dressboots Posted July 3, 2004 Posted July 3, 2004 sscotty727: I agree that this is a good angle. It takes courage for me just to walk into the women's section of a shoe store much less a specialty women's shoe shop. Some sort of prop works well as an "excuse" to be there. Once inside the first step has been made and maybe eventually leading to trying on for size. Having a large women's size 12 I can identify with the extra potential for backing out as I use to all too often hear, "oh, we do not carry women's shoes in men's sizes." like I know nothing of the size I wear or the style I seek. Find the right store as others have attested and the experience is great. A story to fall back on will help me get over that hurdle. In the past I went in with a rehersed story that I was buying for a female relative only to become brave enough to try on some styles myself. Terrified? Yes. Don't hurry it. Do it at your own pace. Wait for the right time and place. I now live in a small conservative town, so try to be very careful in shopping here. Have shopped openly in the past when I lived near big cities like New York and Philadelphia. Now that I have been on this forum, cannot wait for my next big city adventure. classic style high heel boots
Dawn HH Posted July 3, 2004 Posted July 3, 2004 Dressboots:-) When you do have that next big city adventure, please don't hesitate to post it for all of us anxious readers. Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
JeffB Posted July 4, 2004 Posted July 4, 2004 Yeah, I feel as though I've evolved. I can still remember how nervous I was about going into a store to buy women's shoes, thinking it wasn't socially correct, that's how self-conscious and ignorant I was in the beginning. But that's all changed for the better today. I'm glad my exploits in wearing heels in public, and at my place of employment emboldened others to follow in my footsteps. That gives me a very good feeling inside to know that I've helped others overcome their fears. Fear is the beast that keeps us from living to our fullest. To any newbies other there: there's nothing, NOTHING shameful about men buying women's shoes. t's just another piece of merchandise and salespeople are ALWAYS willing to separate you from your money and won't care a bit what you want to buy as long as you buy something! I don't want to LOOK like a woman, I just want to DRESS like a woman!
genebujold Posted July 4, 2004 Posted July 4, 2004 Genebujold:-) I DO realize that the foot size can be a problem in locating decent looking and fitting women's shoes. God decided that I should be one of the "lucky" ones and declared that I should have a normal "ladies" sized foot so that I could be a more convincing crossdresser. (Or so it seems). Like William Jefferson Clinton, "I feel your pain". Seriously, I DO REALLY feel your pain and have thought about what I would have to do if I were in that same position. But, that is as far as WJK and I go together as I certainly am a completely different person than he is. (Thank goodness). Hey---just my opinion! Cheers--- Dawn HH P.S. I am constantly on the look-out in my travels just in case I would find women's shoes in larger sizes, as I would certainly be the first one to let everyone know. Not much pain - there are plenty of heels available in my size. The problem is, the vast majority of them say "sexy lady," which is a style I would rather not wear. There are a LOT of gender-neutral styles of high-heels available on the market - but they seem to stop at size 9 or 10. Why is that? What the hell are they afraid of? That a bunch of guys are going to "trash their markets?" Such is the response I received from one such company. Balderdash!!! They haven't got a clue as to how much their markets would expand if they just upped their size limits a little! But, hey - it's like salmon swimming upstream - one falls at a time. One of the worst offenders is the Fashion Mall here in Vegas - tons of beautiful shoes, yet they intentionally limit their wares in all their stores to size 10 or smaller, even if a larger size is available in a store's alternative location. So, for all you guys and gals - hit them where it hurts. Let them know you're not frequenting their mall because of their policy. Here's their address: Director Fashion Show Mall 33200 Las Vegas Boulevard, South Las Vegas, NV 89109 I just sent them two letters, one from my business and one from home. The more letters they receive, the more they'll realize how wrong their policy really is!
