StilettoPete in Public.

[stilettopete]

Hi everyone.

I mentioned in an earlier post my first outing in 5" Kurt Geigers. That was on Sunday Jan 29th and a very steep learning curve it was too. I soon figured I needed more appropiate heels for public outings.

So the next day I headed off into town to visit some shoe shops.

I called into Brantano's in Wrexham. I wanted boots with a 2 or 3" heel. I was wearing flats at the time.

I spent some time browsing the womens shoes , I'm normally a UK7 so I thought UK8 would be ideal.

The shop was busy. I felt okay checking the shoes out. Nobody seemed interested.

I picked these....

Function over aesthetics was the order of the day. I didn't try them on. A combination of cowardice and confidence.

Cowardice? I'd only heeled once and whilst I'd bought heels in store before this felt new and different. Because I was now buying to wear in public.

Confidence? I was sure UK8 would be fine.

I discussed the possibility of returning them with the sales girl should the size be wrong. She offered the advice that this particular boot would be better with an insole.

" Shall I put the insoles in now ready for you "? she asked. " Great " I said.

Other customers and sales staff were milling around.

I wasn't sure if I was nervous or excited. I planned to wear the boots in public that afternoon.

£9.99 later I was walking out the store. Now , where to go to change shoes.

I'd considered my favourite coffee house. I walked past but it was too quiet.

Next stop the bus station and decent toilets/restrooms , or so I thought.

The bus station was very busy. I changed into my boots there. In a small shabby toilet. The floors were wet. Presumably urine since it was dry that day. Needless to say I changed with care.

Perfect fit. Especially with the insoles.

Out I walked into the busy bus terminal. My heels were clacking. Much easier to walk in than the KG's.

I remembered some of the posts here.

Heel to toe. Look confident. Look normal. Look ahead. Maintain poise and purpose. I still found myself looking down more than I'd like. The imperfections in the roads and pavements were an issue I had to keep in mind.

To emphasize normality I decided to multi-task. Walking in heels whilst checking my phone for texts or missed calls. I slowed right down and stopped a couple of times fiddling with my phone. Perfectly normal behaviour and a chance to take stock and look around.

So I just walked thru the streets in the general direction of my car. It was 4pm and busy. I think I caught some people looking. But nothing untoward. I didn't look back to check.

En route to my car and completely on the spur of the moment I called into Waterstones Bookshop. I was determined to browse as I normally do.

By then despite various internal dialogues I just wanted to be seen! And I've no doubt that I was seen by both sales staff and customers.

But it was okay. I was okay. I wandered the store occasionally very self conscious but also feeling very good. Nothing bad happened.

When you leave that particular store you go from carpet to wooden floor directly past the sales desks. So I passed the staffed sales desks and stopped at the last line of bookshelves. One more exposure. My back was to the tills. Heels definitely visible. Another brief browse and out I went.

Back to my car.

There's a set of steps to get down to the car park. At the top of the steps there was a man just stood there watching me as I approached.

He was dressed in the usual UK mens attire. Track suit and designer trainers. In his 20's I think. My mind was racing. My heels were clacking. This is it I thought. A possible tirade of abuse. I expected the worst....... But nothing.

We nodded at each other as I passed and descended the steps heels still clacking loudly on the concrete steps( louder than ever I thought ).

I looked back up in his direction. He wasn't even looking at me. With retrospect I should've asked him for the time or something.

I walked on past a few more people. Got to my car.

Sat for a moment. Amazing. Fantastic. Nearly an hour in town. Buying heels. Wandering around. Bookstore. Close encounter. Success.

Any other issues you ask. Well I guess my overall "look" was not ideal. Baggy loose fitting jeans not good. Jumper over layers and a black jacket.

My subsequent outings have been more co-ordinated. I'm just a guy in heels but with a little more femme.

I could tell you about the time I visited one of my favourite musical instrument stores.

Thats for the next time.

Thanks for reading. Sorry its verbose. Could've written more. It's still very vivid and fresh as are all my new heeling adventures.

[Slides 'n Heels]

Hi Stilettopete, First of all, congratulations with this milestone ! Reading about first (or second) public outings is always nice as they remind me about my own first attempts. But your story I like especially. I had and sometimes still have the same thoughts going through my mind. You got some great ankle boots for a nice price, and as you have noticed, they are much easier for public heeling. The more confident you feel in them, the better it works. Keep on wearing them.

