Corset and Ballet Heel Training Diary, new!

[JinxieKat]

Hey all! I've been working on wearing ballet heals on and off for about 6 months now, and have been steadily working on waist training for a week now. I saw that the last person that did this decided to end her thread, but I would like to start a new one for myself. As backround I've been researching the waist training since the begining of this year and ordered a custom corset that arrived on April 1st. My partner enjoys the high heels and with my ballet training as a child, even did pointe for a while before I trashed my knee in a car wreck, I figure I should be able to do the ballet heels with some patience. Patience is definately going to be needed. My biggest problem right now is leg cramping, something I have battled with before this. My diet is sound and my Dr. confirmed that it is not a lack of something causeing the cramps. So now I am exerciseing to make up for this includeing alot of streaching exercises. I have heavily muscled calves, always have, I would imagine that is the problem. The corset on the other hand is going well. I've lost 72lbs to date with another 28lbs to go. This is over the last two years. I've gotten my 35 inch waist easily and comfortably down to 31.5 inches. I got the corset for 30 inches so I have some room to shrink. I'm rewarding myself with a new corset once I loose the last bit of weight I have. A question though. Does anyone know of any resources for the exercise training for high heel wearing. I know this can prevent/lessen many of the common injuries suffered through wearing high heels. Any advice/lines are very apprciated! javascript:emoticon(':D') JinxieKat

[Rockpup]

Glad to hear someone's documenting their progress again I've had leg/foot cramps when walking in my ballet boots from time to time, I suspect its from the un-natural position your putting your feet into thats the cause, not so much a vitamin deficiency. Did you actually mention what you were wearing when getting the cramps to your doctor? Being a guy it may be a bit more dificult for me to feel like bringing it up to my Doc.. but I have a couple friends who are either MD's or have doctorates in medicine so I don't need to ask my doc Corsets take a while for your body to adjust to the new organ/muscle positions. I personally will not be wearing my corset for at least another month due to recent gall bladder surgery.. come to think of it I havnt worn my ballet boots in a few days due to that also... Great luck, hope to hear more soon! Jim

[JinxieKat]

Thanks for the reply Jim! I didn't bring my shoes to the Dr. Oh my I can just see her look now if I had. Heh. I agree that it is likely the boots that are causing it. Just with having problems before with cramps I felt it was worth looking into. But, for my update. I wore my corset for 23 hours for the first time. It was a very intresting experiance. I did not have any problems sleeping in it and was able to tighten it all the way up the next morning as it felt loose. I have been taking it off to sleep since then, but I've still been able to fully tighten it every morning without a hitch. javascript:emoticon(':shocked:') Needless to say I've been quite pleased. Unfortunately this means that corset training is at a standstill until I loose 28 more pounds. I don't want to invest in another corset until I'm at the weight I wish to be. I've been lossing 2 to 3lbs a week, so it shouldn't take too long. I'll continue to wear this one until I get my new one, just to keep in pratice. I may pick up at 28 inch non-custom made one just to keep things going. I'm afraid I've been spoilt by the fit of this one. It is like a dream. I'll just have to see what I can find. I picked up a pair of 3.5 inch cone (? slender but not quite stiletto, it is a hair wider at the base of the heel) heels to wear durning the day as part of my ballet training. I havn't worn heels regularly in years, espically anything that didn't have a chunky heel. I can still walk in them just fine, but like before my main problem is that the ball of my foot hurts after a while. UGH. I got a gel insert to put there, maybe that will help. I now remember why I didn't wear heels very often! JinxieKat

[JinxieKat]

It's been two weeks now since I started wearing the corset. It has been interesting to say the least. Most of the back pain from being forced to sit up straight is gone. I've learned how to drive easily in it though getting in and out of the car can be intresting if I forget to do it just so at times. My husband gripes when I've driven the car because the car seat is adjusted to be straight up and down! I cannot wear it closed completely shut unless I've worn it the night before. I wore it completely cinched up for two days, without sleeping in it, and pulled a muscle in the side of my waist. I now have let it back out about an inch and a half. I'm going to wear it this way for a few weeks to make sure that muscle is fine, it feels it but I don't want to rush this, before I start to tighten up again. I wore a straight skirt, just above the knees, with light weight sweater tucked in and 3 1/2 inch heels to work yesterday. I wore a belt around the waist to keep my skirt up and to emphasise the new smaller waist I have in the corset. I've always had a large difference between my hips and waist, naturally about 10 to 11 inches. Needless to say I _needed_ that belt to keep my skirt up with my waist being a good 4 inches smaller than it was before. I got _many_ looks throughout the day from both women and men. I must admit I quite enjoyed the attention! I've gotten good responses from the people I have told about my corset wearing. I was quite surprised and pleased in more than one instance by the reactions. On the ballet heel front I finally found some specific exercises to regain the strength in my feet and legs that I've lost in the years since I praticed ballet. I've been doing what I remember, and all of those are part of the ones I've found. Its good to know that I did remember correctly! As I progress with the exercises I'll spend more time in the heels actively instead of just wearing them while sitting and relaxing. javascript:emoticon(':wink:') Jinxie

