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The High Heeled Ruminations Of Melrose Plant


mlroseplant

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For me, being mostly stuck at home over the last year has been starving me of sources of inspiration and things to talk about, which come when I am with other people, experience their cultures, seeing what they wear, and shopping at stores.  I'm blessed to live on a ranch, and to stay active my wife and I have been taking 2.5-mile walks on the trail every day, and I usually wear my cowboy boots with 3" heels.  We can take different trails every day and see different animals and watch as the trees, grass, and weather change every day, but it's still more repetitive than what I am used to.  Like you, often on these walks what keeps me going through the repetition is thinking that this is just practice, preparing for the day when I'll get to walk 2.5 miles through a shopping mall again, an airport, along a beach, or wherever.  

To get a glimpse of what is going on in the rest of the world I'll check the internet, and occasionally come across something wild and cool, like this:

Lars LaLa 👡 (@larslala) • Instagram photos and videos

But it's not quite the same as being out and about.  

 

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Totally agreed. Wearing heels is a kind of sport and needs a regular practice. Flexibility,muscles strength,balance,proprioception ( not sure it’s a English word) and..... confidence. Which is only possible if all others factors are there. 

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With travel off the menu I’ve been going out on my bicycle before dawn each morning and exploring the little lanes and byways here in Sussex and have found it so interesting and diverse I really haven’t missed travelling at all. I miss the interaction with people when I’m on an assignment and of course I miss the income, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much travel one can do in a twelve mile radius of home.

I did try on a pair of 120mm stiletto boots having not worn them for months and my calf muscles were on fire...

I should probably start wearing them more often to get my legs in better shape for the summers cycling!

Edited by Shyheels
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4 hours ago, Shyheels said:

With travel off the menu I’ve been going out on my bicycle before dawn each morning and exploring the little lanes and byways here in Sussex and have found it so interesting and diverse I really haven’t missed travelling at all. I miss the interaction with people when I’m on an assignment and of course I miss the income, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much travel one can do in a twelve mile radius of home.

I did try on a pair of 120mm stiletto boots having not worn them for months and my calf muscles were on fire...

I should probably start wearing them more often to get my legs in better shape for the summers cycling!

Why not combine activities and wear those stiletto boots whilst cycling, with a few interludes for an increasingly long stroll in heels along the lanes?   And, if you are really daring, cross the border into Kent and frighten the natives there.   I shall be on the lookout ...

I shall be out for a short shopping trip later this morning, walking (but not I hope mincing) in my ASOS Recite boots with 3.9" block heels.   Not quite getting into East Sussex however.

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2 hours ago, Cali said:

Toe clips Shyheels, toe clips.

Er...no, wouldn’t work unless you had them really tightened up like you were on a track in a velodrome and that would not be wise on the road.

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Typically, this thread seems to do a lot better when we go way off topic. Although I am impressed--this latest gambit hasn't completely thrown the subject to the wind. While we're on this subject, I still have never tried the high heel/bicycle combination, at least not seriously. And by seriously, I mean not more than a couple of blocks to test out some adjustments I have made, or something like that. I have said in the past that I absolutely refuse to wear high heels on a bicycle, because even women do not do this. The only time I have ever seen it is Asia, though I hear it's common in some parts of Europe.

Now that I'm sitting here in the comfort of my living room at the start of cycling season, I'm thinking, "Hmmm.  .  . maybe." Not for actual riding for the sake of riding, but for things like going to the grocery store or the hardware store to pick up that one little thing I forgot. And not on my "serious" road bike, but my around-town, 1980s Gitane beater with the upright handlebars and the triangular shaped seat with two springs in the back. Like that. Any one of my new mid-heeled sandals would be perfect for the job. It's just a thought.

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In London I've occasionally seen women riding bicycles in HH. Near where I live in an outer London suburb I used to see a woman riding in boots with what looked like a 3" platform. Not been seen for years now.

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10 years ago in the Nederland,as I was waiting in the car for the green  light, I had the chance to admire a bunch of young( 15/17?) girl riding their bike to school wearing what seems to be 3or 4 inches ankle boots.

never again since that day  

 

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10 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

...

I have said in the past that I absolutely refuse to wear high heels on a bicycle, because even women do not do this. The only time I have ever seen it is Asia, though I hear it's common in some parts of Europe.

...

 

8 hours ago, at9 said:

In London I've occasionally seen women riding bicycles in HH. Near where I live in an outer London suburb I used to see a woman riding in boots with what looked like a 3" platform. Not been seen for years now.

