Seen out and About

[Shyheels]

I thought I'd start this thread as a bit of a finger on the pulse of what is being worn. I was thinking of this the other night when I was in a busy pub having dinner and noticing the boots and heels being worn by my fellow patrons. I was wearing low-heeled OTK boots myself - bluish-grey suede over skinny jeans. I was not the only one in OTK boots. There was a young lady in black shorts (this in winter) with some very tall black leather boors - actually more like thigh boots than OTK.  I'd never seen anything quite like them. The shafts looked to be made of very nice leather and fit her well; that part was elegant. The boot part though was like a pair of exceptionally heavy Doc Martens with very thick clod-hopper soles. I don't know if contrast and aesthetic tension was the point of this, but it looked like hell. 

My other outing this week was to go to Leeds, an old city in the north of England. I saw a lot of people (all women) wearing heels - typically chunky heeled knee and and ankle boots with 3" heels. It was almost the norm. I was wearing black leather knee boots myself, again with low heels (my circumstances at the moment do not lend themselves to wearing heels - not because of the fear of censure but risky footing and the ruination of nice suede high-heeled boots) Again, my black leather knee bots, for over skinny jeans, passed without notice.

[mlroseplant]

It is a particularly bad time right now in my area to judge what people are or are not wearing fashion wise, because it all tends to be functional right now--too much snow! I myself have not worn high heels for more than a week. In terms of any elevated footwear, they're all block heels, the only difference being whether the woman chooses to wear 1" heels, 3" heels, or somewhere in between. I haven't seen too much variation. Of note is that skinny jeans are pretty much out now (though not completely), so boots have gone back underneath pant legs. Before the snow storm, shoes/boots in general have gotten clunkier. But we knew this.

[flavio]

I'm always looking on what other people are wearing on their feet, the functional trend is here but a good part of women still benefit on their liberties and remain wearing high heels or other fancy shoes. What is overwhelming is that, in a single week, I've seen two men (other than me) wearing high heels in quite fashionable ways and that makes me very happy.

 

[Jkrenzer]

4 hours ago, flavio said:

I've seen two men (other than me) wearing high heels in quite fashionable ways and that makes me very happy.

 

Please expand, what were they wearing and where?

[Shyheels]

Yes, I’m curious too. On rare occasions I’ve seen men in ankle boots with higher than expected heels but never anything else 

[flavio]

11 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

Please expand, what were they wearing and where?

I was waiting for this question 😝

1 hour ago, Shyheels said:

Yes, I’m curious too. On rare occasions I’ve seen men in ankle boots with higher than expected heels but never anything else 

Here it is.

The first one was wearing white boots with high Cuban heels. I'd say around 3 inch. Very fashionable on other clothes also. He was walking on the street, close to where I work.

Something like this:

Not obvious men's shoes what do you think? I'd wear them without a second glimpse.

The second guy was in a train station, platform opposite then mine, plain view for me. Wife with me, I said he had more courage than me in his choice. Zebra boots with thin heels like this:

 

My jaw dropped and I was jealous. How fancy it was. He had also other beautiful fashion clothes like a long coat. It was a quite cold Sunday in Paris. He was talking with a friend or boyfriend, I don't know, he seemed very well on his skin, big smile, enjoying his life.

Those encounters made my week.

It's not rare I come across men in heels in Paris but two in a week is a first. Happy to be part of this also 😁

[Jkrenzer]

Both are great and yes really like the 2nd pair. It's an encouragement to see but sadly other than mirror and window reflections I'm the only one I've seen.

[Shyheels]

I’ve always fancied a pair of really nice (tall) white boots

[pebblesf]

8 hours ago, flavio said:

I was waiting for this question 😝

Here it is.

The first one was wearing white boots with high Cuban heels. I'd say around 3 inch. Very fashionable on other clothes also. He was walking on the street, close to where I work.

Something like this:

Not obvious men's shoes what do you think? I'd wear them without a second glimpse.

The second guy was in a train station, platform opposite then mine, plain view for me. Wife with me, I said he had more courage than me in his choice. Zebra boots with thin heels like this:

 

My jaw dropped and I was jealous. How fancy it was. He had also other beautiful fashion clothes like a long coat. It was a quite cold Sunday in Paris. He was talking with a friend or boyfriend, I don't know, he seemed very well on his skin, big smile, enjoying his life.

Those encounters made my week.

It's not rare I come across men in heels in Paris but two in a week is a first. Happy to be part of this also 😁

I know how you must have felt.  I do my best to compliment guys in nice heels/boots when I seem them every once in awhile.  It is so frustrating when I can't catch up to them, or in company that might not approve.  

