The Happy Feats of HappyFeat

[HappyFeat]

HappyFeat...

Congratulations on another sucessful outing in high heels. I really liked the high heels you wore and that is a very nice comfortable casual outfit too. Please keep the stories coming. They inspire me and others here to continue to wear high heels and especialy in public.

Thanks! If sharing my experiences helps anybody do something they want to do, I am very happy about that. What is so wonderful about this resource is that by sharing stories, we inspire each other. You have posted some great outings as well, and I have drawn on you and so many others.

Personally, I think its high time for a "roniheels" adventure thread!

Happyfeat:-)

I did the same thing as you about keeping my work life separate from my private life. Besides that, I'm not sure that the administration that I worked for would cotten to my wearing heels in the classroom. Besides that, I meet my ex-students everywhere that I go. When a teacher, you never know just how far your influence goes until it meets you face to face. After all, you have a reputation to consider. Right?

Cheers---

Dawn HH

Actually, since I teach in college I can get away with a lot more. Though my school doesn't have tenure, I am pretty safe in my job. But my school is small and my fear would lose effectiveness as a teacher if I wore heels, because it would become less about the actual classes than the shoes I am wearing. Besides most of my students are male and would have little appreciation for it. Besides I have a reputation of being a little "out there" anyway.

Ruth and I are sitting here relaxing and reading the posts together. She say's to tell you, Nice look HappyFeat.

Tell Ruth I said thanks!

HappyFeat, having missed some of your earlier posts, I did some catching up this morning. Well, the red Goor Nine West red boots; WOW!

I've got the same ones in bone, a similar pair in brown and knee high in black. You can't beat Nine West for style or quality.

Keep having fun!

Actually, I was thinking about getting them in brown as well and would LOVE a pair in bone. They are have been marked down another $10, so I am giving it some serious thought.

What I love about them is the deceptively high stiletto heel, very nice on a boot.

HappyFeat: You continue to amaze me with your adventures. The Nine West pumps in your most recent pics were mondo sharp. Man! I like those a lot! Makes me wish my feet were small enough to wear their shoes as I've always loved Nine West. I've said this before, but you certainly do have style!

They may be the oldest pair I have in my collection. I have worn them a lot and they have a few scuffs to show for it. When I bought them, I thought they could be my every day casual shoes because they go with everything and can even dress up nicely. Its a shame that every day can't be a heel day or I would have worn them out a long time ago!

I agree that I am fortunate that Nine West works so well for me. In many cases, I am able to find 11s and 12s (when necessary) at near Payless prices! But then again, I do a lot of shopping. It is nice to be blesses with small feet (for my size at least).

[Dawn HH]

I know what you mean about Nine West. They are very stylish and nice to have. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[HappyFeat]

This has been a GREAT week of heeling, to say the least. I have had lots of opportunity to get out in my heels and LOVED every minute of it. Last Wednesday, I had a casual outing. I wore a gray and black Banana Republic sweater, a pair of Steve Madden knee boots and black flair legged Lane Bryant trousers. The boots have about a 2 1/2 inch stiletto heel and a very pointed toe. I went to dinner at the restaurant I have been frequenting. By now the staff is beginning to know me and is quite friendly. I took my computer and ate, worked, and visited HHPlace. The highlight of the evening was a group of women who were using the place for some sort of housewares party. Since my seat was near the restroom, they each made their way past me. I stayed at the resteraunt for neary two hours. When I left, the ENTIRE group got up and watched me leave through the window. I wasn't even sure they had seen my shoes in the first place! Anyway, it was a nice feeling having got their attention. On Thursday, I wore a white sweater, black dress trousers and a pair of Bandolino Mary Janes. I went to Lane Bryant to hit their sale. I love the staff at the store and really it is more of a visit with friends than a shopping trip. The manager actually tried to sell me lingerie, though I declined her offer. I bought a very nice polka dot, black and white coat, a pair of the trouser jeans in a light wash, a couple pair of cargo style pants of the clearance rack, but it was the denim skirt that was my coup de gras. I seldom wear a skirt, but hsi one fit me so nicely that I couldn't pass it up. When I was checking out, a couple of college age girls were behind me. One of them said that I was such a "great husband" assuming that I was buying gifts. I told them proudly that I was not married and they clothes were for me. Heck, one of them even saw me going in and out of the dressing rooms. The manager told me to shoe them my shoes, which I did. They were amazed. We chatted for a bit and I headed from the store. I stopped by the drug store on my way home to get some razors so I could shave my legs. I usually keep them shaved for the winter months and figured that short season was pretty much done in my neck of the woods. The had some pretty cool herringbone patterned tights of sale so I got a pair in brown and black. Several people made two or three passes by me to check out my shoes. On Friday, I went for a hair cut and a pedicure to a salon that I hadn't been to for years. I wore my new Lane Bryant trouser jeans, a orange and black J. Crew sweater (it was Halloween after all) and a pair of black patent Bandolino loafers with a 2 inch block heel. Nobody in the salon made any comment and since I hadn't been there for a while, my stylist and I did a lot of catching up. However, while i was getting my hair cut, the owner and I were talking and she stared at my shoes the entire time! She didn't comment or anything, but it was obvious she noticed. After the salon, I went to the Nine West store. A few weeks ago i had taken the manager some shoes I was planning on discarding since sh wears a 10 1/2 or 11. Of the eight pair I took, only one fit, so I went to pick up the rest. The store hadn't gotten any new items in, but the manager told me she found one of the bronze knee boots that I ADORE, but only one. She said if she found its mate she would save them for me. I hope she finds it because they are gorgeous. I did go out in both Friday and Saturday nights, but I will save those stories for another time...Also, I only have pictures from Wednesday and Friday. I loaned my good digital camera to a friend for her vacation, so the qulaity of these images leaves a bit to be desired....

