Cali World

[Cali]

I can't believe this is happening. I bought these sandals just as the pandemic hit so I have not had a change to wear these out.  So this morning I put them on, took the picture for the Jeans and Heels thread and went off to work. When I got to work I notice one of my heels was loose and I looked down and I could see it was broke.....ARRRRGH  first time and broken. So I took them off when I got to my desk.  Lucky for me I had another pair of heels in my car.

 

Since I can't return them, I going to try to fix them ... maybe use gorilla glue. Any suggestions?

Edited July 6, 2022 by Cali

[SF]

Always, always have a pair of "backup" shoes.  A shame they broke, but you had an alternate plan, good show.  

smile...   sf

[Cali]

More luck than any planning. I had my old Steve Madden wedges mules in my car just in case the stilettos I wore on Tuesday became painful (which they didn't) and forgot to take them out of my car.

Edited July 8, 2022 by Cali

[pebblesf]

On 6/30/2022 at 7:57 PM, Cali said:

Cooler day with temps in the 70's. So I thought it would be a good day to wear my Jessica Simpson Rollin suede stiletto knee highs in to work. I'm only scheduled to work on-site about 25 days this year.  Love these boots, so very easy to walk in and comfortable, wore for over 9 hours. Got a few "awesome"' from both women and men. To me the biggest surprise was that I wasn't the only one in 4 inch knee highs; just the only one in stilettos.😄

Great boots indeed!  Would love to see pics of you in the boots in action at work!

[Cali]

Don, I don't take pictures at work. I am trying to normalize my heels at work (been successful for 7 years so far) and taking pictures might change that. I known at work for having outrageous heels. As a result I will take pictures at home before I leave in the morning. 

That day we had an emergency with over 20 police and sheriff officers responding.  Having been on an Emergency Response Team I had to step up play an active role.  Just in 4 inch stilettoes.

 

[Cali]

This is getting ridiculous, third heel failure in under three weeks.  I have been working from home for years and now that I am on-site I am starting to wear heels I haven't worn lately and they are fall apart on me. The other day, the side pulled out of my little worn Steve Madden sandals and today the side blew out from my Charles Davis wedges.  I have been looking to replace many of my sandals, many well worn (or worn out?) but haven't found anything high enough in the past two years.

[SF]

Keep shopping....   sf

[mlroseplant]

I had my catastrophic summer a few years ago, where I broke several pairs of shoes. Well, they were all sandals. Luckily this year, knock on wood, I've had zero failures.

It doesn't really surprise me that the stuff failed after sitting for nearly three years. It seems like that is often the worst thing for shoes. I know it is for cars.

[Cali]

On 7/13/2022 at 3:15 AM, mlroseplant said:

It doesn't really surprise me that the stuff failed after sitting for nearly three years. It seems like that is often the worst thing for shoes. I know it is for cars.

Even letting a car sit for 5 months is bad.  When you have over 60 pairs of heels and the pandemic hits some shoes don't get out much, if even out at all for years.  The last two pairs I hadn't worn for years.  The pair that completely separated I had worn several this spring without a problem.

These wedge sandals are from 2015, hadn't worn them for at least a year, maybe two.  Wore them Wednesday without a problem.

But today add on is a comment  I got yesterday For reference see the knee highs I wore in the heels and short thread.  I had an urgent request to cover for someone and get things rolling (30 minutes) before my lecture.  I got out a few minutes late and walled down the hallway to my room.  They were waiting.  Afterwards I was told they knew I was coming because they could hear my heels.

Edited July 15, 2022 by Cali

[Jkrenzer]

You referring to the Jessica Simpsons you pictured? 

It's good to be known and expected in your heels. I am and I love it.

[Cali]

3 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

You referring to the Jessica Simpsons you pictured? 

The Jessica Simpson Rollin knee high stilettos.  I find that I need a larger size (size 11's) but the JS stilettos are very easy to walk in.  I have 6 stilettos from her brand, but only one knee high (currently).

3 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

It's good to be known and expected in your heels. I am and I love it.

It sure is. And they wonder when your not in heel,  "Are you alright?"  At work I'm not looked at as why is he in heels, but what heels is he wearing today.  And that's the way it should be!

Edited July 15, 2022 by Cali

[Jkrenzer]

2 hours ago, Cali said:

 At work I'm not looked at as why is he in heels, but what heels is he wearing today.  And that's the way it should be!

Yep me too, pretty much every regular place I go. 

[mlroseplant]

12 hours ago, Cali said:

The Jessica Simpson Rollin knee high stilettos.  I find that I need a larger size (size 11's) but the JS stilettos are very easy to walk in.  I have 6 stilettos from her brand, but only one knee high (currently).

It sure is. And they wonder when your not in heel,  "Are you alright?"  At work I'm not looked at as why is he in heels, but what heels is he wearing today.  And that's the way it should be!

There are always more shoes to be purchased, that's for sure. And I found out a long time ago that there are certain people who watch to see what shoes I am wearing this week. I try my best not to disappoint. I'm sure I do sometimes. It is not possible to bat 1.000. I shoot for .300, myself.

[Cali]

Since my comfortable ratty old wedges (that by all rights should be in the landfill) have been a subject in another thread, I thought I would really show off just how ratty they are. If i had kept track of the "mileage" on these it would be close (if not over) 200 miles.

Glued the inside many times.  But I can't get rid of them, they just toooooooo comfortable.

I have another pair still in the box. Maybe I use these once in awhile.

Edited July 21, 2022 by Cali

[mlroseplant]

Ooh, that's pretty hard to look at.

