Sharpening And Metal Tips

[SMDave]

I have a pair of spike heels that I would like to sharpen and give metal tips. Right now the tips are about 5mm wide D shapes, made of hard plastic. What would be the best way to go about this? Are there any problems with wearing needle-sharp heels, and has anybody done this before? I have heard good things about concrete nails and awls as heel tips, painted black of course.

The image below is an attempt to sharpen some heels just by removing the plastic with a hand file and leaving the metal post, but it is kinda amateurish looking plus the post is about 4mm diameter, I want them to be sharper than this.

[Bubba136]

Just curious but why would you want to wear heels with needle sharp tips? I would think that they wouldn’t be very strong, stable or remain that way for any length of time.

[Shyheels]

Yes, I’m curious too. Aside from the drawbacks mentioned above, you’d damage the floor or carpet of any room you walked through

[mlroseplant]

I kind of get it, as a part of fantasy. I mean, it's taking the general idea of a stiletto to an extreme, a longstanding human pastime. Look at some of the ridiculous cars and trucks people have built over the years. But no, actual needle heels will not work in the real world. You couldn't use these as daily drivers, for the above mentioned reasons and more.

[Cali]

But they would make great lawn aerators.

[SMDave]

The objective is to take the idea of a stiletto to the extreme. By careful selection of materials the problem of strength and durability should be solvable. Also a tip material such as Tungsten Carbide would certainly show no visible wear over the life of the shoe. The stability is about the same as a regular stiletto, most of the stability comes from the toe anyways. A 5/16 wide tip gives very little added stability compared to a sharp point in conventional stilettoes. There could be a minor safety problem, but I am very careful where I put my feet, as are most all wearers of stiletto heels.

For driving I will have two safety caps that I remove upon exiting the car, leaving them by the driver's seat for the return journey.

Damage to floors would be an issue for brand new floors, but a floor that has been subject to walking on by regular stilettos for years is going to have damage anyways. I plan to avoid wooden parquet floors, obviously. Mostly I plan to wear the needle heels on the dance floor, and most disco floors are pretty robust in my experience. The extreme stilettos will create a stunning first impression without being too high to dance in. Hopefully most people will stay out of the way, a distinct advantage on a crowded dance floor.

[Camheels]

I did make a pair of sharpened metal stiletto ankle boots for my ex wife. I found a pair of boots that already had metal heels, and unscrewed them and had them replicated and hardened in tool steel, to a complete point. She wore them around the house a couple of times, then wore them on date night to the movies. Her first observation was, it was almost impossible to feel she had touched the wooden floor before the heel had pierced it. And with normal strides, she definitely left significant holes with every step. (Actually mentioned the floor felt soft) at the theatre, she easily sunk into the bitumen carpark, and had to walk carefully to avoid sending her heels right in to it. The concrete footpath was alright, Although could see faint chips if I stopped to look where she had trodden. She did say the worst part was the carpet in the theatre. You could hear her heels pop through it into and out of with every step. She actually had to try hard to not let her heels go right through with every step. She did experiment for me too, seeing what other things the heels would go through, a leather work boot was no match for them, and I know from what we did, she would not have felt resistance from a bare foot. All in all, they were way more dangerous than I could have imagined. Unfortunately she took all her heels and boots in the divorce. Aah well. Proper metal heels are almost impossible to find now too. 

[Jkrenzer]

Excellent story. Too bad you're both apart but must been fun.