[Thighbootguy]

Thanks for sharing you adventure! Looks like you found an excellent pair of boots. Next time you’re shopping for heels though, go ahead and try them on. 1) It’s a LOT of fun, and 2) you’re sure to get a good fit and won’t have to worry about a return. The sales staff really doesn’t care (a sale is a sale, and a happy customer comes back), and you’re going to wear them in public anyway… . The sound of the heel is much louder to you than to anyone else. Enjoy it, but ignore it. Enjoy your heels.

[wedgemao]

thank you for sharing your new experience... very inspiring

[HappyFeat]

Very nice outing! Your boots are a good choice for a first outing. BTW, the butterflies go away eventually....

[Walkonit]

Hi Stilettopete, Well done on getting out and about. Its such a thrill that I'm sure you will be going back for more soon. Your expereince of quite rapidly building confidence once you get out is very typical I think. Pretty soon you will be wanting others to hear the sound of your heels instead of wanting them to be almost silent. If you are anything like me you will be targeting the noiser floor surfaces and heel tips and looking for reactions from people. Shops with wooden floors while wearing metal tip stilettos are amongst my favourites, lovely sound , nice secure grip :-)

[leyland1]

I recently started heeling and most of my heeling is in public; I enjoy the sound of my 4in heels as I wander round the supermarket or in a hospital corridor! Good luck to you mate! Soon you'll wear heels everyday, as I have since October 2011 (2in, then 4in from December). I can no longer hide my heels as my longest jeans split on the inside leg!! (I was getting into a Xsara Picasso at the time )

[HappyinHeels]

StilettoPete, Thanks for sharing your first experience which, as most here will tell you, is usually the most nervous but the most transformative. You'll find from this point forward that it would be seem strange if you don't go out in heels. You're now claiming your rightful spot in the world! HappyinHeels

[roniheels]

Thanks for sharing you adventure!

Looks like you found an excellent pair of boots. Next time you’re shopping for heels though, go ahead and try them on. 1) It’s a LOT of fun, and 2) you’re sure to get a good fit and won’t have to worry about a return. The sales staff really doesn’t care (a sale is a sale, and a happy customer comes back), and you’re going to wear them in public anyway… .

The sound of the heel is much louder to you than to anyone else. Enjoy it, but ignore it.

Enjoy your heels.

This is very sound advice. I've always advocated trying on high heels because so many shoes are made differently and sizes vary as far as fit, especially in my case. Sounds like you had a fun adventure and I hope you have many more. The more you heel in public, the more fun and exciting it is. Thanks for sharing.

[Steve63130]

This is very sound advice. I've always advocated trying on high heels because so many shoes are made differently and sizes vary as far as fit, especially in my case. Sounds like you had a fun adventure and I hope you have many more. The more you heel in public, the more fun and exciting it is. Thanks for sharing.

Sound advice? Great pun! HA HA

Steve

[ricky0306]

Thanks for the post and congtraulations! It is easy to feel self conscious in those situations but I think less people pay attention to shoes than we think. However, I have to admit that I haven't overcome the fear of wearing "clacking" shoes in public. I have worn some very high heels out in public but not noisy ones. The noise makes me feel that everyone is staring and I have trouble acting normally.

[stilettopete]

Thanks for the post and congtraulations! It is easy to feel self conscious in those situations but I think less people pay attention to shoes than we think. However, I have to admit that I haven't overcome the fear of wearing "clacking" shoes in public. I have worn some very high heels out in public but not noisy ones. The noise makes me feel that everyone is staring and I have trouble acting normally.

Thanks for your post.

The clacking of the heels is what I love as well as everything else that goes with heels. Surprisingly ,as I've found out , very little happens apart from our own internal dialogue about what others might be thinking and the associated fears that constrict our freedom of expression. Recently I've started emphasisng the clack by dragging my heels now and again.

I can relate to acting differently ( not normally ) under duress. I think gait and stride patterns become affected. It's essential to practise not walking like a lumbering man.

So , tempo and stride length reduce , and in terms of elegance I think a certain crossing of the legs is good. Think of a catwalk model and the exaggerated gait/stride. Well , a version of that. Like walking on a line in the road.

There is no substitute for experience , actions speak louder than words etc.

Hope you can heel more and more. Lots of people here are with you all the way.

Ta:smile:

[Shafted]

As one whose done it, I can't recommend the catwalk strut at all. That will tear a persons joints up in no time. A person wouldn't last 15 minutes walking like that. It's very exhausting. And runway models only have to do it in short bursts.