Yamyam

Why can't you walk in them Yamyam? I'm just curious

Ah, well, first I've only had them on my feet a couple of times, but it's a combination of the extreme position my feet are in, and the way that the heels are ever so slightly flexible. I have some knee boots with a 5" heel and a .75" platform that are about the highest that I can walk in happily. I bought some 6" shoes (the ones from the photo) and I could have walked in them but they're too tight. So I've basically tried to go from 5" to 7" and it's a hell of a difference. I'll keep practicing, and keep you all up to date on progress.

I could do with another pair of 6" to practice in, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get them. Perhaps if we do the Kinky Boot Factory trip!

based upon the

I know what you mean. To be honest, working in IT I am sometimes called upon to shift bits of kit. A fully loaded server can weigh upwards of 70KG, which is about as much as I weigh. Now I can and do shift that, but it's a nuisance if I happen to be wearing a suit, so I'd rather not. If I'm warned that shifting kit is likely, then I turn up in jeans and muck in. Of course, my EPMs tell me that shifting stuff *is* in my job description, but *don't* replace damaged clothes So, I'd offer to help, but perhaps slightly reluctantly if there was a danger of me wrecking my clothes! I once tore the seat out of a suit when I picked up a 21" monitor. *That* was deeply embarrassing! Plus I've trashed a couple of shirts and a tie. OTOH, I had to carry my then 4-year old back from London once. He weighs 22KG, and I struggled all the way from the London Eye back to the end of the Tube. There were several people around, no-one offered to help, and I had to ask for a seat on the tube, and listen to various tuts of disgust... Sigh!

eclectic

Wow - high heeled plaster casts! It's almost worth breaking something. For UK readers, the current Viz has a high-heeled plaster casts joke along those lines in it. (Viz? I only buy it for the crossword )

In fact, given all that, plus differences such as introversion/extraversion, &c, it's amazing that any communication happens at all. I seem to remember once doing a three-day course basically about 'How to communicate'. I went in thinking 'but I've been talking for thirty years now' and left thinking 'blimey - it's astonishing that I thought I was communicating at all'!

What he said!

crime

Ooh, those are nice. I like the heel effect. In fact, I like everything about them! I'd love a pair, but thanks to my bank balance I guess I'd best not!

conurbation

I like the photo, but I'd wonder where it was displayed. Like, inside of a magazine, no problem, but perhaps not on a billboard where I'd have to explain it to a 5 year old! I think this whole PC thing has gone a bit far, but on the other hand there are things that are suitable for adults that aren't okay for children.

Well, they're okay, but I wouldn't go mad for them. I'll stick to my J. Lo's thanks

That's what I like too

OK, but I want to be with someone I can talk to, someone who feels the same way about things as I do, someone who makes me feel good about her and me, someone I just want to be with.

The thing that I think is best in someone: having a chat over a drink... then finding that we've been talking for three hours.

I'm up for it, but a Sunday is easier than a Saturday for me. Oh, and lifts from parts of the Midlands are an option!

Blood red ones, naturally!

Memo to self: "never underestimate Francis"! He really *does* have an answer to everything!

I agree, sandals have open toes. So, Sandalslover, the ones in your avatar aren't sandles, but they are very nice! And as I think I have ugly toes, I wouldn't wear sandals. I'd wear closed-toe shoes, although I'd need to get a little braver to do that one (or suffer a really hot summer in boots )

Skirted-UK - very true words that made me smile. Of course, the same goes for heels - some women are trying to get out of them, too. I wonder why?

Adds a whole new meaning to the phrase 'hard at work' If I was that excited in the office, people would know there was something unusual going on...

I quite like laced Oxfords. I knew someone once who had a pair. In Oxford, naturally. I'd wear them, if I could get some that fitted.

