

Second Pair are from DSW, Kenneth Cole Reaction "What A Flirt" wedges in size 11, marked down to $11.99.

Third Pair are from DSW, Moda Spana "Query" in size 11, marked down to $11.99.

Fourth Pair are from Nordstrom Rack, Vince Camuto "Marken" mary janes in size 11, $46.90.

I like the last two. I especially like pair #3 for $11.99!

Well, I just found out today that I don't do real well in a 4 3/4 inch heel...lol. I think 4" might be my comfort limit. I had an idea when I tried the pair on that I bought today that they might be a bit too high. But I liked the way they looked, and they were otherwise comfortable, so I went ahead and bought them. They'll be fine for sitting around the house...lol. See the Who Bought Some New Shoes thread for pictures if you're interested.

Picked these up today at Nordstrom Rack. BP brand, which is a Nordstrom house brand. Black suede, heel is 4 3/4 inches. I must admit I've having some problem negotiating in these, as I'm not quite used to a heel that high. Causing pain on the ball of my foot that I didn't notice in short try on in store. Otherwise, though, they are quite comforatble - sitting down - lol. Size 12, on sale for all of $29.90!

My latest shoes of my obsession. From Ros Hommerson - Stefan pumps. 2 more pics are in my album.

http://www.hhplace.org/album.php?albumid=771

Those look interesting!

Just bought a pair of Naturalizer "Glassy" Knee high boots. They run alittle narrow, but never the less, fit great and are so comfortable. With the 3" stacked heel, no one even notices. I love the round toe, thus making my size 12, look a lot shorter. Great with jeans !!!

I actually bought a pair of Glassy boots as well. Unfortunately, the initial pair I bought was an 11 M, and they were too small for me. So I went on-line and found a 12 M, and they were too big. What I probably needed was the 11 W, but after already trying twice, I gave up. Too bad, as I think I would have enjoyed wearing those out and about. Not only were they not overly obvious, they were also very quiet, which I did appreciate!

I have gone to the Naturalizer outlet store and have tried on a couple pairs of shoes there, but I don;t think that was noted by the clerk. My guess is, however, that she wouldn't have had a problem with it. My biggest probelm with their shoes is size. While I can wear some 11s, their's tend to run a bit on the small side for me. So I need a 12, and while about every one of their shoes is available in a 12 on line, they have very very few in the store.

Hi all. I know finding larger sizes can be a challenge. This web site, while not having a lot of real high heels, does offer everything in at least an 11W, with many up to 12W. There are a couple of nice looking boots with heels that, in size 11-12, are likely 4" or so, as well as a few pairs of decent pumps. A lot of flat/low shoes, but some that are decent...

http://www.wards.com/Jewelry-and-Clothing/Shoes/Womens-Shoes/index.cat?index=0&viewall=1

JKrenzer,

I didn't think I said anything about being in a car? And re-reading my message it doesn't make things clear. I was walking home and got stopped. After some questioning etc...I was then offered a lift home.

Cheers

Heel-Lover

In the States, we typically use the term pulled over as being stopped by the police while driving. So many of us will read your post and think that you were driving at the time, and wondering how the police saw your shoes as well...lol!

