I've Landed An Awesome Pair Of Black Patent Leather Pumps.

[Histiletto]

About two, maybe three years ago, I caught an ad for a pair of Sebastian stiletto platform pumps, but they were sold out in my size. I did everything I could think of in searching the internet to find them in my size, but to no avail. Since then I kind of followed the Sebastian brand and found some other terrific looking pumps, but they were still not the ones that got me head over heels. Then in September I went searching through an eBay listing and there they were. I couldn't believe it, at first, they were there and affordably available. There was no question in my mind, I had to get a pair, but the financing was going to take a bit of adjusting for some expenses and income factors during the next two months. By the first week of October I saw a way to make it happen, but there was still going to be some sacrificing. At this point it was more of a stress not having these pumps than the anguish brought on by my financial status. So I put a pair in the cart and checked out. The elation of knowing the heels I had longed for were now on there way to be delivered to me is an ecstasy I'm sure is quite a normal experience for high heel wearers and now it was happening to me. In just a couple of business days my order of Sebastian black patent leather, 5.5" high and very slender stiletto heels with 1.25" platform pumps (item id: SB-LOLA) was in my grasp and the elation continued as I carefully opened the packaging and finally revealed the shoe box. The anticipation heightened as I removed the lid and saw the labeled tissue paper coverings. As I pealed back the papers the glossy shine of the stiletto pumps were exposed. OK, your imagination can do a much better play by play of the remaining sequences, but I will say that the pumps fit perfectly as I walked around my residence. These are the type of heels your never want to take off, but reality deems this want impractical - impossible could be debated though.

I have related this chronology of events and passions to describe the normal feelings most people who love wearing high heels experience. Something along these happenings are both women's and men's experiences as they discover and select their high heels in the stores or on-line.

[Shafted]

Wow! Are those heels ever so tiny.

[AZShoeNut]

Right on Histiletto. Very few things compare to the joy and anticipation of knowing that the exact pair of shoes that you want are on the way. Enjoy :-)

[SleekHeels]

I can relate to your feelings of desiring a pair of heels and the excitement of finding them and slipping into them for the first time. It reminded me a lot of many happy heel buying experiences of my own over the years, so thanks for that. I'm glad they lived up to the anticipation and were a perfect fit, and like Shafted I can only marvel at how thin those heels are.

I feel a poll coming on: http://hhplace.org/topic/22745-excitement-of-new-and-old-heels/

[Histiletto]

As an up-date, the heel tips are not as strong as they should be for the 3/16" diameter shaping. After the second public display of going from my front door to the car for the purpose of getting to the job site and then returning, the tips literally wore off, leaving only the studs. With a bit of ingenuity, I was able to create temporary tips for the time being. With a bit more effort I can make more adequate and stronger tips for the needed task while maintaining the gorgeous appearance of these extra slender, but sturdy stilettos. Otherwise, having these pumps as part of my shirt and jeans outfits have been exquisitely delightful. I'm looking forward to wearing them as I head out to public venues for shopping and other activities after the tips are improved. I wonder how much difference it will make with these exposed platform stilettos than the less obvious hidden platforms I have been wearing. Oh well, here's to progress and the better enjoyment of life to its fullest.

[heels59]

Awesome shoes, HiSti. I'm a big fan of needle heels, micro stilletoes, or whatever they are called. My budget is grateful those aren't available in 12W.

Tips:

1.I have a pair of needle heels from JRenee, and I can tell you you pretty much need metal tips. Nothing else will hold up.

2. I once left a heel tip in the caulk expansion joint of a sidewalk. Fortunately I was able to go back and find it, and the heel end wasn't damaged.

3. Consider carefully the mileage you put on. They won't last forever. I foolishly wore mine to a Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event. I wish I had that mile back.

[Histiletto]

I first saw this style of slender heels quite a few years or is it decades ago. The seed was planted and I started comparing high heels with this preference, but usually the diameter of the heels never seemed to be less than 10 to 9mm. Then I noticed the Sophia Gucci pumps with 4" thin stiletto heels. I was intrigued and now I choose to wear them for special occasions to keep them looking as new as possible. Now I'll probably put these Sebastian stilettos in the same type of rotation use if I can ever stand to take them off more than I have to on my daily schedule.

The comments from you guys have been pleasing to read and thanks for the suggestion, heels59. The metal tips seem to be just what I needed.

[mlroseplant]

3. Consider carefully the mileage you put on. They won't last forever. I foolishly wore mine to a Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event. I wish I had that mile back.