[JinxieKat]

I've been working more with my ballets this past few weeks. Wearing them more when just sitting down and such. I don't have a big balance problem in them IF I'm moveing. I can put my feet about a foot apart and dance in them. *chuckle* It boggles my husband that I can do that but yet I have a hard time standing up in them. I can go from seated to standing without any problems. I'm working on walking. I can take small steps, but they aren't fully controled yet. The cramping is going down. I just need to work on my ankle flexibility so I can stand up straight easier. I think that is the problem I'm having with standing and balance. It doesn't feel right yet. They must be pushing my ankles forward. I can point my foot so that I have a straight line from toe to knee. I've always been able to do that. Any ideas there? Corset is going fine. I've learned that wearing a wide belt snugly around the corset is asking for trouble! I irritated my left side again. Ugh. I figure I probubly pulled my waist in more accidently. A bit more preasure from a belt isn't going to be noticed while I'm laced up. Heh, live and learn. I can eat pretty much what I want as long as I'm sticking to my diet. Lots of pasta can be a problem. I feel a bit bloated afterwards. I figure my diet will be affected more as I start to go past the 4 to 6 inch reduction mark. We'll see JinxieKat

[Rockpup]

Good to hear the update. Thinking about the cramping from ballet boots I suspect it's not flexibility, it's strength thats the issue. Muscles are being used that are not commonly used, or at least used in ways they were not indended for Practice will help to strengthen up your feet.. balance will follow. After wearing my devious boots for a while with their more severe angle I was able to take a few 'natrual' steps in my Little Shoe Box boots, no wobbling about, fluid motion not planting a foot, shifting weight, then planting the next foot. Good work with the corset also, I couldnt wear mine continuously, but it might be interesting to get a well fitted one to wear from time to time. Your boyfriend seems very supportive of your efforts, sounds like you're lucky to be with him. Seeya Jim

[JinxieKat]

Hmm.. that's a thought about the strength being the problem. I figured it was flexibility because I would get them as soon as a fitted my foot into the ballets at first. That's not an issue anymore, now they kick in if I've been standing in them for a bit. Unfortunately I'm stuck with just the ballets for now. The corset I bought has a problem, the stays are coming through the fabric. The person who made it for me is having me send it back so she can see what is going on and either fix/replace it. Oi! I don't wanna wait! I'm not a patient body. As an observation I truely _miss_ my corset. Both on a physical and emotional level. I miss the snuggness, the feeling of being supported and restricted at the same time. It got resolved my problem of getting neck pain while at my computer. I also miss the shape it gave me and feel quite.. well frumpy .. without it. I now understand the term 'a neat waist'.. I feel naked without it! It is not a good feeling at all. Ahh well, she is fixing it so I have to give her credit there! And without any hassel! So until I get it back updates will be ballet only, and since things are at the same they were last time, no further updates. Oh and yes you are right Jim. I am quite lucky to have him, and he I since he was the one into this stuff when we got together. It's just rubbed off onto me *chuckle* Though I have always liked the idea of heels, stockings, and garter belts. I guess a corset is just an extension of that. Though the heels are more his idea and the corset is mine. We do enjoy both though! JinxieKat

[Rockpup]

Ah, so he was already into corsets and ballet heels? How well is he doing with them? *grin* Sorry to hear about the corset, at least they are taking care of the issue for you. Oh yea, thinking through times where I have had more foot cramps, if I over pad the toe area and have to cram my feet in I've noticed more cramps. I've got a couple Dr friends, but have yet to get into a serious discussion with them reguarding what goes on while wearing ballet heels. They just seem amazed that I can stand up at all, considering my overall flexibility is so low that I have rarely been able to touch my toes.. oh well Have a great one Jim

[new_look]

have always read these articles and i suppose its more of curiosoty but ive wondered what its like to wear a tight corset, but i cant see how it fits with the male figure too well

[JinxieKat]

