Finally, Somebody Noticed!

[mlroseplant]

I've been wearing heels publicly for about 6 months, and in that time, exactly one person has said anything to me or even appeared to notice. The one person who has said anything to me at all is a foreign-exchange college student from Malaysia who plays violin in the community orchestra I play in, and who is half my age. That all changed today. I went to Kohl's (a discount department store in the U.S.) to return 2 pairs of skinny jeans that just weren't going to work out--another subject I won't comment on at this time). I was enjoying myself, clicking around the store in my 4.75" (12cm) Nine West oxfords, when I came upon the shoe department (uh, oh, there goes all the money I just got back from returning the jeans). I tried on several pairs of boots, since I don't have any heeled boots yet, and I found a pair that I liked, pictured below. When I went to the front to pay for them, the clerk saw me coming, and asked me if they fit. She was looking at the Nine West oxfords I had worn into the store. I opened the shoebox, showing the boots I intended to purchase, and said that yes, they fit. She looked at me in confusion. I told her that the shoes I had on my feet were already mine, and that I wanted to buy some boots because of the depth of the snow outside. She replied, "Do you wear heels all the time? We don't often see gentlemen wearing heels." I said, "Not often? I'll bet I'm the only one." She sheepishly admitted that yes, I was the first heel-wearing guy she had encountered who was not in drag. She rung me up, and overall, it was a pleasant experience. Never thought of myself as a trailblazer. Next stop was the mall to go to the Apple store to rectify some promblems with my iphone. As I was approaching the entrance of the mall, a woman was outside having a quick ciggy before opening the jewery store where she worked. As I approached, she looked at me and my new ankle boots and said, "How can you even possibly walk in those?" I smiled broadly and replied, "Lots and lots of practice." She said, "I could NEVER walk in those." Curious, I engaged her with, "Really? I mean, I've had to practice a lot (which is true). I'm sure you could walk in these shoes if you wanted to." "No way! Look how skinny those heels are! I've got to have heels about this thick." She put her thumb and index finger about an inch an a half apart. My new boots have a 5 inch heel about 1/2 an inch thick. Not quite a stiletto, but close. I stopped and had a coversation with her for a few minutes. We talked about other things, like how hard it is to stop smoking (I stopped a little over 3 years ago), but mostly we talked about my wearing heels. It was her opinion that it's quite acceptable nowadays for men to wear heels, she'd just never seen it before. Then her co-worker approached, and she called out, "Hey, look at this guy's shoes! You'll never believe it!" The co-worker said that wow, those were really cute, and asked me to pull up my pantleg so that she could see. She asked me where I got them. I told her, and she commented that they were really cute again. Then it was time for them to open the store, so we said goodbye. I went about my business, and got my problem resolved. During my stroll through the mall, I felt some eyes upon me. I don't know if it's because I wore jeans which were intended for much shorter heels (I had intended to wear much shorter heels when I chose my pants), or whether it was because of the thinness of the heels, or none of the above, but this is the first day that I really felt like people were looking at me. I only wish I felt like I was gliding better today. And at least I didn't slip on the ice and fall on my backside. Phew! I know someday that some jackass is going to make some rude comment to me, but for today, all of you can be happy that even here in relative hicktown Iowa, people are ready to accept men in heels. Really big ones.

[JeffB]

Congrats on your adventure, my friend. It sounds like it had been quite an experience for you. As something of a veteran when it comes to our rather unique passion, I'm of the belief that people notice us in heels ALL THE TIME, it's just that 9 1/2 times out of 10, they choose not to publicly admit that they noticed, or approach us to engage in conversation, more often than not, they're too wrapped up in their own lives and affairs to give us the time of day or say anything to us, but yes, we are indeed noticed, don't doubt that for a moment. What's humorous to me is that I've also had women openly express amazement, maybe even a small measure of envy at how I can stand and walk in high heels, as if this is a talent mere men are totally incapable of emulating. And I tell them the same thing you did, "practice". And I get the feeling that amazes them as well, perhaps because they never expect to encounter men who put in the time, effort and trouble to master the art of maneuvering in heels. As for encountering boors who might throw insults your way, sadly, that's bound to happen sooner or later, but don't let words stop you from from enjoying what you love.