[JeffB]

HappyFeat: You ARE da man! I certainly enjoyed your latest outing, the chat you had with those college girls was absolutely priceless. As for your pics, pretty darn good! Those wide leg pants and jeans you sported are definitely interesting, perhpas I'll try a pair myself if I can find them with a long enough inseam! Thanks for giving me ideas! HA!

[Dawn HH]

Happyfeat:-) What a great outing and your outfits were supperb. Chatting up those girls was quite a treat for you, I'm sure. Great stuff. Sounds like you are really in the groove. Your outings and pics are interesting reading. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[HappyFeat]

I am not a Halloween person myself; I just never cared much for the holiday. Sure, I like candy, but you can get candy year round. I just never cared for the whole concept of costumes. Part of it is that I think the whole idea of blood and gore really isn't worth celebrating; part is because I have no affection for the undead; but mainly I just am not into costumes. I like just being myself, which can be scary enough sometimes. Also, I have always considered myself a serious party person. In my day, I could hold my liquor, never got sick, obnoxious, or over the top. Holidays like Halloween, New Years Eve, St. Patrick's Day, etc. I had always considered "amateur night"- when any Tom, Dick or Mary would come out and just be foolish, and kind of ruin a fun night for everybody. So, I kind of skipped the whole scene. There was a time, when I was first getting into wearing heels that I did most of my shoe shopping and heeling in the days leading up to Halloween, thinking it was more acceptable. Maturity and experience though taught me that I shouldn't have to rely on a time of year when people pretended to be someone else to be myself. If this sounds like I am Ebeneezer Scrooge about Halloween, that may be true. So I decided to lighten up a bit and enjoy the holiday, especially since it falls on a weekend this year. However, I simply went as myself. On Friday night, I went to a small party at a bar that some old friends and reserved for the evening. I hadn't seen most of them for a few months and thought it would be a nice quite way to spend the evening. It was a small turn out because most other bars/clubs were having a big party night and the owner was willing to rent out the place because she knew that her business would be slow anyway in comparison to the bigger places all having parties. I wore a white ribbed shirt, black jacket, dark blue denim skirt and my Nine West "Tornado" knee boots over some really cool black herringbone tights. I felt great! Many of the people at the party knew that I wore heels and other accessories, so other than passing comments about looking nice or having great boots there wasn't much discussion about my outfit. A couple of people ask (which is typical) on why I didn't do makeup or a wig, etc. I always tell them that that's not me...I am a man who likes to dress how I see fit. What I always find ironic about this is that some people think its cool while the odd few would be more accepting if I did full drag. Not that I care, but I do love the irony. Most of Friday evening was just catching up with a few people, chatting, and relaxing. I did turn a head or two on my way to the party and on my way home. I drove through a drive through beer store to get a pack of cigarettes (I know, I know, but it is a party night) and the girl working saw my skirt, smiled, but did not say anything. And again I drove through a fast food establishment on the way home for a cup of coffee and the girl working there smiled the whole time she was waiting on me, obviously enchanted my my skirt which had ridden up enough to expose my thighs and tights. I hadn't planned on going out Saturday, but I was convinced by a friend at the previous night's party to do so. This particular friend is recently divorced and shares a house with four female impersonators and kind of is their makeup/hair person. One of the alternative bars in the area was celebrating Halloween on Saturday and doing a show where her "girls" were performing. So, I figured what the heck, I was getting into the spirit, so just go with it. Saturday was a very warm day. Since I had recently shaved my legs and had a fresh pedicure, I though I just may use the holiday to go a bit over the top. I wore a white