Boot "season"?

[p1ng74]

I thought a little about whether the heels would put me at a disadvantage in beating the rush, but for my entire adult life I have enjoyed the speed advantages of having long legs.  Yes, the heels don’t cover as much ground step for step, but as I walked with the crowd I found that the heels only slowed me back down to a more normal step where I’m not passing everyone else.  Basically, heels are an equalizer.  

I am sitting at the gate now, and since there is very little airplane activity I have turned my attention back towards the terminal, and it seems no one is wearing heels... except for some ladies waiting here at this gate for a delayed flight to JFK.  Perhaps New Yorkers are more experienced at traveling in style?  

Edited November 7, 2018 by p1ng74

[Shyheels]

Travel has certainly lost a lot of its glamour - really, just about all of it. When I was a child my mother would make a point if dressing up if she was travelling. I grew up with that ethos. I’m no fashion plate, but there’s no way I would go off travelling in shorts or beachwear or flip flops like you see so often in airports these days.

 

[pebblesf]

I'm surprised it was light at AUS, seems to be so busy every time I go through there....Popular town for sure...

[at9]

I don't fly a lot but a few months ago flew from London Luton to Rome. There were quite a few women in heels, though only a tiny fraction of the total.

[Cali]

1 hour ago, p1ng74 said:

packed my winter coat,

Your need your coat when you get out of the airport, so I usually wear mine on board. That way I have room for more shoes.

I laugh when I see people getting on board a flight from Honolulu (HON) for Minnesota in early January with shorts and T-shirts.

[pebblesf]

24 minutes ago, Cali said:

Your need your coat when you get out of the airport, so I usually wear mine on board. That way I have room for more shoes.

I laugh when I see people getting on board a flight from Honolulu (HON) for Minnesota in early January with shorts and T-shirts.

Me too!  It is so funny to see a guy boarding the plane in shorts and sneaks when we are headed for Boston in January....Always feel like asking them if they have gotten on the wrong flight...

Maybe their blood flow is much better than mine....

[Cali]

Maybe it's the "anti-freeze" in their system.

[p1ng74]

A lady walked by wearing boots with a 4” heel and snake skin all the way up to the knees!  She was moving too fast for me to try to stop her with a compliment.  

I try to wear the jacket or coat when I travel too but it is literally 84 degrees here.  I almost left the house in a short sleeve polo since I am not going into the office today, but I went for the button down because I wanted to look nice in my heels!  But I was already sweating just leaving the house.  The full length coat would just be carried all day and an unnecessary burden.  I’m feeling good so far about these boots being my only footwear for 3 days.  Glad I didn’t chicken out this morning while I was packing!  

I could never wear shorts onto the plane - I know now cold the air is out there at 33,000 feet lol.  

Edited November 7, 2018 by p1ng74

[Shyheels]

Sounds like your having an interesting trip, and having fun with it. That’s great!

[p1ng74]

Standing in line as boarding group 5 on the jet bridge sloping down is a pleasant calf workout.  

The bulkhead seat is a winner

[pebblesf]

Looking great, it was a wise decision to only bring these boots, forcing you to wear them.  I too understand how quickly people in boots pass by, and the frustration of not having a chance to engage/compliment them.  Any compliments from your seat mates?  Those boots are great, best of both worlds for sure.  Nice high heels that are relatively easy to walk in.....Have fun...D

 

[p1ng74]

5 hours ago, pebblesf said:

Any compliments from your seat mates? 

We are in a bulkhead row, and a lady sat down next to me in the middle seat with a bag.  First thing she did was bend completely onto the floor, looking under my seat for a place to store her bag.  Oh, the joys of traveling on a Wednesday, when more of the infrequent travelers are around.  She spent a lot of time looking around down there.  I imagine she noticed my heels but didn’t say anything lol.  

I guess I never particularly noticed this before but people here in my New England destination walk way faster through the airport - I definitely stuck to the right side and let everyone barrel past me through the terminal.  Even the short lady in 3” heels just sailed right by at double the step I was doing.  I guess that is the trick - if your heels are limiting your stride length, just pick up the pace!

