Are men destined to be the predomiant heel wearers?

[heellover00]

16 hours ago, p1ng74 said:

We are all real people but scattered around.  It’s likely that any meet would just be one person meeting another.  Where do you live?  

Cali

[Histiletto]

Does it matter? For the males that have already decided to wear heels, most of us have pre-determined how much we are willing to push our social envelope so that it won't endanger our standing or ability to continue in our occupation and lifestyle. If we don't see that staying passive in this matter is the reason we aren't able to wear our high heels openly, then we have not really been noticing what women have to do to gain what benefits they have been able to achieve. Where would women be in their quest for equality, if they approached their situation with the same fervor that our attitude and position has demonstrated to wear high heels? Hopefully you will turn your discomfort at this comment into motivation to have the same fervor that women have shown to get their equal status. Come to think of it, what could promote equality more than males wearing heels right along side of females, in spite of many women wanting to keep heels just for them?  

Edited February 22, 2019 by Histiletto

[Cali]

5 hours ago, Histiletto said:

For the males that have already decided to wear heels, most of us have pre-determined how much we are willing to push our social envelope so that it won't endanger our standing or ability to continue in our occupation and lifestyle.

I have pushed my work envelope as far as I want to. The only thing further I could go would be skirts and/or dresses and I personally have no desire to go there.

 

6 hours ago, Histiletto said:

Come to think of it, what could promote equality more than males wearing heels right along side of females, in spite of many women wanting to keep heels just for them?

I am recognized as a high heel wear among the high heel wearing women at work. Many times they want to see what I'm wearing.

[HappyinHeels]

Cali is so well-established in his corner of the world that he may actually ANGER people by not wearing his heels. Sort of like a person brews really tasty coffee and people come to expect it. People are expecting to be entertained by whatever Cali has on his feet so I imagine does not want to disappoint them. HinH

[Cali]

The real trouble is finding 4 inch+ heels that fit well and look good and I can walk in for up to 12-16 hours straight. So many heels are coming out in the 3 -3.25 inch range.

[HappyinHeels]

Have you thought of looking in thrift stores?? You'll find styles, and heights, from a few years back and at a much lower price. Plus buying used clothing reduces your environmental impact which is something I am always looking at. I'm way ahead of the Golden State in that regard and I'm not even a liberal. It just makes more sense to use and reuse. You should see the size of our home recyclables compared to our garbage, it is easily 3-1 by volume which is the goal of recycling. I recycle all our our aluminum, copper, stainless steel, batteries, and brass but then again I was always a scrapper. When it comes to clothes the numbers are staggering. Close to half of all clothes in the United States wind up in the landfill within 7 years of purchase. If that's not feeding the beast I don't know what is. About 80% of the clothes I have bought have come from thrift stores or estate sales or garage sales over the last three years. Some of my heels have come from the same sources but not in the same ratios. I'm looking to change that.Just a thought on how you might find higher heels which fit. HappyinHeels

Edited February 22, 2019 by HappyinHeels
spelling

[SF]

I still have some paisley shirts and Angel Flight pants from the 70's.....   And they still fit !!!!   sf

[Chorlini]

On 2/9/2019 at 12:38 AM, HotPinkHeels said:

I often wonder if there is a certain feminization in general of men taking place.

Yeah, but not as in 'start wearing female attire'.

On 2/9/2019 at 2:59 AM, Mr. X said:

If this site is any indicator, then yes.  But sadly, in the real world I would say no.  Men who wear heels are still in the minority.  And I don't see that changing any time soon!

I've yet to see any man in heels on the streets in my life. I've seen a guy in skirts though, but he wore flat boots. Heels? Never! And since every shoe shop rarely sells anything remotely heely over size EU41 it's not like there is much on offer for most men other then fetish stuff. And I reckon that's fine for most men who wear heels. Most are in it for the fetish angle, not to wear them out on the streets.

