Listen To Advice Cause They Work.

[newguy]

I dont know where newfie came from but I took his advice today. Its great advice. I moved out of my house into a new one. I spent a couple of hrs cleaning. I wore a red t shirt light boot cut jean and 3.5 in black peep toes with a stiletto heel. I vacuumed 2000 square foot house in heels and man my feet are burning and calf burn. Vaccuming in heels is an amazing exercise for heel wearers. It will shifted and test ur balance. It works. Balls of feet are sore but after a few more times vacuuming they will get used to it. Thank you newfie for advice. I am looking forward to more and reading ur latest adventure.

[Eager2heel]

I am going to do that tomorrow. I can't wait lol. I never thought I would say that..lol

[hh_pe]

I have to wonder if this is one of those "secret" methods mothers tell their daugthers on how to walk in heels? My wife told me the same thing when she purchased a pair of pumps for me when we were dating over 20 years ago. The method works.

[NewfieGuyInHeels]

Wow Newguy! That's prolly one of the best compliments I've ever received. I'm so glad it worked for you, and thank you for your kind words

My parents are the least understanding/open minded ppl I know, so needless to say my mother never past this "secret" to me haha. To be honest I got it from seeing portrayals of 1940's, 1950's house wives. They're usually always shown doing house work in heels so I figured there must be something to it, and that's what worked for me. Every time a girl commented that they could never walk in heels like me I always told them that's how I learned. It's nice to see (read) someone actually gave it a shot, it validates what I've been telling everyone and that's a really awesome feeling. Thanks again Newguy....... You really do need a new name tho, as was said in another thread you won't be forever haha.

[Dr. Shoe]

The main reason why housewives of the 40s and 50s are shown in heels [and full make-up etc.] is because in those days no womn would have allowed anyone to photograph them in anything else. I can assure you that this wasn't actually the norm. Skirts and dresses maybe but heels no, it would have been fluffy comfy slippers.

[Eager2heel]

In my younger days I can remember seeing women pushing baby carriages in high heels all the time. I wonder if they were just getting there shoes worked in.

[jetheelsfan]

I worked in a retail grocery in the late 1960's and it was not uncommon for many of the female shopper to be wearing what was considered a 2 1/4 inch or higher stiletto pump.  Sunday at church was nothing but heels as the norm. 

 

Today, still in retail, every once in a while a customer will be in heels and Sunday still has a small minority of females wearing heels.  Could it be that the increased "fashion hieght" of heels has actually driven down the amount of usage?  Bring back the "good old days" when heels were a "norm."

[RonC]

When I was doing the housecleaning, I quite often took the opportunity to do things like vacuuming and floor washing wearing a pair of heels.  I just wanted the experience of wearing heels without focusing on the fact that I was.  Typically, when I wear heels, that is my focus - cool, I have a pair of heels on!  But I was trying to get the experience of heels while being focused somewhere else - I guess I was looking to see what women experience while wearing heels where it's just a pair of shoes that I happen to be wearing.  And I did get that experience where I would "forget" about the fact that I was in heels and be focused on getting the vacuuming done and the floor washed.  And it did help in getting more experienced in the wearing of heels - I was able to negotiate the world better.  It is a learning experience - making sure the heel doesn't slip out from under you when taking what isn't exactly a smooth step, etc.

 

Jetheelsfan, I long for those days as well.  But they're not coming back anytime soon I'm afraid.  I often wonder where the heels that are sold are being worn?  I see stores chock full of great heels - DSW, Nordstroms, Nine West - and I see web sites where you get more than a thousand results if you just go shopping for heels - yet I so very rarely see women wearing them.  Like none at church on Sunday.  Go out for a nice dinner on the weekend - well, if I'm lucky, in the room of 30-40 women, maybe one will have a pair of heels on.  Do they buy them to store in the closet?  I don;t get it.  Even at a fancy affair like a wedding - I would say the true "high" heel count is something in the 60% range.  Sad but true.

[NewfieGuyInHeels]

I was actually at a wedding, and out of 150 or so guests, I was wearing the highest heels. Flats and flip flops all around. I know there was dancing going on, but I never took off my boots when I danced, that's half the fun of wearing them.

[Eager2heel]

The only time I see nice heels is when I go to the larger city ( Tampa ). If you go to the mall you will see some of the girls with some great heels on. Also there are a few very high end restaurants that I have been in and saw some really great looking heels.

[newguy]

Well guys thanks to your advise on starting slow and low heels I graduated to a 5" heel from a 3". I do alot better in a fiver. My calfs and feet hurt more cause I went up. It made it worst when I put my 2" daily wedges on. I am still gonna rotate heel heights and practice. I have no desire to go higher than 6". Still reading and learning for y'all. Thank you

[AZShoeNut]

I too have done a lot of housework in heels. I credit the house work that I had done for being able to manage an 8 hour night out and about with little sitting while wearing a pair of Elle 5-inch single sole pumps.

