The High Heeled Ruminations Of Melrose Plant

[Jkrenzer]

I live for pumps 

[Cali]

I have a large girth toe box which results in the vamp in pumps cutting into my tendons.  I've even tried trying to put dense cell foam between the tendons and the vamp, but that didn't work. So NO pumps for me.

[mlroseplant]

I've had to reject about 50% of the pumps I've bought over the years. The most common problem is that when I go to take a step in the real world, I walk right out of them, and this is barefoot. Forget about wearing any kind of hosiery. I always futz around with every kind of fitment aid known to man, and none of it ever helps. It seems that pumps either fit me, or they don't. There's no "almost."

My best luck has been with the Steve Madden brand in a size 9. I have several different models. When first put on, they feel toe-squishing, but after several minutes of walking around, everything gets rearranged in there, and after that they're pretty decent. I have noticed in the past few years that I really need to do that anyway, that is, put on my shoes at least 10-15 minutes before I need to leave, at least with anything over 4 inches. I need a bit of a warmup anymore.

[Cali]

@mlroseplant have you tried double sided-tape? (for skin)

[mlroseplant]

On 12/8/2024 at 10:36 AM, Cali said:

@mlroseplant have you tried double sided-tape? (for skin)

I have not, that might be something interesting to try, being as I still have one pair of loafer pumps (I have been looking for the perfect pair of penny loafer pumps for years) that has the problem severely. When I finish my latest shoe inventory, I was going to donate the shoes, but before I do, perhaps I'll give some good ol' adhesive a try.

I have worn pumps three different times this week, and have zero pictures to prove it. When I did get a chance to snap a photo, the sun was shining so brightly from a bad direction that it would have been a waste of time. I didn't even try. I have come to three conclusions over the past week, however. Number One: There is nothing particularly different about stilettos, except that you have to be a lot more careful about gaps and cracks in the pavement. Number Two: If I wear my pumps more often, they are much more comfortable than I remember them. Even though a lot of my pump collection is not leather, it does seem to shape itself, at least to some degree. Number Three: There is a big difference between a 4 3/8" heel and a 4 5/8" heel. Though I didn't embarrass myself, I still don't feel I'm truly ready for the taller heel. But if I don't wear the taller heel, I'll never get used to it. Didn't we just talk about this somewhere?

[Shyheels]

That’s my same circular argument. I don’t wear stilettos much as I am not proficient enough, but I can’t get proficient enough without wearing them. In my case it is complicated by the fact that I am usually moored along a muddy towpath and not only would wearing stilettos be silly, it would just wreck them.

[mlroseplant]

21 hours ago, Shyheels said:

That’s my same circular argument. I don’t wear stilettos much as I am not proficient enough, but I can’t get proficient enough without wearing them. In my case it is complicated by the fact that I am usually moored along a muddy towpath and not only would wearing stilettos be silly, it would just wreck them.

Maybe your experience is different, but what I'm saying is that there is nothing to get proficient at. I mean, assuming the machine is operating properly, there is nothing difficult about walking in stilettos because they are stilettos (on hard pavement at least). In fact, some things are easier than when wearing thick block heels. My issue is the absolute steepness. I hit a wall at about 4 1/2 inches. If I'm really being honest with myself, it's more like 4 1/4 inches. I had to do a quick run to the grocery store yesterday afternoon, and I broke out some round-toed, 4 1/4 inch stilettos that I hadn't worn in a while to run the errand. Once warmed up, I was brilliant. I even got a sincere compliment from a man (how often does that happen?)! But, at that height, I can feel my achilles tendon straining, especially the right leg, with each step.

To be fair, I weigh a mere 60 kg. Perhaps thin heels react differently to more torsional force than what I subject them to, but I don't really notice the difference except when I step in a crack and ruin my heel!

BTW, are towpaths actually used for towing these days? If so, by what means?