[hhboots]

_{Nice boots and sounds like you had a good time out in them. I have bought several pairs from Kohl's myself, and they do have really nice prices on good shoes. In fact I just looked up the ones you bought and they are really nicely priced. Looks like I'll be making a trip there myself in the next few days.}

[Mr. X]

From what I can see, the boots look nice! And it sound like you had a great outing! Positive Interactions like you had are always good. And I think it really fuels our fire.

[Shafted]

Never thought of myself as a trailblazer.

But that is exactly what you are my friend.

[Thighbootguy]

mlroseplant -

The fun of doing something out of the ordinary is being noticed. This is one of the driving forces behind visual and performing artists.

Whatever your reason for wearing heels, wearing them in public is a desire to be noticed (and that is true for guys and gals).

I have written a LOT of post about wearing thigh boots with stiletto heels in public and commented that “nobody noticed”. In some ways those were positive posts because I was noting that a guy can wear stuff like that and move around in public without any issues. On the other hand it was a cry of frustration that I didn’t get any positive feedback, which I’ll readily admit I enjoy (negative feedback for me is not too much of an issue).

Congratulations on your positive outing. It sounds like it was an educational experience for both you and the folks you encountered. If you found the attention enjoyable there is no reason not to repeat the experience, and may all the experiences be positive. But, be aware it is a wish for attention and the old caution of “be careful of what you wish for” is applicable.

A last note; public heeling is a performance venue. I have found that is you can be a public heeler, you will discover that many other public activities become much easier for you. Once your personal mold (which is holding you in) is broken you will be surprised what is released.

Happy heeling (and those are nice boots).

TBG

[SleekHeels]

Fabulous heels mlroseplant, and some great experiences, you must've worn them with confidence and self-assuredness to evoke such reactions. Thanks for making such a positive impression of guys in heels, and enjoy your future heeling.

[Histiletto]

Hey! mlroseplant, I'm really happy for you in having such good experiences. Most people are not as opposed to male heeling as our minds have led us to think. As long as we hide our desires to heel, we can not know how much of our fears are the contrivances of our own making. Like your experiences and those of many others have found that men in heels are more often viewed with amazement for being able to negotiate in such high heels. These stereotypes that claim men can't or shouldn't wear heels, would be over turned as false concepts or ideals once enough men are publicly wearing the heels they prefer.

[mlroseplant]

Unbelievably, it happened again today. I was with my almost 4 year old son in a home improvement store. I was wearing my black patent leather oxfords (my favorite shoes at the moment), and a Mexican lady yelled at me across the way, "Hey, I love your heels!" I nearly blushed, and answered, "Thanks! Thank you very much!" Smiles all around. I could get used to this.

[Curt]

The only good responses I get are from women that are fashionable. Never from men. I would feel weird if a man liked my shoes a bit too much.

[Jimnj3]

Well, your are having a good string of great comments! This should help us all to get out and feel good about heeling. I know in encourages me! Thanks for the great posts. Histiletto is right! Hey! mlroseplant, I'm really happy for you in having such good experiences. Most people are not as opposed to male heeling as our minds have led us to think. As long as we hide our desires to heel, we can not know how much of our fears are the contrivances of our own making. Like your experiences and those of many others have found that men in heels are more often viewed with amazement for being able to negotiate in such high heels. These stereotypes that claim men can't or shouldn't wear heels, would be over turned as false concepts or ideals once enough men are publicly wearing the heels they prefer. Lets all get out there and be proud! Jim

[saudade]

The only good responses I get are from women that are fashionable. Never from men. I would feel weird if a man liked my shoes a bit too much.

Does it really matter if a guy liked your shoes too? I mean if nothing comes from it what is the problem?

[Curt]

Maybe I'm thinking guys won't like heels. If they like them that's great! I'm just worried that ill get some ridicule about it. It has nothing to do without sexual orientation. It just seems with all the people I know, I'm the only guy interested in womens shoes! But I feel more transgendered than anything else. Heels and makeup just feel normal for me.

