high heels

[mickeyunc]

I want to be clear, not starting a argument.  just your thought.  When we talk about high heels ,, how high do the heels need to be.  i say 4 or better, my wife says 3 inches or better/

[spikesmike]

mickeyunc : On the average men have larger size feet than women. My point of view is that, to be fare, men should wear a shoe with a higher heel. Reason : mans foot is longer so the incline should equal out.

Men wear a 5" high heel and women wear a 4 " high heel. Angle and degree should equal about the same.  I wear higher heels anyway.   spikesmike

 

[Cali]

3 hours ago, mickeyunc said:

I want to be clear, not starting a argument.  just your thought.  When we talk about high heels ,, how high do the heels need to be.  i say 4 or better, my wife says 3 inches or better/

I'll even mess with you more, I but it at 3.25 inch difference (to take platforms out of the argument).

I like my heels to be at least 3.5 inch (9 cm), but prefer 4 - 5 inch (11 - 14 cm)  and up to 5.4 inch.

I have size 10 women's feet. Haven't bought a pair of men's shoes in over a decade.

[Pierre1961]

Yes. 1 cm each 3 sizes 

 EU 38 with 12  cm heel is a EU 43 with 14cm 

[Shyheels]

The better shoe makers scale up the heels so that larger sizes in the same style will have a slightly higher heel so the proportions and lines remain the same throughout the range. Smaller sizes will have proportionally shorter heels in the same size. So someone with a size 45 shoe would have their feet at exactly the same angle as someone with a size 38. 

[p1ng74]

I would agree that a 3 inch difference is generally a fair starting point to define high heels.  The shoes I wear most often these days are cowboy boots with 3.5" heels and I generally get the effect and attention that comes with high heels when I wear them.  But I will also say that the difference between 3" and 4" heels is also quite significant, and should not be mistaken to be the same type of experience.  Both are high heels, but one is much higher than the other... 

[Shyheels]

It also very much depends of the quality and fit of the shoe/boot

[Bubba136]

To my knowledge, gained mostly from my wife, the “ladies footwear” industry classes women’s shoe heels heights to be flats, low heels, medium heels and high heel.  To her, any pair of shoes that had heels higher than 3 3/4” were high heels.  I don’t believe she ever owned a pair of shoes with heels higher than 4”.   Her personal feelings about my 4, 5, 6 & 7” heels, well, she could never understand why I wanted to wear any shoes with heels that high.  To her, shoes were just accessories to compliment the outfit that she was wearing.  And, while she never really liked it when I would wear my high heels in public, she tolerated it and never once criticize me for wearing them. 

 

 

[mlroseplant]

I have pondered this on numerous occasions. I know others have other measurements, but for myself, I consider 4 inches or higher to be a "high" heel. Less than that, and it's a "mid" heel. Considering platforms, Ive spent much of my life wearing "mid" heels, I admit it.

[RonC]

Personally, I find that 3" is enough to create the look of a high heel.  Below that, things tend to look more like a kitten heel.  I find 3.5-4.0" to be the most attractive to my eye, and I don't mind something up to about 5".  Beyond that, to my eye, things just loose the graceful shape and the angles get too exaggerated.  I know for many here, higher is always better, but for me, there are limits to the appeal of height.  Probably also why I've never been a big fan of platforms.

[SF]

For me, the super high heels (over 4 inches) just don't appeal.  Never tried a pair either, so I do speak from a position of ignorance.  Heels that high, to me, just look uncomfortable and do not appeal visually.  

Personally, as a guy who is already too tall (6ft 3in) I wear heels that range from very low to 3 inches max, preferably around 2 1/2 inches.  I just want to enjoy the experience of wearing nice looking shoes that are comfortable and stylish.  Not to look like some type of a "giant" creature form the black lagoon, and scare all the kids.  Unfortunately, for some folks a guy in high heels is scary enough!!  ha ha....   

Enjoy your heels whatever height they may be....   sf

[RonC]

I should clarify my earlier comments, as while I like the look of heels of 4" or so, my feet and body much prefer something in the 3-3.5" range.  

[dagino]

I have EU 46 (US women 15). 10 cm = 4 inches is a comfortable height for all-day shoes for me. These are my booties 9.5 cm.

[p1ng74]

4 hours ago, SF said:

Personally, as a guy who is already too tall (6ft 3in) I wear heels that range from very low to 3 inches max, preferably around 2 1/2 inches.  I just want to enjoy the experience of wearing nice looking shoes that are comfortable and stylish.  Not to look like some type of a "giant" creature form the black lagoon, and scare all the kids.  Unfortunately, for some folks a guy in high heels is scary enough!!  ha ha....   

Enjoy your heels whatever height they may be....   sf

LOL yeah this is why I would never wear platforms, I am already 6 feet tall without heels and don't need any more height.  But I love the feeling of heels, not purely from a height perspective, from the angle of the feet and the overall proportions of the body.  