When cycling was more common as a cheap means of local transport (as distinct from for leisure actvity), it was by no means uncommon to see women cycling to and from work or for shopping etc wearing their normal clothes, which would often include high heels (even stilettos).   I am referring to activity in  S E England in the 1950s/60s; the position is rather different nowadays

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Those bicycles were typically city bicycles with skirt and chain guards, not road bikes.

I too have seen (but only a couple of rimes) women in stiletto boots cycling in London - but again, on city bikes.

Edited by Shyheels
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8 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Those bicycles were typically city bicycles with skirt and chain guards, not road bikes.

I too have seen (but only a couple of rimes) women in stiletto boots cycling in London - but again, on city bikes.

Yes, they would have been.   What you call 'road bikes' were not at all common in suburban areas, and certainly not for women's daily runabout use.   This discussion was clearly centred on urban sightings of conventional 'city bikes' - what we used to call 'push bikes' in England.

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Well at any rate, I may or may not be riding in heels this summer. Either way, it doesn't really matter. It will only get a few miles a week on it. It's not like I'm a serious rider. In case you're wondering, I've got the vintage "rat trap" pedals, the all-steel kind with the little spiky nubs on them that absolutely killed your feet as a kid when you tried to ride barefoot.

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12 minutes ago, mlroseplant said:

Well at any rate, I may or may not be riding in heels this summer. Either way, it doesn't really matter. It will only get a few miles a week on it. It's not like I'm a serious rider. In case you're wondering, I've got the vintage "rat trap" pedals, the all-steel kind with the little spiky nubs on them that absolutely killed your feet as a kid when you tried to ride barefoot.

I ride thousands of miles each year on an old school tourer with those same style pedals. 

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We are beginning in-person church services again for the first time in what seems like forever. I was debating whether to go to Palm Sunday services yesterday, but I'm glad I did, as my pre-recorded video messed up, and I wound up being called out of the pew to do it live. I also decided to walk to church yesterday, 1 km there, and 1 km back. Those shoes, though! Really, they aren't that bad, my feet were tired but not hurting by the time I got back home.

PlanteraBlackSuit.jpg

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15 hours ago, Pierre1961 said:

I think ( not easy to see the details)  I love your shoes @mlroseplant

Here is a little bit better picture of them, though not great, I admit. Nine West "Plantera" loafer/pumps, 5 1/2" heel, 1" platform. I've had them for about 8 years, and have worn them enough to have them reheeled. However, according to my records, the last time I took them for an actual walk was about 4 years ago, so there is a bit of a re-learning curve with the old calf muscles. Planterasml.thumb.JPG.178f28a8def5634f0612ebbf0ab7a710.JPG

 

I have made good on my promise to ride a bike in heels. Well, sort of. If you can call those "heels." Söfft "Anita" mules in nude patent.NudeWedgeBicycle.thumb.jpg.8d12539fc8c67bc18d03211cb064b02a.jpg

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7 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Here is a little bit better picture of them, though not great, I admit. Nine West "Plantera" loafer/pumps, 5 1/2" heel, 1" platform. I've had them for about 8 years, and have worn them enough to have them reheeled. However, according to my records, the last time I took them for an actual walk was about 4 years ago, so there is a bit of a re-learning curve with the old calf muscles. Planterasml.thumb.JPG.178f28a8def5634f0612ebbf0ab7a710.JPG

 

I have made good on my promise to ride a bike in heels. Well, sort of. If you can call those "heels." Söfft "Anita" mules in nude patent.NudeWedgeBicycle.thumb.jpg.8d12539fc8c67bc18d03211cb064b02a.jpg

Hey Melrose, those pumps with a 4.5 inch rise are very high considering your feet are much smaller than Pierre's, not to mention the vast majority of other human males.

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15 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

Hey Melrose, those pumps with a 4.5 inch rise are very high considering your feet are much smaller than Pierre's, not to mention the vast majority of other human males.

Funny you should mention that, because for many years now, I have considered 4.5 inches of rise to be my practical limit, but not all shoes are created equal. The pumps pictured just above are just fine to walk in, though pushing it for longer walks. I also have them in tan/brown. My Steve Madden mules that you like so well are also 4.5 inch rise, but with no platform. They are also no problem, despite their very tiny stiletto heels.

