The Happy Feats of HappyFeat

[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

[HappyFeat]

Thanks for the words of support...just want everybody to know that I have no intention of stopping heeling...just avoiding retail for a while. If there is one thing I have noticed is that when I am heeling, I become more aware of what is going on around me. I think this is a direct result of heeling because I tend look for peoples reactions to my choice of footwear. But as a result of being more and more comfortable, now it seems I am more sensitive to people in general. A lot of it just seems to be where I am going heeling and as a result of where i live. As Johnnieheel and DawnHH may attest, Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio has been beaten on economically for decades. In many ways we have not recovered from the last economic down turn 30 years ago and I think a lot of people are just feeling anxiety. I think the holidays just compound the general malase. But for me, my most recent outing isn't about it being a negative experience, its about it being a real experience. If heeling is just about going out for a stroll in pumps, then it could be considered a simple act of exhibitionism. But for me (and I think many others) it is about living life the way I choose to and sometimes a day out is less fun than anticipated. It is one of the great things about HHPlace, any experience in my opnion is worth sharing. The moral of the story is...a bad day in heels is still a good day!

[roniheels]

But for me, my most recent outing isn't about it being a negative experience, its about it being a real experience. If heeling is just about going out for a stroll in pumps, then it could be considered a simple act of exhibitionism. But for me (and I think many others) it is about living life the way I choose to and sometimes a day out is less fun than anticipated. It is one of the great things about HHPlace, any experience in my opnion is worth sharing.

The moral of the story is...a bad day in heels is still a good day!

I always love your outlook and positive attitude. You, JeffB, Johnieheel, Stilettoscot, and many others always inspire me to not only continue wearing high heels in public because I love doing so, but to go to new places that I have never worn high heels to. Those pumps look really comfortable. You must have done much walking for them to hurt you feet. But they do look good on you. Thank you, as always, for sharing your experiences with us and please keep them coming.

[HappyFeat]

I did a little Sunday afternoon heeling. Nothing much, but I had a few errands to run, so I thought what better way to do them than in heels. My outfit was pretty simple: Black silk sweater with a very subtle design, light khaki women's dress slacks with a slightly flared leg, off white trouser socks and black Nine West slingbacks with a low heel and a very pointy toe. I have not worn these shoes for a while, but since there is still a little snow scattered around shady areas, I thought a lower heel would help me keep my footing a little better. My first stop was Lane Bryant, where I had some coupons that were set to expire and wanted to use them. I am approaching having more of their trousers and jeans that I an ever wear (I just can't ever pass up a sale) but there were a few other styles I wanted. I tried on about a dozen pair of pants, picked up three for myself and a couple as Christmas gifts. They have a long skirt that I really want, but I will likely wait for it to go on clearance. The store was pretty busy, so I didn't linger too long, but was pretty satisfied with my purchases. I did a bit of shopping at discount stores: TJMaxx, Khols, Marshall's, but nothing really jumped out at me. I did get a few looks but nothing more than the typical double take, quick glance, etc. I spent some time looking for books, talked with an older gentleman about photography books and a younger woman about travel books, but there was no mention or discussion about my shoes or outfit. I had a hot choclolate at the bookstores coffee shop while flipping through some books and felt completly natural. Again there were a few glances, but really no reactions at all. Finally, I did a little grocery shopping to pick up some items for Christmas baking. The grocery store was packed...in fact I had to wait 10 minutes for buggies to be broguht in from the parking lot. I did my shopping without incident as far as others noticing, but began to think that my shoes were beginning to wear out. They were having a tendency to bend a bit much in the middle, providing absolutly no support for my arch. Though I haven't worn these fro some time, I used to wear them quite a bit, so I guess it is possible to wear out a pair of shoes! Wearing heels added a little fun to what was otherwise a pretty average set of errands. I am hoping to make it out again very soon.

[JeffB]

HappyFeat: Damn! That's one sweet outfit you wore on your latest outing! The low heeled slings looked sleek and great, perfect given the weather conditions you mentioned. And I like how you wear those flared legged slacks! My hat's off to you, my friend! Yeah, doing simple errands in heels makes what's normally mundane chores all the more enjoyable. Bravo to you!

[roniheels]

That is a sharp outfit and those are cute shoe that go great with your outfit. Very good choice. Keep up the great heeling.