 

1 hour ago, dagino said:

I have EU 46 (US women 15). 10 cm = 4 inches is a comfortable height for all-day shoes for me. These are my booties 9.5 cm.

These look like great all day shoes, and fit right in with some of the latest designer male fashion looks.  

[mlroseplant]

7 hours ago, SF said:

For me, the super high heels (over 4 inches) just don't appeal.  Never tried a pair either, so I do speak from a position of ignorance.  Heels that high, to me, just look uncomfortable and do not appeal visually.  

Personally, as a guy who is already too tall (6ft 3in) I wear heels that range from very low to 3 inches max, preferably around 2 1/2 inches.  I just want to enjoy the experience of wearing nice looking shoes that are comfortable and stylish.  Not to look like some type of a "giant" creature form the black lagoon, and scare all the kids.  Unfortunately, for some folks a guy in high heels is scary enough!!  ha ha....   

Enjoy your heels whatever height they may be....   sf

 

2 hours ago, p1ng74 said:

LOL yeah this is why I would never wear platforms, I am already 6 feet tall without heels and don't need any more height.  But I love the feeling of heels, not purely from a height perspective, from the angle of the feet and the overall proportions of the body. 

To be sure, guys, I understand where you're coming from, and why you wouldn't want to wear platforms. Howevahhhh, as others have proven before mathematically, and I have proven using the Thomas Edison method of trial and error, I'm not going to gain any more than 3 inches of height ever, no matter the craziness of the angle of my shoes, just as long as I don't wear any sort of platform. Of course this is on a U.S. Women's size 9, larger sizes may gain slightly more than that. So SF, you have my permission to try out those 5 inchers. It ain't gonna make that big of a difference.

[JeffB]

I'd say that depends on one's point of view. Some would say a high heels begins at three inches while others would say four.

[mickeyunc]

Sounds like we are in agrement that 4 inches is the begining of high heels.   

as i have aged i still like 6 inch heels but starting to have some trouble walking in them.  but 5 inch heels no issues at all.  One thing i have noticed with a couple pairs of my 6 inch heels is the heel has seemed to have started to angle inwards, not sure why?

 

[mlroseplant]

52 minutes ago, JeffB said:

I'd say that depends on one's point of view. Some would say a high heels begins at three inches while others would say four.

It's inflation. Back in the day, 40 bucks would buy you a very nice pair of 3 inch heels, which were considered pretty high.  Now, 40 bucks won't buy you a cheap pair of 4 inch heels, which are considered just the beginning of high!

[Jkrenzer]

22 hours ago, mickeyunc said:

Sounds like we are in agrement that 4 inches is the begining of high heels.   

as i have aged i still like 6 inch heels but starting to have some trouble walking in them.  but 5 inch heels no issues at all.  One thing i have noticed with a couple pairs of my 6 inch heels is the heel has seemed to have started to angle inwards, not sure why?

 

At 6 inches the foot doesn't rest on top of the heel, but leans up against it. Even a 5.25 inch single sole heel in my size of 10 to 11 has some flattening of the sole over the heel. Once you go higher there isn't enough length to acheive this. The load you foot puts on the heel is now side ways creating a bending moment. 

[Pierre1961]

That’s true. But you can help with some arch support. Then the weight is better distributed. 

I have improved the ability in walking in 5 to 6” with the ‘walk fit platinum ‘ arch support. 

[jetheelsfan]

In my early days of dreaming of a pair of high heels while in high school in the late 1960s,  the Aldens Catalog listed their dress classic pumps as 2 1/4 inch as a mid heel and the 2 7/8 as a high heel.  When I left home for college,  I made the purchase  of a pair of those pumps in a white 11B with a 2 7/8 heel as my second pair of  "girls" shoes.  They were everything I had expected them to be.  That will be 50 years ago this September.  I never did understand how they were making that measurement in height.

[RonC]

7 hours ago, jetheelsfan said:

In my early days of dreaming of a pair of high heels while in high school in the late 1960s,  the Aldens Catalog listed their dress classic pumps as 2 1/4 inch as a mid heel and the 2 7/8 as a high heel.  When I left home for college,  I made the purchase  of a pair of those pumps in a white 11B with a 2 7/8 heel as my second pair of  "girls" shoes.  They were everything I had expected them to be.  That will be 50 years ago this September.  I never did understand how they were making that measurement in height.

My second pair came from Aldens as well, but a couple years earlier than you, like 52 years ago.  I remember them well - a pair of black patent t-straps with the high heel.  They actually fit!  I loved those heels but didn't have many opportunities to wear them.  

[jetheelsfan]

21 hours ago, RonC said:

My second pair came from Aldens as well, but a couple years earlier than you, like 52 years ago.  I remember them well - a pair of black patent t-straps with the high heel.  They actually fit!  I loved those heels but didn't have many opportunities to wear them.  

Seems like the early 60s to 1970was the greatest shoe fashion decade.  Maybe because I was just discovering that "thing" about the girls having so many pretty and interesting options available to them.