On 2/10/2019 at 7:33 PM, mlroseplant said:

I don't disagree with anything you've said at all, but the history of this particular website is a bit less simple. You know, there used to be women on hhplace and its predecessors who actually wrote about high heels and fashion on a regular basis. Those days, for one reason or another, are evidently over. HHPlace has essentially become a men's forum, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. History has brought us to the place we are today, and I believe we are a unique community--a place where men can come together and discuss fashion and beauty without much judgment. I won't say there is NO judgment, but very little compared with the outside world. Furthermore, although everyone here will admit to having a bit of a fetish about one thing or other below the knees, we largely police ourselves so that it doesn't become the main object of the discussion. This is a FASHION website first and foremost, and I am proud to be a member and contributor here for that reason. I like to think of us as the most normal screwed up people you'll ever meet! At least, that's what I keep telling my wife.  .  .

I suspect that the steady influx of men drove most women here away. Akin to how neighborhoods can change when too many newcomes come in and the people who used to live there move out. A few newcomers ain't bad, they may even be welcomed, too many and the neighborhood culture changes, and the oldtimers no longer feel that it is their place.

On 2/20/2019 at 10:51 PM, Cali said:

Those of us who wear heels in public don't have a community of men who also wear heels. We are alone in a sea of flats.

Not just us men, most women as well. Seeing a woman in heels is rare these days. 1 in a hundred if lucky? And I define heels in this regard as 4 inches and higher.

[malinheels]

Hi there fellow heelers ,  i have been wearing heels & skirts in public for years but still not as much as i would like to , and things have changed considerably in the last 20 years, nowadays i barely get a comment regarding my high heels, which means i think people are more accepting of a man in heels or skirt ( the LGBTIQ movement i think has alot to do with that) i still get the strange look occasionlly but now really most people don't seem to care 

In the early days when i started wearing in public women especially would compliment me on my look , the fact i had guts / balls to wear skirts / heels in public and also when going out to bars or events in the seach for female companionship was usually the centre of attention from the girls,  much to the disgust / amazement of the all looking the same guys in the room.

I also found that when your wearing heels and skirt the girls seemed to open up to you much more as if you were part of the girls club, which lead me to think that the girls are fine with guys wearing heels & skirts etc & aren't really denying guys the right to wear those items of clothing      

I'm sure you will get women who will not agree with that idea but there  are plenty that are fine with it  

         cheers and happy heeling & skirting    malinheels 

[bluejay]

I don't wear skirts out a lot, but I do wear my heels regularly. I wear them with dress pants ( men's and women's), leggings and skinny jeans., crop pants and capris.  I do get an occasional stare or look of disbelief from both men and women, but I do get a lots of favorable comments from the ladies and on occasion from a man, too.  It doesn't matter if they are young , middle age or older, many women readily accept men wearing heels.

On a couple of occasions when Steve63130 was visiting me,  we would go out heeling together and we got compliments from the ladies. The most recent one was at Payless Shoes last August,  when the shoe clerk told me that ," I rocked in the high heel sandals I was wearing, with cropped women's pants" She also liked my red pedi, too. She was also pleased to sell me a pair of brown strappy sandals, that were on clearance in the store. The next week I went back to show her my new sandals with a brown and tan ensemble, that I wore. She smiled and said , "I knew that you would look good in those heels". That was music to my ears.

So I have to agree with fellow heeler, malinheels said, above.

Happy Heeling,

bluejay

[Steve63130]

I can definitely attest to what Bluejay said above. He is amazingly fearless when it comes to wearing women's clothing and shoes, but clearly presenting himself as a man. Like JeffB, he has a good eye for matching colors and styles, observing what women wear, and he puts together some very natural but fashionable outfits. And he gets lots of compliments, mostly from women. Men are, by and large, too judgmental. I think many women who see a guy in skirt and heels, or even just the heels, or for that matter, just in ballet flats, figure that if a guy has the courage to wear in public what's traditionally worn by women, he must have a lot of confidence, and confidence is sexy and appealing to a lot of women. 

