Stamina and Practice in Heels

[Jkrenzer]

5 hours ago, Cali said:

My sweet spot is 100 to 120 cm. I need at least 100 to change my hip/femur interaction and over 120 is too high for a full day of walking. The trouble is, I can't fine shoes that I like over 80 mm currently. Everything is so short. I have many over 8 years old and are worn out.

Go to alliexpress, Chinese but there are plenty of 10cm to 12cm heels, Wedges, block style or stilettos to choose from. Quality is available but read the reviews and spend nothing less than 45 bucks. All shoes under 45 are guaranteed to be junk.

[Bubba136]

This is interesting.  In my younger years, the height of the heel didn’t play a large role in my desire to wear girls shoes.  After all when I was younger, girls my age weren’t allowed to wear heels higher than 1 inch or 1 1/2 inches at the most.  As long as I was wearing “girls shoes” on my feet, I was happy. At home, around the house I, on the other hand, would wear my mom’s heels.  Her shoes had heels around 4”.  And when she finally bought heels for me, they also had 4” heels.  Over the years, up to about ten years ago, I lived in shoes with 5” heels.  I owned shoes with higher heels, some as high as 7 inches that I really never completely mastered, and shoes with 6” heels that were comfortable to wear but were tricky because of the extra height, you had to be more careful about where you put your feet. 
These days, in my more advanced age, I am happy to be able to wear shoes with any heels at all.  I rarely see any women my age wearing shoes with heels as high as I usually am wearing.  These days I am satisfied just wearing my girls shoes again, regardless of how high the heels are.  

 

 

 

[CAT]

I like to be in the 130 to 150 everyday walking.  
without looking I would say I have 10% 3-4”  20% 4-5” 65% 5-6”  5% 6+”

80% single sole 20% platform 

 

single sole 5” is my go to 

[Shyheels]

I agree with @Bubba136 Heel height had really nothing to do with my interest in wearing feminine boots - I liked the overall styling of which the heel was simply one aspect. A telling aspect, to be sure, but not the be all and end all. My first interest, the one that awakened this desire, was go-go boots which have low or at best mid height block heels. And to this day I cannot remember if the ones that caught my fancy when I was 11 or 12 had heels or not. It was the overall look that appealed to me.

Once I dared myself to buy and wear tall feminine boots, I began taking more notice of heels and as I grew more comfortable in my boots and with myself began taking a dispassionate look at the styles and heights that appealed to me.  For me it was always clean lines, nothing flamboyant - classical and elegant. I liked. chunky heeled ankle boots as sporty versions of the hiking boots that have been my standards since I was a geology student, way back in good old Cretaceous days.  And I love single sole knee boots with stiletto heels - and aesthetically speaking, the 120mm ones. I would like to be able to wear them gracefully, but somehow never put in the time to master the art. I should. 

[mlroseplant]

I can't say that it's all about heel height for me, but it's a major factor. Every once in a while, I see something that catches my eye and has a low heel, or even no heel. I have learned to resist the urge to buy, unless there's a very specific reason to do so. The reason is not that I've got anything against the lower heels, but I find that they just don't get worn.

A prime example of this is my so-called "farmer's market" sandals. I have several pair of low-heeled wedges, and several pair of effectively 3 inch chunky heeled sandals, which I used to wear to work my wife's vendor stand at farmer's markets. All of them are very attractive sandals, and I have gotten numerous compliments on them, but I find that I never wear them these days because I don't have to. The reason I don't have to is because I can wear 4 inch heels just fine without really thinking about it. Three years ago, possibly even two years ago, I would worry, "I wonder if these shoes are a mistake?" And yes, sometimes at the end of the night, my feet would really be feeling it. That just doesn't happen now.

Ironically, three out of five of my last shoe purchases were sub-4 inch.

[Shyheels]

As Walt Whitman said in one of his essays  - Do I contradict myself? Very well, I contradict myself! 