[HappyFeat]

Today I volunteered to drop a friend of mine at the airport and figured that this would be a great chance to try something new. Most of my outings have been shopping oriented, which is nice but getting old. I would take advantage of other activities like museums, galleries, libraries, etc. but I live just far enough away from a place that has all of those things that it is just difficult to do. So, the airport was a good opportunity. I didn't go too over the top. My friend that I was dropping knows I like to wear heels, but I am never quite sure of the comfort level that she has when I do so. I wore a tweed sports coat, khaki men's trousers, a silk sweater and my brown patent Bandolino "MacDougal" loafers with a 2 1/2" heel. As some of you may know from previous posts I have these loafers in black, brown and navy blue and I give them a lot of wear. I have been told that though they are not "hot" they do have some style. They are great shoes for testing out a new situation however. I went in the airport with my friend, watched her purse and carry on as she checked her bag and checked in. I arranged the details of picking her up etc., gave her a hug and sent her on her way through security. I then wandered through some shops and had a hot cocao at a cafe. What stikes me immediatly at the airport are the number of people who were wearing GREAT shoes. I must have seen 10 pair of 4 inch or higher pumps from my sitting vantage point. Also, what strikes me about being anywhere in my MacDougal loafers is that they seem to attract so much attention. I know I have siad this before, but I have been out in 4 inch killer pumps and very few people seem to notice. When I wear these I am constantly receiving attention. No comments, just doble takes, smiles, etc. Again as I have observed, the more "under the radar" I attempt, the more noticed I am. After hanging around the airport for maybe an hour or so (the weather was ban and I wanted to be sure my friend's flight was actually leaving) I headed out. There really isn't much to do on the landside terminal of Pittsburgh International- you need a boarding pass to get to the airside where all of the good shops, etc are located (damn terrorists!). I stopped at a shopping mall near the airport to just browse for a few minutes. I was feeling pretty good and since I was getting some attention I thought I would just walk around for effect and observation. Again, even in the huge crowds I was noticed more than usual. I made an effort to make eye contact with people, smile, say hello, etc. I did get more than a few smiles from mostly women, but not exclusively. The only store I went into was Bakers. The young clerk came to me imediatly and said if there is anything I want to TRY, just let her know. I have been in many stores and this may have been maybe the 10th time the clerk just assumed that I wanted to try shoes for myself. It was probobly the shoes, but again I have worn many styles that were much more showy. I thanked her, and asked if they carried many shoes in an 11. She kind of smirked and said that they do have SOME, but not much, and told me that they could do online ordering and have them shipped to me. I found three or four styles I liked, only one was in an 11 and it was not in the color I wanted, but she did bring me 10s. I tried them, she was very attentive even though there were several other customers in the store. I tried them, but they just didn't work for me at the moment. Finally, she brought me a pair of boots and said they would be a great look for me. They had a round toe, a platform and a tall shaft. I tried them at her request, but the shaft was a bit too tight around my calf, though I did walk around the store in them for a few minutes. Then the most amazing thing happened. This young guy was buying boots for his wife asked me if they were comfortable. I told him that I really liked them for a boot with such a high heel (5 inches maybe, without the platform) I could walk for days in them. He asked if I could roll up my pants so he could see them better, and I complied with one leg, even giving a little ankle twist. He said that they looked nice and "admired my ability to walk in them, not many guys could pull it off." I thanked him and told him that these boots would make his wife very happy. He thanked me and went to the clerk, pointing to me as he asked for them. I took the boots off, thanked the clerk and told her they didn't work. She said that was okay, besides I had made a sale for her. We shook hands, introduced ourselves and I left. Since she was young enough to be my daughter (it is Bakers afterall) I felt pretty good to have made such a wonderful connection. It was getting late, the wether was turning, and I still had an hour to get home. WHo would have thought that a pair of conservative loafers could be so much fun! I have posted a picture of my outfit. Again, after being out all day it is a bit frumpy and wrinkled.

[secondtake20]

Another great outting HappyFeat!!! Thank You for Sharing, I really enjoy reading about your outtings.

[Dawn HH]

Happyfeat:-) Frumpy and wrinkled or not---your outfit looks great all around. Good that you had a great day. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[danielp6406]

Nice outfit but very effective to get attention ! Keep it up !

