High Heeled Goddess Diary #2

[Laurieheels]

Last week I discussed the boot trend that I've been seeing, so I think this week, I'll talk a bit more about what I like for shoe styles, and clothing styles.

First, an update on how I am doing. Better. But not perfect. I have had my moments of over exertion, where five seconds of moving the wrong way, or a minute too much of running around and trying to solve some problem results in pain. And then it takes hours to get back to where I was.

My superiors have graciously let me be a switchboard operator and receptionist for a few weeks, but I find myself falling back into my role as problem solver anyway. And that led to my going home early last Thursday. I really need to relax and let someone else deal with the little messes. But I'm so damn good at fixing them!

I did wear my four inch heeled ankle boots during the week. The weather here is quite horrible. And while I am longing to wear my five inch black velvet pumps, or my five and a half inch black leather pumps, there is a need for balance here. And the boots make excellent all weather footwear.

Which leads me to today's topic. What the Goddess likes in a pair of shoes or boots.

Boots are something I love, but I only own one pair at the moment. They are the wonderful black leather ankle boots with a pointy toe, laces, and of course, a four inch stiletto heel. I wore them to the hospital, I wore them home from the hospital. Even when I should not have. There is something of a goth quality to them, and remembering earlier years of my life, I can see why the boots still hold some appeal.

But there must be more to it than a fashion phase from many years ago. I do like Oxfords, too. A year ago, I was just moving into five inch heels after very much wearing my four inch post heeled Oxfords until they were wobbly. This was my training time, and I wore those Oxfords at work every day for over a month, it seems.

And when I see pictures of extreme heels, I find that I prefer the Oxford versions over the pumps. Sure, a six or seven inch heel is very high, and the shoe can seem odd. But the addition of a closed in vamp and laces makes the shoe seem much more appealing to me.

Often I think about the laces being a bondage issue, but I have explored my inner mind and I have not found anything yet. I think it may be about the pattern laces have. Criss-crossed over the front of the foot, making for extra detail that is subtle. It comes down to pure asthetics for me. And that is why I love lace up boots so much. It has to be because of the laces.

We all know that I also love the classic styling of a stiletto pump, or court. A five inch heel (or higher), a rounded toe with a bit of a point, and you can see that most classic of styles which I prefer to wear.

The appeal for them is simple. They carry a sense of elegance. They are classy as well as challenging. And they send a very distinct message. Some platformed fashion nightmare is about a trend. But a classic styled pair of stilettos seems to tell the world that I am confident and capable. I am on display and secure enough about myself to be out there, wearing shoes that get attention, and enjoying every moment of it. And Chris seems to like it when I wear them...

As for variations, I have mentioned a few times in the past year and more that I really like the look of slingbacks. They accomplish two different things with one design. They still allow for the pump design to shape the foot, and thus lead the leg to a more pleasing shape, and they reveal more of the ankle and heel of the foot, extending the length of one's leg through illusion. When I wear slingbacks, my legs don't stop at the top of the shoe, they go right down to the sole of it, and the line can extend very nicely into the actual stiletto heel.

All of this leads me to an understanding of why I like stiletto heels. I love the way they make me look. I dress very well, preferring skirts and suit jackets, nice blouses or buttoned up cardigans over a camisole or tank top. (I really need a new black knit sweater, I wear my favourite one far too much) I can look sexy without being a tart. I become empowered and confident. And my legs look great.

I notice that my style is a knee or ankle and nothing in between. Meaning my skirts should be above the knee, or down to the ankle. And of course, long pants are nice, so long as they don't hide too much of my shoes or boots. My style is about trying to accentuate my legs and my hips, which are the better qualities I have, certainly. So many people think about comfort when they go to work, but I need to be comfortable in my mind as much as in the clothes I wear. Which is why I dress it up a bit more than most others do, when I can. Clothes need to be about personal expression, and anyone who is striving to be an individual will look like it. And what can make me more individual than wearing stiletto heels when so many women do not?