[SleekHeels]

Does it really matter if a guy liked your shoes too? I mean if nothing comes from it what is the problem?

I used to feel very uncomfortable with the idea of getting a compliment from a guy, but the more I've heeled in public the more that's changed. I now find it easier to think that a guy might actually find it cool that he's seen another guy wearing heels, and that's just as positive as getting a nice comment from a woman.

[Jimnj3]

A few years ago I was wearing kneeboots with a 4" thick heel and had a guy stop me and say he loved the look and the boots. I thought that was positive and cool and was quite happy about it! Not weird at all.

[Shafted]

It's nice when people notice. I've even had cool compliments from guys. It's all good.

[Steve63130]

It wouldn't bother me at all if a guy gave me a compliment or even asked why I was wearing heels (politely). But it's never happened. I've had lots of compliments from other heelers that I've met, though. Shafted is right. It's all good. Steve

[mlroseplant]

I wouldn't have a problem with a guy asking me/complimenting me either. I'm just glad my wife is not a jealous person, and has no problem with the comments from the ladies. She still thinks it's weird, though. ^^

[JeffB]

I remember two or three years ago, I had a guy in his early twenties say he liked my thigh boots, something I thought was kinda cool. Also, on another occassion, another guy who was a little younger than me rave about my maxi denim skirt. I wouldn't care at all who gives me compliments, be they males or females.

[chris100575]

Going back a few years I was in a club in Manchester wearing the New Rock boots in my avatar. I was sitting down with my legs crossed when a guy walked past and bumped my foot, he apologised and as he did he looked down and saw my boots. He did a bit of a double take before remarking "Nice one mate, they're cool!"

[Stilletto2004]

That's funny! The boots in your avatar look like they would stick out in a pitch black room! I like 'em!

[phosetim76]

I am new to this forum and jsut bought my first pair of heels a month or so ago. i have only worn them out in public once and it was dark and a fairly empty street. I am more confident that I will be able to do this in public very soon. I guess it is hardest the first time and I just have to go ahead and do it and when I do, I will post the details.

[niknhose]

phosetim76 - the first outings are the hardest, especially in public, congrats. The first time I wore mine to work, I was a nervous wreck. Nowadays my pants barely go below my ankles and my heels on full display.

Back to the OP - there are a couple of guys at work that have given me compliments on my shoes. The first time I wore my sneaker wedges, one of my friends actually came over and pulled my pant leg up to check em out. He thought I was wearing flats at first, haha.

Nikki

[Foxyheels]

Well I got told off by one of the men at work yesterday evening. "why aren't you wearing your boots" he said in a quite stern manner implying almost that he expected me to wear my heels every day. I told him not to worry I would be wearing them regularly just had a change to shoes on this particular day. Just goes to show that once people get used to the idea they don't only accept us in heels but they actually expect it.

[Shafted]

Just goes to show that once people get used to the idea they don't only accept us in heels but they actually expect it.

This is my experience as well.

[chris100575]

That's funny! The boots in your avatar look like they would stick out in a pitch black room! I like 'em!

They're not exactly subtle are they? I love the fact that the styling is quite aggressive but the heel feels like a stiletto to wear. Add to that cushioned footbeds and the fact that they're pretty sturdy and they become my street heeling boots of choice. I have the same pair with the flames in silver and purple, but I think the orange ones are my favourites.

[P08C]

I've been wearing heels publicly for about 6 months, and in that time, exactly one person has said anything to me or even appeared to notice. The one person who has said anything to me at all is a foreign-exchange college student from Malaysia who plays violin in the community orchestra I play in, and who is half my age. That all changed today.

I went to Kohl's (a discount department store in the U.S.) to return 2 pairs of skinny jeans that just weren't going to work out--another subject I won't comment on at this time). I was enjoying myself, clicking around the store in my 4.75" (12cm) Nine West oxfords, when I came upon the shoe department (uh, oh, there goes all the money I just got back from returning the jeans). I tried on several pairs of boots, since I don't have any heeled boots yet, and I found a pair that I liked, pictured below.

