PART 7 : My first years in high school

[HeelsWearer]

I was thrilled to be going to high school and wore my Candies sandals to school as it was still quite warm out. I lived only about 1/2 mile from the high school so there was no bus pick-up. I either got a ride from my parents, friends, or I had to walk to high school along with my brother. He was eligible for his license when he turned 16 and I could hardly wait for him to get his license for a free ride to school.

I knew I would be meeting new kids, as we had two middle schools and one high school in our town. I was a little nervous but looking forward to meeting my new classmates.  I noticed right away that I was the only freshman wearing high heels. I did notice a few of the upperclassmen gals wearing high heels, although only one had on stilettos. She was a senior. I met a few new girls and caught up with my old friends. At lunch there were a few of us who went outside to the courtyard to eat. My shoes came up in conversation and once again there were girls who wanted to try them on. This time I was willing to let them try. I slipped them off and at least 3 or 4 girls tried them on and walked around in them. I remember one girl was actually pretty good at walking in them. It was a bonding moment for us and we all became friends.

 

A few of my most memorable incidents my first two years in high school were funny, embarrassing or downright frightening!  The first story I'd like to share is about the senior girl who wore stilettos like me. She, too, wore her heels daily. We ended up talking about our heels one day and became quite friendly after that. It felt cool to be friends with a senior and to be seen in the hall talking with her. She gave me credit for wearing such high heels as a freshman and was surprised to hear I wore them in middle school. She said she didn't have the nerve to wear them until 11th grade. But we bonded over our heels and our friendship lasted the whole year. 

 

Over the first year I did notice a lot of the older girls giving me the evil eye while glancing down at my heels. I think they were jealous but I didn't pay any attention to them. None ever gave me a hard time directly, but I heard through the grapevine that I was called a slut by many of the older girls. The other thing I noticed for the first time is the older boys "checking me out" and that I wasn't ready for. They weren't rude or anything, but I think they liked the look of high heels. I wasn't bothered by the attention paid to my shoes, but I felt a little uncomfortable as the boys' eyes traveled up my body.  

 

I wore jeans nearly everyday and always rolled them up around my ankles so as to be sure my shoes were on display. I wore my Candies during that fall and wore my new Wild Pair shoes (one white and one black pair) often and occasionally even wore my stilettos with the ankle straps. I was still in the no makeup, tee-shirt/sweatshirt, jeans phase and I could have really been mistaken for a tomboy until you saw my shoes. They were all girly, girly. 

 

I had my share of falls during high school, especially trying to rush from one of the school to the other end in the 3 minutes allowed between classes. I sprained my wrist (same one from Washington, D.C. fall) in one fall and ended up in a splint again. I will share something I believe to this day... any woman who wears 5 inch stilettos daily and claims never having tripped, slid, or twisted due to her high heels, either doesn't do a lot of walking or is lying, in my humble opinion. When you wear stilettos daily and walk around all over the place it's inevitable you're going to have your falls. 

 

One thing that would terrify me was going to the basketball games in the gym. The gang of girls I hung with loved to sit up high in the bleachers near the back row. Our bleachers must have had 30 rows, they were made of wood, very steep and didn't have any handrails. I hated climbing up and down those bleachers for fear of having a serious fall. On occasion, if one of my friends was right next to me I'd hold her arm for safety. At the end of the games, I would always wait and go last. I never fell though. 

 

The other times that were scary was in my chemistry lab. We would have to use beakers and put them over burners and even transfer hot water from beaker to beaker or carry our final specimen over to some type of case. I don't remember if it was a cooling or heating chamber, nevertheless, I hated going to chemistry because I was so afraid of making a fool out of myself by slipping in my stilettos and dropping something or injuring myself or someone else. I guess the smart thing to do would have been to bring a pair of sneakers along and change into them for labs. I just didn't and I don't know why. Even my chemistry teacher told me one day I should wear more suitable shoes for the lab, but he never pressed the issue. 

 

One embarrassing incident was in the library during a study hall. I was sitting at a table with a few of my friends (boys and girls). I was playing with my heels under the desk. At one point I curled one leg up under the other onto the chair without my shoes. When I went to find my shoe it was gone! Everyone was laughing. It turned out one of the boys took it and hid it on one of the shelves. I felt like such a dork as I had one stiletto on and was barefoot on the other foot as I made my way around the library in search of my shoe. This went on for about 15 minutes and they all knew where it was. As the period came to an end they started playing "hotter, colder" so I could find my shoe. When I found it I was so relieved! It was all in good fun and I laughed along with them. 

 

During my first two years of high school I kept babysitting and saving my money for more high heels. I bought some plain pumps that didn't have a metal heel and they felt more secure to walk in, yet I still had to be careful and teeter-totter everywhere I went (LOL). I also bought my first pair of high heeled boots. I had lucked out because of mild winters the year before, but this particular winter it was snowing what seemed like daily. They were a pair of 4 inch stiletto boots, black, that came up to just below my knee. The first couple of times I wore them I would stick my jeans into my boots. But I didn't like that look as it seemed a little trashy to me for lack of a better explanation. I then would wear my jeans over my boots and still roll up my jeans to my ankles as I always did. After about  wearing my boots all day on a few occasions, I decided to bring a pair of high heels to school and change when I arrived. I'd stick my boots into my locker for the day. Although the boots were comfortable, I just felt trapped in them all day. With my shoes on I felt more comfortable and could slip my shoes on and off on occasion when sitting in class. (At this point I hadn't learned or even considered that some boys/men had high heel or foot fetishes and loved to watch women either slip their shoes off, play with their shoes, or dangle their heels... something I was very adept at doing!  Years later when this little secret was revealed to me I thought to myself, "I had no idea!" and was a little embarrassed thinking of all the shows I must have put on.) To be young and naive again... 

