The High Heeled Ruminations Of Melrose Plant

[jeremy1986]

@mlroseplant well done on your image resizing work

Thanks for taking the time to show us... I, as probably most others, really enjoy seeing the sights along with reading the words. 

Those first pumps you pictured really look great. Quite formal and really church worthy too :-)  Are you wearing them with hose? 

and those wedges at the end look really nice too, very summery indeed. 

 

[p1ng74]

@mlroseplant the first thing I thought of your Jimmy Choo platforms is how enormous they make your feet look, especially compared to the slim strappy styles you usually show us.  It initially captivated me in sort of a Stefani Germanotta armadillo shoe way.  I usually find that heels make feet look smaller, and it’s interesting to see pumps having the opposite effect here.  

[SF]

Nice pics, nice sandals.  I wear gals shoes to church as well, never has been problem.  sf

[jeremy1986]

40 minutes ago, p1ng74 said:

@mlroseplant the first thing I thought of your Jimmy Choo platforms is how enormous they make your feet look, especially compared to the slim strappy styles you usually show us.  It initially captivated me in sort of a Stefani Germanotta armadillo shoe way.  I usually find that heels make feet look smaller, and it’s interesting to see pumps having the opposite effect here.  

Maybe it's a combination of the chunky heel along with the wide pants?

[mlroseplant]

12 hours ago, p1ng74 said:

@mlroseplant the first thing I thought of your Jimmy Choo platforms is how enormous they make your feet look, especially compared to the slim strappy styles you usually show us.  It initially captivated me in sort of a Stefani Germanotta armadillo shoe way.  I usually find that heels make feet look smaller, and it’s interesting to see pumps having the opposite effect here.  

Maybe that's what seems a little off. I don't completely hate the look, but I much prefer my Nine West Plantera pumps, which have a slimmer heel (but not stiletto) and slightly smaller platform. It was an experiment, anyway. I have always thought that those extremely high Miguel Jones cowboy boots suffered from the same issue.

11 hours ago, jeremy1986 said:

Maybe it's a combination of the chunky heel along with the wide pants?

Actually, the pants are quite slim for men's suit pants, and they are that way because my best friend and shoe buddy made them that way for me. I wonder if I tried them with normally cut men's pants if it would balance out the chunkiness of the shoes.

[HappyinHeels]

They all look great on you and are something I’d wear. Good choices! HinH

[mlroseplant]

As many of you may already know, I have a special place in my heart for thong-style high heels. The trouble is, not only are these one of the hardest styles to find, they are at the same time one of the hardest styles to fit. At one time, I had several pairs of sandals in this style, but for one reason or another, I am now down to two pairs, and neither of them is in a condition to be worn out in public. I am looking for some replacements, but here is the problem: Everything I find in this style is either 1) a kitten heel or low wedge, which I cannot abide--I want at least 4 inches, or 2) a fetish shoe, which is unacceptable for a number of reasons.

I've had some thong heels over the years that were quite nice, but it seems that each had a fatal flaw. I had some Michael Kors stiletto thongs, about 4", which were absolutely gorgeous and comfortable as well. The only problem with them was that the thin leather straps were so buttery soft that they stretched way out within a couple of months, and eventually made the sandals unwearable. I had some Anne Klein block heeled thongs about 3 1/2" high which looked rather nice and fit well, but they had these giant medallions which dug into the tops of my feet after only a short time. That problem never did resolve itself, and plus they were just a little on the low side for my taste, so I ditched them. I had some thong sandals by Reiss, also with block heels that were a bit higher than the Anne Kleins, but unfortunately they were about 1/2 size, if not a full size, too small, and although otherwise perfect in every way, I had way too much toe overhang to ignore. I have it in my notes that if I ever run across a pair of the Reiss sandals in a larger size, snap them up! There were others also which I had to get rid of for one reason or another.

The main problem with fetish shoes, for example from Pleaser or other such brands, is that even if you find models that don't have huge honking platforms, they all seem to be designed with the dreaded toe overhang built right into them on purpose. That seems to be a "thing" in that particular fetish community. Yuck! I won't put up with it! I want sandals I can wear every day, not some fashion-challenged weirdo's fetish. And I'm going to blame that on the guys--I don't really see a woman doing the toe overhang thing because she thinks it looks good.

Pictured below are one of the two remaining pair of thong heels I have left, the BCBGirls Sarong model. This is my second pair. The soles of the first pair split completely in half eventually. The model is so old, that even the unworn pair I managed to find is peeling severely after only a few months (they are not real leather). I need to find something else! By the way, the padding inside the sandals is to address fitment issues, not comfort issues.