[pebblesf]

1 hour ago, mlroseplant said:

Maybe your experience is different, but what I'm saying is that there is nothing to get proficient at. I mean, assuming the machine is operating properly, there is nothing difficult about walking in stilettos because they are stilettos (on hard pavement at least). In fact, some things are easier than when wearing thick block heels. My issue is the absolute steepness. I hit a wall at about 4 1/2 inches. If I'm really being honest with myself, it's more like 4 1/4 inches. I had to do a quick run to the grocery store yesterday afternoon, and I broke out some round-toed, 4 1/4 inch stilettos that I hadn't worn in a while to run the errand. Once warmed up, I was brilliant. I even got a sincere compliment from a man (how often does that happen?)! But, at that height, I can feel my achilles tendon straining, especially the right leg, with each step.

To be fair, I weigh a mere 60 kg. Perhaps thin heels react differently to more torsional force than what I subject them to, but I don't really notice the difference except when I step in a crack and ruin my heel!

BTW, are towpaths actually used for towing these days? If so, by what means?

I would agree that some of my stiletto boots are fairly easy to walk in.  The issue for me is navigating rough city streets, sidewalks or slippery surfaces.  Oftentimes I am overly cautious, in an effort to avoid wrecking more heels on some of my favorite boots.  To be honest, I need to shed a few "dad bod pounds", to take some of the strain off the heels.  I would say, my "heel wall" is about 4.5" as well.  Sure, I can "walk" in taller heels, but not for any distances.  

[Shyheels]

4 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Maybe your experience is different, but what I'm saying is that there is nothing to get proficient at. I mean, assuming the machine is operating properly, there is nothing difficult about walking in stilettos because they are stilettos (on hard pavement at least). In fact, some things are easier than when wearing thick block heels. My issue is the absolute steepness. I hit a wall at about 4 1/2 inches. If I'm really being honest with myself, it's more like 4 1/4 inches. I had to do a quick run to the grocery store yesterday afternoon, and I broke out some round-toed, 4 1/4 inch stilettos that I hadn't worn in a while to run the errand. Once warmed up, I was brilliant. I even got a sincere compliment from a man (how often does that happen?)! But, at that height, I can feel my achilles tendon straining, especially the right leg, with each step.

To be fair, I weigh a mere 60 kg. Perhaps thin heels react differently to more torsional force than what I subject them to, but I don't really notice the difference except when I step in a crack and ruin my heel!

BTW, are towpaths actually used for towing these days? If so, by what means?

It’s a different form of movement - pitch, balance, stride length and will vary further with height. And real world walking conditions are vastly different than walking in a wooden floor at home which is where one practices. And not just guys - look on the how-to-walk-in-heels articles in fashion mags and they all advise learning at home. I’ve not had sufficient real world practice to feel comfortable in stilettos although 3.5 inch Chucky heel boots are fine for me.

Towpaths these days are mainly for dog-walkers, joggers and cyclists although there are a few historic boats - for show - that are pulled by horses. Narrowboats these days are run in diesel engines although there are a few hybrid and electric ones out there (expensive!)

[Puffer]

17 hours ago, Shyheels said:

...

Towpaths these days are mainly for dog-walkers, joggers and cyclists although there are a few historic boats - for show - that are pulled by horses. Narrowboats these days are run in diesel engines although there are a few hybrid and electric ones out there (expensive!)

There are also a few (very few) historic narrowboats that have steam engines, and some with petrol (gasoline) engines.   In fact, any sort of power can be found, although I have yet to come across rubber-band drive!   As Shyheels says, diesel is the norm, with the typical engine being identical to that used in a motor car.   When travelling on (or alongside) a canal, one sometimes hears an approaching boat with a strange engine sound - usually indicative of a non-diesel.

[Shyheels]

Yes there are a couple of steam driven narrowboats - museum pieces, really. They were never common even a hundred years ago as the space required for fuel took up valuable cargo space. I’ve never seen a petrol powered narrowboat. There are petrol powered craft on the canals - usually cruisers - but I’ve never seen a petrol powered narrowboat.

The diesel engines in narrowboats are designed for marine use and have two alternators - one fir the starter and one to charge your domestic batteries for your lights and fridge etc. I’ve a 43hp engine made in Holland. It powers a 58-foot boat that weighs 18 tonnes so no speed demon!