OooO I should have been more precise. My husband is into girls in corsets and heels. Though I do love it when he wears his boots that I bought him. Just standard biker boots. I think it would be very interesting to see him in high heeled boots. He has such nice legs anyway. I wonder if he'd try this for me! javascript:emoticon(':wink:') As for the tightness of a corset.. Well I love it. The restraint, the posture, the grace that seems to come over me when I am in it. I truely feel like a lady. I would guess that it is different for men, espically since physically it is more difficult for a man to tightlace than a female. We have more flex room, comes with the baby thing. Heh. I miss it! javascript:emoticon(':cry:')

[JeffM]

Hi Jinxiekat

Have you ever visited www.staylace.com

They have a wealth of info on tight lacing from how to reduce at the proper rate to what you should and shouldn’t eat. They even have two medical doctors who tight lace and who you can ask question of about tight lacing. There is also a lot of pic from real life lacers to provide that extra incentive if you ever feel you need it.

Did you know that when wearing a corset that your body takes on a different posture, one that is made easier to maintain if you wear high heels? Conversely if you wear high heels they are easier if you corset too.

Best wishes with both your heels and corsets

Jeff

[JinxieKat]

I love www.staylace.com and I also found a wealth of info at

www.waspcreations.com . She makes corsets, but has alot of articles relating to her tightlaceing experiances. It was sites like those that first caught my interest. I'm still trying to find a decent corset email list that isn't spam happy but actually has some activity. I don't think that they exist. Ugh.

I had noticed that with my heels. I went on a heel buying spree a week or so after I got my corset. I also started wearing nicer clothing. It was mainly a mental thing at first, but I did notice I was more comfortable in the heels. I love the sway that the combination of corset and heels gives me.. *purr*

I wore my ballets most of the night last night. I find it rather erotic to do so. Apparently my husband agree's due to his reaction this morning javascript:emoticon(':shocked:')

Hehe! I tried walking in them when I first got up. Ooo bad idea. One foot cramp and then one cramp in the calf. Ugh. Oh well!

JinxieKat

[chris100575]

Daz, I bought a corset a few years ago when I used to cross dress. I still have it, although I've not even tried it on for ages. Once you get used to how tight it is, and the lack of flexibility as your back is held straight, it's actually surprisingly comfortable. I could lace it tightly enough to pull my waist in by about five inches, but usually wore it a bit less severe. A corset does give you a much more feminine shape, as the waist reduction gives an hourglass effect, although obviously not as well as on a woman. I also found that I walked differently when wearing it, especially with high heels. Much as I used to enjoy wearing it, it just fell by the wayside when I realised that I was only cross dressing in order to wear heels. Chris

[new_look]

im fairly open minded in most areas, and i would like to try. I get curious when people constantly describe positive feelings from something. We never know, lets see what jade thins to the idea. She accepts the heels cos shoes are shoes, and to her they dont make me any less manly looking, but maybe a corset would be out of the question. She doesnt really look too nicely upon the full crossdress

[J-Nation]

Corsets needn't necessarily be thought of as female-only items - men have been known to wear them for medical reasons. Emma

[Rockpup]

I enjoy my corset.. but I have not enjoyed it in a little while.. abdominal surgery does that to you Btw.. gall stones are not ust for mid-aged women.. younger guys can get them too. Ow.. Jim

[JeffM]

Hi Daz Is it possible that Jade would like wearing a corset. It seems lots of girls do once they have tried one on. Thye are still quite fashionable. If she does then you could let her know you would like to try one. Jeff.

[new_look]

very true. we talked about it and said id like to get her one. she liked some of the styles from the website above. the galleries show some celebrities wearing some pretty ones that she said she would like to wear.

i also asked if she would mind me trying it too to see how it feels, and she said no, so thats great.

Where could i get a nice corset from. Would be looking for a style similar to this. any suggestions appreciated.

daz

[Terry]

JimC, can you not wear your corset anymore? Did you have a large incision? I just got out of hopital...gall stones removed that were causing pancreatitis. I'm going in soon for gall bladder removal, laparoscopically, three small incisions, and I am hoping I will still be able to wear a corset afterwards.