Happy Heeling, Bluejay!

Steve,

[bailey]

Lets hope it will be a more common practice.

On 2/9/2019 at 7:54 AM, HotPinkHeels said:

Thanks for all the thoughtful responses.  I can't help but thing of these things lately.  I had my testosterone checked and it was low and I wonder if it contributes to my desire to wear heels and other feminine attire.

 

I do think testosterone levels and such effect our desire to be more feminine or want to wear such attire in some cases. I have had my own experience with elevated prolactin levels and medications to control it. I feel that it does contribute to my drive my desire to do so.

Edited June 2, 2019 by bailey

[bailey]

I have no research to share on such subjects and do not wish to start a public debate or wish to share my personal experiences on this subject. I just theorize on my own personal experience on the subject. I in no way am trying to catagorize, label or say that is this is what drives each person in their clothing attire choices. Just saying it may be a factor in some cases based on myself.

Edited June 2, 2019 by bailey

[Gudulitooo]

On 2/9/2019 at 12:31 AM, HotPinkHeels said:

The men's forum on this site is much more active than the woman's forum.  My question is this.  Are men the ones destined to be the predominant heel wearers in the future?  It kind of seems so

IMHO women doesn't need a specific forum to chat about high heels. Fashion magazines are all they need.

For women only specific questions may be answered here e.g. foot/ankle care, or tall women wearing high heels.

[Rockbass19]

The simple answer to this question is “no”.  The number of men who wear heels will NEVER outnumber the number of women who wear them.

The reason why the men’s forum is more active is because we men are seeking support and friendship from others who share our interest in heels - there’s not many of us, so it’s certainly nice to know there are others out there, and we can still maintain an element of anonymity if we desire it.

[JeffB]

I'd say no. The number of men wearing heels compared to women are microscopic by comparison.

[Shyheels]

14 minutes ago, JeffB said:

I'd say no. The number of men wearing heels compared to women are microscopic by comparison.

Exactly and for that ever to change fundamental shifts both in fashion and in perceptions of masculinity, on both sides of the gender divide, would have to take place throughout broader society. Don't see that happening any time soon. 

[mlroseplant]

1 hour ago, Shyheels said:

Exactly and for that ever to change fundamental shifts both in fashion and in perceptions of masculinity, on both sides of the gender divide, would have to take place throughout broader society. Don't see that happening any time soon. 

And even if it did, I believe that a good number of us here on this site would still not be happy with the result. There was, within my own lifetime, a period where men's shoes sported in some cases substantial heels. This could theoretically happen again, but if the huge, clunky style were my only choice, I don't think I'd bother with heels at all.

[Shyheels]

Yes, those 70s platforms were hideous. Best forgotten

[RonC]

I agree.  Men's heels from that era were not good looking shoes.

[maninpumps]

Men's shoes from the 70's were hideous , I will never argue that point . I will say the women's shoes of that era were great in my opinion . Then again one must take into consideration when we started our path of wearing heels . Mine was in the 70's with my older sister's platform wedge heels . 

[dww]

Yes my then wife bought me a pair of platform heels, I will admit I did wear them, but was not the style of shoes I would have chosen for myself.

[malinheels]

AHH the 70s when i walked past the small shoe shop in the main shopping strip in Mooney Ponds a inner suburb of Melbourne

i walked back and forward looking at the white platform sandals in the front clearance bin , trying to appear not unusual , 

after walking past about 10 times i plucked up the courage to go in and ask the sales woman if i could buy them  ( for my sister of course it was her birthday present)  

even did the old can she exchange them if they were the wrong size and was told  sure she could , and there they were my first pair of heels i had purchased for myself

I was fourteen years old , geez time flies  , now i buy them from the internet and those 70s styles seem to be a bit more prevalent this year from the makers , i think they

call them RETRO     what goes around comes around 

happy heeling    Malinheels