Thanks for helping

[HHCraziness]

I need to say thanks to the posters who discussed in various posts about how to handle going out in public for the first time. In my introduction I discussed my love of heels from an early age and how now my living situation does not allow me the freedom of wearing heels when I want. Yes, I have gone to a couple shoe stores, DSW and Nine West and tried on shoes and purchased shoes, but never actually walked into a store or gone anywhere in a heel.

Reading some posts there were suggestions of purchasing a lower or mid heel type shoe for one's first outing. It made sense to me to choose a lesser heel because all my heels are in the 5" to  6" range. I decided that I would purchase a couple pairs of clogs. The first pair were a Dansko Rae Clog in Brown with a 3 1/2" chunky heel and the second pair were a Michael Kors Black Studded Clog with a 4 1/2" slender heel. I actually prefer the Dansko Clogs because they are so comfortable, I liked them so much that I bought a second pair of the Dansko Rae Clog in Black.

A couple of days ago I decided to go to a local Romantic Boutique in our area named VIP - Very Intimate Pleasures. The store is nice and the staff are very friendly and helpful. I throw on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and I grab the Brown Dansko Clogs and off I went. I pull in the parking and I did not even give it a second thought, kicked off my deck shoes and slid into the clogs and walked in the front door. Honestly, who is going to judge anyone in a boutique like this.

The floors in this store are either a highly polished tile or marble, and the sound the clogs make as I walk in them caught the attention of a couple patrons. So there I am looking at a few different items when a young female sales assistant asks me if she can help find anything. Before I can say anything I see her looking down at my shoes and then looks up to me and smiles. I smile at her and ask her if she likes the clogs and do I look okay in them? Of course she giggles and then says that she does in fact like the clogs and the jeans look and that I do look good in them. I was surprised, but I have to say that even in the shoe stores I do get more smiles than frowns from the ladies. She had questions like how long have I been wearing heels, do I just wear clogs. She was surprised that this was my first outing in any type of heel because she stated that I walked quite well in a heel. I looked at her and said "Why should only the girls have all the fun", she laughed and agreed. 

She walked me over to the area where they had all the exotic shoes and boots, she smiled and said where would you like to start? I looked down at my jeans and looked up at her and I said I really do not think the jeans are the best pants to be trying on these crazy heels and boots. I asked if it would be okay to come back another day wearing a pair of skinny jeans or leggings and she smiled and said she will be waiting for my return.

In closing, thanks to all those who posted suggestions on going out for the first time in public and thanks goes out to the person who tagged the "Why should only the girls have all the fun".   

[Steve63130]

Glad your experience was positive. The first outing almost always is. You'll have to do it again. It gets easier every time and pretty soon you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about and why nobody cares or says anything. You'll wonder if they even notice.

Thanks for posting.

Steve

[HHCraziness]

Steve, thanks for the encouraging words.

I do have another outing scheduled for tomorrow, a trip to DSW. Hopefully I can find a pair of ankle boots that I like.

Will post back after my trip to DSW.

[mlroseplant]

Congratulations on your first pubic outing. For me, it was a slow and nervous process, but now I am mostly confident, three years later. In fact, now I rarely leave the house in less than a 4 inch heel, unless I'm going to work. I look forward to hearing about your experiences in the future. 

[Thighbootguy]

Looks like VIP in Connecticut has a web site: VIP.

My goodness you did pick a great place to start!  When you go back, be sure to set yourself a budget.  I suspect you could spend a lot of money there.

When your trying on shoes and boots (at VIP and or DSW) be sure to try on a pair of thigh boots, even if the aren't immediately your thing.  Putting on a pair for the first time is an unforgettable experience.

 

TBG

[HHCraziness]

Okay, the trip to DSW to find ankle Boots was a bust. I visited a DSW that was out of town because I had business in that area this morning. Usually I have good luck in this store but I could not find a pair of anything that excited me.

