Hi from NYC

[jazzymj]

Greetings from Lower Manhattan! I think I always loved heels, but came upon my first pair quite as an accident. Seven years ago, I was ordering a pair to use on a bookshelf and on a lark ordered the largest size. I had never thought seriously about wearing heels, even when I did a Applied Anatomy term paper on the effect of wearing heels (instead, I interviewed a friend who worked at a drag bar and routinely wore skyscraper heels). Then these shoes, white slides with 7.5 inch heels, arrived and I took one look and realized that they'd fit me. I put them on, rather excitedly and took one step and fell backwards onto my bed. Although I was a geek as a kid, I've been a good bit of gym rat as an adult taking lots of yoga and dance classes. So these heels became my new fitness challenge. I realized the changes I'd need in my alignment to wear them and within a few days, I had a new regimen. I'd put the heels on as I made coffee in the morning and leave them on until I couldn't maintain the proper alignment to wear them (and my back made it real clear when that was). Yet within weeks, I was wearing them for several hours at a time, but I was wary of going outside in them. While I was scrounging up the courage to wear them, I noticed that a repertory movie house/cafe (the late lamented Cinema Classics) was showing "Some Like it Hot." Perfect! Cinema Classics was about two blocks from me, which felt like a manageable distance, and since I was going to a 10:30 screening I had no fear of encountering kids and angering their parents. It was a blast. Others at the movie LOVED the heels. I hung out after the movie and had a drink with a few folks. By the time I made my exit, I could feel the fatigue, the effect of the alcohol, and it was starting to rain--the sidewalks looked a tad slick. Suddenly I was a little apprehensive and wished I'd carried a second pair of shoes. But no matter, I took a deep breath and walked home and found it increasingly easy. My body had completely adapted to the alignment and it was becoming second nature to scan the sidewalk closely for cracks and other dangers. I had received so much good response that I no longer worried about "what others will think." When I reached my building, I stumbled ever so slightly going in but I quickly regained my balance. The whole experience was a HUGE confidence booster. I live in a neighborhood where pretty much anything goes, so I assigned myself to take a walk around at least once a week. On my strolls I rarely heard a cross word and got tons of kudos from people I knew. Everybody really dug it, especially because I was still the same guy they saw sometimes in sneakers, jeans and an NFL hoodie. My high heel fetish was just another side of me. I was primarily self employed at the time but I wasn't making ends meet, so I took a job and began devoting a LOT of time to work and looking for work. I let the heeling phase go; in fact, I even let go of the dance and yoga classes. The 24/7 nose-to-the-grindstone routine worked. After four years I was out of debt and had restored myself to a mostly self employed self sufficient income. The yoga classes are back, the dance classes are on the agenda, and the weight that I gained is rapidly coming off. So it was time to go back to the heels. So far I've gone back to wearing the white slides and other similar skyscrapers around the house and occasionally for a late night stroll. My only hurdle now is making sure that my calves are loose enough to "pound the pavement for more than a block or two." Once I'm able to do that I feel like I could make heels part of wardrobe. After all, I'm blessed with open minded neighbors, and a body that can manage it. I look forward to reading more from the experiences of others in this forum. While I was "away" from heels, I thought deeply about them and realized that expanding masculinity is one of the next crucial identity frontiers. I think that everyone here is a pioneer and I look forward to the interaction. -MJ

[Bubba136]

Welcome to hhplace, jazzymj Very interesting description of how you found your way into wearing high heels. It appears that you have had an interest in heels for a long time, since you wrote a term paper on wearing heels. It also appears that the numbr of members living in and around New York City is significant. You should really search back through previous postings and read the adventures of kneehighs. He's one of the better known members of this forum that reside in New York City. Perhaps you might eventually run across him since he frequently wears his heels out cllubbing, etc.

[jazzymj]

Thanks Bubba 136, I'm happy to be here. And thanks for the tip on kneehighs. I look forward to browsing around the forum and finding other NYers. The term paper wasn't that big a deal; it was only five pages or so. The class was all about ways in which anatomical analysis can be applied in everyday life, and I passed the drag bar/restaurant, Stingy Lulus on the way home from class, so it came to mind quite easily. -MJ