What is this "at work" you speak of?

[ChipsHH]

Now I'm not asking for exact details as to where you work or who you work for. But I have seen numerous mentions around the site of "....I've worn these to work time and time..." and "These are my work shoes..." and it begged the question out of me: Where in the world do you all work at?!

I happen to work retail & they do allow heels as comfortable as you are able while still doing your job, but not of a ridiculous height, either. But on a hot day, I wouldn't want to wear those same shoes out; in my case, cheap gym shoes fro Payless & small-heeled boots from same place. So before work, I brought in my favorite flatform open-toe shoes &, admittedly, have yet to wear them leaving work. Variety of reasons, really, including not having had done things sooner in heels of some sort. But I digress.

Most of you seem to have better chances of [public] heeling, and it seems to ride from the ability to wear them at your job(s). So if it's okay, spill it. What's your current career? (Bonus points for past careers that allowed you some freedom as well)

*Bold text = tl;dr, points of interest

[Shyheels]

Freelance writer/photographer - I've been doing this for over twenty years; I can wear any damn thing I please when I work from my  office at home. That being said, I dress tastefully because I need to maintain the sense of a work environment. 

Edited July 19, 2018 by Shyheels

[Cali]

I can't really say except it is a "public job". But I live my life in my heels...today after work I stopped by my coffee shop for some beans and then went and bought another pair of heels at the shoe boutique 3 doors down, all while wearing 5" inch heels.

When I work at home in my home office (author/illustrator/editor) sweats or bikini bottoms/shorts depending on the weather. No need to create an office environment. Barefooted some of the time, 4+ inch heels otherwise.

Edited July 20, 2018 by Cali

[Steve63130]

I work in an office of an online retail biz. I'm usually by myself or with my office manager who manages our fulfillment center. My wife's office (education research) is across the hall.

I can wear whatever I want. 

Steve

[Shyheels]

I find that one of the secrets to success as a freelance, and working from home, is making certain you separate your work from your home life. A good way to do that is to dress for work. Sitting around working in your pyjamas or track suit bottoms, just because you can, isn't such a great idea. That doesn't mean wearing a coat and tie - I don't even own any of those things - but smart casual, heels too if you like. What's important is to make the effort. Doing so helps create the sense of a working environment, and removes you from the temptations that can come with working from your kitchen table.  I've been freelancing successfully for over twenty years - I know just how easy it is to start to blur the lines and lose focus.   

[HappyinHeels]

I retired from federal law enforcement in late April. While we didn't wear a uniform we did wear business casual and sometimes a suit and tie when presenting a case in federal court and other times casual street wear albeit with a police vest underneath. I suppose a retired person has the latitude to wear anything he or she wants but it is still a good idea to pay attention to the audience. A picnic, a shopping trip, or a night out at a club will all demand rather different outfits including types and heights of heels worn.

I know there are many here who have worked, or still do, in the trades and work in industrial settings so heels would be a no-go. While there are many settings such as hospitals, police and fire stations, warehouses, fast-food restaurants, manufacturing facilities, etc. which would not allow heels it is also true there are more white-collar and service-related workers now than ever before so there may be more persons working in places where heels could be worn. HappyinHeels

[Shyheels]

While I can wear whatever I please when I work from home, on assignment I am often obliged to wear hiking boots or protective footwear of some sort - I am not the guy they send to cover Paris Fashion Week.

[HappyinHeels]

Shyheels,

I bet you would be willing to take that assignment HappyinHeels

[Shyheels]

38 minutes ago, HappyinHeels said:

Shyheels,

I bet you would be willing to take that assignment HappyinHeels

Sure, but alas, editors know better. I’m the guy they send off to Chad or New Guinea...

[Steve63130]

Hopefully with a return (round trip) ticket!

Steve

[Shyheels]

6 minutes ago, Steve63130 said:

Hopefully with a return (round trip) ticket!

Steve

So far. There have been occasions, though, when I wondered whether I’d have the opportunity to use it!