[Gige]

I have found that 3.5" seems to be the best of all worlds for me. I can wear heels higher than that and I have a few pairs that are 4.5+" but as I have started wearing heels out far more frequently (to work and errands after the day is done) that height is the perfect height for being a bit "edgy" but still being professional. As I see it, 3.5 - 4" is the limit for an "office professional" look regardless of shoe style, color, etc. I have found that there are times where I am in 5" heels while working at home but if I will not be wearing those heels "out," what is the purpose of having them? I have come to agree with Mlroseplant that every pair of heels I own should be worn and I want to wear each of them beyond the comfort of my place. So, why have super high heels if they will only be worn when I am sitting around looking pretty (which isn't hard to do as I am naturally attractive! 😁)? Today, for example, I was wearing 3.5" Miz Mooz Soho heels that were exactly what professional and style can be when done "correctly;" high enough to be noticable but low enough to be professional.  I do have some heels that are less than 3" and I will wear them when I am in the mood to do so. With these, however, I tend to be much more stylish such as wearing them with wide leg pants or similar. 

Edited July 19 by Gige
Added material

[Cali]

I switched to women's shoes after researching what shoes would work best for my feet. After three ankle reconstructions I discovered my ankle problems were the result of men's shoes. Haven't worn men's shoes and haven't had an ankle problem in 14 years. At the start it was 1 and 2 inch heels, but a major leg injury forced me into 4-inch heels for 5 months and I found it greatly reduce my hip pain. My body tells me when I haven't spend enough time in heels that day.

[Jkrenzer]

2 hours ago, Gige said:

So, why have super high heels if they will only be worn when I am sitting around looking pretty (which isn't hard to do as I am naturally attractive! 😁)

A couple comments. 

1. Melrose actually wears heels 4 to 4.5 inches at church, so he seems to think a higher heel is acceptable. 

2. I believe in my shoe size 5 inch is acceptable and actually do wear them daily at a real office environment with no issues. 

3. Glad to know you believe you are naturally attractive. Just curious what that means. Are you attractive in the nude? Anything else is not natural and I've seen very few attractive nude people  myself included. 

[Shyheels]

From what one reads in the fashion pages - and out of curiosity I made a bit of a study - four inch heels does seem to be the top of what is generally regarded as appropriate for the office, with five inches seeming to be regarded more as evening wear. Some of it, I think, is down to practicality. Four inches is much easier to wear for a long day in the city. To most women, to whom the idea of wearing heels is not a novelty, but often an obligation, four inch is a wearable, stylish  ceiling - those who do not care for heels and wear them only reluctantly, will naturally keep to the two to three inch range while aficionados go for four inch - fashion height heels.

Depending on their style, five inch heels may seem too racy, or they may also seem too formal - in the way that a man might wear a necktie to the office as a matter of routine, but not black tie. THat's evening wear.

 

[Cali]

I can't remember the last time I wore a tie, 20-30 years ago.

[Shyheels]

It had been at least that long since I wore a tie too. I didn't even own one until a couple of years ago when I was invited to lunch at the Ritz. And they simply do not allow gentlemen (a loosely applied term in my case) to dine unless they are wearing a tie. And so I acquired one and wore it, and lived to tell the tale. I still have it, still knotted from its single wearing, buried somewhere in my sock drawer, awaiting the net time I'm invited to the Ritz. I'm such a cosmopolitan guy ...

[mlroseplant]

I must be passing part of my sensibility down to my 15 year old son. No interest in heels, but knows how to tie several different necktie knots.

8 hours ago, Gige said:

I have found that 3.5" seems to be the best of all worlds for me. I can wear heels higher than that and I have a few pairs that are 4.5+" but as I have started wearing heels out far more frequently (to work and errands after the day is done) that height is the perfect height for being a bit "edgy" but still being professional. As I see it, 3.5 - 4" is the limit for an "office professional" look regardless of shoe style, color, etc.

 

5 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

I believe in my shoe size 5 inch is acceptable and actually do wear them daily at a real office environment with no issues.

It seems that we have been on this subject off and on for the past 10 years, but we'll drag it out again for the new guy. Otherwise, we're back to talking about lawn mowers and stuff.