[Rockpup]

Terry: Ah, yea, I had a 22mm stone lodged in the duct causing all kinds of problems with my gall bladder.. Hurt like crazy. I'm just avoiding the corset for a while untill my abdominal wall is healed up so I do not cause an incisional hernia, from what I've heard those are worth avoiding The surgery itself went great and I woke up in a much better mood then when I went in, at 3am. Just plan to take it easy for a few weeks, and give it a couple months before you are back up to speed 100%. Beware of drinking 16oz of prune juice to combat the constipation brought on by the anestetic (Very bad story). heh Good luck on your operation, have a great day Jim

[new_look]

just thought id refresh this thread to see if anyone can help with the availabilities from stores/online, of a corset in the style of the picture i posted above, thanks

[azraelle]

http://www.axfords.com/Site/index.cfm/fuseaction/Product.View/ID/C135.cfm?CFID=14571342&CFTOKEN=78055122

I bought this model over a year ago from Axfords of London, and it has held up fairly well--a couple of the "bones" eventually forced their way out of the fabric, but since they were on either side, it made it more comfortable, so I never bothered to sew them back in. I ordered it online (from the USA) and received it in a little over 2 weeks. I weighed about 245 at the time, and ordered the largest waist size it came in (34"); my waist at the time was at least 42", so it was tight, even with ~3" lace gap (although the outside circumference was about 40"). I now weigh ~210, I can put it on tightly laced and knotted with no difficulty--I need a 32, or maybe even a 30. The external measurement when tightly laced is about 36.5". I did alot of reading about what was the best (custom made/measured) versus what I could afford, and decided that Axfords represented the best compromise between the two. They also have a nice glossy catalog they will send you (free with an order) for a small fee.

[chris100575]

I did actually try to reply a couple of days ago, but we've been having problems with the proxy server at work again. Axfords was the first company that sprang to mind when you asked about where to get corsets. If you want to try one on to see how it feels, Transformation (specialist TV shop) stock a limited range and the (female) staff are perfectly happy with guys trying stuff on. Being a TV shop they tend to have larger sizes, so depending on Jade's build she might be out of luck. I bought mine from there, and it has given me sterling service despite the kind of pressure it's been put under. If I was in the market for another I'd probably go with Axfords though, they have a wider selection and have a good reputation. Chris

[Anita C.]

Last night Seannie & I were sitting watching the TV. He turned to me and asked "why did you quit wearing the corset and the ballets, Auntie?" "W E L L . . . Remember whe Gwen died and I was forever running all over? The corset & ballets just became a lower priority, Sean. Then when you moved in I thought that having me parade around in corset & ballets might be a bit inappropriate." "I see. Does the corset still fit? Do you think you can still walk in them?" "I'm not sure . . . shall we find out?" Sean smiled and went to the closet and got them out. I changed and put the corset on in private. Sean helped me tighten the corset laces and laced up the ballets for me. "Can you stand?" "Uh-huh. I think so!" Alley-oop! "Sean. There's a walker in the garage. Would you please go get it for me?" He returned with the walker and I actually recovered some of the skills that I had. Seannie tightened the corset twice and I was down to a 24.5" waist by the evenings' end. "Ok, Sean. I've had enough fun." Sean laughed and unlaced the ballets, then the corset. I changed and returned to the living room. . . I KNEW what was coming. "Um . . . Anita?" "Yes?" "Would you mind if I tried the ballets on?" "Hmmm . . . I don't know, Sean." I teased. "PLEASE!" "Ok, go ahead." Sean got the ballets from my room. He went in and put on a pair of pantyhose and shorts, then returned to the living room. I helped lace him into the boots and gave him the walker. "Ok, sport. Have at it!" He grabbed the walker and stood up slowly. He walked around for a bit and then returned to the couch and started un-lacing them. "Had enough fun, Sean?" "I don't like them" he said flatly "They are too hard to stand & walk in and they hurt." I know-I know . . . how could I allow Sean to try the ballets? Simple: Because he ASKED me to. He didn't sneak around behind my back and do it. In conclusion he saw something, he asked an honest question and got an honest answer. He also found out that while he was intrigued by the ballets, wearing them was quite a different matter! He came to his own conclusion. As for the corset, Sean has one and wears it occassionally. He has no interest in tightlacing or corset training. WHEW! THAT should answer everything! Namaste', Anita C.

[JinxieKat]

I haven't posted anything in a while because I've taken a different direction the last week. The ballet heels were something my husband wished for me to try so I did. It sparked an interest in high heels all around so now I've been working on wearing more 'normal' high heels. Seems the ballet shoes did me well though since I can walk in 5" heels without any problems beyond pain in the ball of my foot (surprise surprise) even though I've never worn that high before. I've found that right now 4" seems to be the perfect mix of height and wearabilty for work and all round wear. Whoot! Ballet heel training is still ongoing, but not as vigoursly as my feet are killing me at the end of a day when I've worn the 5" heels. Gee.. wonder why! I'm also waiting for word on my corset repairs. The corset maker got it yesterday so I'm waiting with baited breath to hear back from her. Oooo.. patience Jinxie-san, patience. ... I want my corset back.. WAAAHH! Though I did get a sweet neck corset in leather today. My neck measuers 13 inches so I got one in 12 inches just so I could have that gap around the back of the neck. I love it! But, that is were I'm at right now! JinxieKat

[Mickey S.]

