Tips please, I think I'm doing something wrong...

[ILuvHeels]

Hi all, I'm a middle aged male that likes to wear ballet boots on occasion. I'm sure the percentage of males wearing them outweigh the percentage of females. Quite unfortunate Anyway, I have some locking ballet ankle boots and have tried many thing to be able to walk in them. At first I could hardly even stand in them. Then I took a tip from another thread on here and took 1/2" off the heels. Now I can stand no problem and even take a few steps. But it doesn't take long that I'm in pain. I have the toe pads, I use thick socks and also padding. But it doesn't seem to help. Maybe with all that extra, the boots are too small? Or, it's my weight. I weigh 255 pounds! I'm probably the heaviest person here that wears them! LOL Anyway, any advice?

[Dr. Shoe]

They take a LOT of getting used to. Many of the regular wearers wear them for many years before they can wear them properly but here are a couple of tips that may help. 1. Cut your toenails right back before putting them on. 2. Wear thick socks and lace as tightly as you can tolerate before you put pressure on the toes. 3. Wear them whilst sitting for ever increasing periods of time. 4. Wear very high heels (the highest you can walk in) for extended periods of time and whenever possible.

[DR Who 3]

Hi There If you can find some packaging padding that looks like a frosted glass door it usually comes in various thicknesses. Next try putting on your boots with thin pieces of this padding over the tops of your feet and toes( cut to fit the shape of your feet) place the gell padds over this padding and toes and slide your feet into the boots and lace them up,do this bare foot at first. With the padding on the tops of your feet the front of the boot on top of the metatarcil area of your foot should be very tight wraping around this part of your foot so that it keeps your foot from sliding all the way so that your toes touch the tips of your bboots lightly. If this doesn't help try finding some of this padding aprox. 1/4" thick and put a 1"X 1" patch in the gell toe pad where your big toe touches the pad put the thinner padding on top of your feet and slide them into your bboots. Again the padding around the front part of your feet needs to keep your toes from slidding all the way to the front of the toe box if they do a bit then the extra padding under your big toes this padding should help with the toe pain. I have used this process after much experimenting and I can walk in my boots over an hour in fact my legs give out before my toes do now. I have been at it for 2 yr.s 3 to 4 times a week. I don't know how the ladies do it with not much padding at all and do very well in them. I know until I found what works for me the pain on my toes was devistating to my walking. Also I don't know how real point shoes fit around the front of the foot perhaps some of the ladies who do pointe work can give us men some advice about how the shoe should fit on our feet. I went to another part of the country for 2 weeks a while back and I was able to wear my bboots for hours at night even sleeping in them and in the morning before I went to work. I would wear my boots till I could not take it any more thinking this would help but until I figured out how to keep my toes from putting 80% of my weight on my toes I was almost ready to give up but there was a thread here that talked about making the bboots fit very tightly around the fore foot this made all the difference. It would be great to be able to wear my boots without any padding to speak of but it isn't going to happen for some time. Aloso I'm 214 lbs. and yes loosing weight would help a lot I believe. Will I hope this helps. Any questions? Just ask. And The best to you. Dr Who 3

[William]

I don't wear ballet boots myself, but at 220lbs myself, I do very well in 6-8 inch heels, with plats. Without plats, I'm pushing myself beyond 5 inches. For what it's worth, I've been told that I've got good "swagger" to my walk with or without heels, so I see no reason for you to doubt yourself, regardless of the extra weight you are carrying. I might add that at our weight, ballet heels might cause injury to your feet. I'm not sure of this, just guessing, could easily be wrong. Best of luck.

[hockeyhose]

Hello, I'm in Ottawa too.

[shedevil]

I'm in Ottawa too, woohooo GO SENS GO

[ILuvHeels]

Nice to see a few people from Ottawa!

[pata]

now since I have learned a lot of people who like and wear (better or worser) ballet heels (and by the way, I would not agree your statement as to gender of wearers) - my opinion is once more, it is not that much about training, although this opinion seems very spread all around. still as it seems people telling/writing that do not have real experience in learning or teaching it and it is more alike this come from sm-scene and is what alot of people want to hear or believe. but as already said, not generally applicable. so do not read the following, if you want to hear.. what the most want to hear. otherwise: there are some points you should check: about your toes: are they healthy and straight? no hallux valgus e.g. - a reason why alot of experienced high heel wearers cannot wear balletheels. what about your toe nails?- they should be cut really short though there are also people where it does not help as their toes go a way that standing on toes always make pressure on nails which means: hurt. and padding won´t really help in this case. as you could not stand or straighten your knees with the normal length balletheel it shows the general condition of your feet and legs is not that good. so, do sports developping generall strenght and flexibility here. give you at least 12 month (!!!) for that and do not wear too often (not more then twice a month) balletheels not to spoil your feet before your generall condition is good enough for those shoes. I´ve seen already several people spoiling their feet generally for balletheel wearing and getting worser and worser because of their inpatience - quite a pity especially as some of them for sure would have had good prerequisites to become quite elegant balletheel walkers. till that you´d better wear balletheels without heel or heel making flexible to bend forwards- - you will be suprised how easy walking is then - as it it is absolutely different from walking ballet SHOES en pointe; but a great training for feet and legs minimizing the danger of injuries. the first option develops your sense for balance better, the second looks better as the shoe still has a heel and does not loose the fetish heel optics. so have fun.