RayC

6 in heels - Thanks for the welcome. I don't live in KW, actually, a few miles further up. I just have the daily commute into town every day. It's true, I'd say, that nearly anything goes down here, including wearing heels. One of my first times out was just about a year ago, when my fiancee (now wife) and I went out to have some dinner in KW and I wore the J-Lo boots she'd just given me for Christmas '03. We were crossing the parking lot to the Chili's and she noticed that I was walking with a definite, as she called it, swish, and told me to cut it out before I got jumped. It was pretty funny. When we got home later that evening we went for a short walk around our neighborhood and she tried to get me to walk "like a guy oughta walk." As I'd said in an earlier post about how I got into high heels, I rather like how they make my hips and behind sway.

For Tuckedintoboots, you should visit the Keys sometime; everyone should. Living here isn't for everyone, though. For all of their plusses, there are some killer minuses, too. Still, everyone should visit once.

Before I close, wanted to let folks know that I don't have connectivity at home in the Keys, and usually only get on the forums here when I spend weekends with the wife in Jacksonville, like I am now. Sometimes I'll get on from a public computer like at the library, but that's pretty infrequently.

Alright folks, thanks; until next time,

Warm regards,

RayC

Bootsrkewl, I concur completely. My wife gave me a new pair of Tommy Hilfiger boots for Christmas (actually I spotted them new on Ebay and informed her!) and wore them home to the Florida Keys from our place in Jacksonville, and while I stopped for a coffee at one of the service plazas on the Florida Tpk, a lady in line at the Starbucks looked at me and then down at my feet and then back up at me again -- it was classic. But it seems as if I'm doing something that is altogether normal for me and I don't make an issue about myself, no one says "boo." That said, I work in an environment that wouldn't receive my footwear too well. Once, nearly a year ago, I went in to work in a pair of LEI chunky heeled slip-ons, and some of my coworker buddies chuckled; I just said they were my 70's shoes! But for the most part, even the ladies in my workplace don't wear heels. Mostly, everyone dresses quite casually and comfortably, so no one really bothers wearing dressy stuff. However, out on the streets of Key West, I could probably wear just about anything on my feet -- and not even be concerned about an odd glance. Anyway, you're right. Most people, I think, aren't concerned with what the next person has on. If they notice, they take it in stride and move on; they've got other stuff demanding their attention. I'd guess that anyone who takes it farther than that may simply be looking to make a problem of it and the heels might have had nothing to do with it. They were just the catalyst. My $.02. To conclude, I'm also with you with respect to feeling some gratitude for the presence of this site and the folks on it. I lurked for a long time, not even registering, but read with interest the stories of everyone (in particular guys like us) who's struggled and/or ultimately embraced our "hobby." Eventually, everyone's stories, anecdotes and accounts have encouraged me to wear my high heels a lot more freely than I used to. Of course, it helps immensely to have a wife who's fine with it :>) Again, everyone, thanks, I'm really glad to have found you all. Warm regards, RayC

This is my first post to the board, after lurking for what feels like at least a year, so forgive me if I get a lot off my chest. When I was young, I was very shy and frightened of my own shadow, but had an older sister who was in most regards the exact opposite. She wore some pretty sophisticated clothes and footwear and although I had nothing than familial love for both my sisters, I thought her clothes and shoes/boots were incredibly sexy. For the longest time, from adolescence into adulthood, I thought I was going to wind up into crossdressing, but since then it's turned out that it's really about the shoes. I won't lie and say I do not fantasize about crossdressing, I'm way too guy-like and, well, hairy, to carry it off. I'm going to be forty in a few months, and I've learned some things about myself: this is me, I really enjoy wearing high heels, I'm getting too old to worry too much about what the next person thinks, and in fact, I think the next person is way too wrapped up in his own thoughts to think too heavily about my choice in footwear. I'm now happily married to my second wife, and she's very okay about my heels, in fact she's helped me pick some of them out at the stores. A funny story about how I let her know I was into high heels: We had gotten pretty serious but she'd still not spent a night over at my place, nor had we been intimate yet. I wanted to be right up front about it, and at that time, I owned no heels except my first pair, thighboots I'd bought online, Pleaser 8868 4 inched heels in the black pigskin (extremely comfortable, BTW.) I kept them in my bedroom closet. So, my girlfriend (now wife) and I finally spend a night together and in the morning I'm getting ready for work and I decided that was the time to tell her. I said that I had something to show her, this big buildup, and pull my thighboots out of the closet, and she says, "Oh my god, is that all? I thought you were going to tell me you had a dead body or something in there!" I forgot to mention that at this time, we were both living in the Florida Keys, where nearly anything goes anyway, and my wife was basically what they call a "fresh-water conch," someone who wasn't born in Key West but had come in as a youngster and had grown up there. What my wife thought was funny was that I told her after our first intimate episode, by then it was too late! Later, I dressed up as a pirate for Fantasy Fest only as a pretense to wear my thighboots in public (I got lots of attention and compliments!) My wife worked at the time for a company that sponsored, built and rode on a float in the big finale parade. What a hoot! However, in the walk from the hotel to the car and from the car to the float staging area, I about walked the heel tips off the boots and thought my feet were going to fall off, they were so sore! It didn't help that I had to haul all her and her niece's stuff like the makeup tacklebox and luggage and what-not to the car. So, long story short, I wound up walking to the staging area in my thighboots, got into a few photos with all the other folks from my wife's company, and had to take them off and put on my Tevas. I'd never have made it through five hours of parade. Since then, I've made some strides (pun not intended, but appropriate!) A couple of months ago, on the advice of my wife, I picked up a really cool pair of these black high-heeled trainer affairs, kind of like Reebok-looking things with about a 4in heel. The toes aren't at all pointy, so there's plenty of room in the toebox. They're really comfortable, too. I wore those all weekend two weeks ago, except for some work my Father-in-law and I did around the house (he's okay with my heels, too, although a little more guarded about it than his daughter.) I drove all the way from the Keys to Jacksonville in them, stopping for gas, restroom, chow, etc liberally, and back again on the following Sunday. It was just fine and it felt really awesome. It's like high heels make me feel a little more forward, encourage a little attitude, and I like that they force me to walk the way they do, with a little more deliberation. I even like that they make my behind sway when I walk. I like being a man, but have a side that I'm not afraid any more of allowing out. That said, I think I've found that to me, one of the downsides of heeling is that I find the need to pay closer attention to the rest of my outfit when I want to wear heels. I'm not a dandy or anything, and I don't often feel like working that hard to make the picture complete. Before I close (I realize how long this must be) I wanted to say that I am so glad to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way, and that this board is here. Two weeks ago, when I spent the weekend in heels, I was at first terrified, but thought that if there's anyone else out there who might feel emboldened enough by seeing me in my heels out and about in St. Augustine and on I-95 or the Florida Turnpike and think they can do it too, then the fright was worth every minute. If more of us got out there and wore our heels normally, naturally, they might become regularly accepted wear. Very Happy Holidays to everyone! Ray