I’ve done almost 2 miles of walking and 14 hours straight in these boots now, and I am still comfy in them eating dinner in the hotel bar.  

And after dinner...

Edited November 8, 2018 by p1ng74

[KneeBooted]

1 hour ago, p1ng74 said:

We are in a bulkhead row, and a lady sat down next to me in the middle seat with a bag.  First thing she did was bend completely onto the floor, looking under my seat for a place to store her bag.  Oh, the joys of traveling on a Wednesday, when more of the infrequent travelers are around.  She spent a lot of time looking around down there.  I imagine she noticed my heels but didn’t say anything lol.  

I guess I never particularly noticed this before but people here in my New England destination walk way faster through the airport - I definitely stuck to the right side and let everyone barrel past me through the terminal.  Even the short lady in 3” heels just sailed right by at double the step I was doing.  I guess that is the trick - if your heels are limiting your stride length, just pick up the pace!

I’ve done almost 2 miles of walking and 14 hours straight in these boots now, and I am still comfy in them eating dinner in the hotel bar.  

And after dinner...

So after asking you about these, I am trying to convince my wife to let me get the Steve Madden Eton knee high boots, which are a very similar style to what you have, at about half the price as they are a season or two old. This would be a perfect solution so I don’t have to take them off when I go through the metal detector in TSA precheck. 

[CAT]

On 9/26/2018 at 1:07 PM, p1ng74 said:

Speaking of pant legs... what kind of pants do you all wear with tall boots?  I just wear straight leg pants over the shafts, which might give more air circulation than having the pants bunched up under the shafts.  Plus I like the feeling of leather on the calves.  

 

But for guys who are wearing OTK boots over pants, do you have to seek out tighter cut pants to avoid them bunching up underneath?  

I mostly wear leggings, once in a while jeggings or super skinny jeans.

[pebblesf]

I am very aware of my slower pace while in boots also...I do the same thing, stay out of the way....I don't think I could pick up my pace much without drawing attention

[Shyheels]

One can but marvel at the athleticism and skill it takes to walk swiftly in heels - and look good doing so.

[pebblesf]

7 hours ago, CAT said:

I mostly wear leggings, once in a while jeggings or super skinny jeans.

Yeah, CAT is right.  I wear levis 511, which are slim cut, but they don't look right tucked inside my boots.  I guess you really do need super tight jeans or leggings....

[Shyheels]

I wear skinny jeans, not super skinny or anything, just average skinny jeans from Topman and they work quite well with my knee boots. No bunching up like plus-fours or anything.

[p1ng74]

Ready to step out into the cold morning air

Edited November 8, 2018 by p1ng74

[pebblesf]

Have a great walk, wish I was in Philly with you...

[bambam]

What a bad ass!!!

[p1ng74]

Appropriate to be renting a “high altitude” Jeep on my trip with the 4.25” heels!  

I was determined to go about my day like I normally would, and did 15 hours in these heels yesterday.  It was very educational.  The stretching of the ankles to maintain the steep downward point of the feet is no longer a noticeable feeling.  While spending half an hour in the afternoon standing i found it to be more tiring on the feet than walking.  I finally figured out that I was putting too much weight on the ball and toes, probably because I was initially compensating for the strain on the ankles.   I started training myself to distribute the weight balance back towards a more natural spot on my feet, now that my ankles could sustain the weight comfortably.  

Still, it is was a long day.  I had some time after work so I went for a 1.5 mile walk through the King of Prussia mall, which brought the day’s walking total up to 4 miles.  I would be lying if I said my feet were comfortable in the end, but I certainly got to the point where I could walk comfortable on many surfaces without much extra thought.  The floors were ripped up over parts of the mall for construction, but unexpected bumps and cracks didn’t hinder the heeling last night.

I have now spent a day and a half working with dozens of colleagues that I have met for the first time, and no one has said anything about my heels.  I consider that to be positive, in that no one is finding me to be clumsy or inappropriate in my footwear.  I think most people don’t even notice how high the heels are, as they aren’t used to even looking for such things on men.  At quick glance they just look like  dressy shoes.  