pullover dress shirt, black jacket (I needed the pockets), an above the knee skirt, and black Nine West d'orssay with a peep toe. This may be only the second or third time I have ever ventured out with a skirt and bare legs. I felt down right sexy. I had been to this club a few times in the past, but it had been a few months. I had always worn heels when I went, so my shoes are always a topic of conversation and fellow patrons usually expect a certain degree of style from my shoes. It is usually a laid back place that usually caters to women, but the crowds are more mixed now between men and women and gay and straight customers. In fact about half are straight and about half are women. It is a pretty safe environment and a great place just to be accepted. I arrived early, my friend who told me to come was busy with drag queen drama, which was a bit over the top even for that sort of thing. I went to the bar, got a beer and relaxed. One of the ironies of the evening was that I could never find a place to sit, even in my 4 1/2" shoes while 90% of the women who were wearing costumes with heels were already running around barefoot, shoes in hand. I talked to t few people and listed to people sing karaoke. Eventually one quite attractive women, maybe in her late 40's came up to me and told me what great legs I have. I thanked her and we began talking. This led to her calling over her friends, each of them admiring my legs and rubbing them to evaluate my shave. Apparently, I have smoother legs than they did, which I wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. Again, questions about how I walk in them, comments about how much heels hurt their feet, etc. I have heard it all, but getting attention from 5 women at once was pretty fun, so I would listen to about anything. One of the people singing karaoke started into "Purple Rain" by Prince. The woman who approached me initially looked at me and told me she wanted to dance, so i asked her. We slow danced to the song and got into some pretty hot and heavy flirting. I asked her if I was her first dance with a guy in a skirt, she laughed and said yes. I figured I was in business. But as things go in an alternative club, drama ensued. She got into a conflict with the bar owner because the door person wouldn't let her daughter in. Her daughter was less than a month short of 18 and the club rules say you have to be 19 to get in (21 to drink). Well, I kind of ran from that one. Drama is one thing, trying to hook up with the daughter looking on was a bit more than I wanted to deal with. I went outside for a smoke. Say what you will about smoking, but since most places have outlawed it in bars, it is a great way to meet people. When I go outside, a very cute girl wearing pajamas, slippers, and carring a Teddy bear came up to me and started going crazy over my shoes, skirt, legs, etc. Again, she felt them, had her friends feel them, etc. Again questions about how can you wear heels that high, do you wear them a lot, etc. Another new friend. I spent the majority of the evening with them. We flirted, drank, talked, laughed, etc. Eventually they left to go for food. They really wanted me to go, but I wasn't comfortable going to the all night drunk diner in my skirt. I told them if I was wearing pants, I would have been OK with it, but a few drunk rednecks would likely ruin my evening. At this moment, I could have kicked myself for not having mt refrigerator stocked and the house clean because I would have invited them to my place and would have cooked for them. I could hear the voice of Kneehighs telling me to offer them breakfast and a fashion show, but alas I was not prepared for the moment. After they left, I had another beer with a lesbian couple who are friends of mine, chatted with another woman about how she always falls for straight girls and danced with a very hot girl in white go-go boots until her girlfriend drug her away. On my way out I talked to a girl about the wonders of shopping at Lane Bryant and local places to find great shoes. I had a remarkable evening and I think I am going to start going back to this club. The people are great and it does afford me the opportunity to wear some of my more fun clothes. I guess what I learned was that CHICKS DIG GUYS WHO WEAR HEELS!

[Bootking]

Truly remarkable HappyFeat; makes one want to be single again........

Great boots man!!