[JeffB]

Very tasteful, understated and stylish. I'm surprised that such low heeled shoes garnered so much attention, how unusual. Still, I thought you looked quite nice. Bravo to you on your outing!

[johnieheel]

Well now HappyFeat, that should make up for the bad day a few weeks agao huh? Thanks for sharing. I really liked the part about the guy asking for advise for his wife and asking to hike your pant leg a little to get a better look. Good Job!

[HappyFeat]

Thanks for all of the great comments! The last outing I posted was a nice recovery from my previous posted outing. I was out a couple of times before Christmas for brief but fun jaunts, but didn't have a chance to take pictures and nothing really eventful happened, so I didn't report them back here. Yes Johnieheel, it was pretty cool talking to the guy about the boots in Bakers. After I left the store I thought of you at the heel meet. In many ways I am moving from being comfortable to actually being BOLD during my outings. Actually, I had a pretty great experience involving heels the other night. I was out with a group of friends (not wearing heels) and was having a couple of cocktails or six. There was a group of VERY attractive young women, all in heels, but this tall red head caught my eye. I saw her shoes (5 inch black pumps, hidden platform) sticking out from her jeans as she set on the stool. There were few women in the bar and none of them were dressed even remotely for a night out (it was less than 10 degrees F) so I decided to approach her. I went op and told her that I loved her shoes and asked if they were from Bakers. I was right and she was totally shocked. She asked me how I knew and instead of telling her the truth (that I tried the same pair on last week), I told her that I used to work in a shoe store. We talked for about 20 minutes about shoes. She said they fit her a bit loosely and I suggested heel grips, telling her that it was my experience that Bakers ran small. It was fairly obvious that I wore heels during the conversation, but I just choked on 'fessin 'up. Oh well. Knowledge of heels is a great conversation starter with any woman. It is supposed to be quite warm tomorrow, so hopefully I will have a new adventure to post soon.

[JeffB]

Well, knowledge IS power after all! Why not share what you've learned with others. Pay it forward!

[HappyFeat]

Today, temperatures peaked at nearly 70 degrees F, so I decided to take advantage of the weather and pull out a pair of sandals this morning. I have never worn sandals for daytime heeling, plus I got nail color at my last pedicure. This too I have never done, but I figured that it might be fun to try once. To be honest it really isn't my style, but since I have it I thought I might show it off. Today I wore a white, french cuff dress shirt, a pair of gray trousers from Lane Bryant and Black Nine West "Tomkat" sandals. Again I know that in the northern U.S. sandals this time of year is a bit taboo, but what the heck. I went to a trendy neighborhood in Pittsburgh to check out some art galleries. I started about 10:00 AM and just browsed the block or two of galleries. Each gallery was small, no more than 400 square feet and all had wooden floors which made a wonderful "click" with my heels. Since I was starting about the time they opened, none were terribly busy. My feet were noticed immediately by the gallery employees each time I entered. At the first gallery, a woman about 50 gave me a little tour, explaining each piece (a local artist who worked in mixed media.) We chatted a bit about my art collection and taste, but she never said a word to me about my shoes, though she kept looking down at them. At the second gallery, things were a bit different. A young woman in beautiful platform pumps and a knee length skirt greeted me. She asked me if I was familiar with the artist (a Russian immigrant who painted some rather large macabre pieces) and I said no. She gave me a bit of the background and told me if I was interested in anything to let her know and went back to work. When I was leaving I said thanks as I headed for the door and she got up and walked toward me. She handed me her card and told me she loved my nails! I nearly choked on my saliva. I told her that it was an experiment, the brand name and the color. We chatted for a bit about the weather being so nice that sandals were a must, though she said she never wore the on the job. Then she said something about a boyfriend and I just kind of zoned out and thanked her again and headed up the street. The next few stops were pretty uneventful, but my final gallery of the day was the most fun. Another young woman, a bit overweight wearing a beige pants suit and gold ballet flats greeted me as I came in. She was one of three people working, the other two being men. She approached me, introduced herself, and offered me a handshake. I responded and her very next comment was how much she loved my shoes! She said that she had trouble with heels since she broke her ankle in a car wreck and would love to wear them. We chatted, she even identified my nail color and told me she wore it last month. For the next hour or so, she showed me the pieces in the gallery, even setting with me on a sofa to look at a large landscape painting. I lingered for a bit after deciding that none of the work was to my liking, she told me they have a new artist coming in January and that I should come back to see it. I told her I would do just that. Again, I wasn't sure if she was interested in me coming back for a visit, or just the odd chance I my lay down $2000 the next time I am in. But in any case, it was lots of fun. I had to call it a day becuase I had to get home and watch football...but I may very well be back. Since the day went so well in sandals. I decided to go out at night. In fact I just got home from a fun night out. I wore the same French cuff dress shirt, added a navy blue velvet jacket, and switched to a red bellow the knee skirt and red open toe pumps. I went to a new alternative night club that had just opened. I flirted around a bit, enjoied a couple of beverages and had a pretty decent time. I took a couple of "shoe comparison" pictures, a la Kneehighs of some girls wearing cute shoes next to mine. Most of the women I talked to were with dates, so there was not much opportunity for further interaction, but it was till loads of fun. I think I will repeat both outings as soon as possible.