Wow, they wore out in only one mile? That certainly wouldn't work for me, as I have a two mile rule about shoes I am willing to keep. If I can't work my way up to two miles in reasonable comfort, they're gone.

I recently bought a pair of Aldo boots that have quite a thin heel, 1/4 inch. I had some issues with these boots, one of the heels was broken, and I had it repaired, and I had the heel tips replaced. My cobbler put slightly oversized top lifts on, without me asking, as Thighbootguy suggested elsewhere, and I have walked 2.5 miles in them without any significant wear on the top lifts.

From prior experience, I think in can expect 20+ miles before I need to replace the top lifts again.

[heels59]

No I didn't say they wore out. It's been a while but as I recall it did in the original heel tips. And i walked back in them as well, so it was two miles. I just recall regretting having done that to a prized pair. I still have them and still wear them occasionally. It's just that your favorites seem to wear out the fastest.

[JeffB]

Pretty nice shoes there, but, wow! I don't think I've ever seen heels that thin before. At around 215 pounds, I'd worry that they might not be able to support my weight without snapping, but if they work for you, then great!

[Histiletto]

Hey JeffB,

I have to work at staying under a 180 pounds, but the heels seem to be very sturdy and supportive, especially after I replaced the plastic heel tips with metal tips. I got to really looking at the proportioned height of the stilettos and their relation to the rest of the pump and it seems I could lengthen the stilettos a half inch to improve their vertical support without increasing the slope much. As the heel sits now, it tends to stand less then 90 degrees when up-right on a level flat surface. Increasing the length would correct this vertical, shall I say, imperfection. I'll have to get back to you on this.

Well, I extended both stiletto heels the half inch and I'm more than pleased. These slender heels are now a full 6 inches high with the 1.25 inch platform, making them the equivalent to wearing 4.75 inch heels. I just need a high gloss black paint that is durable enough to create a strong coat upon the extensions to resist the usual scrapes and scratches heels that incur.

[SleekHeels]

Well, I extended both stiletto heels the half inch and I'm more than pleased. These slender heels are now a full 6 inches high with the 1.25 inch platform, making them the equivalent to wearing 4.75 inch heels. I just need a high gloss black paint that is durable enough to create a strong coat upon the extensions to resist the usual scrapes and scratches heels that incur.

 

That's quite a significant increase. Is the sole at the tip of the toe still clear of the ground? I'd guess that being a platform that whole front area of the sole is pretty fixed with no flexibility, but my concern would be that you've moved the area that takes most of your weight forward so that it's more under your toes rather than under the ball of your foot. I'm not questioning what you've done, I'm just interested to know how you've handled the consequences. Would the heel height increase been any easier or harder with a single-sole rather than a platform?

[Histiletto]

Hey! SleekHeels,

Your analysis of the toe tip being lowered is correct, but the way the back of the toe box was sitting, it was the only contact of the sole to the standing surface, which indicated to me that the heel's height was already less than it should have been. This perception along with the vertical slant of the heels helped me to observe what would happen to the slant when I raised the back of the pumps. The shaft of the heels became more perpendicular and the toe box had a greater contact area on the surface which indicated that I could lengthen the height of the heels and still have the toe box tips high enough to perform a normal walking stride even with the extra height of the heels. So everything works really well. While the heels are higher, this only changed the heel support to the toes slightly. Now to the effect upon my actually walking in them, this was a bit more of a challenge then I expected. However, going from a 4.25" height to a 4.75" was no big deal since I already wear 5" heels without platforms.

Which brings me to your last question. Due to the original settings, the height change was fairly easy to accomplish with these particular platform pumps. If single soled heels shoe have the same discrepancy of the back of the toe box being the only contact, I would observe the position of the heels when the toe box has a better contact surface area. This would determine what height changes could be made without compromising the use of the footwear. However, if the heels are vertically positioned correctly then extending the heel's height wouldn't be advisable unless the difference is no greater than a quarter inch depending on the original height of the heels. This definitely a judgment call. A quarter inch difference would be next to negligible if your maximum limit for height is not a factor and the change(s) does(do) not diminish the shape, look, and use of the high heeled footwear. Hope this helps!

[SleekHeels]

Thanks Histiletto, even though I'm unlikely to take on such a modification myself, it's really interesting to hear your thought process and I'm sure it'll be helpful to anyone else thinking of modifying a pair of heels.