[vector]

Awsome Adventures!!!!!!

[JeffB]

Holy Cow! What awesome outfits, HF! Absolutely awesome! You looked terrific! I envy you for going out in skirts and heels, something I've yet to get up the courage to do! Bravo to you, my friend!

[danielp6406]

Happyteat :-)

Awesome story and perfect outfit. What else can I say ...

[HappyFeat]

It has been a while since I got out. Between a combination of being very busy with work, being sick for quite some time, and the weather just being blah, it has been difficult to muster any motivation. But, Saturday morning I finally had a little time and felt inspired to give my new purple Nine West "Hotpepper" pumps a whirl. I matched them with a purple sweater and a pair of gray trousers (forgive the picture, I was a bit rumpled when I took it.) Christmas shopping was my objective for the day. My first stop was the bookstore. Being a good shopping day, almost every place I went was fairly crowded, but the bookstore was fairly quite. Almost upon entering, I turned heads! This really didn't surprise me since my pants were shorter than normal and a lot of the staff there had seen me in heels before. One young woman there, who is short in stature and a bit on the heavy side, always wearing a peasant skirt and flats greeted me, looked right at my shoes and smiled. I could see her eyes bug right out of her head! During the time I was in the bookstore, well over an hour I think every staff person working asked me if I needed help, obviously just to heck out m shoes. After getting a nice stack of books for gifts I went to check out. The clerk at the register was a woman about 30. I had not seen her in the store before. While she was checking me out, she was als commenting on the books I selected, offering suggestions about other titles I might like. When, she was done she bagged them up and I could tell she wanted to comment on my "look" because she was still making conversation. I was going to give her an opening, but as soon as I did the line began to build behind me and I didn't get a chance. I thanked her and left. As I headed for my car, I could see maybe half a dozen people peer out the plate glass window, their eyes following me as I got in the car. Next I went to Target to pick up some electronics devices for my major gifts for family. The store was packed and everybody was deeply emersed in their business. Though there were a lot of people, neither customers nor staff seemed to notice my shoes at all, or at least paid no mind to them. hey do make quite a bit of noise on the tile floors, so they would be tough to miss. I decided to browse the shoes. Target does carry a nice selection of stylish, larger sizes, but I have always thought their prices were a bit high. I can usually find sale shoes at Nine West or Macy's for about the same price as new shoes at Target. Anyway, I tried on a few pair of shoes in the aisles. At one point I had been in the same aisle with a tall, thin woman about 30 for about 5 minutes. So, when she tried a new pair I told her those were OK, but handed her a pair of the same style in red and said she should try these. She found her size and we talked about shoes and styles. She said she has more shoes than she can wear, but can't resist getting more. We talked for a few minutes, never mentioning my shoes or the fact that I was trying on women's shoes. It was a pretty cool encounter! At electronics, after I finally found somebody to help me because everthing I needed was in a case, I followed the clerk to where my items were located. I pointed to the first item I wanted, which required her to bend down and open the case to retreive it. After she did this, she turned twoard me, and did a double take at my shoes! She didn't say anything about them, but smiled in suprise, not knowing what to think. After that she was quite friendly, showing me accessories, etc. This continued for about 10 minutes until we had retreived all of my items. When we got to the register to check out, she siad "You wear heels very well." I thanked her and said that I enjoy wearing them and do so whenever I can. She replied that she hasn't worn heels for a while (she was in her 50's) because she never has any place to wear them, but when she worked in an office she wore them every day. I asked her if she missed wearing them, and she said sometimes. I told her she should just get a pair and wear them out shopping like I am doing. She said after leaving the job, shopping is the last thing on her mind. The rest of the conversation was about he job, I thinked her, gave her a wink and headed out of the store. The other thing about Target on Saturday was the number of women wearing heels. I haven't seen that many women in heels for a long time in any one place. They were primarily stiletto boots, but one woman was wearing a pair of beat up white patent Mary Janes, with what looked like tube socks. I was sure what that was about, but it did seem to have its own style to it. After being about $500 lighter in the wallet, the bulk of my Christmas shopping was done and I decided to call it a day. A truly enjoyable, but quick outing is good for the soul (or sole for that matter).

[radiodave]

Very nice adventures, HF! Nice outfit too.

[CassieJ]

Love the look. You look totally natural in that outfit and the shoes are great!