We have several factors at work here, pun intended.  Somebody, at some point, for some reason, made up a rule that you can't wear more than a 4 inch heel to work. In fact, I think I've heard in some cases, 4 inch is really pushing it. Somebody made up that rule, and people began to believe it. There is some logic in that, because few people can actually function normally in 4 inch heels. That's just a fact. When your shoes are preventing you from doing your job, they're too high. And by preventing, I mean if when you get up to walk across the room and the first thing people notice is that you're walking funny. For some people, that's 3 inch. For some people, they just walk funny anyway and 2 inch is too high.

Those hard and fast rules are somewhat dated. I mean look at what's happened with hair, ink, and piercings. It may seem odd to us shoe guys, but most people do not notice your shoes right away, first thing. Nobody is going to notice an extra 1/2 inch, except when the wearer can't carry them off naturally. That's why I brought up this whole subject of hitting a wall somewhere shortly above 4 1/2"--that's the point at which even the most casual observer will notice that there's something wrong with me. Therefore, my Steve Madden black pumps are completely appropriate for the office, but actual Loubie So Kates would not be. Nobody but us will notice the 10 mm difference in height, but they will notice as soon as I take more than a few steps. I believe that those of us who have taken the trouble, sometimes years of trouble, to learn how to walk and live in this silly but attractive footwear get to make up our own rules about what's appropriate for the office.

[Jkrenzer]

Most women have smaller feet than me. A 4 inch heel on a size 7 or 8, euro 37 or so is quite high. 

[Bubba136]

8 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

A couple comments. 

1. Melrose actually wears heels 4 to 4.5 inches at church, so he seems to think a higher heel is acceptable. 

2. I believe in my shoe size 5 inch is acceptable and actually do wear them daily at a real office environment with no issues. 

3. Glad to know you believe you are naturally attractive. Just curious what that means. Are you attractive in the nude? Anything else is not natural and I've seen very few attractive nude people  myself included. 

Isn’t there an old saying “Attractiveness is in the eye of the beholder?”
 

 I, like JK, do not find nudity to be attractive.  Nude men, not my taste.  Nude women, I find alluring but far more attractive when wearing sexy lingerie and high heels.  Long live attractive women! 🤩

3 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

I must be passing part of my sensibility down to my 15 year old son. No interest in heels, but knows how to tie several different necktie knots.

 

It seems that we have been on this subject off and on for the past 10 years, but we'll drag it out again for the new guy. Otherwise, we're back to talking about lawn mowers and stuff.

We have several factors at work here, pun intended.  Somebody, at some point, for some reason, made up a rule that you can't wear more than a 4 inch heel to work. In fact, I think I've heard in some cases, 4 inch is really pushing it. Somebody made up that rule, and people began to believe it. There is some logic in that, because few people can actually function normally in 4 inch heels. That's just a fact. When your shoes are preventing you from doing your job, they're too high. And by preventing, I mean if when you get up to walk across the room and the first thing people notice is that you're walking funny. For some people, that's 3 inch. For some people, they just walk funny anyway and 2 inch is too high.

Those hard and fast rules are somewhat dated. I mean look at what's happened with hair, ink, and piercings. It may seem odd to us shoe guys, but most people do not notice your shoes right away, first thing. Nobody is going to notice an extra 1/2 inch, except when the wearer can't carry them off naturally. That's why I brought up this whole subject of hitting a wall somewhere shortly above 4 1/2"--that's the point at which even the most casual observer will notice that there's something wrong with me. Therefore, my Steve Madden black pumps are completely appropriate for the office, but actual Loubie So Kates would not be. Nobody but us will notice the 10 mm difference in height, but they will notice as soon as I take more than a few steps. I believe that those of us who have taken the trouble, sometimes years of trouble, to learn how to walk and live in this silly but attractive footwear get to make up our own rules about what's appropriate for the office.

Doesn’t it depend on the job?  A department store sales person on their feet most of their working hours is more likely to wear lower heels than someone sitting at a desk.  I have noticed some women salespeople changing out of their high heels shoes after a short time at work.  

[Gige]

9 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

A couple comments. 