 

I certainly agree with you when it comes to the heel being perpendicular with the ground, by which I mean the front (usually flat) face of the heel not the back that usually curves up from the heel tip to the back of the shoe. Designs where the heel tip is too far back and the heel is off vertical, as if the heel is splaying out from under the shoe, I find very unappealing. To me it always gives me the impression that the shoe is under strain because the wearer is too heavy or tired, whereas a vertical heel tends to make the wearer look lighter on their feet and elegant.

[Majo]

Nice shoes, Histiletto. I've seen Sebastian footwear many times at Yoox. Most of them are very nice.

[Histiletto]

It has been a little over two weeks since I received these pumps and I'm still more than pleased (to put it mildly) with wearing them. The simple styling of the classic pumps has had an intriguing allure that catches and holds my attention, even long after the heels have left my sight. So obviously these Sebastian pumps have brought a joy into my existence that few pumps have been able to match. Are they perfect? Let's just say I have ideals of perfection for the heels I'm wearing and these micro thin heeled pumps have exceeded quite a few of the marks. Yes, this does sound like bragging and I basically am, but I feel so good wearing them as I've gone about my business, I needed to publicly express to the people of this forum who have somewhat of an understanding as to how I really feel. Seeing these heels on me in the reflections of mirroring objects and hearing the tap of the metal tips on the sidewalks, tiled floors, and paved parking lots brings a real sense of comfort beyond the fit and feel of having them on. 

 

Not meaning any disrespect for women and their abilities and personalities, we all have felt and perceived the power heels have wielded for women as they wear them and this feeling is there when I am wearing stiletto pumps, especially ones like these. Even though society has taught us to view high heels as women's footwear, they seem to exhibit more of the qualities in the men's profiling. It takes strength, endurance, balance, and muscle toning to wear and walk. Not everyone can attain the same heel heights due to their physical construction of feet and ankles. High heels are not for the faint of heart. They take desire, persistence, and perseverance to find the best fits in the styles being sought, to master a graceful stride, and to exude a presence of confidence and control.   

[AZShoeNut]

Histiletto,

Very happy to read that you are deriving so much joy from those pumps. I believe that I understand just what you are saying. I remember a pair of pumps like that for me back when I was still in high school.

Enjoy,

Larry

[Histiletto]

When I was in high school there were many classic pumps with the A-line vamp styling ranging from flats to very high heels. I have seen the A-line design used since to some degree, but it hasn't quite been applied to the same basic pointed toe high heeled pump that I would like to see put back on the market. Combining the A-line vamp and toe box design with the thin high heel look of the Sebastian SB-LOLA black patent pumps would bring together two parts of perfection which would come closer to illustrating the pumps shown in my avatar.

[Histiletto]

Here it is a little under 3 months and I'm still head over heels about wearing them. I've already wore out the metal tips. I wonder if it is possible to have some carbide metal tips made. Then again, it seems the carbide parts that I am familiar with, often chipped off when impacting hardened obstacles, so I guess regular metal tips are as good as I can expect.

[Thighbootguy]

Carbide for heel tips is not a good idea.  Considering that carbide and even hardened tool steel is used for cutting metal... Consider what you would be doing to and surface over which you walked.  Also the heel tip needs to provide a stable point of contact so there has to be some give between the two surfaces for there to be any adhesion (there has to be a reasonable coefficient of friction) or the heel will kick out from under you.

[Shafted]

Hard rubber is still the best material for both traction and long life.

[estar]

I just ordered some SuperTap heel tips (lifts). I've never tried them before but they're made of 97A durometer polyurethane and are supposed much more durable than the plastic ones. As much as I like the idea of steel tips, I'm afraid of the damage they would do to indoor surfaces.

[AZShoeNut]

I'm in the carbide business. Carbide handles tremendous compression but is not so good with transverse rupture strength (bending). The stem of the heel tap would break, the edges would chip, and everything you walk on will get messed up.

[mlroseplant]

The stem of the heel tap would break, the edges would chip, and everything you walk on will get messed up.

Sounds like the perfect recipe for a fetish video!

[Pumped]

Sounds like the perfect recipe for a fetish video!

 

Only if you consider the beating you would get from me for tearing up my hardwood floors seems like a good idea for a fetish video!

[Oxford1]

Those pumps are awesome. I was lucky enough to obtain a pair of Sebastian lace up ankle boots size 42 from DSW and they are incredible.

[Histiletto]

Sebastian seems to make fairly good footwear. I know the pumps I have, hold up pretty good for what I put them through even with their stiletto heel-tips sizing.