In the Phoenix area I see a lot of heels. You will see several in downtown Tempe or Tempe Marketplace on a weekend evening. They will also be seen all over the place in downtown Phoenix during the work day. You won't see a lot at my church however we have a lot of Mormon churches around here and if you are driving by when a service gets out 90% or more of the women and teen girls will be sporting awesome, super tall heels. Half of them walk a half mile or so home too. I would definately say that the Phoenix area is stiil rocking great shoes.

Best,

Larry

[Puffer]

The main reason why housewives of the 40s and 50s are shown in heels [and full make-up etc.] is because in those days no womn would have allowed anyone to photograph them in anything else. I can assure you that this wasn't actually the norm. Skirts and dresses maybe but heels no, it would have been fluffy comfy slippers.

 

In my younger days I can remember seeing women pushing baby carriages in high heels all the time. I wonder if they were just getting there shoes worked in.

 

It depends what you mean by 'the norm'.   I agree that it wasn't universal for women to wear heels around the house (for housework) or when doing the domestic shopping or other outside chores (including walking with children) but, In the late 50s/early 60s, it was common to see them in heels as a matter of course during everyday activities.   Stilettos (3" or higher) were so popular that many women (and not just the youngest trendsetters) wore little else, even when alone at home during the day.  

 

I suspect that, apart from their liking of the style, the feel or the added height, many of the women became so used to heels that they found it uncomfortable to give them up, even in situations where heel wearing was impractical or dangerous.  I certainly recall visiting schoolfriends' houses and seeing their mothers (or sisters) in stilettos in a domestic setting - cooking, ironing, vacuuming etc, which made me jealous as my mother never wore them.   I even saw women climb up ladders or steps in 4" stilettos without hesitation (or a safety net!).   And, when hubby came home from work, wifey would almost certainly be in stilettos, stockings, a neat frock (or skirt and blouse) with make-up and a necklace or pearls.   She would be similarly dressed too when they went out on a Saturday to buy furniture, appliances or other household items.   Those were the days ...  

[jetheelsfan]

I worked retail grocery as my first "real" part-time job in the late '60s.  It was not unusual for the shoppers to be in heels pushing the bascart with kids in the seat or in tow.  Most of the cashiers stood in their heels all day.  There was one cashier my age - oh how I liked bagging the customers groceries for her - who seldom had anything but a 2 1/4 inch pair of pumps on.  Oh how I admired her but she turned down my attempts of asking her out - maybe because she caught me staring too often - lol. 

 

Now it is a treat to see a woman (or man) in heels out shopping.  I have to believe the "damage" was done when the "women's liberation" movement became the mainstream.  The style of female everyday foot-ware has become just as boring as the guys.  They gave up that "special" feminine look that was their privilege in favor of "bland."  It is good to see the reintroduction of the "skimmer" for the "younger" as it does show the feminine lines of the past.  Maybe we are about to turn the corner and get back to seeing some "sensible female foot-ware" styles as the norm.

[SleekHeels]

For sure in my younger days the idea of doing mundane tasks like cleaning, ironing and cooking whilst wearing heels seemed kind of fun, and I agree it probably is good practice for learning to walk in heels. However, the novelty quickly wore off and these days I wouldn't put my feet through that unnecessary discomfort, I'd rather wear nice comfy flats and when I've finished my chores I can relax, change into my heels and really enjoy wearing them because my feet are in a far better state.

 

Personally I find it rather sexist to long for the days when women didn't enjoy the freedom to wear what they want. I doubt that many of those housewives of the 50's and 60's felt free to wear strappy sandals with all the foot deformities caused from being compelled to carry out their daily lives in heels. I think that being free to take good care of your feet, including wearing "sensible" shoes for walking long distances or standing for long periods, makes it a far greater pleasure both to see and wear heels.

[ilikekicks]

I have some insight into what a lot of people are saying. Im going to share it. This isnt to be connotative as being negative, just an honest observation.

 

I grew up in a city. All kinds of walks of life. You name it, you can see it in a city type setting. " Tempe " and " Tampa " were mentioned by others. Score up Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse.. Any ' Big City ' will always have more people then where I presently reside so there will be different flavors of all walks represented.

 

In the City, the ' Fashion Sense ' seems to allow Pants and Flats for formal occasions. Its not uncommon to see high caliber ' Office Women ' sporting a coat and collar. The ' Heels scene ' diminished over the last 5 years I was there.

 

' Out here ', on a Sunday or Formal Event, you wont see ANY of the women in pants or a shoe without some kind of heel. You wont see them barring tats, having millions of piercings all over their faces, No goths, no Emos.. they all will smell nice and not like they havent taken a bath in the last 3 months.