1. Melrose actually wears heels 4 to 4.5 inches at church, so he seems to think a higher heel is acceptable. 

2. I believe in my shoe size 5 inch is acceptable and actually do wear them daily at a real office environment with no issues. 

3. Glad to know you believe you are naturally attractive. Just curious what that means. Are you attractive in the nude? Anything else is not natural and I've seen very few attractive nude people  myself included. 

The "naturally attractive" actually is a throwback to the Peanuts comic as Frieda often spoke of her "naturally curly hair." During my youth, I, too, had naturally curly hair which I hated - it was so hard to keep it under control. So, as my naturally curly hair began to straighten (and fall out) with age, I modified this to mean that I was just "naturally good looking." It's all in jest.  

[pebblesf]

5 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

I must be passing part of my sensibility down to my 15 year old son. No interest in heels, but knows how to tie several different necktie knots.

 

It seems that we have been on this subject off and on for the past 10 years, but we'll drag it out again for the new guy. Otherwise, we're back to talking about lawn mowers and stuff.

We have several factors at work here, pun intended.  Somebody, at some point, for some reason, made up a rule that you can't wear more than a 4 inch heel to work. In fact, I think I've heard in some cases, 4 inch is really pushing it. Somebody made up that rule, and people began to believe it. There is some logic in that, because few people can actually function normally in 4 inch heels. That's just a fact. When your shoes are preventing you from doing your job, they're too high. And by preventing, I mean if when you get up to walk across the room and the first thing people notice is that you're walking funny. For some people, that's 3 inch. For some people, they just walk funny anyway and 2 inch is too high.

Those hard and fast rules are somewhat dated. I mean look at what's happened with hair, ink, and piercings. It may seem odd to us shoe guys, but most people do not notice your shoes right away, first thing. Nobody is going to notice an extra 1/2 inch, except when the wearer can't carry them off naturally. That's why I brought up this whole subject of hitting a wall somewhere shortly above 4 1/2"--that's the point at which even the most casual observer will notice that there's something wrong with me. Therefore, my Steve Madden black pumps are completely appropriate for the office, but actual Loubie So Kates would not be. Nobody but us will notice the 10 mm difference in height, but they will notice as soon as I take more than a few steps. I believe that those of us who have taken the trouble, sometimes years of trouble, to learn how to walk and live in this silly but attractive footwear get to make up our own rules about what's appropriate for the office.

I would agree.  The heel height is not an issue provided the wearer can walk comfortably and perform job duties properly

[Shyheels]

I agree too - you make a good point. Walking fluidly would go a long way towards making taller heels acceptable in an office environment. That said, not many people do and fewer still would care to wear 120mm stilettos all day, but would keep those for evenings and nights out, and stick to more easily worn 100mm stilettos - assuming they were high heel lovers to start with.

Others, those who wear heels grudgingly, as an obligation, will stick with lower heights and will probably be the ones casting censorious eyes at colleagues in towering stilettos - setting up the informal, unspoken rules about appropriate heel heights. 

[mlroseplant]

Have you ever had heels you thought were your friends suddenly bite you in the foot?

I thought about starting a whole new thread for this question, but this one is going pretty good right now, and it's not totally off the subject. Friends, I've had this happen to me a few times over the years, and now just recently.

I called 2023 "The Year of the Band-Aid," or sticking plaster, or if you must, adhesive bandage. Since I have a lot of shoes, I don't always remember what comfort aids each of them needs, so I have made a list in my mobile phone of such. When I notice that a certain pair of shoes rubs in a certain spot, I'll make a note for next time where I need to apply a bandaid, or whether I need to use a pair of ball-of-foot cushions, and so on. I know, I know, I've said many times, if I can't walk at least two miles in reasonable comfort, forget it. However, if the simple addition of a cheap and readily available bandaid solves the problem, it's just part of the game.

Many times, shoes will "grow out" of their silliness, and those that rubbed a little harshly in certain areas eventually stop and thereafter require no comfort aids at all. But sometimes, shoes that have been friends for a long time, and can be counted on to be comfortable all day, suddenly eat a hole in the side of one's foot without warning! Anybody had this happen to them?