This is my first post to the board, after lurking for what feels like at least a year, so forgive me if I get a lot off my chest. When I was young, I was very shy and frightened of my own shadow, but had an older sister who was in most regards the exact opposite. She wore some pretty sophisticated clothes and footwear and although I had nothing than familial love for both my sisters, I thought her clothes and shoes/boots were incredibly sexy. For the longest time, from adolescence into adulthood, I thought I was going to wind up into crossdressing, but since then it's turned out that it's really about the shoes. I won't lie and say I do not fantasize about crossdressing, I'm way too guy-like and, well, hairy, to carry it off. I'm going to be forty in a few months, and I've learned some things about myself: this is me, I really enjoy wearing high heels, I'm getting too old to worry too much about what the next person thinks, and in fact, I think the next person is way too wrapped up in his own thoughts to think too heavily about my choice in footwear. I'm now happily married to my second wife, and she's very okay about my heels, in fact she's helped me pick some of them out at the stores. A funny story about how I let her know I was into high heels: We had gotten pretty serious but she'd still not spent a night over at my place, nor had we been intimate yet. I wanted to be right up front about it, and at that time, I owned no heels except my first pair, thighboots I'd bought online, Pleaser 8868 4 inched heels in the black pigskin (extremely comfortable, BTW.) I kept them in my bedroom closet. So, my girlfriend (now wife) and I finally spend a night together and in the morning I'm getting ready for work and I decided that was the time to tell her. I said that I had something to show her, this big buildup, and pull my thighboots out of the closet, and she says, "Oh my god, is that all? I thought you were going to tell me you had a dead body or something in there!" I forgot to mention that at this time, we were both living in the Florida Keys, where nearly anything goes anyway, and my wife was basically what they call a "fresh-water conch," someone who wasn't born in Key West but had come in as a youngster and had grown up there. What my wife thought was funny was that I told her after our first intimate episode, by then it was too late! Later, I dressed up as a pirate for Fantasy Fest only as a pretense to wear my thighboots in public (I got lots of attention and compliments!) My wife worked at the time for a company that sponsored, built and rode on a float in the big finale parade. What a hoot! However, in the walk from the hotel to the car and from the car to the float staging area, I about walked the heel tips off the boots and thought my feet were going to fall off, they were so sore! It didn't help that I had to haul all her and her niece's stuff like the makeup tacklebox and luggage and what-not to the car. So, long story short, I wound up walking to the staging area in my thighboots, got into a few photos with all the other folks from my wife's company, and had to take them off and put on my Tevas. I'd never have made it through five hours of parade. Since then, I've made some strides (pun not intended, but appropriate!) A couple of months ago, on the advice of my wife, I picked up a really cool pair of these black high-heeled trainer affairs, kind of like Reebok-looking things with about a 4in heel. The toes aren't at all pointy, so there's plenty of room in the toebox. They're really comfortable, too. I wore those all weekend two weeks ago, except for some work my Father-in-law and I did around the house (he's okay with my heels, too, although a little more guarded about it than his daughter.) I drove all the way from the Keys to Jacksonville in them, stopping for gas, restroom, chow, etc liberally, and back again on the following Sunday. It was just fine and it felt really awesome. It's like high heels make me feel a little more forward, encourage a little attitude, and I like that they force me to walk the way they do, with a little more deliberation. I even like that they make my behind sway when I walk. I like being a man, but have a side that I'm not afraid any more of allowing out. That said, I think I've found that to me, one of the downsides of heeling is that I find the need to pay closer attention to the rest of my outfit when I want to wear heels. I'm not a dandy or anything, and I don't often feel like working that hard to make the picture complete. Before I close (I realize how long this must be) I wanted to say that I am so glad to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way, and that this board is here. Two weeks ago, when I spent the weekend in heels, I was at first terrified, but thought that if there's anyone else out there who might feel emboldened enough by seeing me in my heels out and about in St. Augustine and on I-95 or the Florida Turnpike and think they can do it too, then the fright was worth every minute. If more of us got out there and wore our heels normally, naturally, they might become regularly accepted wear. Very Happy Holidays to everyone! Ray