The curious sounding boats - think of the sound of the African Queen - are usually those running very old fashioned diesel engines - classic Lister engines and the like.

[mlroseplant]

I can remember my one trip to Thailand, which by many metrics was a waste of time, but that's another story for another day. It just occurred to me that they have a sort of narrowboat in Thailand as well, but I don't recall thinking they actually needed to be narrow. I can just remember the drivetrains being about as simple as you can get, with whatever engine tipped backward at about a 10º angle, and there being a very long, direct-drive shaft with a propeller on the end of it. No gears, no clutch, no nothin'. Just a long shaft sticking out the side of the engine. Somewhere, on some drive, I've got pictures, but they predate the earliest pictures on my phone.

[Puffer]

On 12/12/2024 at 11:36 AM, Shyheels said:

Yes there are a couple of steam driven narrowboats - museum pieces, really. They were never common even a hundred years ago as the space required for fuel took up valuable cargo space. I’ve never seen a petrol powered narrowboat. There are petrol powered craft on the canals - usually cruisers - but I’ve never seen a petrol powered narrowboat.

The diesel engines in narrowboats are designed for marine use and have two alternators - one fir the starter and one to charge your domestic batteries for your lights and fridge etc. I’ve a 43hp engine made in Holland. It powers a 58-foot boat that weighs 18 tonnes so no speed demon!

The curious sounding boats - think of the sound of the African Queen - are usually those running very old fashioned diesel engines - classic Lister engines and the like.

Tom Rolt (who was an inspiration behind saving and using Britain's canals for leisure) originally had a petrol engine (ex-Model T Ford!) in his narrowboat Cressy in 1936.   And he was not alone in using such an engine, although they were never common - horsepower generally gave way to diesel.   Some shorter narrowboats are powered by a petrol outboard motor because a diesel engine would take up too much space.   Whilst a 'marine' diesel engine is obviously ideal, there are many engines of the road vehicle type; my brother's narrowboat uses a British Leyland engine of the type fitted to a light van.

Yes, the 'pop pop' of a Lister (or similar) diesel is quite distinct and certainly reminiscent of the African Queen.

On 12/13/2024 at 10:42 AM, mlroseplant said:

I can remember my one trip to Thailand, which by many metrics was a waste of time, but that's another story for another day. It just occurred to me that they have a sort of narrowboat in Thailand as well, but I don't recall thinking they actually needed to be narrow. I can just remember the drivetrains being about as simple as you can get, with whatever engine tipped backward at about a 10º angle, and there being a very long, direct-drive shaft with a propeller on the end of it. No gears, no clutch, no nothin'. Just a long shaft sticking out the side of the engine. Somewhere, on some drive, I've got pictures, but they predate the earliest pictures on my phone.

A Btitish 'narrowboat' is so called (and built) so as to be able to cruise on the narrowest canals, a nominal 7'0" wide, with the boats a couple of inches less.   The canals were made narrow at the locks, bridges etc to save cost and water, but obviously had to be wide enough in most open stretches to allow vessels to pass.   By no means all of British canals are 'narrow'; many are 'broad' - wide enough to take quite large barges and similar craft, although of course such commercial traffic has largely declined.

Yes, the usual narrowboat drive is by a directly-driven prop shaft with a simple speed/reverse lever control.  Simple but effective.

[Shyheels]

As they say of Narrowboats, they don’t steer well going forward, they don’t steer at all in reverse and they have no brakes. It’s not really quite as bad as that - although they really do not steer in reverse. There are little tricks you can use to steer while going backwards but in simple straight out reverse, there is no steering. You can do whatever you like with the tiller, makes no difference.

As @Puffer noted Narrowboats are less than 7’ wide (mine is 6’10”) for negotiating the very narrow locks on many of the canals - nearly all of which date from the 18th century. There are wide canals with locks 14-15’ wide capable of taking larger craft - Dutch barges or widebeams or handling two narrowboats abreast - while up north in Yorkshire the Aire & Calder navigation and the South Yorkshire Navigation have locks over 20’ wide and 200 feet long to accommodate the big commercial barges that still use them - usually tankers or barges carrying gravel.