 

[SF]

Mlrose.....  I am with ya on the thong sandal style!!  Of all the heels and flats that I have, I prefer and have more of the thong style than any other shoe style.   I have always preferred the thong look, even as a little kid.  The minimal look and feel of a thong sandal is akin to going barefoot but having my feet protected at the same time.  

I have wedgies, kitten heels, chunky heels, slip-ons - you name it, all thong styles.  But unlike you, all of the heel heights are below 3 inches, 'cause I'm too tall already!  

The past few years I have also noticed the lack of choices having the "thong" style.  I don't want platforms, or ultra high heels, I just want a "regular" nice looking thong sandal that fits well, and is comfortable.  Yes that IS possible....  

Maybe some day I will round up all of my thong styles for a photo shoot and post it here, within the 100 mb (kb? - I'm not high tech) limitation of course....

Have fun all....    sf 

[mlroseplant]

To shift gears for just a moment, here's an update on the Alaïa sandals I bought, mentioned last week in the "new shoes" thread. To recap, they are very nice, and pretty much just what I wanted, but a little tight. I have now worn them 3 times, and they're loosening their grip a bit. I think they'll be fine after a few more wearings. On the first wearing, which only lasted about 30 minutes, they were tight to the point that it was difficult to get them on. Upon the second wearing, I applied a good amount of water to the parts of the one strap that is tight (right around the outside toes) and wore them for about 2 hours, plus walked a mile in them. That helped a lot. The third wearing, pictured below, did not involve a lot of walking, but was about 3 hours. They are still snug, but much different than a week ago. I think if I keep on them, they will actually become comfortable.

[mlroseplant]

I know I said I wasn't going to post any more pictures, so I guess I'm a liar. I decided to wear my one and only pair of red shoes today, and managed to get a shot of them in the real world. They are BCBG Paris, made in Brazil. They have a 4 3/4" heel with 7/8" platform.

[bluejay]

I like to wear red heels too, mirosplant. I have several pairs, both in pumps, slides/mules like you wear , wedges and boots too. I like to wear color and I have no problem with other colors too like blue, purple, corral, green, yellow, pink and especially white. You name the color and I probably have them in that color.

Happy Heeling,

bluejay

[mlroseplant]

Wore flat sandals to Walmart today. OK, they are women's sandals, but what the hell is wrong with me?

[JeffB]

5 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Wore flat sandals to Walmart today. OK, they are women's sandals, but what the hell is wrong with me?

Absolutely nothing I'd say.

[mlroseplant]

1 hour ago, JeffB said:

Absolutely nothing I'd say.

Maybe so, but just in case, I need to make sure it never happens again! I have a reputation to uphold, after all.

Actually, I purposefully chose to wear flats and "normal" clothes to a city council meeting last week to make a case about some zoning issues in our neighborhood. My neighbors know me, but I didn't want to take the chance of prejudicing our issue with council members who don't know me.

[JeffB]

3 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Maybe so, but just in case, I need to make sure it never happens again! I have a reputation to uphold, after all.

Actually, I purposefully chose to wear flats and "normal" clothes to a city council meeting last week to make a case about some zoning issues in our neighborhood. My neighbors know me, but I didn't want to take the chance of prejudicing our issue with council members who don't know me.

Well, I’d say you made the right decision.

[Cali]

10 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Wore flat sandals to Walmart today. OK, they are women's sandals, but what the hell is wrong with me?

I'm surprise they let you in the store.

[mlroseplant]

8 minutes ago, Cali said:

I'm surprise they let you in the store.

I only managed to sneak in because they don't have the budget to employ a greeter full-time any more. 

[HappyinHeels]

If you had worn heels to a zoning meeting that really would have added some spark to it. I've been to meetings like that and they can be really DRY. I'm sure you wanted to be taken seriously so you left your pedestal at home HinH

[p1ng74]

Man I hate HOAs.  Can’t even wear heels without a permit.  

[mlroseplant]

On 6/24/2019 at 5:28 AM, mlroseplant said:

An update on the Alaïa sandals: They are still a little snug, but I can wear them now without breaking the skin. I had to lay off for about a week because they wore some holes in the tops of my right foot toes. I got a little too rambunctious with the break-in. I'm still a little leery and don't want to wear them every day just yet, but they haven't left any wounds on my feet since I gave them the week's rest. Their appearance is smaller than the rest of my shoes, but it may just be my perception. The length is absolutely spot on for me, and the upward curve of the shoe matches my foot well. This is with no fitting aids at all. They are marked 38 1/2, which was taking a pretty big gamble, but I think it worked out. If I'd have had a choice, I might have gone for a 39, but certainly no bigger than that.

I wore them to my son's school open house, which I thought about twice for the sake of not wanting other kids to tease him. However, at this late date, that ship sailed long ago, so whatever. He needs to learn how to deal with that sort of thing anyway. I got a few stares from kids (obviously not my son's classmates--they don't seem to be all that interested these days), but none from adults. Or maybe the adults are just better at hiding it.