@JinxieKat: Ok, sounds heretical but why do you do that training? Just for the fun of it? Do you plan to go to a party wearing a corset and the ballet boots all night? Please don't get me wrong I'm just asking. I do have ballet boots myself and I know what it feels like. I already got addicted as well. I don't have a chance to practice my ballet heels very often but I'm doing a lot better in these than in 'regular' (e.g.) 7"+ pumps. Once I've put the ballets on I can stand and walk for only some seconds. Then I have to sit down a minute to 'recover'. The second try is way better. I can then maneuver around the room for several minutes. I've already wore them for more than 24 hours when I was home alone. At the end of the second day wearing my ballets I did quite a good job walking around, up and down the stairs which is of course somehow challenging especially when you don't have a handrail. I'm always a bit sad when I have to pull them off again. My dream is to go out on a fetish party and spend a whole night in ballet boots and patent leather / pvc clothing. Please forgive me if my writing sounds strange since I'm not 'English-spoken' by nature. CU!

[JinxieKat]

Why the training.. Hmm.. lots of reasons The corset, well that is the easiest one. I love the look, I love the feel, and yes I have every intention of wearing one all the time. I plan on working on getting my waist much smaller, though I'm not sure how small. For my frame I think 20 inches would look nice without looking too extreme. Time will tell. The ballets, well that is harder. I loved danceing en pointe when I was younger, so that is definately part of the desire. My husband also likes the shoes so that is another motivating factor. It is also a challenge, and I do love a challenge! The end result, I do plan on wearing such to a fetish party someday!! The sooner the better. JinxieKat

[Mickey S.]

Why the training.. Hmm.. lots of reasons

The corset, well that is the easiest one. I love the look, I love the feel, and yes I have every intention of wearing one all the time. I plan on working on getting my waist much smaller, though I'm not sure how small. For my frame I think 20 inches would look nice without looking too extreme. Time will tell.

The ballets, well that is harder. I loved danceing en pointe when I was younger, so that is definately part of the desire. My husband also likes the shoes so that is another motivating factor. It is also a challenge, and I do love a challenge!

The end result, I do plan on wearing such to a fetish party someday!! The sooner the better.

JinxieKat

Thanks for your answer. -- One more thing (you might have answered/told that previously): You've said you were a profi dancer earlier, what could you recommend for a good ballet heel training? Can wearing ballet heels actually be compared to dance en pointe or is it quite different? Wearing these shoes somehow works for me already but I feel I need some more specialized training/excercises in order to handle them 100% properly. Could you please advice me how to train myself for the ballet heel shoes? To me as a non-pro I'd say the only difference is that the fetish shoes just have this supporting heel additionally. Wrong?

CU

[JinxieKat]

I feel that the point shoes were a heck of alot easier to manage than these heels are. But, there is one distinct difference, I trained for years before I ever went en pointe. Because of that training it was easy to make the change. I've actually debated getting a pair of pointe shoes and compareing the difference, I still think pointe would be easier.

The foot is not in a natural 'pointe' position in the ballet heels. If you look at picitures of ballerina's en pointe you will see that there is more curve to the arch of the foot than the ballet heels allow. I doubt you could put 8 inches worth of heel between the floor and a ballerina's heel while she is danceing. The shank of the pointe shoe is there to provide shape and support, but truely the muscles of the foot do most of the work. There is none of that flexibility in a ballet heel like there is in a pointe shoe. I've not lost my sence of balance over the years since I stopped danceing. I can still do the poses that require more balance than strenght or flexibility. However balanceing in these heels is another story entirely. I cannot adjust my center of balance as easily as I could en point. It is in a fixed place that isn't at all natural to me.

As for exercises, jenny's high heel page ( http://jennyspage.co.uk/home.htm ) has the exercises that I was useing myself to strengthen my feet for the ballet heels. There are other exercises I use for flexiblity, all yoga poses, which also builds up body strength. I also just do alot of danceing, mainly free form, which is an exercise I enjoy. I've been doing some dancing in high heels, another balance exercise. Though I've always been able to dance better in high heels than walk. It doesn't make any sence, but it works for me.

I hope that answers some of your questions!

JinxieKat

[Mickey S.]

Thanks a lot. You're right about those 8". But I think this depends on the foot size as well. The larger the foot the higher the heel. Anyway, I'll try to follow all this to the best I can but meanwhile I just put my ballets on and try to gain even more balance/stability and muscle strength. -- Was nice talking to you! CU! -Mike