[Cali]

On 7/21/2022 at 2:53 AM, mlroseplant said:

Ooh, that's pretty hard to look at.

I don't look at them, I just wear them.

 

Had all faculty meetings the last few days.

Saw five 4+ inch stilettos and many other shorter heels.

Had several women ask me where I got the the heels I had on.  They are the old (5 years old) black Charles by Charles David gladiator type sandals similar to the damaged white pair above. Several others want to see the color of my toe nails.

BTW I fixed the white pair with Super Glue.

[Cali]

I have had several interactions and observations this past week.

===

I wore my Freebird Canti sandals for my pedicure last week. I’ve known these women for over a decade. The other women, who was working on someone else, told me she likes the style and ask what brand they were. I told her Freebird and she loves their boots but they are out of her price range. Somehow, she is on a list and gets their ads all the time. We talked for about Freebird boots for a while with the women get her pedicure chiming in as well.

Going to wear a different pair for my next pedicure. (see the last story for the picture)

===

On Friday I was in LA and took my mother to an upscale resort for dinner. Her choice.  Most of the women where in heels, about 30% in the 4-inch range and half of those stilettos. I was in my black Freebird Blaze.

===

On Saturday I went to a 50-year reunion. Lots of heels and many great stilettos.

===

At my room key didn’t work when I got back to the hotel so I had to go the front desk and get it new key, aka card made. Getting off the elevator a guy commented “awesome heels dude”, “thanks”.

As I was leaving the front desk, I hear the other front desk agent (a women) say to the agent that took care of me, “did you see his heels?”

 I turned around and asked, “do you like them?”

“Oh yes, I love them.”

These Freebird Blaze were a great hit this weekend.

[pebblesf]

Hell yeah, those freebirds are a crowd pleaser for sure.  Great compliments also, I'm so envious

[Cali]

I forgot one more conversation. 

I was talking with a woman I have known for over 60 years. I said something like "I liked those stilettos" another woman was wearing. My friend said she did too, but she would fall over if she tried to wear them. I then said, "I could wear those with ease, but their not my style."  She looked at me with a puzzled look so I show her the heels I was wearing.  Now a shocked look appeared.  😀

[pebblesf]

1 hour ago, Cali said:

I forgot one more conversation. 

I was talking with a woman I have known for over 60 years. I said something like "I liked those stilettos" another woman was wearing. My friend said she did too, but she would fall over if she tried to wear them. I then said, "I could wear those with ease, but their not my style."  She looked at me with a puzzled look so I show her the heels I was wearing.  Now a shocked look appeared.  😀

She has known you all this time but doesn't realize you wear heels?  I love throwing little comments in like that when with coworkers, but they have no idea for the most part.  

[Cali]

29 minutes ago, pebblesf said:

She has known you all this time but doesn't realize you wear heels?  I love throwing little comments in like that when with coworkers, but they have no idea for the most part.  

I had not seen almost all these folks for over 30 years. Pot bellies galore. 

[Cali]

Yesterday I attended an all day joint retreat between 3 governing boards in the downtown area. Our "free" parking (otherwise $32) was 5 blocks away. I wore my black Charles by Charles David gladiator sandals. (12 hour day) As usual I had a woman tell me that they envied my heels but could wear them herself - she was <5 feet tall. And another woman asked if I drove in heels, especially the 8 hour drive the weekend before in which I "attended" another retreat while driving.  My answer was  of course, YES.

However, the sidewalk was not flat - horizontal, it sloped from the building towards the street. I had trouble walking down the two blocks like. Almost tipped over once when it steep 15 degree slant.  

The question for you all:  How do you navigate slanted walkways when the slant is perpendicular to your direction of travel?

[Jkrenzer]

Answer  carefully. 

I sometimes side step slightly. 

[StilettoLuv]

Very poorly. I really hate a lateral slope in stiletto heel shoes. Downhill is bad enough but a side slope can be impossible.

[pebblesf]

I always struggle with these conditions.  To be honest, I just do my best to avoid them...

[spikesmike]

Heelers : I ran into that sidewalk slope problem at a HHMeet in Chicago some years ago. So, I walked in the street where it was flatter. Had to look out for traffic .  Mike

[Cali]

Went kayaking over the weekend. When I got to the parking lot, I hopped out of my car and started to untie my kayaks. The English chap loading his kayaks onto the truck next to mine shout out, "I need those shoes."  I had my worn out 4" wedges on and he was vertically challenged, needing a stool to reach the top of his roof.  We laughed.

[Cali]

I had an unexpected encounter today at my nail salon.  I have been getting my nails done at this salon for over a decade, so I know the women (2 – 4) that own/work at this business.  Today when I enter the first question out of other woman was what size shoes do you wear? A surprising question, but we have talked heels before (this one loves my FreeBirds).  It turns out that her landlord asked her if she knew anybody with size 11 feet because HE has a pair of purple suede heels that he wants to find a new home for.  She will bring them in the next time I have an appointment and I’ll look at them. 

I also had another client that compared her pedicure color to my colors.

[pebblesf]

On 10/12/2022 at 7:00 PM, kneehighs said:

Sounds like a very matter of fact comment. Shared with respect. 

 

Cool!

[Cali]

Knee high envy.

I was heading to my car in a grocery store parking lot, A woman passed me (going to the store) with flat knee high leather boots. I saw her look at my knee high suede boots with 4 inch block heels and you could instantaneously see the look of envy on her face.

Since the pandemic I have mostly been working from home (great commute), I have mostly gotten the occasional "Wow I love your heels" comment from women and a few men.  As a result, there not much to write about