Highluc

This idea already has been put into practice during some Benelux heel meets a few years ago. I took some (moving) shots from UK and Dutch heel wearing friends during our walks through the crowded Brussels streets and Grand Place. All of them wore black (4" various style) heeled boots or wedge shoes exposed under their trousers. I especially stayed away from them and tried to put reactions down but except for a few tourist girls at the Grand place, nobody else either cared or noticed and nobody even turned around or anything. Later I gave my camera to Xaphod when we were in Rotterdam so he could film the people around me when I wore my cowboy heeled boots under my ankle lenght jeans skirt but again you hardly see any reaction from the hundreds of persons around me. Unfortunately I am unable to upload these digital movies due to lack of capabilities of my part (and my PC). I sometimes still carry my camera around and my Dutch friend makes shots of my latest images during shopping trips. Good memories for later but don't expect much crowd reactions. Happy heeling, Highluc. PS: the still pictures of some of these these trips can be seen on the about me pages on my website.

I use the Dr Scholl insets that are available in full length, heel only or front only. These are on a blueish gel formed bottom and gray fith like top and can be cut by scissors to fit the feet or shoes. The gel shock absorbtion and weigth distribution really makes the difference and I wear the various sole shapes and areas according to the need of some hard soled shoes or boots. I mostly bougth those in the US military sales stores where they cost about 10 usd but havn't seen them in Belgian stores so far.

Guess what I found in the sales? These are copies made by Bullboxer and I wore them most of last week. I wore them last night from 18h00 to 06h00 in the morning mostly standig at a gathering of friends hanging on the bar. They are extremely comfortable and their style and color allow me to combine them with many of my outfits. I like them and already got many compliments as well so not everybody finds them horrible.

...........Let's face it, whether or not some members choose to admit it, the whole fascination or admiring or wearing high heels (or both) is driven in one way or another by the fundamental human drive of SEX in its myrids of different forms and connotations.......

Sorry but for me sex has nothing to so with it. Sex is very low on my priority list in whatever form but affection and kindness are very important to me. I agree knowing somebodies' born sex helps put their postings in a certain perspective. Please do not mix the words sex and gender because for about 1 out 12000 guys this is not the same (I don't wish my worst enemy to be confronted with that). Because sex (act) is irrelevant to me I am able to choose my friends for their character, interests and intelligence, regardless of their (born) sex. I have as many guys as girls as friends and am appreciated by both for the person I am, not for how I (might) function in bed. The fact my wardrobe is different from the typical macho is only related to the way I feel, not to the image I want to convey. I admire beatiful shoes like I do for cars and airplanes, and just happen to like to be in them as well. Shoes are designs for me, not objets associated with other desires than wearing them. I realise others think differently but that is just what makes each human unique, whatever name or category you want to label them.

Here is my long overdue report from Belgium. Time has been sparse for me and last Tuesday was my first dedicated shoe shopping trip (in Hasselt) since my heart attack in February this year. The results of that trip will be available on my website at the end of the weekend but I'll comment on the sightings here. First of all, it was great weather and many people wore sandals, but the ancient cobblestones in Hasselt do not favour high stiletto heels so not many people wore them. I still was surprized to see so much girls wearing their very heavy platform Shock closed ankle boots around. One girl wore a form fitting fuschia catsuit and knee high white 4inch heels over it, quite a nice sight for all. The only men in heels were my Dutch friend and myself but that never bothered us. What was available: The end of the sales period allowed us to pick up 3 pair of boots for only 106 Euro but the choice was really limited. All the heeled sandals were already gone and the rest was rather boring. When looking at the new winter collection I'm glad to already have a good collection because I didn't see ANY shoe or boot worth purchasing. The heels go from nonexistant to 5cm and the uprolled nose might look attractive to the sheicks but they let me cold. I was surprised not to see any over the knee or thigh highs because most designer fashion shows for the winter had them prominently displayed on their catwalks. To resume this diastrous situation: the heels went down, the prices went up, the models will be comfortable to the girls but uninspiring to me so it promisses to be a cheap season for me. By the way, serious platform ankle boots are still available for the girls. This is as far as this disappointing news from Belgium reaches. In a few months I'll post and tell you if the "new" collection is worn or if the people (like me) prefer not to follow the trend and wear their classy heeled models from last year. Greetings from a disappointed Highluc

to know whether the contributor is a male or a female. Whichever you are, I've enjoyed your previous postings and sightings!

Some people find these two choices too limited, a lot of us are floating in a kind of continuum in between, and are happy there. As you said, whichever you are, no need to make a choice, it's irrelevant anyway. Some are switching back and forth, others want to be a bit of both, others change completely. Choice of gender, choice of footwear, as long as you're happy and feel at easy, who (should) care?

Sorry, but I don't have a single La Piazza shoe in my large collection and never have worn any so I'll be of little help. I have so many shoes because I buy them at much cheaper places. Good luck on those 6-inch boots, I prefer shoes I can wear all day.

Slingbacks nr3 as favorites but 1 and 2 are also great. Guccis don't turn me on at all.