The fun part of the visit to DSW. I arrive at the store about fifteen minutes before opening time and there are two middle age  ladies waiting outside the store. I sit in my vehicle for a couple of minutes and decided to go wait at the front door with the others. Today I am wearing jeans, a sweat shirt and my Brown Dansko Rae Clogs. I do a nice slow walk through the parking lot to the front door and acknowledge the two ladies standing there. One lady pays no attention to me while the other says hello and then glances down at my shoes. She looks up and smiles and then says "interesting". I respond by asking, you approve? She says "Yes and that the shoes look good on me" and she then adds "you walk pretty good in them too". Wow.

The staff unlock the front and I open it, holding the door for the two ladies when out of no where a young man appears and I hold the door for him. As he approached I saw him look at me and as he passed by me he said "really". I replied "I guess you do not approve", no comment from him. Interesting enough he heads straight to the women's boots, as I walk by him I ask "for you or your young lady"? No comment from him. I look around the store for a bit and I end up back at the boot section and who is still there, my buddy. Now he has a sales assistant with him and each boot he picks out they do not have the correct size, size 12 US. He and the sales assistant end up right next to me where I am trying on boots, I chuckle and say to him "definitely the boots are for you", he turned red and smiled. Normally I would have let the "really" comment pass but when he went straight to the boots I had to say something.

I had one sales assistant approach me from behind and when she passed she smiled and said " I like the look, can I help you with anything? I tried on a few more pairs of boots with her and then I went back to the heel selections. The assistant in the heel area gave me a look of confusion, like what I am doing there and then asked if she could assist me with anything, I said that I was interested in a pair of d' Orsay  pumps with a 5" heel, she asks what size, then looks down at my shoes and says "these are for you, correct" and I said yes and again the smile. Unfortunately they only had up to a 4" heel in stock and that just did not excite me.

That was my exciting, stimulating second outing wearing heels, I feel so much better getting a handle on my emotions, the nervousness is still there a bit but I will try to make each outing an adventure. I have it set to go back to VIP on Tuesday and try on some of their exotic shoes and because Thighbootguy asked I will try on a pair or two of thigh boots! 

Have a good weekend. 

[Thighbootguy]

Folks - we have a new member to whom I don't have to give my "Going out with confidence" lecture.

 

HHC -  it sounds like you had a of of fun even though you might have cut the other male heeler a little more slack.  It is always nice to get a complement.

As for getting a handle on your emotions... enjoy them while they last.  After a while wearing heels (even thigh boots) becomes an everyday event that is just a normal thing to do.

 

Enjoy your heels

 

TBG

[mlroseplant]

I have never in my life experienced that many reactions all in one outing, particularly wearing something as nondescript as Dansko clogs. But then, where I live, people are generally too polite to say anything, if they even notice. 

[SF]

It's fun to be out in high heels.  I have been doing it often since 1995.  Enjoy yourself….  sf

[HHCraziness]

TBG -  You are correct that I could have cut the other heeler a little slack but, the way he said what he said and the look that I received from him took me from my very passive self to being on the defensive. I will have to work on that and control my emotions.

mlroseplant - It is strange how people are different just from what area they are from. People in the Northeast generally just say what is on their mind. A while back I visited your part of the Country and I was pleasantly surprised how nice people were and trust me the difference was a great feeling.

"Something as nondescript as Dansko clogs"  I don't know about that. The shoe itself is a clog, yes, boring to some but I chose for my first and second outings mainly for the comfort and as a confidence builder.. The heel heel height is 3 1/2"  with a 3/4" platform, the shoe displays well. I am 6' and my jeans fall just at the top of the shoe making the heel of the shoe and my heel visible just standing and more so when walking.  

Yes, I will get more daring with shoe choices in the future, can't wait to take my G by Guess Veeta Platform Pumps for a stroll - 5 3/4" heel with an 1 1/2" platform. Two outings in less than a week, thanks to the great people and support here at HHP.

[Steve63130]

Good experience, HHC. I love those clogs. I wear heels like that all the time in cooler weather when it's too chilly for sandals and there's not enough snow for boots. I have lots of clogs. They're fun and gender neutral for the most part, i.e., not too femme.