Wow, I've had so many that I kept for a while and then passed on to Goodwill or other re-sellers. But I do recall a shop that I used to visit in the late 80s, early 90's. I had discovered that they carried shoes in sizes up to 12, which is what I really needed after trying to shove me feet into 10s and the occassional 11 that I could find. This was the first store that I had ever tried on heel in-store. I had called the shop and asked the owner if he had a problem with that, and he said heck no, they had several guys coming in to buy heels. While their shoes did fit me, they tended to have a rather conservative selection when it came to heels in larger sizes. There were not a lot of shoe brands that could be found in 11 and 12 back then. I did find and purchase a few pair there that I liked. But at one point they bought out the stock from another store that was going out of business. Boy, do I wish I had known that the other store carried size 12s. I would have been there when they were still in business helping to keep them in business...lol. Anyway, the store put out racks with the stock they had purchased, and I found at least six pairs that I really wanted. I could only afford one pair at the time, and opted for a pair of Proxy brand black patent heels with a bow on the toe that had very small gold beads, almost like small rivets, along the edge of the bow, with a heel of close to 4". Being in style at that time, the shoes showed a good deal of toe cleavage, which I very much enjoy. I sure wish I had hung on to that pair. They fit well and looked great. I also managed to eventually buy a second pair, also Proxy brand, that had cross-straps over the instep that fed through tiny loops on the vamp. These were even a lower cut across the top of the toes, but that pair, for some reason, pressed on my toes in a few spots and never quite felt right. They were, however, the first pair I owned that my wife also had the exact same pair (which I had purchased for her...lol.) Anyway, I still pine for those two pairs, and I'd pay dearly to re-live the experience of walking into that shop that day and seeing all of the styles I liked....in my size. And more than welcome to try them on!

http://couture.zappos.com/product/7944876/color/344076

I saw a Yahoo news article about some 690$ pair of Adidas Y3 boots.. then I saw a picture of them.. on an 11 yr old girl ( Willow Smith )..

I thought things were getting ugly or bland with all the platforms, but in all honesty, Id rather see everything with a 9 mile high platform then those ' things '.

http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/now/willow-smith-unusual-690-shoes-184212510.html

My good Lord! Those are hideous indeed! And what is up with her(?) look. I thought it was a boy. And not only does an 11 year old not need $690 shoes, what is she doing in a heel that high at 11 years of age to begin with. There is just so much wrong there......

Got these today. Calvin Klein "Nadine" from Locale Shoes.

They got padding inside. Very smooth to wear. Love them !

iamduff :-)

Nice shoes ! The heel looks quite high.

I don't wear shoes that high but I'm sure they must fell amazing to walk in !

Daniel, I like those pumps. They are of classic style and a heel height that is wearable. Great choice!

Nice unfussy sandals, Ron, and it is a shame that they are not comfortable. If they were comfortable, would you wear them out in public?

They do look rather narrow (which probably causes the front strap to cut into your feet somewhat) but also a size too large for length - I guess you can't win with this style!

Sorry it took so long to respond. Been kinda' busy. Actually, it is not the width that makes them uncomfortable, but rather the way my foot sits in the shoe. As was mentioned in another post, quite often it seems that the only part of the foot that touches in an awful lot of high heels is the heel and the ball of the foot, with no support for the arch at all. Those sandals are exactly like that, and when I walk in them, all of the pressure tends to focus on the ball of the foot. It doesn't take long for that to become uncomfortable. Maybe some insoles for open shoes would help, but my guess is I won't have them long enough to find out, as teh price was low enough that I don't mind passing them on for someone else to be uncomfortable in...lol.

To answer your other question, I doubt that I would wear a shoe of that type in public. While I very much enjoy the look of the shoe, I think something that feminine on an "a bit too large and old" guy wouldn't be a good look. I'd just enjoy them at home.

While true, if a store is out of stock on a much-desired item, they're loosing sales. It's very possible their production runs are be calculated by the same formulas for smaller-sized shoes which cater predominantly to the women's markets. Some brands get it and always have larger sizes in supply, but most run out very quickly, while the majority won't offer sizes larger than 11, possibly to avoid their heels being worn by men on the street.

As do I. My favorite pair of heels of the last decade are made by Fioni, model number 92850. The day they arrived, after I'd tried them on, I wish I'd bought three more pair, as their shape actually fits well! No scrunchy little toe box, the open toe doesn't cut into my toes at the edge, and the arch actually has a shape! Most shoes and boots, even the more expensive ones, feel like you're standing on the ball of your foot and the back half of your heel, with nothing in between.

I agree with your assessment of the fit for many heels, that being the feeling of being on the heel and the ball of the foot with nothing in between. I have that feeling with nearly every pair of heels I've owned, and the more pronounced it is, the more uncomfortable the shoe. It always feesl much better on the foot when there is at least some support in the arch area. I think some manufacturers are adresssing that situation in womens shoes, but it has yet to reach the point of common. I had one pair of heels with the Insolia design (you can search Insolia on the web if you're not sure what that is all about) and they did a much better job of support and weight distribution. Would have liked to see that design catch on better than it has.