[p1ng74]

I have been wearing these boots without socks because they were a little too narrow, and losing the socks gave a little relief from that.  Also, the more direct feedback of the sole was helpful in learning to walk in heels.  However, I slipped the socks on at the airport so I didn’t have to walk through the TSA Check point barefoot.  I ended up leaving the socks on after the checkpoint, as they felt way more comfortable.  I think all the walking with direct skin contact was finally taking a toll.  Also, the boots have stretched out a bit and no longer feel too tight even with socks.  I may regret this during my flight when we get up to altitude and my feet swell, but for now I’m just going to enjoy my dinner and beer.  These restaurants at the PHL airport really add to the travel experience.  

[Jkrenzer]

If your feet bloat on the plane, just take the socks off and place them in your pocket. 

I wore 4.5 heels on a plane from Brazil to ny to Syracuse and the bloat was an issue with no laces to loosen. Still though loved walking JFK in very high very noticeable heels, nothing like owning it.

[Shyheels]

3 hours ago, p1ng74 said:

I have been wearing these boots without socks because they were a little too narrow, and losing the socks gave a little relief from that.  Also, the more direct feedback of the sole was helpful in learning to walk in heels.  However, I slipped the socks on at the airport so I didn’t have to walk through the TSA Check point barefoot.  I ended up leaving the socks on after the checkpoint, as they felt way more comfortable.  I think all the walking with direct skin contact was finally taking a toll.  Also, the boots have stretched out a bit and no longer feel too tight even with socks.  I may regret this during my flight when we get up to altitude and my feet swell, but for now I’m just going to enjoy my dinner and beer.  These restaurants at the PHL airport really add to the travel experience.  

Looks like a pleasant evening in the airport. I rather enjoy those solitary meals at an airport, with the surrounding bustle and expectancy filling in for company.

Edited November 10, 2018 by Shyheels

[Cali]

4 hours ago, p1ng74 said:

I have been wearing these boots without socks because they were a little too narrow, and losing the socks gave a little relief from that.  

Look into get knee socks like Hue...very thin and great for boots.

[p1ng74]

4 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

If your feet bloat on the plane, just take the socks off and place them in your pocket. 

That’s what I did on Wednesday, but I kept them on tonight and was so comfortable I slept most of the flight lol.  I think the boots are stretched and broken in now.  

[Shyheels]

Boots take a bit of breaking in. The first couple of times I wore my knee boots and went on long walks I had blisters on my heels, they were so stiff, but now they fit and war beautifully.  Mine don't have heels though which I suspect would complicate matters. 

Edited November 10, 2018 by Shyheels

[HappyinHeels]

p1ng74,

Very nice boot heels indeed! As to hurrying through airports my time working in Immigration + Customs at Chicago's O'Hare Airport schooled me on various airport procedures as well as FAA rules. One such rule is that no flight can depart before the scheduled time if all passengers are not accounted for. So, when you check in at the counter or at the kiosk, and are issued a boarding pass, that flight will not depart before the original scheduled time according to the FAA rule. I find arriving at the airport a good 90 minutes before scheduled departure has worked flawlessly for me regardless of signs or other information saying you should get there two or three hours ahead of time. One thing which simplifies things I only take carry-on. I fold things the way they taught me in the Navy and pay attention to dimensions so I don't get screwed for bag fees. I pack notoriously light so I have room for purchases. I also pack food for any flight under 3 hours. HappyinHeels

[Shyheels]

Good advice. I find the same thing as regards getting there early. I nearly always have a heavy camera pack which complicates things. Once I checked in with somebody - another photographer - who had an identical pack to mine but which was much lighter. The woman at the check-in counter insisted we weigh our carry-ons - she suspected, rightly, that they were too heavy. I knew mine was, but the other guy's wasn't so we distracted her and she weighed his pack twice. It was sweetly done. 

Edited November 10, 2018 by Shyheels