Glad your outing was a good one. Thanks for sharing.

Steve

[HHCraziness]

Steve, thanks for the nice reply. In my introduction I mentioned that my living conditions do not permit me wearing heels and dying to go out in public in a shoe other than a man's shoe, I felt the clogs fit the bill. Just walking in public in a shoe with any sort of heel takes a bit of practice and before I try walking in my 5" to 6" heels and feeling confident doing so, for now I will stick with the clogs.

I do have two pairs of the Dansko's, one brown and the other is black. I also have a pair of Michael Kors clogs which are a black with chrome studs and they have a 4 3/4" slender heel and a 3/4" platform. I do hope to be confident enough to wear the Michael Kors in public in a couple of weeks.  

I am not interested in dressing, my love is for the heels, which brings up an area for me to address - clothes. I am the boot cut jeans kind of person and I will have to look into different cuts of jeans and slacks that will compliment my heels. Wow, I never thought I would think about what pants go better with heels.  

Question regarding posting pics, what size pic is normally used on this Forum? I posted the pic of the Dansko's and maybe it is too big?

Later

[mlroseplant]

Perhaps my reply was a bit too jaded. I actually once lusted after Dansko Raes, but opted instead for the slightly more affordable Söfft Aviano, which is basically the same height and style. I used to wear these everywhere, but as you have indicated you will do in the future, I was looking to move up in heel height, and I did so eventually. 

 

 I am familiar with the Michael Kors clogs you refer to in your reply to Steve. I think they are a good choice. I have a couple of similar pairs myself, albeit in a slightly different style. 

As far as being a boot cut jean guy, I have a couple of thoughts about that. First, as you move up in heel height, you really should have jeans/pants that are hemmed slightly longer to accommodate the heels. I am lucky to have a friend who is a tailor who is very accepting of my heel wearing, and who is willing to offer helpful suggestions. 

Secondly, I can tell you from experience that if you go from boot cut pants which are properly hemmed for heels to skinnies, a lot more people will notice. Boot cut pants hide a lot. 

Good luck with your future endeavors!

[HHCraziness]

Thank you for the ideas of getting the jeans altered to accommodate the heels. I really never would have thought about doing that and probably would have just purchased longer jeans which most likely would look hideous.

It is so nice being in a Forum with so much knowledge as HHP.

Thanks again to everyone responding to this thread, off to VIP this afternoon.

[bluejay]

TBG -  You are correct that I could have cut the other heeler a little slack but, the way he said what he said and the look that I received from him took me from my very passive self to being on the defensive. I will have to work on that and control my emotions.

mlroseplant - It is strange how people are different just from what area they are from. People in the Northeast generally just say what is on their mind. A while back I visited your part of the Country and I was pleasantly surprised how nice people were and trust me the difference was a great feeling.

"Something as nondescript as Dansko clogs"  I don't know about that. The shoe itself is a clog, yes, boring to some but I chose for my first and second outings mainly for the comfort and as a confidence builder.. The heel heel height is 3 1/2"  with a 3/4" platform, the shoe displays well. I am 6' and my jeans fall just at the top of the shoe making the heel of the shoe and my heel visible just standing and more so when walking.  

Yes, I will get more daring with shoe choices in the future, can't wait to take my G by Guess Veeta Platform Pumps for a stroll - 5 3/4" heel with an 1 1/2" platform. Two outings in less than a week, thanks to the great people and support here at HHP.

Glad to see another guy that likes to wear the Dansko "Rae". I have had them in all 4 colors, black, brown, red and navy. I like Steve, wear them in cooler weather, when sandals won't do. I do wear pumps a lot too and I don't try to hide my heels, under long pants. I want everyone to see me wearing heels!

Happy Heeling,

bluejay

[HHCraziness]

Bluejay, glad to see you enjoy them also. Some would say they are a bit pricey, but they are so comfortable. I do have the black and brown but I would love to add a pair of the red ones to my collection. The clogs got me out of the house, now I will have to pull out a pair of my pumps and see how that adventure goes.

Edited October 22, 2015 by HHCraziness