Well said, Julietta! I tend to pick up accents, so I sound very 'Yamyam' on the phone, unless I'm down 'Sarff' where I grew up. I love accents too, but I'm a bit let down on that as I have Britain's worst accent ever. And for me, any time I find an error in someone's written or spoken English, I just try and remember that their English is better than my (non-existent) Spanish/French/Dutch/Greek/whatever... And it's true that UK English and American English aren't the same language at all!

Well, now that I have some 7" myself, I can comment. I can barely move in the blooming things. I can stand up straight, and get my knees straight, but that's about it. Walking is well out of the question at the moment! But I'll keep practicing

Eeew they couldn't give them to me

That goes for me, too! Yuk, with a capital 'Yu'!

Like them, have a simular pair called "slave trainer" at home. Very comfortably to wear. Dont have the guts to wear them outside, which is a shame...............

Why not come to a hhmeetup, then see how you feel about it? It's a hard thing to do on one's own. There is strength in numbers, after all!

What a wonderful idea! An 'in touch with your feelings' gene? I think that it's more a matter of upbringing myself. I've always talked to my little one about how I feel, and he accepts my feelings, and his own. I've worked hard at being in touch with how I feel, and I'm better for it. I hope I can pass that on to him.

My feeling is that it is better to be gay if you have a partner you love, than straight with a partner you don't love (or no partner at all). The month alone from being dumped by Jean to meeting Kathy was the worst time of my life since my mother passed away.

This is a tough world. Gay, straight, or whatever, it's best to face the world with someone you love. It's hard to have a good day when you wake in an empty bed. And you can face anything after a kiss from a lover!

Is there a point to this? Only that the only important thing is love. With love, anything is possible, and without it, there's no point in going on.

Case example - My sister was telling me how she was at work, and one of the guys was mentioning that he was getting a new car, a Nissan. Her first reaction was all about appearance, and she asked "what colour are you getting?" to which one of her guy friends there shook his head and whispered to her "that's not something a guy thinks about first" after the person getting the car did not have a clear answer on that.

I'll believe this. Most times when I've discussed a new car with ladies, they've asked about the colour. Indeed, once when I was looking at a new car, the salesthing ignored my then partner completely. We talked about engines &c. Then I mentioned that I wanted automatic. He said "Ah, well you can't have all of the colours in auto. [Hey, UK, all right]". He then switched me off in his head and showed my ex-partner the colour charts, and asked her to pick a colour. She was completely stunned - after all, it was my car! She tried to get me into the discussion, but he would have none of it. She mentioned a couple of colours I liked, then he decided that was done, switched her off and started only speaking to me. I asked him why he thought I wasn't allowed to choose the colour, and without any shame he said something like 'oh, girls like to do that' and carried on. Needless to say, we didn't buy that car!

Apparently, my sister was told that guys care more about the practical applications - what kind of engine, the HPs, features, gadgets... the asthetics are secondary, according to the opinion of a few car crazed men where my sister works.

Damn! And I've been to garages several times and asked what cars come in red. And never had much luck finding out...

Okay, this is not to say all men think this way, but if some do, then their choice of footwear is not going to focus on the need for heel or flash or colour.

Most women are interested in some style of feminine shoe. Even if it is a feminized version of a male based design, it still retains some feminine flare. For men, from what I see, most wish to maintain a good deal of masculinity in their footwear as well as clothing. Sure, they can push limits, but few wish to cross them.

Is this bad? Sure! It shows that people are trapped in certain stereotypes. Should someone try to push at the boundaries? Yes!

Isn't that what envelopes are for? Aren't boundaries for crossing?

Will it happen? Probably not!

Will the world end if it doesn't happen?

I doubt it.

I think the world will end if we don't cross boundaries. There is ample evidence that we as humanity can't carry on like this. For instance, we have wars regularly. The next one could leave us bombing rubble until it bounces, then leaving it to glow for a hundred million years. Not what I want for our children and grandchildren. Something must change, and perhaps breaking down shoe stereotypes is a place to start!