However, I tried out a pair of shoes last night for a recording at the church, and by the end of the hour, I was having second thoughts about choosing them. Pictured below are my House of Harlow oxfords. They also measure up at a 4.5 inch rise, but they feel steeper somehow. I have decided that church is not a great place to test out untried shoes. At first blush, it seems like it would be--you never have to walk a super long distance, and not fast. What I've failed to realize in nearly 9 years of public heeling, is that you have three things to deal with at my particular church: 1) Lots of stairs. Upstairs is no problem, downstairs is the worst. I could take the elevator, but that's for old people. 2) Squidgy carpet in the sanctuary. Not high heel friendly at all. We were going to have that 50 year old carpet replaced, but then the pandemic hit. I do not know the status of that at the moment. 3) A slight slope all the way from the door down to the street, where it turns to a steeper slope. No problem on your way in, very difficult on the way out if you're already at or past your limit on steepness. There was no way I could negotiate that last walk out to the car AND keep my knees gracefully straight. Luckily, I don't think too many people saw.

Which leads me to tonight's decision for Maundy Thursday service. What should  I wear? I should probably choose something more in the 4 inch range.

HoHside.JPG

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Those oxfords are tremendous. It's always easier going up stairs or inclines, even in training shoes. My normal rise is 5 inches, about the same as you relatively speaking seeing i wear an average size 10.5 womens. Today I'm in my 5.25 in boots, my limit, but still gracefully walkable provided no downhill slopes.

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21 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

Those oxfords are tremendous. It's always easier going up stairs or inclines, even in training shoes. My normal rise is 5 inches, about the same as you relatively speaking seeing i wear an average size 10.5 womens. Today I'm in my 5.25 in boots, my limit, but still gracefully walkable provided no downhill slopes.

Thanks, I appreciate that. It's one of those things I saw on ebay, and said to myself, "Yup, I'm probably going to have to have those." However, I'm a bit surprised that you like them. They're a bit platform-y for you, aren't they? I can see why you'd like the heel shape.

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1 hour ago, mlroseplant said:

Thanks, I appreciate that. It's one of those things I saw on ebay, and said to myself, "Yup, I'm probably going to have to have those." However, I'm a bit surprised that you like them. They're a bit platform-y for you, aren't they? I can see why you'd like the heel shape.

These shoes are well proportioned. I don't have too many plats, but this ia a pair I'd wear.

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On 4/1/2021 at 3:28 AM, mlroseplant said:

Funny you should mention that, because for many years now, I have considered 4.5 inches of rise to be my practical limit, but not all shoes are created equal. The pumps pictured just above are just fine to walk in, though pushing it for longer walks. I also have them in tan/brown. My Steve Madden mules that you like so well are also 4.5 inch rise, but with no platform. They are also no problem, despite their very tiny stiletto heels.

However, I tried out a pair of shoes last night for a recording at the church, and by the end of the hour, I was having second thoughts about choosing them. Pictured below are my House of Harlow oxfords. They also measure up at a 4.5 inch rise, but they feel steeper somehow. I have decided that church is not a great place to test out untried shoes. At first blush, it seems like it would be--you never have to walk a super long distance, and not fast. What I've failed to realize in nearly 9 years of public heeling, is that you have three things to deal with at my particular church: 1) Lots of stairs. Upstairs is no problem, downstairs is the worst. I could take the elevator, but that's for old people. 2) Squidgy carpet in the sanctuary. Not high heel friendly at all. We were going to have that 50 year old carpet replaced, but then the pandemic hit. I do not know the status of that at the moment. 3) A slight slope all the way from the door down to the street, where it turns to a steeper slope. No problem on your way in, very difficult on the way out if you're already at or past your limit on steepness. There was no way I could negotiate that last walk out to the car AND keep my knees gracefully straight. Luckily, I don't think too many people saw.

Which leads me to tonight's decision for Maundy Thursday service. What should  I wear? I should probably choose something more in the 4 inch range.

HoHside.JPG

Those, and the Nine West heels are awesome! I would agree with you, would have to have these...

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I have already found a practical use for one of the several low heeled (<3") sandals I have bought recently. Changing the liturgical flags at the church! It's basically wearing flats, I can't really tell the difference. Because I can't tell the difference, I wonder how much I'm really going to wear them. Time will tell.

LowHeelsFlags.jpg

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21 minutes ago, mlroseplant said:

My Easter outfit. It's the first time I haven't worn a jacket to Easter services, perhaps ever, but I thought it looked better without the jacket. Shoes are Nine West Bellafina.

Easter2021Purple.jpg

Excellent look. You have the highest heels at the service?

You are an elder at church, how large is the congregation?

1 minute ago, Jkrenzer said:

Excellent look. You have the highest heels at the service?

You are an elder at church, how large is the congregation?

Just notice you have some rot on the lower edge of your siding, looks like a summer project.

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