[Dawn HH]

Happyfeat:-) It is nice to know that you are feeling better and once again can go out heeling to complete some of your Holiday shopping. Congrats, my friend. Keep up the good work. With Mickey's condition right now, shopping must be done by myself completely and when I can find the time to be able to leave her for a while to complete my chores. The only time she gets out in this kind of weather is when it is a neccessity to make a doctor appointment to check on her recovery progress. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[roniheels]

Sounds like you had another great outing. And I love your outfit and high heels, too. Please keep the stories and pictures coming.

[johnieheel]

Sounds like a really fun outing HF. Thanks for sharing.

[JeffB]

HappyFeat: Two thumbs up to you, my friend! Your outfit clicked! Oh, yeah, purple is my favorite color!

[HappyFeat]

Thank you for all of the kind comments of support! Yes, I can't tell you how good it feels to have a bit of time and focus to get back out there. I miss my heels when they simply are left to gather dust...

Having read recent posts in the threads http://www.hhplace.org/discuss/guys/12081-jaunts_jeffb-5.html#post185327 and http://www.hhplace.org/discuss/guys/12402-adventures_latindancer-4.html#post190881 I felt inspired to try something a bit new. JeffB going out in his thighhighs and Latindancer shopping in his pumps and skirt seemed to be pretty great experiences for both, so I thought it was my turn!

Today I had several hours off from work so it was a nice opportunity to heel. The weather was atrocious- rain, cold, etc. I knew I wanted to heel, but I didn't want to destroy any of my favorite shoes. I was reluctant to wear boots since I thought I might be trying on shoes and boots are just too much of a pain. But while I was in the shower, I decided on my outfit: yellow sweater, black gauchos, black tights and Nine West "Tornado" knee boots. Heck with it, I'll just peal of the boots to try on shoes.

I have only worn these boots a couple of times, but I have always felt they were too mice to hide under pants. Though not a skirt, I like the look of gauchos with boots and I don't have to worry as much about how to set, etc. So, thank you JeffB for inspiring me to expose my boots and thanks to Latindancer for showing me that a guy in skirt can pretty much go about his business.

My day mainly consisted of shopping and relaxing. I went to Nine West, which really didn't have anything new. I was surprised that the manager didn't comment on my boots since she sold them to me and told me they REQUIRED a skirt. We just chatted and caught up a bit.

I went to Lane Bryant and tried on some clothes. The staff at this store is helpful, but distant. I tried on a skirt at the suggestion of the clerk, who came by the dressing room to check for fit. I must say it did look great with the boots but the 16 was too tight in the waist and the 18 was frumpy.

Before leaving the mall, I looked at Coach, some generic shoe store, Banana Republic and JCrew. In each place I was asked if I needed help, but there really wasn't anything I found interesting. I did try on a pair of men's trousers at JCrew, but that was about it.

I spent an hour or so in the bookstore, just browsing. Again, people were friendly, but made were not going out of their way. They just asked and went about their business. I went to Starbucks for something to warm me up, worked on my computer, people watched, but I was amazed at how little attention I received.

For the next couple of hours I went to another mall and it was the same thing- I might as well have been invisible! This really surprised me because it seemed to me that more people notice if I am wearing a pair of low heel shoes and men's trousers.

So for me, today was one of the heeling experiences of my life. A guy in great boots exposed all to the world and it was completely and utterly natural! I say this but I know its more than that. I had extreme confidence today. Not once did I linger before getting out of my car or worry about walking through a throng of people. In my mind, my clothes I wore today were no different in projection than if I were wearing jenas and sneakers. Though I felt very well put together.

Next time I go, I will remember to take a camera...

[latindancer]

Yes!!!!!!!! Awesome Happyfeet!!!!! I must admit, that outfit was killer. I must give you congratulation on your outing. Amazing!!!! It's always fun to read someone else doing what they feel like doing when it comes with clothing. Isn't it amazing. I bet with the first time out in the car you must've looked around at people to see their reactions. You must've been a little shocked that no one, not no one did anything or say anything. After that, your confidence must of built to a point of ellation. Saying stuff like, "Is this really happening?, People are not saying anything, or doing anything?" Then you probably was asking why? Then nothing. Walking as though you were walking in regular attire. It's fun isn't it. I have to agree with you Happyfeet. You get more reaction when you are trying to hide the heels instead of showing them completely. It's a complete reverse. It looks like people see you completely in heels and they say "ok, cool, or oh well", but when you are hiding them then it's look at that. I'm glad you had an excellent outing. Now you will want to do it more. Outstanding. Latindancer

[radiodave]

Nice outfit! Can't say that I've tried a skirt in public, but that's a good look with the boots. Seems to look just fine, and glad you had such a positive experience.