It’s an interesting life, living in The Cut

[mlroseplant]

I have actually worn pumps 5/7 days this week, and in each case, I wore them with slightly flared pants, which seems to be back in style again. Probably more radical flares are actually in style, but mine are recycled from the last time. Most of my stuff is super skinny, and I have adopted that style for the last 10 years to the point that my flared pants, of which I have only two pair left, are practically New Old Stock because they've been worn so rarely. I get by with skinny jeans better than most guys because I'm pretty small, but it is nice to have a little variety now that I've allowed myself. I will say that it is much easier to get flared pants on and off that it is skinny jeans, and pointy-toed pumps do go rather well with flared pants.

One has to be careful with round toes and flared pants because under the wrong circumstances, it looks like you have no feet. I do not have my flared pants hemmed super long, They're an inch to an inch and a half off the floor. Certainly not the style of the early 2000s, where the ideal was to show just a tease of heel between the floor and hem. You could barely see little pins sticking out, leaving the gazer wondering whether the wearer had mere kitten heels or proper stilettos. In some ways it was alluring, and in others it was frustrating. Not so with the latest iteration of flowing legged pants.

I have been mainly wearing Steve Madden single sole pumps this week, but I did break out the much neglected Nine West Plantera platforms also. My favorite pumps, from a fit standpoint anyway, are my Vince Camuto Carra stacked heel pumps. They are very pointy-toed, so they work well with flared pants. They are single sole with a slim, tapered heel about 5/8" wide in plain black leather. They are remarkably tall at 4 3/8". I say remarkably because when you glance at them, they don't look all that tall. It can take you by surprise when you put them on. They are pretty steep compared to what their styling would suggest. If you scroll back to my October 2nd post, you can see pictures of them. I haven't taken any new photographs since then.

The crazy thing about these pumps is that they fit. When I used to see women who wore pumps every day, I think this is how they must have fit. Not tight in the toes, and yet I don't walk out of them with every step. It's like I can just slip them on and go. Or I could, were they 3/4" lower. I still have to warm up in them before I step out of the house. What I'm saying is, unlike most of my other pumps, I do not have to wait for my toes to rearrange themselves inside of the shoes for a few minutes after I put them on. And, they're the only single sole pumps I own that I've actually walked in for exercise. I may be wrong about this, but I believe they're the only pumps that I've worn for a full day all at once. Unfortunately, they are beginning to suffer from that flaky deterioration that so many non-leather linings exhibit. It's not that bad yet, but eventually I suppose they will become unwearable.

I plan on wearing pumps again to church today, we'll see what I end up wearing. In the meantime, it's going to be clogs for my morning constitutional. I still prefer shoes that do not touch the back of my heel.

[pebblesf]

Totally agree with your comment about the rounded toes!  I remember my feet looking freakishly small wearing round toed high heel boots mostly covered by my jeans...

[mlroseplant]

I have continued to wear pumps this week, only now I have an actual picture! My son and I went to the mall yesterday to buy Mama a new computer. It's the first time I'd been shopping at a mall in well over a year, I bet it's been more like two years. I managed my Steve Madden Daisies reasonably well, and even got a compliment from a stranger! They are the mauve colored ones I introduced a while back, and for some reason, they do not look it in this picture. I wore the same pants and shoes Sunday to church, but a different shirt. These Maddens are becoming quite comfy to wear for longer periods of time, despite the fact that they're not leather. They're almost giving the Vince Camutos a run for their money.

The other thing of note is how much my feet don't hurt. Some of you may recall my story about going to the mall in my brand new boots 12 years ago, and nearly not making it back to the car because of the pain. I didn't think about it while I was there, but it's the same mall, we went to the same store, I had higher shoes this time, and it didn't even occur to me that I might get sore feet.

[Shyheels]

Well done! Looks like a nice outing, and a well put together outfit. I liked the colour of those mauve pumps.  It would be interesting in a pair of boots