RonC
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Posts posted by RonC
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4 hours ago, chesterx said:
Seems most of us have a cross to bare when it comes to women's heels. For me its the fact that 95% for the available styles are unobtainable due to my size 13 feet...
Yeah, that does seriously limit selection for sure
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Yeah, I think you're right on the "restaurant heels", and that is probably even more prevalent in your neck of the woods and places like New York City where being seen is a vocation in and of its self. And I believe you certainly are correct that the college girls have spent precious little time in heels. Plenty in their flip flops though I'll bet.
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Those are really nice looking. I love the cut-outs! Glad you didn't let them go without another try. I see they are on sale now for $75. I'd love a pair but I'm having so much trouble with fit these days that I won't buy anything that is not readily returnable or that I can try on in store. BTW chesterx, I bought a pair of the INC Zitahs that you had mentioned were a good fit for you. I thought a wide width might be the answer but the 11W I got was not comfortable for me as it was still pinching in the toe box. Too bad, as I really liked the style.
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6 hours ago, Puffer said:
But not necessarily more prolific in their incidence, simply because fewer women in the population as a whole are wearing significantly high heels so frequently as they did 60 years ago, over a somewhat shorter period .
While I've been unable to relocate the study I read, the indications were that the incidence of bunions has increased, and not by a small percentage but rather significantly. I'm sure that part of the increase is related to better availability of health care and therefore a higher number of women that seek treatment that may have ignored it in the past.
6 hours ago, Puffer said:Women in general seem to complain about their feet and footwear almost regardless of what they wear
Can't argue with you there...lol. One case in recent history that rather rankled me was the woman in Great Britain that sued an employer because they sent her home because she didn't meet the dress code regarding shoes. The dress code called for dress shoes with heels of 2" or greater. I don't think it would be difficult at all to find a dress shoe with a heel of 2" that would certainly be more than comfortable.
3 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:Notice the shape of the shoes. Back then the vamp was typically narrower than now. I've looked these over in antique stores, while in my heels, and was amazed how narrow they are. In addition, they almost never had any padding. At the end, even the doctor mentioned "ill-fitting". Heels these days are wider and rounder. The pointy shoes do so by extending way past the toes.
Not saying heels won't damage our feet but i do believe these days the design, shapes, and materials are all more forgiving than they were in the late 50's and early 60's.
Undoubtedly, shoes were narrower in the past. But it is also true that women's feet have increased in both length and width. I did see one study that blamed the greater incidence of wearing of sneakers/trainers for the increase in width. Don't know about that, or if the increase in width was not so much an actual increase in the actual dimensions of their feet or more a rejection of shoes that were narrower by way of their style because they were used to wider shoes.
10 hours ago, Cali said:Seriously, I know of 3-4 women who love their tall heels and at least 2 have the same size foot as me. And many who tell me they wish they could wear heels too.
I never meant to say that everyone says heels are uncomfortable, and I think guys like you and mlroseplant are among those that do feel comfortable in higher heels. But I think the last part of your statement is telling. If a woman says they wish they could wear heels, I would certainly think that they have tried to do just that. Now maybe they didn't give heels a real chance. But it also could be that despite a real effort, they just found enough discomfort that they didn't think it was worth the effort. Understanding that you wear heels to relieve pain in different parts of your body, I think that it is likely that the majority of us men that wear heels have a desire to do so that trumps any discomfort, so we learn to endure for some time and perhaps for long enough that the foot and body adapts to the point that the discomfort wanes.
Everyone has made good points, but I still believe that there is a correlation between the decline of heel wearing and the height of heels. The push against wearing heels intensified as the height of what are considered "in style" heels increased. Yes, in the 60's and 80's there were a few styles that hit 4" or so, but the vast majority of what were considered high heels were less than 4". Today, a 4" heel is about the "typical" height, and some reach the five inch plus range (i.e. those expensive red soled brand). So now if a woman wants to be stylish and wear heels, it has to be 4" or so, and many have found that to be simply beyond a comfortable range., and the push back against heels grew. Sad to say that the lack of heel wearing has gained considerable acceptance in society, which, combined with the ever increasing casualness of clothing in the workplace, has put an end to heels being prevalent footwear for the female population. I'm not saying that they will disappear totally (though don't tell that to my local TJ Maxx and Marshall stores where they have disappeared totally), but they will be saved for special occasions and not daily wear. Eventually, however, as young girls grow up never seeing their Moms in heels or finding a pair in her closet, it is possible that a day may come where heels pretty much disappear - or maybe the men pick up the baton...lol.
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Well, it says Aliexpress in the title. Do they not have them?
Looks like they do.