[CassieJ]

Another awesome outfit!

[JeffB]

HappyFeat: WOW!! What an incredible outing! Gauchos with boots! What an amazingly inspired clothing choice! My hat's off to you for quite a bold adventure you went out on! Sounds like you had a great time to, strolling in and out of stores as you pleased, doing so without raising so much as a stir! I am impressed! Greatly impressed! And you're right! Your boots ARE too nice to hide, I'm glad you showed them off for all to see. Bravo to you, my friend! Bravo! P.S. A question: did your gauchos have pockets to put your keys and wallet in, or did you carry some sort of bag for your possessions?

[Thighbootguy]

Great outing... great look Next its gauchos and thigh boots... seriously... I'll bet it would look great.

[HappyFeat]

A question: did your gauchos have pockets to put your keys and wallet in, or did you carry some sort of bag for your possessions?

Actually, since winter is upon us, I cheated...I wore my black leather jacket which has pockets. Normally, I usually wear some sort of jacket when wearing something without pockets. Its not that I am opposed to a bag, but I can't seem to find one that I like or is practical. The manager of the Nine West store I frequent is keeping an eye open for one for me actually.

Great outing... great look

Next its gauchos and thigh boots... seriously... I'll bet it would look great.

Thigh boots would be great with my gauchos. It is something that I am really considering!

[roniheels]

HappyFeat... Love your outfit and congratulations on another successful outing. I just love hearing all of the stories like yours and others who enjoy wearing high heels in public and going about their business doing things they enjoy doing while wearing high heels. This is such a great website where we can all get together and enjoy each other's experiences. I so hope one day to attend a heel meet to personally meet some of my fellow high heel wearers.

[Stilettoscot]

Bravo and then some sir!! Mucho kdos!!

[HappyFeat]

I'm on a roll now! Two days in a row I got to really treat myself to heeling. First, my experiences were not that different in today's outing than they were in my previous outings. If any novice heelers are concerned about being noticed, I highly recommend heeling at shopping centers during the holidays. Everybody is so involved in their own activities, they wouldn't notice another person if they were on fire. Second, at least in the places I have been, the staff in stores are so fried from the holiday rush and possibly losing their jobs due to the economy their level of attention to the customers is pretty bad. It is very different than the "bend over backward to serve you" service I received this summer. So, if you want to fly under the radar, now is the time to get out in your heels!

But, I have no interest in flying under the radar. Today I went to two different malls in Pittsburgh. I figured that with the economy being down and it being a Thursday morning, it wouldn't be terribly crowded. You would have never known it from the parking lots. The weather was bad and I had to make a pretty long sojourn from my car to every place I went.

I wore a white sweater, brown Lane Bryant wide leg trousers, brown tights with sort of a fishnet pattern, and 3 inch brown patent Bandolino "Caralyn" pumps that have a nice round toe and a little decorative buckle on the outside of the shoe. I bought these shoes off the Macy's clearance rack last spring, but frankly they were not kind to my feet today. They will likely have a date with eBay in the near future. If my feet are going to hurt, its going to be in something a little less conservative.

My outing started at a Lane Bryant store that is going out of business. Though they had a pretty solid sale on most of their stuff, the markdowns were not sufficient to really buy too much. They did have a couple of pair of pants I wanted to try, but the staff largely ignored me. There was no offer to try anything on or be of help. The two clerks on duty spent most of their time talking to each other and ignoring shoppers in general. Each clerk did look down at my feet but had not reaction or comment other than to stare a bit too long. In the end, when I was ready to check out, I had to find them in the front of the store and tell them I was ready to leave. Though it was frustrating, I could hardly blame them for not being terribly attentive since they were going to be unemployed in the near future.

I headed to JCrew. I had heard that there was a guy who wears heels who works at the store. I figured that if I went in I might have a chance to meet him. I knew that he wouldn't be wearing heels ate work, but thought that he might say something to me. I browsed the store, but the only guy working at that time had bigger feet than a size 11, so I figured it couldn't be him.