Very nice fumikaheels. As always!

Thanks for the wonderful messages. Sometimes I forget that my posts are important to many people - simply just taking my heeling for granted. Also, I know the pink cords were a risky choice, but for the record, the boots I wore with them were brown. Anyway, some outfits work better than others and I love hearing all of the critiques. I will do my best not to have many prolonged absences. Also, I am evaluating some other options for expanding my mission of being an average guy who lives an average life and finds ways to work in my passion for heels, etc. I will keep everybody informed and may ask for some help.

Now on with the outfit archives:

Outfit #16 - This was a long blouse and a pair of denim leggings that I bought at The Limited last spring. The clerk who waited on me was pregnant and was heading for maternity leave and a very supportive fun person. I matched the outfit with a pair of pewter Nine West sandals that I bought at a NW retail store a few weeks later. My outing this day, if I remember correctly was to visit my freind at The Limited prior to her leaving for maternity leave in the outfit she helped me put together.

Outfit #17 - I have no idea where I wore this outfit, but it is an olive wool double breasted blazer, skinny jeans from The Limited, and funky black Nine West Mary Janes. I took a risk of going sockless in these shoes to emphasize the contrast between the thick strap and laces and my bare skin. Besides, somehow skinny jeans don't always seem to work well with hosiery for me.

Outfit #18 - This was an early spring warm day and I went and did some domestic shopping (groceries, etc.) My outfit was a blue and black Perry Ellis sweater, Banana Republic chino short shorts, and black low heel loafers. I had just shaved my legs the night before and was thrilled to go out and show them off.

Outfit #19 - I wore this outfit to get a pedicure. Because I was getting "new toes" I wore a pair of Bakers thong sandals with a very nice ankle wrap, khaki The Limited Capris, and a thing tan and red argyle sweater. My only memory of this was crossing a very busy street and a group of teenagers gawking at me.

Outfit #20 - This is the same sweater I wore in picture 18 (I can't believe I did that...lol) a pair of Loft flare jeans, a black suede blazer and black Nine West peep-toe platform slingbacks. Again I don't recall where I wore this, most likely to the mall.

Hope you enjoy the pictures and let me know what you think.

All nice, but the last outfit would be more to my taste and style if I was going to wear heels with my "regular" clothes. Maybe if I lose about 30 lbs....lol.

Thanks as always Happy!

Ron C, I was in the Chicagoland area on Monday when I went to get a pedicure in Bloomingdale. I wore some leather platform boots with chunky 5.5" heels and afterwards stopped at the Nordstrom Rack at Lake/Cook Rd. I saw several pairs I liked but settled on a pair of blue floral platform sandals by Free People in size 11 for $49 which I intend to wear in the wear in the spring. Looks like I missed you by 48 hours? I can't stress how good a place Nordstrom rack is to look for shoes both for variety and size range especially for our big-footed members. I am on the lookout for the new "Gigi" wedge sandal at Bakers but it hasn't shown up yet in any store I've checked. Here's hoping and waiting! HappyinHeels

HappyinHeels, I haven't been to the Lake-Cook store in some time. My shopping has been confined to the Oak Brook-Naperville area. I do miss the Lake-Cook store, as they have a nice set-up in the clearance area. And I like the Vernon Hills DSW as well for the same reason. And that particular DSW, at least in the past, always had at least a few pairs in size 12.

Picked these up today. Thought with srping coming, a pair of sandals would be nice. Best part is that they were only $15.90 at Nortstrom Rack. Heel is a full 4". While I did try them on, I didn't have them on but for a second or two. Once home and walking around in them, I find that they are difficult to walk in, and put a great deal of pressure on the balls of my feet. There is a general lack of support with the quite bare sandal style. I have a great deal of admiration for those women that can walk around in a shoe like this and still look graceful (and without a grimace on their face...lol). I can recall seeing a woman walking through the local sporting goods store last fall in a very similar, if not the same pair, and she looked just as natural as could be. I bet I couldn't walk 100 yards in these without some nasty pain! They are sexy though, darn it!