[JeffB]

Yo, HappyFeat: Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable! Taking advantage of unexpectedly mild weather for that outing you went on, breaking out summertime shoes for your trip too. I'm greatly impressed. Going to art galleries in your outfit must've made for quite an interesting experience for you, especially in regard to the chats you had with women during your travels. Good for you! As for your nighttime outing----Wow! What a great outfit! Stop me if I'm mistaken, but was that your first time out in public in a skirt? If so, then big time props to you for looking damn good in that outfit! Very chic and stylish, everything clicked from head to toe. More power to you, my friend!

[latindancer]

Happyfeat, very impressive. I am very impressed. Nice color on you toes. I especially like the cajones you had to wear sandals out with color on toes. All I like to say is "NICE". LD

[red shoes]

I'm from Pittsburgh and have spent lots of time in shoes stores and galleries there. In which part of town did your latest adventure occur? I'm in Harrisburg now, but get back to Pgh occasionally. I've always got superb treatment in the Nine West stores there. I was wondering how the Ross Park Mall Nordstrom's has turned out for shoes??? Keep up the grand styling!!

[Bubba136]

HappyFeat! Great outings. Nice shoes and outfit with the red skirt. Congratulations on absolutely destroying one of the boundaries keeping men shackled to wearing boring clothes.

[Dawn HH]

Happyfeat:-) Excellent outing and a fantastic outfit from top to bottom. Is this the first time that you have worn a skirt out in public. If so, two thumbs up to you, my friend. Being 70 degrees, Mickey and I had some shopping chores to attend to so we went to the South Hills village. Being that neither one of us can wear heels at the present time, we went to the food court to get some lunch and selected a table near the aisle in and out of the court. We both enjoy watching the people go by, especially women in heels. One woman went past us to the restroom in dark red patent heels with a 4" silver patent stiletto and a pointy toe box. HMM-hmm! And then we were lucky to see her saunder past us back out into the Mall again. Fantastic and could she work those heels like she had worn them all of her life, which she probably did. After finishing our chores, we went to the Village Square, but nothing exciting there to report. This is only the second time that Mickey has been out except to her doctors since her open-heart surgery and being very tired, we then returned home. While eating lunch, mickey said to me, "Wouldn't it be nice to see Happyfeat stroll by now"?, except you were elsewhere that day. I said, "Yes, that would be fantastic". Anybody from the Pittsburgh area or are going to be in the Pittsburgh area, don't hesitate to give Mickey and I a jingle and maybe we can meet for a bit. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[Bootking]

Very nice sandals HappyFeat; your adventures keep getting more interesting! Kudos!!

[HappyFeat]

Yo, HappyFeat: Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable! Taking advantage of unexpectedly mild weather for that outing you went on, breaking out summertime shoes for your trip too. I'm greatly impressed. Going to art galleries in your outfit must've made for quite an interesting experience for you, especially in regard to the chats you had with women during your travels. Good for you!

It was a truly remarkable experience, partially because it was nice to have such a positive interaction and partially because I had absolutely NO hesitation in wearing what I chose. I felt very stylish and positive about my appearance and attitude. One of the things I may have posted before is that I am really trying to find new venues for public heeling. Most of the time I have gone shopping or out to eat, but those activities are getting quite boring (as well as expensive) and from a few other heeling experiences in galleries I figured that they would be pretty classy, accepting places. I plan on doing it again very soon.