[5150PLB1]

16 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Sure, but alas, editors know better. I’m the guy they send off to Chad or New Guinea...

Hopefully it was not Lae, Papua New Guinea. I have been there my self, and that place is an absolute dump.

[Shyheels]

I’ve been many places in PNG, including Lae. Been to PNG on multiple occasions. And yes Lae, like many of the towns in PNG is a crime-ridden dump.

Edited July 25, 2018 by Shyheels

[Bubba136]

20 hours ago, Shyheels said:

I’ve been many places in PNG, including Lae. Been to PNG on multiple occasions. And yes Lae, like many of the towns in PNG is a crime-ridden dump.

Like San Francisco Perhaps?

 

[Shyheels]

4 hours ago, Bubba136 said:

Like San Francisco Perhaps?

 

Not even the slightest, tiniest bit like San Francisco!

[Bubba136]

There are some places on this earth I really don’t want to visit.  PNG is high on that list.

[Heelster]

On 7/23/2018 at 9:59 AM, HappyinHeels said:

I know there are many here who have worked, or still do, in the trades and work in industrial settings so heels would be a no-go. 

Yep = = = Steel Industry. Even the women don't wear heels unless they are in the front office, and that's still a rarity.

[Rockpup]

https://www.timberland.com/shop/womens-6-inch-premium-waterproof-internal-wedge-boots-8226a231#hero=0

i have a pair of these, and they are pretty well invisible at jobsites. Most places that require steel toes also accept them. The heel isn’t spectacular, but ya do what ya can.

 

[Shyheels]

They would seem perfectly acceptable anywhere. Hiking boots would typically have heels like that or even slightly thicker. My Scarpa mountaineering boots certainly do.

[Rockpup]

Well, they do not show the internal wedge heel. Trust me, my Sportiva Olympus Mons Evo’s might have a thicker sole, but not as much heel lift. I’ve wondered about fitting a wedge boot into the outer boot, but why add the risk?

edit: maybe I’m not the only person in the world with mountaineering and heeled boots sharing a shelf...

Edited July 29, 2018 by Rockpup

[Shyheels]

No, you are not alone in that!

[Heelster]

This is more like what I have to wear - - heavy hot, and not forgiving.

If you drop a 30mm wrench, or a 36" pipe wrench on you foot, you will survive and most likely be at it the next day.

[Rockpup]

I’ve got a higher probability of facial injury then toes at jobsites, so i am less worried about steel toes.

[mlroseplant]

Electrician here, so no heels at work for me, either. I have been working at these data centers that are popping up all over the place in this area for several years. Every contractor has its own peculiar requirements. The contractor I just left had a steel toe requirement, but had no problem with my steel toed shoes, which were perfect for the light duty type of work I was doing. My new employer doesn't require steel toes, but does require a boot that at least covers your ankle. Which is absolutely bass ackward from the way it ought to be. The work I'm doing now is inside, where it's very unlikely to turn an ankle, but we're running some fairly large conduit, which would probably leave a mark or two if you dropped a piece of it on your foot. My steel toed shoes ought to be just the ticket, but no, the rules are the rules because they are the rules.

[p1ng74]

I'm a consultant, work in an office, and wear western boots to work every day.  I don't own anything higher than a 2 1/4" heel yet.  People in the office sort of know me by my boots.  Sometimes before meetings they will listen for the sound of my boots on the floor as an indicator that I am on my way to join.  I imagine if I stick to the western boot style with underslung or even block heels I could start going higher and still be comfortable.  

I also have a pair just for working outside around the house.  Will stay with a traditional western heel for these kind of tasks.  

[Shyheels]

Mine are more engineer/riding style with low heels, knee high. I wear them often in my home office but have worn them in assignment, most notably when I was shooting images of the sugar cane harvest in Australia where there were a lot of king browns and taipans (snakes) My boots were very much envied by the PR folk who hired me and who pretty much decided to remain in their cars...