[mlroseplant]

I just couldn't help myself, and I wore the Alaïa sandals again last night, this time to a church function that was outdoors, and mostly on grass. I got by with it because it hasn't rained in several days, and the ground is firm enough to wear thick heels on without even bothering to take weight off of the heels when walking. After about three hours of wearing them, my little toes were feeling slightly squished, but no flesh wounds, so I think we're getting there! I'd better lay off for the next few days.

[HappyinHeels]

Nice going on wearing your chunky heels on grass. I haven't worn a heel like that on grass in a while rather I've worn wedges on grass either to a few people's houses, on some vacations, and to a few outdoor weddings. It has been drier here in Wisconsin as well after months of above-normal rainfall. I've been outside every day this month doing a gardening project. It involved putting weed-block fabric down and then installing decorative stone and mulch within those flower beds so I can eliminate weeding. Plus, a friend here suggested I get some sun on my legs HinH

[Cali]

HinH It's either you get some sun on those legs or give out sunglasses to help with the glare.

[mlroseplant]

14 hours ago, HappyinHeels said:

Nice going on wearing your chunky heels on grass. I haven't worn a heel like that on grass in a while rather I've worn wedges on grass either to a few people's houses, on some vacations, and to a few outdoor weddings. It has been drier here in Wisconsin as well after months of above-normal rainfall. I've been outside every day this month doing a gardening project. It involved putting weed-block fabric down and then installing decorative stone and mulch within those flower beds so I can eliminate weeding. Plus, a friend here suggested I get some sun on my legs HinH

"Above average rainfall" is a mild way of putting it! However, I think I'm going to have to actually water my garden, like, today! We're not supposed to get any rain for a whole week. Actually, it's my wife's garden. Do you remember that big tree in out back yard with the swing and all those weeds under it? It's now a rose garden. Doesn't look too bad, really.

As far as sun on one's legs, since I have to wear long pants for work, I often have severely uneven colors top to bottom, and actually have to resort to covering up my top half at home to let my legs catch up somewhat.

[mlroseplant]

I have decided that I don't much care for the block heeled sandals that are in style this year. I think they would look much better with thinner heels, or at least a little bit of taper to the heels. On a brighter note, there is one girl in this photo that I actually know, and I have never seen her wear heels of any sort until now.

[Mr. X]

13 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

I have decided that I don't much care for the block heeled sandals that are in style this year. I think they would look much better with thinner heels

I'm with you.  Block heels rarely look good on shoes.  They seem to work on some boots though.

[Cali]

I love my block heels. Enjoy wearing them. About 20% of mine shoes have block heels. These are today's shoes, my Steve Madden Manner's, wore them to work, doctor's office, and post office. Got two pairs, chestnut and tan.

[mlroseplant]

10 hours ago, Cali said:

I love my block heels. Enjoy wearing them. About 20% of mine shoes have block heels. These are today's shoes, my Steve Madden Manner's, wore them to work, doctor's office, and post office. Got two pairs, chestnut and tan.

Not the same thing. Your shoes overall are more rugged looking, platform-y-er (yes, I just made up a word), and just more balanced looking. The shoes the girls are wearing in my picture above attempt to be these little delicate, wispy things (kind of like the girls themselves), but then they have this HUGE HONKING HEEL ON THE BACK. It creates a very jarring, imbalanced look to me. A much better execution of this type of single strap shoe is shown below, modeled by a different somebody I actually know.

Edited July 23, 2019 by mlroseplant

[mlroseplant]

Nothing much to report lately, except I did get a much needed compliment yesterday. I was in my local Walgreens getting some BIG Band-Aids (sticking plasters), as my son had had a mishap with his knee, and six regular sized Band-Aids weren't cutting it. I was wearing my cutoff shorts, which I may have mentioned somewhere are actually about an inch TOO short to be practical, but they're fine if you never sit down anywhere. Anyhow, they're stylish enough I guess, without being this ripped or distressed business that every girl seems to be wearing nowadays. Oh, also, I was wearing my gold patchwork Coach mules with dark brown 4 1/4" wedge heel. A lady I would guess to be about my age followed me up to the checkout area and remarked that I had prettier legs than she did. As she was wearing long pants, I cannot say whether that was true or not, but in any case she was slim and reasonably attractive. I kind of chuckled in the way that I do when I'm caught off guard, and thanked her. Then we talked about kids and skinned knees with the cashier, I wished them a good evening, and I was on my way home to apply said Band-Aids. It's been kind of a rough month for negative feedback, so it was nice to get some positive, and she seemed like she was being sincere. I did not detect any trace of sardonic tone in her voice.

[pebblesf]

Cool!