As for your nighttime outing----Wow! What a great outfit! Stop me if I'm mistaken, but was that your first time out in public in a skirt? If so, then big time props to you for looking damn good in that outfit! Very chic and stylish, everything clicked from head to toe. More power to you, my friend!

Actually, I have been out in public in a skirt before, but always in a similar situation. I have only been to "alternative" clubs and bars while wearing a skirt. The gay community is quite small in my town, but there are many artistic types and open minded young people who frequent the local establishments. In fact, I would say that more than half of the people are not gay, but the environment is safe, accepting and relaxing. In fact, I usually do not lack for female admiration and attention when I am out, especially in a skirt and heels.

Not to parse words, but my goal is to wear a skirt in the "general population" so to speak- much as you have. Like my daytime outing at the galleries, to a museum, or shopping. This I haven't worked up the nerve to do yet, but in the coming months I am sure I will. I can say this, I feel totally comfortable and at home in a skirt as I do wearing heels, so my excursions out have been very beneficial.

Happyfeat, very impressive. I am very impressed. Nice color on you toes. I especially like the cajones you had to wear sandals out with color on toes. All I like to say is "NICE".

LD

Thank you for the complement. The color is from the O.P.I. "French" collection and is called "Yes I Can...Can." I am not sure if I like the colored nails look, but it is certainly fun to try and when I had it put on I NEVER dreamed that I would actually go out with exposed toes. For me, I guess the cajones necessary to go out in sandals and painted toes are a result of simply doing a lot of heeling and being comfortable enough just to do as I please.

Really, my mental process was something like, 'hey, its a nice day why don't I wear sandals and shoe off my pedicure.' Just matter of fact and direct.

I'm from Pittsburgh and have spent lots of time in shoes stores and galleries there. In which part of town did your latest adventure occur?

I was in Sewickley for my gallery outing. As I am sure you know its a pretty upscale area and pretty avent gard. I also want to check out some galeries in Carnegie and Mt. Lebanon when the weather gets a bit better.

I'm in Harrisburg now, but get back to Pgh occasionally. I've always got superb treatment in the Nine West stores there. I was wondering how the Ross Park Mall Nordstrom's has turned out for shoes???

I don't make it to Ross Park much and the last time I was there Nordstroms hadn't yet opened, but it is also a place where I would like to heel. The last time I was at Ross Park I had a very nice experience at Nine West and Aldo, though the Nine West store on the South Side has not been very friendly. I will give them another chace however.

I go to South Hills and Robinson a lot. The Bandolino store (at South Hills) is very good and the staff bends over backward to help. In fact, the manager there told me that they have several regular male customers. The Bakers store at Robinson is also very helpful and has an eager sales staff.

If you make is back to Pittsburgh anytime, let me know. I am sure arranging a "Greater Pittsburgh Heelmeet" would attract a few interested parties. Also, I would love to make a trip to King of Prussia to meet some of the eastern PA brethern.

HappyFeat! Great outings. Nice shoes and outfit with the red skirt. Congratulations on absolutely destroying one of the boundaries keeping men shackled to wearing boring clothes.

I will say that going out the way I choose to dress has been one of the greates feelings of my life. My outings were pretty much spontanious occurences and never once thought of wearing anything other than what I wore. Since last summer, its almost as if I have transcended any apprehension of how I dress and simply wear what I want to wear.

Recently, I had a convesation with a female friend who was shopping for her husband for Christmas. She said, "Men's clothes are so horrible, no wonder you shop in the 'girls' section, and if I were a guy, I would too."

Excellent outing and a fantastic outfit from top to bottom. Is this the first time that you have worn a skirt out in public. If so, two thumbs up to you, my friend.

While eating lunch, mickey said to me, "Wouldn't it be nice to see Happyfeat stroll by now"?, except you were elsewhere that day. I said, "Yes, that would be fantastic".

Thanks for the complements. I was at South Hills yesterday, a bit dressed down (no heels) and I agree that there are a lot of nice heels being worn there. It is a pretty decent mall for heeling. I have heard that a guy who works at JCrew there buys a lot of shoes at the Bandolino store, so maybe if you see a guy in heels at the Village, it is another fellow heeler.