Dawn HH Posted July 6, 2004 Posted July 6, 2004 Emery:-) "Just go and do it". Very sound advise from a very sage person and from one who has learned to go into a shoe store and physically sit down and try shoes on. I have no problem going into a shoe store and purchasing women's shoes as I have done it hundreds of times by myself when I was single and have done it many, many times with my wife since our marriage, and I don't think a thing about it. But the one hurdle I'm not prepared to overcome at the present time is going into a crowded shoe store, sitting down and trying shoes or boots on, and then purchasing them and leaving the premises and taking them home. JeffB.:-) I, and probably many others, envy you that you can wear women's heeled shoes everyday to work and be accepted by all involved. That's great for you. Now the job that I had constantly put me into the public limelight which did not afford me the opportunity to do so without an instant firing and certain ruining of a very successful career. The job that I have now puts me into an even more public limelight than before with the certainty of egually or greater ending results than previous. Genebujold:-) I have printed off the address that you provided and will sit down and compose a letter to that organization requesting that they reconsider their policy on their shoe sizing. Hopefully this may contribute to their rethinking of the present policy being used and help them to realize to use other business practices. Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
genebujold Posted July 6, 2004 Posted July 6, 2004 Outstanding, Dawn HH! If everyone who read this board wrote just one letter a year to Nordstroms, or their favorite supplier, asking them to reconsider their policies on both sizes and styles, I guarantee you we'd have a lot more styles running the full gender spectrum in the larger sizes (like they do in the smaller sizes).
sendra45 Posted July 6, 2004 Posted July 6, 2004 Hi my first post was on this topic way back last year. Things have changed for me now and It is really because my wife joins in. Going to buy heels now or as others call them 'womans shoes' is dead easy either with or without the wife, the last three pairs I have bought have been in broad daylight in a high street shop, each time I tried them on. It is quite easy to be a lurker in a store like brantano where the shelves are high, the left and right shoes are in the box, but in a high street shop you have to ask for, in my case the other one of these or do you have a size 10? They do make them in my size so why not?, I did ask on one busy morning to use a changingroom and I think there was more of an issue about me using the changing room in a ladies store than the fact I wanted the shoes, but I dont recall anybody looking and stairing, the thing is....... other folk have a life and they dont care about yours. If you are woried about the noise that your heels are going to make why dont you stick a drawing pin in the heel of your blokes shoes and wander around making the most noise you can, you will find there will be no attention paid to you at all, wearing your heels is then less of a worry than you think. Best of luck The angels have the phonebox.
dressboots Posted July 6, 2004 Posted July 6, 2004 genebujold wrote: There are a LOT of gender-neutral styles of high-heels available on the market - but they seem to stop at size 9 or 10. Why is that? What the hell are they afraid of? That a bunch of guys are going to "trash their markets?" Such is the response I received from one such company. Balderdash!!! They haven't got a clue as to how much their markets would expand if they just upped their size limits a little! Curious why it is that marketers think that women are going to freak out if men wear women's styles? Men don't freak out when women wear men's styles? I know the answer is it's a societal prgramming that women can cross gender lines in dress but men cannot. I am just posing the question hypotheticaly. Then of course try getting a men's shoe is a size less than USA 6 - does not help out the majority of women afterall. The women's shoe marketers have solved this problem by making men's styles in smaller sizes aimed at the women's market so why not the same solution in women's shoes? Go out heelers and buy and someone will figure out there is money to be made! classic style high heel boots
Dawn HH Posted July 7, 2004 Posted July 7, 2004 Nigel:-) Please check some of my past postings and you will see the how and why that the wife and I use to purchase heeled shoes and boots for my use. Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
genebujold Posted July 7, 2004 Posted July 7, 2004 Curious why it is that marketers think that women are going to freak out if men wear women's styles? Men don't freak out when women wear men's styles? I know the answer is it's a societal prgramming that women can cross gender lines in dress but men cannot. I am just posing the question hypotheticaly. Then of course try getting a men's shoe is a size less than USA 6 - does not help out the majority of women afterall. The women's shoe marketers have solved this problem by making men's styles in smaller sizes aimed at the women's market so why not the same solution in women's shoes? Go out heelers and buy and someone will figure out there is money to be made! Men generally think differently about fashion than do women... But not too differently. If something was in vogue for men's fashion, say, plaid flannel shirts, then three unintelligent looking and sounding plaid flannel shirt-clad individuals were regulars on one of Bob Newhart's television series about an inn in Vermont... That's what killed the plaid flannel shirt craze! Definately agree with about the market economics - if even 1% of all men bought just three pair of women's heels a year, and wore them in public, even if only from time to time, the marketers would notice and respond with larger sizes of more masculine-looking heels so the rest of mankind could get into the craze. No 70's styles, though... Please!