I went to Macy's, browsed Payless and headed to Bandolino. Of course I could see that I was getting the traditional glances and double takes, but people were very discreet. At Bandolino I was shocked at how little new stock has come in. I figure that this store may not have much of a future. Anyway, the young clerk there was pretty blase, though she warmed up a bit eventually. When I asked if she had a certain style in an 11, she said "I'll check" like I was asking her to swim through a tank full of sharks. She found my shoes and I tried them on. She did recommend another style or two, checked for them and I tried them. We discussed her need for colors of shoes other than black, etc. but that was about it. I did buy a pair of red "Anthem" Mary Janes that were on a pretty deep discount.

After grazing through a few more stores I stopped by Aldo. The clerk here was bad, but not the worst of the day. I asked if they had a certain style in a 41, and she basically told me they didn't carry in 41s. There was nobody else in the store and she just gave me a look like there was no way in hell she was going to help me. I was wearing heels and carrying a Bandolino bag, so it should be obvious that I was a potential sale. Typically Aldo clerks are very good- always offering to order or offering to try a 10, but she was really not interested in helping.

I shopped a bit more, but really needed to rest my feet after walking on the hard tile for over 3 hours. I went to Panera for lunch, but it was so packed, I just grabbed a drink and headed on. I did turn a few heads, but after the initial shock, anybody who noticed was entirely disinterested.

I headed to the other side of town to check another Lane Bryant. I have some coupons that expire Sunday and since the first store was going out of business they weren't honoring any discounts. Well the staff here made the Aldo clerk seem like Ms. Congeniality. Not even any recognition that I was in the store! I wanted to ask if they had trousers I wanted in different colors, but when I went to ask, they always seemed to move to the other part of the store. It was like they were purposely avoiding me. That may sound a bit paranoid, but I never was able to intercept one of them. At this point my feet were really beginning to hurt, so after I had enough, I put back my selections and moved on.

I stopped by the Shoe Department and tried on a couple pair of heels, and bought a nice pair of pointy toe oxfords. The clerk was very nice and had noticed my heels. She said that she had bought the shoes I bought to wear with her witch costume at Halloween. They actually have a Wicked Witch of the West feel to them. I told her that when I wear them I will try to stay away from flying houses.

While I was in the Shoe Department, I did notice an older woman kind of following me around. I would see her try to act reserved, but every time she caught my eye she was staring at my shoes. I wanted to say hello or something, but she was never close enough to me that I could do it without shouting. This of course did not bother me, but I did think it was kind of strange.

I hit Bakers as well. Again a modertly helpful clerk that was obvious that she would have rather been anywhere else. I left the mall, stopped at DSW and Marshall's to try on shoes as well. However, the weather was starting to change and I called it a day. Like I said, maybe its the season, maybe its the economy, maybe its the weather...I don't know, but people aren't really that much fun to be around right now. I had always had nothing but wonderful experiences at each of the store I was in, but today they were all pretty much zeros. Mind you none of the people were the same, but still they were all places that I could count on a positive experience.

I may not make it out again for a while, but its not because I don't love heeling...its just that going out isn't as much fun as it has been. But I did love getting to spend the whole day in heels and I think I looked pretty good! No matter what any day in heels is a good day in my book.

Here is the link to the posting of the shoes I bought today:

http://www.hhplace.org/discuss/guys/9231-who_has_bought_some_new_shoes-84.html#post191424

[johnieheel]

WOW! What a really discouraging outing HF. None of it your fault of course. A lot of people are loosing there jobs and it's the time of year when most suicides are attempted do to depression. I think you just ran into a lot of people who weren't doing so good. No matter, keep on heeling my friend. It's bound to get better.

[jwhite44]

Your salesperson experience was discouraging. You always espect to run into an occasional salesperson who'd rather not deal with the holiday rush, but so many is strange. I've done some shopping (including half a dozen stores on Black Friday), and except for having to wait a while (at Best Buy on BF), I haven't encountered anyone I'd find objectionable. I still have some shopping to do, so I hope you didn't jinx me!

[Dawn HH]

Happyfeat:-) Discouraging to say the least, but don't stop heeling just because of that outing. Hang in there, my friend. Cheers--- Dawn HH