 

By midyear my brother got his license and a car (that's what he saved up for) and was able to drive me to school. It was a relief not to have to walk on ice and climb over snow banks in high heels. He and I still had that deal going of me doing his chores and him giving me foot massages in return. During the summer I'd get 15 minute massages from him because there were more chores. During the school year he'd cut them back to 10 minutes. We both drove a hard bargain! (LOL)  The foot massages would last up until he went away to college and I did miss them. To this day I love to have my feet massaged. Now it's either my husband or teenage son who gives me my massages. I can't say that high heels were uncomfortable in high school (especially after Washington), but there were days when they would hurt more than others and a good foot massage always helped! My brother and I remain close to this day. He is my best friend. Occasionally when he's over our house or we're over his, I'll swing my feet up into his lap and ask him for a massage "for old time sake" and he happily complies!  I've got a whole stable of foot massagers lined up (LOL)! 

[Shyheels]

Another nice story, well told.

[Chorlini]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, those girls hated you because you raised the bar for them to get male attention. In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king. When a person with 2 eyes comes along gone is his power. Even if that new person doesn't want any power he will still be resented.

[Shyheels]

Just curious - as a regular and committed boot-wearer I was wondering why you think wearing boots outside jeans is a poor look? I'm not challenging your point of view, just interested in hearing it. I always wear my boots over my jeans, usually skinny jeans. Mind you, it woudn't be the first time I've made a fashion faux pas...

[HeelsWearer]

Fair question... I had to give it some thought before answering. I guess I felt that jeans on the outside of my boots brought too much attention to me. At the time I felt, I'm not saying it was, that I was being leered at a little too much. I was very self-conscious. I think boots on the outside of jeans is a sexy look and I wasn't ready for that. But at the same time, I loved the attention on my high heels, be they sandals, pumps, boots, etc. I just liked to show from the ankle down. It was just my comfort level at the time.  As for your style, I'm sure your boots tucked into skinny jeans is a very nice look! I'm sure you are noticed and that's great. 

As you follow my story along, I think you'll see I wasn't always logical and didn't always make sense with my thoughts. I'm not sure I make sense with my fashion choices to this day... I just do what's comfortable for me regarding my appearance.  To this day, I love attention on my high heels! 

[Shyheels]

As Walt Whitman says at one point in one of his poems in Leaves of Grass: Do I contradict myself? Very well, I contradict myself.

We all contradict ourselves - only politicians pretend to be totally consistent and never wrong.

I like wearing my boots outside my jeans, but my look is pretty ordinary I think - just jeans, boots and jumper. Subdued colours. Nothing really exceptional except people don’t expect heeled boots in a guy. But I don’t think many people notice all that much to be honest. Although perhaps if I upped my heels to six inches, like you, that might be different!

I really enjoy your stories and look forward to each new instalment 

Edited February 15, 2021 by Shyheels

[RonC]

For the most part, pants/jeans tucked into boots is a relatively recent fashion trend.  It wasn't all that common through the 70's and 80's.  Pants as a rule were not all that tight fitting through the lower leg either, so tucking into boots would have been more challenging.  @HeelsWearerwas just reflecting the style of the time.

[Chorlini]

1 hour ago, RonC said:

For the most part, pants/jeans tucked into boots is a relatively recent fashion trend.  It wasn't all that common through the 70's and 80's.  Pants as a rule were not all that tight fitting through the lower leg either, so tucking into boots would have been more challenging.  @HeelsWearerwas just reflecting the style of the time.

I dunno. I seem to remember lots of girls in high school in the 80's with their jeans tucked into their boots. It might be my memory distorting things, but I was paying attention to their footwear back then. Especially the ones I was crushing on.

[RonC]

You could be right as I'm old and my memory is slipping....lol.

[mlroseplant]

17 hours ago, Chorlini said:

I dunno. I seem to remember lots of girls in high school in the 80's with their jeans tucked into their boots. It might be my memory distorting things, but I was paying attention to their footwear back then. Especially the ones I was crushing on.

You are correct, there were plenty of tucked in pants in the 1980s, girls only of course. But it wasn't nearly 100% of the time like it is now. I think it's because the usual cut of pants back then gave you a choice, inside or outside. Also, there was not "leggings as pants" back in those days. Today you almost have to go inside, unless you specifically buy a bootcut jean. I see them less and less.

[jeremy1986]

On 2/15/2021 at 7:30 PM, Chorlini said:

I dunno. I seem to remember lots of girls in high school in the 80's with their jeans tucked into their boots. It might be my memory distorting things, but I was paying attention to their footwear back then. Especially the ones I was crushing on.

Yup. I think it was very much an 80's style.  

On 2/15/2021 at 3:26 PM, Shyheels said:

 

On 2/15/2021 at 3:26 PM, Shyheels said:

I really enjoy your stories and look forward to each new instalment 

Likewise 😊 @HeelsWearer

[jeremy1986]

@HeelsWearer, hope you return with more stories soon...

[HeelsWearer]

I'll be back!  Sometimes life gets in the way (haha)

Edited March 4, 2021 by HeelsWearer

[Shyheels]

2 hours ago, HeelsWearer said:

I'll be back!  Sometimes life gets in the way (haha)

Doesn’t it just! I’m looking forward to your next instalment! I hope you’re having a lovely week!