I also scored 86% women but with my current gender dilema it doesn't surprise me at all. I really don't want to choose, I'm somewhere gliding between the very limiting choice of only 2 options as dictated by western modern society. I don't wish my worst enemy to be confronted with the same choice.

Coming back to possible past or present Club premises dedicated to High Heels - FIREFOX, HIGHLUC, XAPHOD, JOAK or ANDREW we haven't heard from you 'experts' re. this thread - do any of you have any information on High Heel Clubs?

Sorry but I have never heard of a clubs dedicated to heels.

Regarding La Piazza I think you might get the wrong imagination, the staff is the owner Mathias who wears heels but dont expect a lot of salesguys running around in heels, it's a fairly small business in a small town.

Sorry to have pricked your balloons.

Steve Madden added some wearable wedge heeled sneakers up to size 11 in his fall collection.

http://www.stevemadden.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/STORE/FAST/BINDER.htm?L+control+djur7283+1060450492

I got hooked on platform thongs when I bought my first pair in the USA in 1976. I still have them and 2 years ago they were available again but my original ones don't wear out too much.

In 2000 the style was revived and I bought these from the Steve Madden website.

My latest pair in trendy jeans was acquired new through e-bay and has a bamboo inner sole.

I wear these styles in public since years and I can prove that with a holiday shot on the beaches of Varadero in Cuba last year.

I've got many more styles of platform slides and sandals on my website and was happy wearing these when they were fashionable in the early seventies and again since the mid nineties.

Anyone else enjoy espadrilles?

I started wearing them in 1973 and this Bata pair still survives but I take good care of them

In 1994 I bought a platform pair but they were less resistant to wear and although still practical, look too worn out.

I also have a pair of straight platform espadrilles but hardly can wear flats lately so they are idle now.

The only problem is, they look like the shoes you see the high school girls wear!

Why is that a problem?

Steve Madden also has some heeled baskets in his new fall styles on http://www.stevemadden.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/STORE/POPULARITY/Fall1.htm?L+control+djur7283+1057335786

In 1959 there was a craze amongst young women for making their straight skirts as tight as possible.

They would sew up the slit or pleat at the back of the skirt and taper the side seams so that they could hardly get their knees apart.

I still have the majority of my skirts taken in by my seamstress because I like the feeling of a tight skirt and don't have to pay too much attention the way I sit so people cannot look into my skirt. To increase their practicability I sometimes have a hidden zipper sewn into the split or use a row of buttons to control the opening of the slit when I have to climb stairs or especially when boarding older line busses.

This is an example of this trick on a still practicable but very tight non stretching green ribbed velour skirt I like to combine with my 1980 leather pull on boots.

This skirt was originally purchased quite a few years ago from the Together (part of 3-Suises) mail order catalogue, was already straight but further tapered upon my request to obtain the look and feel I perefered. Not really vintage but definitely using the same philosophy.

I'm trying to buy some high-heel sneakers. It must be possible!

There is a whole comfort versus style thing here. I must admit that there are times when I want comfort, and times when I want to be stylish. It depends what I'm doing.

They are not easy to find but over the years I have been able to buy some very comfortable heeled sneakers like my highest No Box pair illustrated below

Not all my sneakers are that high and you can see the rest of them on my sporty shoe webpage.

http://highluc.net/sporty_shoes.htm

Unfortunately I never found any of them on the internet and very few stores offer these styles anymore. Good luck hunting for a pair.

Sounds like we found our Paris shoe guide. Merçi cher ami.

I'm interested and speak french but am completely lost in Paris.

However there is still no excuse for the appalling styles which pass as mens footwear.

That's the bottom line Calv, I still think I should have been in Oxford today, I sometimes miss you all, we had a good thing going and I'm happy at least (part of) the UK branch keeps alive. Greetz from Highluc

Sounds more useful to me as an underwater MP3 player, except if you'r a bored diver.

One thing to consider is that the mans shoe will need to support a heavier weight and will also receive rougher treatment.

Why is that? Lots of man have light or average weigth and perform the same desk jobs women do so for all practical purposes they could wear the same footwear as well.

Hello Luc and Jim, I went to 2 stores looking for the boots. Apparently they used to sell those boots 2 years ago, I've only found a size 35 and a 37.

But they have in stock a similar style with the same heel but white or black patent. Unfortunately they're not very classy and much more expensive at Euro 92.

I'm so sorry guys...

I'll keep on looking around and If I find the boots I'll let you know.

Steph

Hi Steph, thanks for looking around, price was no problem but no patent for me, next time better. Bye, Luc

More unusual shoes Luc. They look as if they fit very well in 40's.

Hi Firefox, Must be the age getting me skinnier. Last week the doctor measured me and I'm only 1m68, down 2cm from 2 years ago. Heels become a necessity instead of only a desire. As for the slides, they are available in a few colors and different styles, including sandals and are exactly 6-inch in the back and 2-inch at the flatform, making them very comfortable as I noted when I kept them on in the store and immediately wore them out from the store till my parents appartment about 2 miles away on the other side of the busy holiday ostend shopping streets.

Sorry for bothering, hope you'll feel better soon, bye, Luc