My First Outing!

[Gige]

About a year ago, a new employment opportunity compelled me relocated from a very large city/metro area to a smaller city which is the capital of state in which I reside. I moved into a spacious apartment and one of the goals I set for myself was build a “to die for” high heel boot collection. Once the boots started arriving, I would spend hours wearing them around my place but, sadly, the limited confines of my living quarters filled me with an overwhelming desire to get out in public with them. I live in a large, multi-building complex but despite this, there is little outside activity on the part of other residents during the cooler months other than going to or come back from their places of employment, errands, or other activities. It has always been my dream to walk about in public while wearing a pair of high heeled boots and until recently, I thought my dream would never be more than just that – a dream. About two months after I moved into my new residence, I decided to take advantage of the lack of neighborhood activity and “chance it” by taking a quick walk in a pair of heeled boots to my car, parked about ~50-60 feet from the front door of my residence.  This first trek was successful and others were to follow, but they always occurred under the cover of late-night darkness. Likewise, I would cover my boots with long pajama style pants and walk on my tip-toes so as not to make any noise and possibly bring any attention to myself. Upon getting my into my car, I would quickly scan the area to see if any of the other residents were around and may have noticed me. Each and every time, however, I was never knowingly observed on any of my quick treks to my car and then back into the “safety” of my residence.

These quick trips to my vehicle and back soon expanded to my mailbox and trash dumpster, which were about 150 and 175 feet, respectively, from the door of my residence. These short walks were still the same as those that proceeded them – long pants covering boots and under the darkness of late nights. Then, on last New Year’s Eve, I decided to be “highly adventurous” and after putting on a deliciously beautiful pair of five-inch heeled ankle boots I had just received earlier that day, I walked to the trash dumpster – boots uncovered. What truly made my heart race was the fact that a unit within one of the buildings was having a New Year’s Eve and as it must have been warm within, all of the doors and windows were wide open – and I strolled right past them with the mesmerizing sounds of heel and toe striking the ground. Also, given the height of the heel, my pace was much slower than normal, so if anyone saw me, they would have clearly seen me!

My job is considered a “hybrid” in that I have the option of choosing what days I want to work from home and what days I head into the office. Over the following months, I developed a pattern of what days I would work from home and on those days, I was in a pair of heeled boots before I even turned on my computer. I will admit that there was a thrill of being in a meeting or conference where my colleagues or supervisor could see my face and shoulders but not see or know about the gorgeous boots I was wearing.  With the arrival of summer, however, the boots went on holiday.

With the onset of the cooler autumn weather, the boots returned with a few new pairs and again, so did the longing to wear them in public. As the days grew shorter, I took my late-night treks to the trash dumpster but each and every time, the route to and from was a bit longer than the last; the lure of longer walks in my boots was becoming more and more irresistible. Late one evening, I had on a pair of Guess “Talore” ankle boots and decided that the time for a long walk in those had arrived. As they feature a rubber sole and heel, and are rather comfortable, the sound of heel and toe striking the pavement was going to be minimal, if at all noticeable beyond my ears. I made my way to a sidewalk outside of my complex and took a 30 minute (~3/4 mile) walk to a logical turn-around point and back to my residence, feeling a heightened sense of exhilaration when I returned. 

I quickly realized that having just one pair of boots suitable for “outside” use was insufficient and I subsequently I purchased a pair of Steve Madden “Rockiie” boots and Jessica Simpson Tulip boots from a popular online used/pre-worn clothing site. Shortly after both pairs arrived, I noticed that the Rockiie boots looked similar to cowboy boots, and reasoned that with sufficiently long pants, all but the absolute bottom of the four-inch heel could be covered. Likewise, as the front looks similar to any western style boot would, no one would be able to determine  the make or style of them just by looking at that portion of the boot. A quick trip to a nearby “superstore” found me the slightly longer pants I needed to cover just about all of the heels. That evening, I had prepared dinner and after finishing my meal, I noticed that one of the ingredients I used was a bit thin and realized that I needed to double what I had initially used. I did not, however, have this item on hand, and it was not too late into the evening and the local grocery store was still open, I decided to quickly head there to get that which I needed for the next evening’s leftovers. Then it occurred to me – why not do it in my Rockiie boots with the new pants covering them? I decided to do so an put on the longer pants and aforementioned style of boots, and headed out to the store.

I am sure some readers know that driving in heels is difficult and is much more so when the vehicle is a manual transmission, like my vehicle. Nonetheless, I made my way, with some degree of difficulty, to the parking lot of the store and stepped out of my vehicle. I had two stops to make: the first was to drop off recyclable plastic bottles in the front entry area of one store, while the next was to purchase an ingredient at the second store. I stepped out of my vehicle and got about half-way to the entrance of the first store when I stopped – there were “too many” people around and I was not ready to handle any judgmental looks or responses. So, I returned to my car and headed home feeling somewhat defeated. Upon returning to my residence, I took off my boots and pants never wanting to wear them again – I just could bring myself to go out in public in a pair of heeled boots. I waited for about an hour and upon learning that the stores were still open, I pondered taking a second stab at venturing out in public in my Rockiie boots. I put them on (with the pants covering them) and headed back to the stores. When I arrived, I took a deep breath and thought that if I cannot do this now, I never will be able to do so.

I walked to the first store while feeling the elevation of the heel, and hearing the sound of the heel and then toe striking the pavement – both so incredibly delightful! I entered the first store, put my recyclable bottles in the appropriate bin, and headed out about 15 seconds after I entered. Well, guess what, the world did not come to a halt! Feeling good, I walked back to the second as just before entering I said to myself, “Well, here goes nothing” and entered. The store was rather uncrowded and I was able to quickly find what I needed. I do not know what possessed me but rather than head right to the self-checkout lanes to pay for the item and get out, I decided to take the long way to the registers and walked all the way around the store. There were some other shoppers I encountered and took a detour down other aisles to avoid them as I was still fearful of possible reactions to my footwear. Regardless, I eventually made my way to the register, back to my car, and back to my residence. I did it! I finally been able to walk in a public in a pair of heeled boots! It was a dream come true and I could not wait to do it again! I realized, however, this was only a test and I needed to have more encounters with people to truly see if I could do this...those encounters would soon follow.