Anybody from the Pittsburgh area or are going to be in the Pittsburgh area, don't hesitate to give Mickey and I a jingle and maybe we can meet for a bit.

I would love to meet you! As I noted above, a Pittsburgh area heel meet would be too much fun.

Very nice sandals HappyFeat; your adventures keep getting more interesting! Kudos!!

Oh, isn't this the challenge. It seems to me that I am doing more and more daring heeling as of late. Its almost like slipping on pumps and going to the bookstore is getting pretty tame, but more laid back outings as well as more overt outings are in store for the future.

Of course I am always open for suggestions and most of my ideas for "pushing the envelope" come from right here at HHPlace!

[Stilettoscot]

Thanks for continuing to inspire, happy! BTW, love the coordination of the pants/toenail color!!

[latindancer]

Hey Happyfeat, great outing and good for you. I'm glad you are enjoying yourself and being able to be who and what you want to be. Keep it up. Latindancer

[HappyFeat]

This morning I got in one more outing before the New Year. I have one of those "use it or lose it" health plans so I decided to get an eye exam and a new pair of glasses. I hadn't planned on wearing heels until I was getting ready and thought that having an exam is one place I haven't yet worn heels. Since it was a new experience, I chose my Nine West "Kinfolk" oxfords with a 4 inch heel and a 3/4" platform. I matched it with my black Lane Bryant "Lafayette" trousers which are talls and adequately covered my heels when standing and a gray mock neck sweater. When I arrived a bit early for my exam at JC Penny, the optical department had not yet opened so I browsed the store for about 15 minutes. There was really nothing of interest to try on, though I may pick up some tights when I go back to pick up my glasses. They had some pretty wild colors on sale in my size. When the department opened, I sat filled out some paperwork with my shoes fully exposed. The clerk noticed my shoes immediately, but said nothing and for that matter had no reaction. When I was called for the exam, the optometrist was chatty and friendly but made no indication that he even noticed how I was dressed. Following the exam, I tried on some glasses, was fitted for a new pair and will go back on Saturday to pick them up. I will say for a new experience, it went flawlessly and was quite enjoyable. I will say that being fitted for glasses while wearing heels was pretty thrilling for some reason. Following my exam, I shopped a bit. I went to Lane Bryant becuase they were having a sale and there was a fantastic calf length skirt I wanted. However, the skirt was gone. I did try a dress and a pair of dressy capri pants, but didn't buy either today. I browsed TJ Maxx, but the shoes were pretty much picked through. I wouldn't be surprised f the store I was in isn't going out of business soon because they were down on inventory in general. I looked in the bookstore for about an hour, and was even going to buy a photography book, but the line at the checkout was very long. I figured I could go back and get it another time (another heel outing, most likely). All in all, I drew practically no attention. My final stop was Panerra for lunch. When I was going in, I followed a very attractive thirty something woman in a brown sued skirt and brown knee boots. Her look was impeccable. I really wanted to complement her, but she was with another woman and they never seemed to break their conversation. When I sat, I was in a boot across from her. Though I read the paper while eating, I say her from the corner of my eye glance down in my direction. If she wasn't deeply engaged in conversation I would have said something to her for sure. As I refilled my drink, went to the restroom, etc. I made a lot of eye contact, got many smiles, but I wasn't sure if it was my shoes or just people being friendly. The only negative is that I snagged one of my favorite pair of trouser sockes which are now on their way to the landfill. Outings like today make me wonder if fewer people notice or if I have just moved beyond noticing people notice. Either way, I really doesn't matter to me any more. I just like feeling free to do as I please.

[johnieheel]

A true insperation you are HF! Great outing.

[JeffB]

Well, I'm certainly impressed. You had one very nice outing, and your outfit was quite sharp. While I prefer slip-ons, especially pumps, your oxfords were rather stylish. Bravo to you!

Outings like today make me wonder if fewer people notice or if I have just moved beyond noticing people notice. Either way, I really doesn't matter to me any more. I just like feeling free to do as I please.

A good question. I'm sure some people do notice, but choose not to say or do anything more than do a double take or long look, and some don't even bother doing that much. As for the rest of society, as I've said many times before, people are too wrapped up in their own lives and affairs to care about a man in heels. But you're right about this much, the important thing is to enjoy your outings and not worry about what may or may not happen when you're seen wearing women's shoes.