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Personally, I've never spoken with a woman that found heels to be "comfortable". My Mom wore them to work daily and couldn't wait to get home at the end of the work day and take them off. She never really complained, but also never said that heels were comfortable. My wife also wore heels to work for many years, even while having a walking segment to her commute, and was the same way - she didn't constantly complain of discomfort, but also never said they were, quote, comfortable, and always looked forward to taking off her heels. Both were what I would call adept heel wearers - had no problems walking in heels, etc., but comfortable was still not the word. That's pretty much what most women I knew that wore heels felt about them. However, while there were a few that constantly complained and hated "having" to wear heels, I never knew one that said she was completely comfortable in heels. And while I agree that a low heeled shoe can be quite uncomfortable, my readings indicate that women report that higher heels as a rule create more discomfort. It's pretty hard not to have that happen when you look at how much more of the wearer's weight is concentrated on the ball of the foot as the heel height goes higher. That's not to say that every shoe with higher heels is automatically less comfortable, as a pair of wedges I had matched the highest heels I've owned but were among the more comfortable heels I've walked in. But they were wedges with a small platform and a well shaped footbed that conformed to my arch and tended to shift some weight back. Foot doctors report far high incidence of foot troubles in the last 15 years or so than at any time in the past, including the 60's and 80's when heel wearing was much more common, but heels were on average probably at least a half inch to an inch lower. I think it's naive to think that height doesn't have something to do with that, all other factors being equal.
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13 hours ago, mlroseplant said:
Glad you had a good day! Maybe I had a good day too, you tell me. First, in opposition to you, I had to chop all my nails off because it's winter (like 5º F yesterday), they're dry as bones laying in the desert sun, and I haven't been taking care of them. As a result, one broke badly. However, I went with my elder son to my favorite coffee shop to buy 7 pounds of coffee as Christmas presents. The owner recognized me immediately, even though I have only come in there once a year for the past several years. It's hard to believe she's been doing this for 28 years! We were all so young back then. Merry Christmas!
A bit cold to go without socks or stockings, no? Hope you had a Merry Christmas! Hope everyone did!
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13 hours ago, Pierre1961 said:
The good thing could be if a woman made the choice to wear some heels instead of flats then they would probably be quite high. And not these 2,5” ugly ones which were worn in the 60”
Unfortunately, I think the extraordinary heel heights in more recent years had a great deal to do with the marked decline of heel wearing today. Women did so much damage to their feet wearing heels that are simply too high to be anywhere near comfortable for the vast majority of women (especially when one considers a 4-5 inch heel on a size six or seven foot) to wear all day. I'd much rather see some of what you called "ugly" 2.5" heeled pumps on a woman than a pair of flats or sneakers. While I will agree that there are many styles that don't look attractive with a low heel, a delicately styled shoe with a 2.5 inch heel can look quite nice and feminine.
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Those look challenging to me. It would be one of those instances where, while I am personally not fond of the style, I'd love to try walking in them for the experience. Be careful in those! They make me think of the videos of fashion models on the runway doing butt plants in their overly high platforms after intense ankle wobble episodes! Have a Merry Christmas sir!
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that is a good point. Though I'd view that video!
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I agree. Heels of 4" in the 1960's were quite rare. I recall that the chain shoe stores of the era in my area, such as Malings, Thom McAn, Baker's, etc typically had shoes of the same style but with two different heel heights; the mid-heel which was typically about 2.5 inches, and the high heel, which was most often 3 inches. That trend lasted several years. Then, as we approached the 1970's, heels started to become thicker and generally a bit lower, eventually getting to the low block heels of the early 70's, and the two height offerings went away. If one looks back on that era, certainly women wore heels much more often than in current days. Dresses and skirts were expected for work, church, and most social occasions, and with those clothes heels were worn. Women that commuted for work wore their heels the entire trip, even if they had a walk at the end of the bus or train line. It wasn't until heels started to come back in the mid to late 70's that the trend of the ladies commuting in flats or sneakers and changing into their heels when they got to work started. So I'd definitely say that women in the 60's certainly wore heels for a much greater portion of the day than any time since. Unfortunately for us heel lovers, we will never see that again, as there are so few occasions that women actually dress up for any longer, and even when they do, nowadays they are just as likely to wear a sneaker or a flat shoe as a heel of any kind. While I think that heels will always be around for very formal occasions, I don't believe we'll ever see a day when they are everyday wear unless someone figures out a way to make them just as comfortable as a pair of sneakers. And good luck with that!
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I do recall the girls wearing flat penny loafers back in the 1960's when I was in grade and high school. It was very common wear for them. Not sure which sex actually wore them first. If I could find a pair that looked pretty much like the ones I posted but in flat black rather than patent leather I'd snap them up quickly if they fit.
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8 hours ago, mlroseplant said:
Let me state in no uncertain terms I am glad I am "off the market" permanently.
Yeah, I just could not imagine going through that whole scene at this point in my life. No thanks....
18 hours ago, LuvsStiletto said:It’s more of a function of the fact, that I “screen” for women who like heels, and don’t waste my time with those who don’t.
Given the current landscape, I think it would be very difficult to find women that actually like heels. It seems that few want to wear them at all these days. But I am with you, as if I were single and looking, at this point, I would need to find a woman that still enjoys, and more importantly wears, her heels. I don't think I could do without that. I'm not saying that I'd want someone who wore heels daily, but is it really that big of a deal to wear a pair of heels for a couple hours out to dinner? Sure seems to be these days, though I'm guessing you're finding them!
