A Lack of Heels

[bluejay]

If you watch the Weather Channel, you will always see the women meteorologist's wearing heels.They always show full shots of them and they all wear nice heels. Sometimes in high heel knee boots. Since the show comes out of Atlanta, heels are wearable even this time of year.

With me, it's been basically boots with block heels or flat heels, because of all the ice and snow this past week.

Happy Heeling,

bluejay

[Heelster]

On 12/2/2019 at 4:34 AM, ohnoberty said:

I've heard this, or read it before too somewhere. A number of years ago I confess but the principle was just that, about the economy and heel height fluctuations.

It's been correlated to heel height and skirt hem lines as well. Thing is, I'm starting to think that trend may not occur in the next economic cycles. Current U.S. view of the economy are split in the middle - - Some say it's terrible, others see it as fantastic. Regardless of the economic / political views, it's pretty evident that heel heights are down, if not completely gone. The general public isn't buying them.

In my little corner of the world, I probably have and wear the highest heeled boots in town, and I don't broadcast it other than the sound of them. I rarely go over 3" chunky heels locally with jeans over them.

[RonC]

for sure.  A sad reinforcement of current footwear habits.  Personally, I'm not counting on heels making a big resurgence this time.  Way too much negative info out there about heels and the supposed damage they do.  

[SF]

All....   I was in Vegas over the weekend.  Gals in heels (plus me) all over the place....  Was nice...  Don't lose hope....   The end is not near, at least I hope not...

sf

[Jkrenzer]

2 hours ago, SF said:

All....   I was in Vegas over the weekend.  Gals in heels (plus me) all over the place....  Was nice...  Don't lose hope....   The end is not near, at least I hope not...

sf

Vegas is not the  real world. Please tell me they weren't all plats. Plats are part of the problem, low relative rise and stiff inflexible soles. Makes inexperienced heelers incapable of wearing real heels. They go from plats to flats.

[Cali]

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas must apply to high heels too.

Edited December 10, 2019 by Cali

[SF]

A few platforms sighted but definitely not the majority.  Agree, platforms are not my fav...  The wx was cool so not many sandals either.  sad...

sf

[Pierre1961]

Just seen these shoes as I was waiting in Geneva airport 

4,1/8 I guess  size 7  ? 

it’s not all bad then 

[jeremy1986]

1 hour ago, Pierre1961 said:

Just seen these shoes as I was waiting in Geneva airport 

4,1/8 I guess  size 7  ? 

it’s not all bad then 

Keep your eyes peeled, as they used to say in the A-Team

[Bubba136]

Driving home from Atlanta this past Sunday, I stopped for a bite to eat at a restaurant in Augusta, where my wife and I used to frequently eat back when we lived just a few miles from here.  I was dressed casually for the trip, wearing a pair of  Nine West booties similar to those pictured above, that I purchased on sale from 6 pm last spring.  
I had finished my meal and was reading a book on my I pad and enjoying a second cup of coffee when a nicely dressed woman sat down at a table across from me.  I casually looked up, noticed that she was by herself and resumed reading.  
After a few minutes, she remarked that she really liked my shoes.  I sat up, put my leg out from under the table so she could get a better look.  It was at this point that I noticed she was wearing an identical pair  — black faux suede booties with 4 1/2 “ inch heels.  
I commented that I had purchased this pair last spring at a end of season sale, and hadn’t had a chance to wear them very much.  But, I found them to be really comfortable and easy to walk in. 
She said that she has had hers for a couple of years and also really liked them.
She told me that I was the first man that she had ever seen wearing high heels.  I told her that I had been wearing heels as my regular footwear since I was a teenager.  She wondered if I ever experienced any derogatory remarks or strange comments from people while wearing heels, to which I related that most people were so wrapped up in their own thoughts that they really didn’t notice what goes on around them, especially with what other people had on their feet.  And, those that did just looked at me and went about their business.  But, occasionally I met someone like her that was curious and asked about them.   
We chatted about our background, heels and other stuff then she asked if I wore other items of women’s apparel, to which I replied no, just trouser socks an knee high hosiery. Nothing else. 
We talked for about twenty minutes while she ate and then I gathered up my things, paid for my meal and resumed my trip home.  
While I used to get questioned frequently about my choice of footwear,  this is the first time in quite awhile that I can remember carrying on a conversation with a complete stranger about me, men and high heels.  
(Damn, should’ve gotten her telephone number)..".