Robert Posted July 7, 2004 Posted July 7, 2004 Genebujold: I hate to tell you, but I've bought - or in some cases just tried on - women's shoes in size 11 in the Fashion Show Mall at: Saks Nordstrom's Cole Haan Nine West Dillard's Macy's and probably some others I've forgotten. A lot of us guys do have size 12 and 13 and those are more less in numbers than size 11 I'm afraid Robert Boots, fascinating footwear http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i103/Boots_1956/
genebujold Posted July 7, 2004 Posted July 7, 2004 And Emery, you're right about one thing - the mainstream stores have adjusted their sizes to accommodate generally larger and taller women over the last few decades (better nutrition). I don't believe any shoe stores or conglomerates like JC Penny offered heels over size 10 back in the 70s. Although Pennys now offers size 11, other stores like Nordstroms are offering up to 13 in much of their selection.
Robert Posted July 7, 2004 Posted July 7, 2004 Nordstrom doesn't ship to Europe. Payless and Zappos don't either. Robert Boots, fascinating footwear http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i103/Boots_1956/
dressboots Posted July 7, 2004 Posted July 7, 2004 Robert: Some of the styles offered by Nordstoms and others are imports. I believe Sudini is Itailian, or am I incorrect. I just think of that brand as they are very cofortable, stylish and routinely are made in sizes to 13. There must be European marketers who carry this and other brands seemingly only available to those of us in the USA. classic style high heel boots
dressboots Posted July 7, 2004 Posted July 7, 2004 genebujold: Stores that sell heels to men (in large sizes) on a routine basis; (some I have tried, definitely do not, or at least that is the message they seemed to give me) liklely order more of the larger sizes in women's styles than might normally be stocked for the expected percentage a given population that are tall women, to allow for their higher demand therein. I bet such marketers would not admit this openly. How many times have I heard those let down words, "sorry we ar sold out of that style in the (larger) size you seek." Women with larger sizes tell their peers where to go for good style selection that fits just the way men do on this forum - thus a niche market develops for a given store. If a store has a good selection stocked in larger sizes, customers, male and/or female, are likely to return. classic style high heel boots
genebujold Posted July 8, 2004 Posted July 8, 2004 Yes, dressboots, you're right - when most distrubtors aren't willing to stock something in demand, regardless of the reason, there are usually a few who're more than willing to take up their slack.
loveheel Posted July 9, 2004 Posted July 9, 2004 I have asked about the issue of size 11 in several stores, and it seems that many of them get only one or two pairs of each model in size 11. So, the chance that they are out of an 11 is always pretty large. I once went to a store where they were supposed to carry 11, but I could never get one. Then I found out that one of the sales women was a size 11 and bought most of them for herself !
genebujold Posted July 9, 2004 Posted July 9, 2004 Oohhh... That's a big foul! You should complain to the manager, no to get the saleswoman in trouble, but to have his size 11 delivery doubled! After all, he is in it for the money...
Bubba136 Posted July 9, 2004 Posted July 9, 2004 He'd probably agree do that if you would guarentee to buy the additional stock in your size he orderd. (wouldn't it be easier to look at his stock and have him order the styles you wanted?) Being mentally comfortable in your own mind is the key to wearing heels in public.
loveheel Posted July 9, 2004 Posted July 9, 2004 I don't know about other countries, but here in the US, they rarely seem to offer to order a shoe. Some of the better shoe stores will call around to other stores to see if they have a size. But it still means travelling to the other store to try on the shoe.
Dawn HH Posted July 10, 2004 Posted July 10, 2004 I have occassionaly found that even in the smaller sizes that you have to have a store call other stores to see if the size you requested was available. If it is in the same chain of shoe stores, they will deliver your purchase to the store that you made the original request in so that you can pick them up there. We have done this several times through the years with Mickey68 as she uses a US size 5M. At one time years ago it was extremely difficult to find that size and we were on a list at several shoe stores that would call us as soon as they would get size 5M heels in. We would pick up any color of high heeled pumps we would find whether Mickey68 needed them at the moment or not. Therefore, she still has some new pairs in the box that she hasn't used to this day. Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
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