[Shyheels]

Yes indeed! One of my ankle boots did that very thing a few months ago. I can only think it must have been a temporary misalignment of my left foot, because out of nowhere they started rubbing, big time. And then they stoped.I can wear them just fine once,Ore, after coming near to giving them away 

[mlroseplant]

The other thing I've noticed is that on more than one occasion, 2 miles is not enough of a test. It seems I have several pairs that are perfectly fine for 2 miles, but in that third mile, they turn on me, almost without warning. Since I rarely encounter a situation where I'm wearing heels for an extended period, like if I worked in an office, it makes me wonder if these 2 mile heels would be ok for all day with only incidental walking.

[Shyheels]

Should be! And perhaps with enough sub-two-mile days put in, they would be worn and stretched sufficiently for them to become even three-mile or four-mile heels

[Gige]

Yep - this has happened to me on many occasions! What I have noticed (as I am sure others have as well) is that overall body temperature greatly affects how certain shoes fit. A recent cool day witnessed shoes that were once a tight fit all of a sudden were seemingly the best fitting pairs of shoes I owned. Then, on a very warm and humid day, the same shoes felt as they were three sizes too small. I find that summer weather wreaks havoc on my feet to the point here I am inclined to put on a pair of athletic "trainers" over heels because I know the former will always "fit" regardless of external temperature.  

[mlroseplant]

It's quite amazing how different people react to changing conditions. My feet do not much seem to care what temperature it is as far as their physical size, but rather they seem to care much more about what time of day it is. You know how they always tell you to buy shoes in the afternoon when your feet are bigger because of activity? Well, mine are the opposite. My feet are at their biggest the moment I roll out of bed. Go figure.

[Shyheels]

Mine are definitely bigger in the afternoon. I recently had an assignment where I was out and about or on my feet literally for 36 hours - getting my boots off after that, when I was finally home again, was a twenty minute job

[mlroseplant]

23 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Mine are definitely bigger in the afternoon. I recently had an assignment where I was out and about or on my feet literally for 36 hours - getting my boots off after that, when I was finally home again, was a twenty minute job

Sounds similar to when one has just gotten off an overseas flight. Ain't that the worst?

[Shyheels]

Yes it was deeply unpleasant - aside from exhausting. I’d only just gotten over another dose of Covid and promptly suffered a relapse. 

[Bubba136]

On 7/23/2024 at 5:49 AM, Shyheels said:

Mine are definitely bigger in the afternoon. I recently had an assignment where I was out and about or on my feet literally for 36 hours - getting my boots off after that, when I was finally home again, was a twenty minute job

Didn’t boot makers start putting zippers in boots just to make putting them on and taking them off easier?  😳

Edited July 24 by Bubba136

[Shyheels]

Yes, but quite a few of my boots are pull-on styles and while they fit beautifully around the foot, they can be really hard to remove if your feet swell

[at9]

I have a bootjack to help remove pull-on boots. I admit that my only such boots are wellies. It's like this but made of metal: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pluvios-Wellington-Remover-Scraper-Weatherproof/dp/B07F1VMDRJ/ref=sr_1_5?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AHiNlnPYWbeu38DQNj_aMcX8VKfUdh6tYXsP5T0S8lGsHx1ZPRf-cxfYOt-b_i-kVvYPITHSz6SjNUDpwZCtKrDsIW6-LFgXIZBnG2ZelUKiW0zJqEk8Nr9upSgIrOMTBMoIUnDK-SFDp72uOQkXVaavtL7jznWM52z8c90JN-uaZDuA5LPE7U0FiLLgVYSq3IQIs5y_hBY80UYJ0O3EUMm7rLF2ZOs_P9Xezwm8ozS-cmXgoBo0ysX7uH4JBNyPY5G1Er2dPAtM-dwuOe_C38LV-ZJGBKy-H5BCeGSnUPU.mV_wY9Nz2UAtvtaIu8BtHBa4SQzMB1OY9FjPQ_W2664&dib_tag=se&keywords=Boot+Jacks&qid=1721832713&sr=8-5