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8 hours ago, mlroseplant said:
Today, I might get a few glances, I might even get a few grimaces, but nobody bothers to whip their phone out anymore.
Do you think that might be due to the fact that, being in a smaller community, pretty much everyone already knows you, or knows about you, so it's no big deal to them any more?
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I used to occasionally wear a pair of stockings with garters under my business clothes. Always enjoyed the stretch of the garter and the smoothness of the stockings. Don't get a chance to do that anymore though since my wife retired and is always home.
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On 12/20/2020 at 10:07 AM, Puffer said:
The fashion views and comments are interesting (and, for me, very nostalgic);
I'm with you on that one. Back when things like nylons, heels and dresses were worn daily by the ladies. I guess that is a chauvinist view today, but I miss the things that defined feminine back then. And I think that as a rule people treated each other with more respect back then as well.
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Internet purchases that don't fit get returned, unless it's like ebay where they can't go back. Those, and others that I am done wearing or don't have storage to hold on to typically get donated to Salvation Army where at least someone else can get some use out of them. I'm sure there have been a few guys thrilled to find a pair of size 11 or 12 pretty much like new heels at a second hand store!
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That was my first thought, just a slightly different melt rate. I also saw a pair of heels in Costco the other day, though like your sighting, they were relatively tame. A pair of Michael Kors black patent leather loafers with about a 3.5" chunky heel, like these. I recognize them as I have desired a pair for myself, but the size 11 runs rather small and were too tight on me, and that is the largest size. Anyway, the lady wearing them had paired them with black leggings and sheer black nylons. She looked quite nice in them.
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Ml, just looking at those things I can tell there is no way I could wear them comfortably, much less walk anywhere! BTW, is that some sort of blemish on the left heel? Or just an odd reflection?
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I don't think there is a brand out there where every "size 10" will fit the same. I haven't found any for sure. I think the style of the shoe has more to do with fit than any other factor. Closed, pointy toe pumps are almost always a snug fit as compared to a more rounded toe shoe, but I've tried some rounded toe shoes and not been able to get my foot into them in my typical size. But in general, I would say more tapered toe box styles will fit more snugly.
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Not that I have any real idea on how many you've worn, but 75% is still 57 different pairs of shoes. Do you think you've actually worn 57 different pairs of shoes outside the house this year? That's still an awfully big number.
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Wow. 76 pairs? That's a lot of shoes. You would only need to wear each pair just under five times and you'd have the year covered!
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3 hours ago, hiddenheels said:
Brand name, don't really distinguish, I look at the style first.
I tend to agree with this statement the most. While I mentioned a few brands, it was mostly because they have a style I like that I buy them. I will say that I have tried other brands such as Clarks and Aerosoles trying to find something that fits properly and that I can walk in comfortably, despite the fact that I might not really be thrilled with the way they look. I am just really having struggles with finding shoes that fit due to the size difference between my feet. I also think that the way I walk has something to do with the fact that for any pair that fits my right foot properly, I walk right out of the left. I can remember buying men's slide type sandals a few years back and when I first got them I had a real hard time trying to keep them on my feet as I walked. Once the soles softened and bent more I was ok, but even then if I tried to walk fast I would lose them on my forward stride. Guess it's in the way my foot bends, or maybe doesn't bend enough, when I walk.
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The "combat boot", if they truly look like the ones in the photo, are quite obviously high heeled, feminine styled footwear. To me, a knee high boot with a "near stiletto" heel doesn't seem to be much of a difference from these. If I had the nerve to walk about in a skirt and the combat style boots, I wouldn't think much about the thinner heel knee high boot. I think you've already reached the point where that shouldn't be that big of a step, as you've already pushed the limit as to what you feel you can wear. That said, I still do understand the difficulty in doing what you are doing, and applaud you for how far you've come!
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Nostalgia from 1960
in Your Favourite High Heel Movies
Posted
The change in my area happened quite suddenly, within a couple weeks time. While I have nothing to back it up, it does seem to me that UK ladies wear heels more often than their US counterparts. They also seem to enjoy their lingerie a lot more - stockings, garters, etc. I am aware of the British Stockings website, but I don't see anything like that in the US. And I believe I have seen stats that say, on a per capita basis, UK women purchase far more of those items than US women. We are the land of casual - and are on the verge of sloppy.
Actually there have been several attempts to create "comfortable" heels. While generally they were tested by women and found to be more comfortable, they have been largely rejected by the masses, and the companies have failed. I'm guessing price plays a big part in their demise, and most have been rather expensive, and I think that style comes in a close second. Even for mainstream sellers, attempts to make comfortable heels has generally been met with meh reactions. For a few years, Cole Hahn offered heels with "Nike Air Technology". They discontinued that a few years back due to a lack of sales. Brands such as Vionic, Aerosoles, Rockport, etc. continue to market heels as "comfort" choices, but it not exactly like they've been selling in droves. I think that one can find a 3-4" heel pump that would be certainly more comfortable than the average heel, but I'm guessing the buying public does not quite feel that the claims of being "as comfortable as a pair of sneakers" has been met to date.