 

Its a different lifestyle of sorts. Different upbringings.

 

Its not uncommon when the family gets together to have a whole room of ladies in skirts/dresses sporting heels on their feet. Its just how they were raised. Even the younger women under the age of 20 adhere to such a thing. Its almost an unspoken thing that to wear pants to a gathering or occasion is breaking some kind of law. One wouldnt dare show up at a wedding in flats endless they are so old/diminished/physically unable to. From my understanding, it would be disrespectful to do so. *I* was advised at a recent wedding that it would be appreciated if I wore a tie and collared shirt.

 

Mind everyone : I dont have an ' improved ' driveway or sidewalk. Its all gravel. Same with most of everyone else ' out here ' yet the women still wear heels. They seem to cope with uneven ground pretty well.

 

I guess a lot of what is worn is whats either requested/considered or what would be appropriate for our surroundings.

 

There does come a time when everyones ' fashion freedom ' should be put aside for the consideration of others. Im sure there are many women whom might work in an office with a dress code and HATE wearing shoes at all. They would rather be in sneakers or something ' more comfortable ', but theres rules they need to follow. Im sure theres guys on the forum here that would love to sport heels where they work but consider their surroundings.

 

Point being, theres differing people and different situations all over. Theres different attitudes and different thoughts on whats ' stylish ' and whats not. Its up to each of us to look at our own situations and determine what will work in each instance wherever we might be at that moment.

[Puffer]

...

Now it is a treat to see a woman (or man) in heels out shopping.  I have to believe the "damage" was done when the "women's liberation" movement became the mainstream.  The style of female everyday foot-ware has become just as boring as the guys.  They gave up that "special" feminine look that was their privilege in favor of "bland."  It is good to see the reintroduction of the "skimmer" for the "younger" as it does show the feminine lines of the past.  Maybe we are about to turn the corner and get back to seeing some "sensible female foot-ware" styles as the norm.

 

 

I think you are right regarding the predominance of the bland/casual look in footwear rather than stylish, although the late 50s/early 60s woman was often rather too formal or fussy in her overall appearance.   However, although the 'skimmer' or 'ballerina' style of flat is fairly feminine, it is so casual that it does not, to my eye, do much for the wearer - the typical skimmer looks like a sneaker/trainer without laces and more at home in the gym or on the beach.  I know many will disagree but I would rather see a woman in flip-flops (as long as they are not rubber) or flat strappy sandals than in flat 'slippers'.

 

...

Personally I find it rather sexist to long for the days when women didn't enjoy the freedom to wear what they want. I doubt that many of those housewives of the 50's and 60's felt free to wear strappy sandals with all the foot deformities caused from being compelled to carry out their daily lives in heels. I think that being free to take good care of your feet, including wearing "sensible" shoes for walking long distances or standing for long periods, makes it a far greater pleasure both to see and wear heels.

 

Having lived through the era, I do miss the smartness and elegance that were the norm in female fashion (and not just their footwear) but I don't deny women their right to choose their look rather than feel obliged to slavishly follow a trend, and maybe damage their health.   Many women wore sandals (notably wedge mules, but often flats) rather than stilettos for housework and shopping etc, and still do.   And have we really progressed when so many young girls wear clumpy platforms, short skirts and skimpy tops regardless of their build or activity because it is 'fashion' - I see little elegance or comfort in that?

[SleekHeels]

Having lived through the era, I do miss the smartness and elegance that were the norm in female fashion (and not just their footwear) but I don't deny women their right to choose their look rather than feel obliged to slavishly follow a trend, and maybe damage their health.   Many women wore sandals (notably wedge mules, but often flats) rather than stilettos for housework and shopping etc, and still do.   And have we really progressed when so many young girls wear clumpy platforms, short skirts and skimpy tops regardless of their build or activity because it is 'fashion' - I see little elegance or comfort in that?

 

I guess nostalgia does tend to stereotype previous decades and forget the diversity of those times. That's certainly true of the 70's and 80's that I did live through, and there's no reason it should be any different for the 50's and 60's that I didn't experience.

[Bikergoth]

I always change into boots with four or five inch heels when I get home from work as I don't own any 'male footwear' to wear around the house. I find that doing any activity in the house, from daily chores & cleaning to making cups of tea or coffee, can help achieve a good grounding in wearing heels. If I buy a new pair of boots I will wear them for an hour each day around the house for the first week, then two hours a day the following week & so on. If they are really comfy I will not need to go through the 'breaking in' process but will wear them continuously. My wife taught me to do the 'Catwalk Walk' in heels which is great with a swishy skirt & even more amazing on our slate tiled kitchen floor - nothing quite like the sound of heels clicking away on a solid floor! Carrying two cups of tea or coffee up a flight of stairs conquers any balancing problems after a couple of tries... Just  don't overfill the cups the first couple of times.  ;o)