For me, heels are fun. They are a challenge and and accessory. And they have become a way of life. I will continue to look after myself, continue to go barefoot as much as I wear heels, and continue to try higher stilettos as time goes by. Of course, I will avoid platforms, as anything more than half an inch looks distasteful to me. I prefer the pure challenge of height. And being a taller girl with longer feet, I can get away with that.

I may not be setting a fashion trend, I know that much. It is rare for a girl to like a garter and stockings on a daily basis. So many women look decades past as fashion torture, because they equate it with a time when women had less freedom. Femininists need to get a clue. No one made women wear neck collars and no one chained them up and led them around in public. Freedoms and equality are about attitudes and social position, not bras or garter belts or heels.

But then, my personal sense of style, including my shoes, cannot be criticised by any woman or man who would stand up and claim heels are torture devices imposed upon women by men. Because in the fight for freedom and equality, which still needs to be brought to certain parts of the world, should I not be free to wear what I like?

Besides, they're all just jealous because I can jump and kick in five and a half inch heels and they can't. You need to do these things when you're a goddess...

(Eventually I may include a new picture with every diary. Chris and I will talk about that. For now...)

[azraelle]

Your fascination with lacing parallels mine to some extent--I can't think of a more sexy shoe than what I once saw labeled in a catalog as a "ghillie tie". It didn't have particularly high heels, though I've seen some that did. It was essentially a shallow oxford without the "tongue", with lacing through 2 or 3 leather loops formed at either side, and a rather rounded, almost square toe. It was also suede leather, in either black, blue, forest green, or purple. I think it's loosely based on what Irish or Scottish lassies (or more likely laddies) wore for many centuries with their traditional dress. What is your opinion of lace-up jeans, either at the front, or decoratively along the lower inseam, or both? Or for that matter decoratively laced up bell sleeves or bodices or backs of the current trend in gauzy, organdy, or jersy Knit tops (on girls, e.g. you, not on guys)? Seems to me you'd look sensational in them. But my fashion opinion is probably not worth too much, as my ex-wife usually pointed out when I ventured an opinion as to what might look good on her.

[allheel]

Thanks to Laurie from all of us I think for providing an occasional stimulating high heel newsletter. It was wise ending the rise and rise of heel height before getting to the extremes too much. I too enjoy the classic styles, the result of years of refinement. The classic stiletto, and the stylish slingback with a fine pointed heel really complement a fine outfit on a woman with taste. I had a short unexpected time in hospital, and was pleased to be able to walk out in a comfortable pair of brown boots, a 3 inch pointed heel. Better still, my wife who would much prefer I had conventional taste in heels, lovingly and caringly brought me what she knew would keep me happy and without foot pain.

[Laurieheels]

Azraelle, the shoes you mention are very much like my old four inch heeled Oxfords. Same toe, and same lace up vamp, with no tongue. I still have them, and I wish I could wear them still. It's too bad they're worn out. But I have had them for about four years now, it is to be expected. as for the lacing, yes, I like the idea of the lacing on bell sleeves and on bodices. I do not own either, but I would. I think it does lend well to my style and sense of expression. And as for jeans, I think having a lace side closure on either side of the jeans would look nice. I have a very nice mini skirt, as Chris will confirm, that has a zip back, but lacing on either side, to adjust the fit. That is one thing that I really enjoy about that skirt. The pattern takes a normal black mini and enhances it. I think I would also wear jeans that laced up the front. I do have a pair of pants that I love wearing in the summer with sandals. They have a lace trim, and while not laced on the legs, they tie up at the bottom of each leg, which is a few inches shorter than a normal pair of pants. Thus, a little bow effect is added to the bottom of each leg, along with the lace trim. I quite like them. And to Allheel, you're welcome, and thank you for the compliment.

[Spikey Dan]

Thanks for the photo you shared with us. Glad to hear you are getting well and feeling better. Dan