I own mostly boots.

But I saw these at DSW today, and well, I just could not resist.

Marked down to $59.95 with a 30% off tag in the clearance section.

Plus I had a $20 coupon.

Total Price $21.96.

How could I not?

Size 12.

4.5 inch heel with a .5 inch platform.

[ATTACH]15860[/ATTACH]

Nice pair. Lucky to find a 12 at DSW!

Was in my favorite Payless yesterday. Previous sales girl is gone, but new on is just as nice. Showed me what was new and told me of sale, and then left me to try on what I liked. She actaully was working at the end of the aisle and could obviously see me. No comments at all until bidding me a good day as I left. Unfortunately, not much I liked at Payless (platforms rule the roost there, and I really don't much like them). Also, this sales girl was quite obviously with child, so she won;t be there much longer! I was also out today. Stopped at DSW and Nordstrom Rack and tried on a few pairs. Not much that caught my eye today. Well, that's not all true. DSW had numerous styles that I would love, but scant few in even an 11 today, and I only saw one 12 in the entire store. Since I really need a 12, that was disappointing.

Happy, my inspirational hero! So good to see a post and pictures from you once again! Looking great and daring as always. It's also quite apparent that you've worked hard to keep off the weight you lost a while back. Nice work. That's not easy as we get older! This was a great post for me to see today, as I was just out shopping in my three inch block heel pumps that I would likely have never worn in public without your inspiration. While I will never have the courage to dress as you do (and also don't have the approving wife, which is a big reason for that....lol), in my fantasy world I wear outfits like #5, with those great patent mary janes! Looking great as always. While I certainly understand the trials of trying to find sufficient time for these posts, I hope you can at least give us at least an occassional post with some of your great pictures! Thanks again!

I like the white outfit! Im not a dress/skirt wearing type but could actually consider something like that.

I'll reserve comment on the ' shoes ' as they probably cost more then what some people drive daily and the colors certainly dont fit the rest of the outfit.

Just curious how the colors don't match the rest of the outfit? Her dress is white. What color doesn't go with white? Personally, I don't much like the color scheme of the shoes either.

I've noticed, looking at the offerings from pretty much EVERY shoe store, that platforms seem to be the style this spring. I don't think I've seen a non-platform heel in any store for months now...

I agree. It is the invasion of the platform shoes!! I have to note though, that my wife gets some fashion magazines, and in flipping through them, it does appear that there might be the beginnings of a move away from the platforms, at least in dress shoes.

For me, that move can't come soon enough.

Hi All,

Something new for me.

MM

Nothing like a piar of black patent pumps. Very nice!

While I have been able to find 12's at a local Payless, their new styles are trending even more toward platforms and clunky looking shoes, neither of which is my preference. While I'll stop shop there, I don;t see myself buying much based on current offerings.

I know what you mean, I feel like I'm cheating a little when I'm able to wear higher heels than I could normally manage just because of the platform. I guess a "hidden platform" implies a bit of cheating too. In a way maybe all heels are "cheating" for the illusion of their leg-lengthening effect.

Personally I think a 4" rise is the most elegant and attractive angle for my foot, so I wouldn't wear 6" heels without a platform because there is such a thing as "too high" (or rather "too steep") for me... but if a 2" platform lets me "cheat" and wear 6" heels then that's cool and a lot of fun.

I don't think I'd go higher though, too high a platform can have a leg-shortening effect which I'd find very unflattering with my short legs. To illustrate the point, flat platforms (like flatplat.jpg the poll at http://mariankihogo.com/fashion-trends/what-say-thou-flat-plaform-sandals/ ) are really not my favourite style at all.

Those two pairs you pictured are about as bad as it gets in my eyes. How anyone can think that to be attractive is beyond my comprehension. But then, I'm probably pretty well limited in comprehension...lol