Edited December 11, 2019 by Bubba136

[SF]

Wow....   Nice encounter.  The way things ought to be !!!!!   Thanks for the story.....    sf 

[kanye2020]

It really feels like heels are a dying trend, like the corset before it. Because fundamentally, heels are not pleasurable to wear for most people, and given the choice, most people go with flats.

Take a look at what the kids wear these days, it's all athleisure/streetwear, skaters shoes and sneakers. The internet casual-fied everything and that includes clothing. Those computer companies that have taken over most major metropolitan areas in North America have people going to work in jeans and t-shirt (hell I've seen people going to interviews at computer companies wearing a hoodie and jeans, and getting the job), and who's going to wear heels with that combo? Nowadays as more women enter traditionally masculine fields, there is no expectation for them to dress feminine, so they don't, they dress utilitarian.

Additionally, more than the practicality concerns, heels represent female oppression (again, like the corset before it). Why did women wear high heels along with hosiery and skirts and all that to work? I would bet, for a vast number of women, it's because of the dress code that is expected of them. Nowadays all that is dying in business settings as well: flats are replacing heels, pants are replacing the skirt/pantyhose combo. Whenever heels are in the news nowadays, it's somebody protesting their inclusion as a part of some mandatory dress code, vilifying them to the public.

Finally, high heels is very much a western tradition, and as more immigrants come in to western countries, more and more of the population won't have that familiarity with wearing heels.

I'm in post-secondary education right now and I can say I rarely see those black mid-heel booties at school and during commutes, and proper high heels are once-per-two-weeks sightings. What might have been skirts and heels a decade ago is now leggings and chuck taylors. I try to savour what heels I do see because they are going away. I don't have any agendas against these social trends, but I do feel sad that heels are going away as a side effect.

[HappyinHeels]

There has been a worldwide trend toward more casual wear over the last 20 years. It is not an indictment of the United States or the United Kingdom though the trend may have originated there and other countries took notice. They always take notice actually. For all the public statements some nations may make about the USA it is funny how the world embraces our culture, food, clothes, inventions, and institutions. Having retired from a career built around immigration I can tell you that, despite the ups and downs of These United States, they keep coming here. The immigrants legal and not, the students, and the tourists. I have seen at least one passport from all 197 sovereign nations (yes that includes North Korea) on Earth. They all had reasons for coming here 99% of them legitimate. Over the years I would ask what brought the tourists or what made them return. The reasons varied from the sheer size of the USA, its road network that seemingly goes everywhere, its welcoming and optimistic people, crazy variety of landscapes, or simply the adventure of travelling across a huge expanse and seeing the American flag displayed from every possible venue. It impressed them then and still does. Now they come more casually dressed than before. But they still come. HappyinHeels

[mlroseplant]

On 12/9/2019 at 5:47 PM, RonC said:

for sure.  A sad reinforcement of current footwear habits.  Personally, I'm not counting on heels making a big resurgence this time.  Way too much negative info out there about heels and the supposed damage they do.  

It might not affect our lives directly, but heels never went away in Asia, and I don't see them going away any time soon. They have gotten a little lower over the past few years, but that's because platforms aren't all the rage any more. I don't think you'd object to that.

[Pierre1961]

So,let’s all move to Asia!

often in Japan i saw young girls with crazy heels they obviously couldn’t walk in but keeping them on. 

[p1ng74]

15 hours ago, kanye2020 said:

Take a look at what the kids wear these days, it's all athleisure/streetwear, skaters shoes and sneakers. The internet casual-fied everything and that includes clothing. Those computer companies that have taken over most major metropolitan areas in North America have people going to work in jeans and t-shirt (hell I've seen people going to interviews at computer companies wearing a hoodie and jeans, and getting the job), and who's going to wear heels with that combo? Nowadays as more women enter traditionally masculine fields, there is no expectation for them to dress feminine, so they don't, they dress utilitarian.

Right, it's not just women, men are dressing like slobs too.  I suppose the advantage is that it is easy to look nice now in most work settings, because everyone is so casual.  I'm usually the only one in the office wearing a blazer.  Wearing heels almost feels like the same kind of thing now...

 

Edited December 11, 2019 by p1ng74

[Cali]

We had a holiday get together today at work.There were at least 10-12 women in heels, all except 2 shorter than mine. But a good number had at least 3 inches. Also did some shopping today and saw several more women in heels.  But I was also asked a number of times "Don't your feet hurt walking in heels?"