When I went to the front to pay for them, the clerk saw me coming, and asked me if they fit. She was looking at the Nine West oxfords I had worn into the store. I opened the shoebox, showing the boots I intended to purchase, and said that yes, they fit. She looked at me in confusion. I told her that the shoes I had on my feet were already mine, and that I wanted to buy some boots because of the depth of the snow outside. She replied, "Do you wear heels all the time? We don't often see gentlemen wearing heels." I said, "Not often? I'll bet I'm the only one." She sheepishly admitted that yes, I was the first heel-wearing guy she had encountered who was not in drag. She rung me up, and overall, it was a pleasant experience. Never thought of myself as a trailblazer.

Next stop was the mall to go to the Apple store to rectify some promblems with my iphone. As I was approaching the entrance of the mall, a woman was outside having a quick ciggy before opening the jewery store where she worked. As I approached, she looked at me and my new ankle boots and said, "How can you even possibly walk in those?"

I smiled broadly and replied, "Lots and lots of practice."

She said, "I could NEVER walk in those." Curious, I engaged her with, "Really? I mean, I've had to practice a lot (which is true). I'm sure you could walk in these shoes if you wanted to."

"No way! Look how skinny those heels are! I've got to have heels about this thick." She put her thumb and index finger about an inch an a half apart. My new boots have a 5 inch heel about 1/2 an inch thick. Not quite a stiletto, but close.

I stopped and had a coversation with her for a few minutes. We talked about other things, like how hard it is to stop smoking (I stopped a little over 3 years ago), but mostly we talked about my wearing heels. It was her opinion that it's quite acceptable nowadays for men to wear heels, she'd just never seen it before. Then her co-worker approached, and she called out, "Hey, look at this guy's shoes! You'll never believe it!" The co-worker said that wow, those were really cute, and asked me to pull up my pantleg so that she could see. She asked me where I got them. I told her, and she commented that they were really cute again. Then it was time for them to open the store, so we said goodbye.

I went about my business, and got my problem resolved. During my stroll through the mall, I felt some eyes upon me. I don't know if it's because I wore jeans which were intended for much shorter heels (I had intended to wear much shorter heels when I chose my pants), or whether it was because of the thinness of the heels, or none of the above, but this is the first day that I really felt like people were looking at me. I only wish I felt like I was gliding better today. And at least I didn't slip on the ice and fall on my backside. Phew!

I know someday that some jackass is going to make some rude comment to me, but for today, all of you can be happy that even here in relative hicktown Iowa, people are ready to accept men in heels. Really big ones.

Iowa, where are you in Iowa if you don't mind me asking?!?!? I used to live in Iowa before I joined the military! I thought I was the only one in that state wearing heels! haha

Edited January 20, 2013 by Shafted
Removed doubled quote

[HighHeelLover86]

It really is encouraging to here all this good stuff. I believe a larger issue for me heeling like I want to is the fact that for years I was actively encouraged to do so in a relationship I had. I just haven't been up to it much not even in private not only because of some bad experiences but also because I have no one to "perform" for. When I went on hiatus from HHP in 2006 it seemed acceptance of guys like us on a broad scale was soooo not gonna happen anytime soon, at least to me anyway. Now just six years later I can scarcely believe how its changed. I am so looking forward to eventually being 100% myself one day and I thank everyone who shares all the positiveness they experience here.

[Shafted]

I too took a very long hiatus from HHP. In all that time though I wore my heels regardless. When I came back I spent a year reacquainting myself with the forum before throwing my hat in to be a moderator. I really wanted to do it because I felt that it was time to give back to this community what I had gotten from it, if that makes any sense.

[HighHeelLover86]

Oh I didn't mean to imply that I was heeless the entire time to be sure. Just not recently at any rate. I think I blended two thoughts together previously. Also I can understand where you're coming from Shafted for if it hadn't been for this site years ago I'd have given it up outright. Personal demons seens to be what haunts me, not only with heels but everything else going on. Things just seem so much more promising for men's heeled fashion these days that its a little shocking to be honest. A quantum leap in my eyes anyway. I always get "warm&fuzzies" when I hear how positive people here are and the positive experiences they share. Its quite uplifting not just for heeling by my whole mood in general.