[Shyheels]

Yesterday when I was at the supermarket I was surprised to see a pleasant mild-mannered looking woman in her sixties wearing tight leather trousers and patent black ankle boots with what looked to be three inch chunky heels. There was nothing about her that suggested mutton trying to pass as lamb, or really anything overt about it. It appeared simply to be her natural style, worn with a tasteful but nondescript coat, her grey hair bunched in a loose bun. And because it was so obviously her natural style, she carried it off with ease and assurance. It was nice to see

[Shyheels]

I spent another long day travelling on inter-city trains and saw an encouraging number of boots with chunky 3” heels - not high by the standards if some in here, but a height and style I like very much. I also saw for the first time in a long while someone out and about in four inch heels - knee boots with tall thin block heels. One seldom sees heels that high out and about. I suppose four inch, fashion height, is more likely to be used for dressy or formal occasions than long days on your feet, in trails and railroad stations, where chunky three inch heels would have unbeatable appeal 

[at9]

Went to the theatre last night - Fascinating Aida at the London Palladium - great show. This may be their last ever tour so catch a performance if you can. If you look them up, be aware that some of their material is NSFW. I'm also warning that some may not like the overtly political nature of some of their songs, but that's not a legitimate topic for this forum.

Saw plenty of heels, though mine were the only ones on a man. Examples seen on the tube (subway for left pondians)  included black 4" block heel knee high boots on a young woman, 4.5", possibly 5", "nude" stiletto sandals on a woman out with her man. She looked at ease with them, even though most women would think of them as "taxi shoes". A few more thin heels up to 4" and loads of block heels up to 3".

Some recent photos of Michelle O'Neill, the new Northern Ireland First Minister, show her in possibly 4" stiletto court shoes. I wonder if she was wearing them when she met Rishi Sunak (UK prime minister and not very tall). Whatever you may think of O'Neill, Sunak and all again their politics isn't a subject for HHP.

[Shyheels]

I suspect going out to the theatre and mingling with the dinner and theatre crowd you’re much more likely to see tall stilettos. People dress up for such occasions - often in towering heels 👠 

[Jkrenzer]

1 hour ago, at9 said:

 

Some recent photos of Michelle O'Neill, the new Northern Ireland First Minister, show her in possibly 4" stiletto court shoes.

Not a petite woman by any means. 

[at9]

Five star review of the show: https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Review-FASCINATING-AIDA-40TH-ANNIVERSARY-SHOW-London-Palladium-20240205

Although some people do dress up for the theatre in London, I don't think there's any mainstream London music or theatre venue that would have any objection to jeans and trainers.  This may be less true out of London where theatre isn't so readily available.

This isn't the photo I was thinking of but here's Michelle O'Neill in classic 3" courts: https://www.politics.co.uk/reference/michelle-oneill-profile/

Some photos of her in 3"+ courts here: https://apnews.com/article/northern-ireland-government-sinn-fein-stormont-brexit-33dae8ed4649c9386366e2dcd73f7391

[Shyheels]

2 hours ago, at9 said:

Five star review of the show: https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Review-FASCINATING-AIDA-40TH-ANNIVERSARY-SHOW-London-Palladium-20240205

Although some people do dress up for the theatre in London, I don't think there's any mainstream London music or theatre venue that would have any objection to jeans and trainers.  This may be less true out of London where theatre isn't so readily available.

This isn't the photo I was thinking of but here's Michelle O'Neill in classic 3" courts: https://www.politics.co.uk/reference/michelle-oneill-profile/

Some photos of her in 3"+ courts here: https://apnews.com/article/northern-ireland-government-sinn-fein-stormont-brexit-33dae8ed4649c9386366e2dcd73f7391

Sounds like it was a great show!

[Shyheels]

Another day in the big city yesterday - and in the shuffling crowds an encouraging number knee and ankle boots with chunky heels of varying heights and even a couple of pair of stilettos. Looking at the demographics of the wearers make it clear that it’s the older age group with the sense of style - not only nicer (undoubtedly more expensive) boots but worn with greater panache, the standout being a stylish but by no means showy woman in her sixties looking effortlessly at ease in black OTK boots with 3-4 inch heels and a stylish but generally conservative long coat.  

[Shyheels]

I was travelling around northern England today and for the first time saw a man wearing a skirt. No heel, just tights and low-heeled ankle boots. A grey and black skirt and a leather jacket. This was at Leeds. Quite a modest ensemble and nobody gave him a second glance.

Also at Leeds a middle aged woman wearing some bright green stiletto ankle boots with what looked to be 4” heels. Quite striking. Not seen such flamboyant stilettos in quite a while.

[Bubba136]

Shows there are some individuals still willing to exercise their fashion boldness, out there. 
🙂

[Cali]

Great about the green stilettos, but the man in the skirt could just be a lost Scotlander.  😁

[Shyheels]

34 minutes ago, Cali said:

Great about the green stilettos, but the man in the skirt could just be a lost Scotlander.  😁

It was no kilt. It was a skirt. Nobody wears tights with their kilt! 😊

[mlroseplant]

I went to the bank to draw out cash in anticipation of my new motorbike purchase, documented elsewhere, and one of the tellers was wearing purple suede stiletto boots. I'm guessing 3 3/4" heel, maybe 4" if she has a bigger shoe size, so pretty decent. Had I been wearing heels myself (I came directly from my construction job), I would have asked/commented, but I didn't, instead. It's been a long time since I've seen anybody wearing real heels around here. I mean, besides me. I have half a mind to find some excuse to go to the bank for the next few Fridays just to see if that was a one-off.

Edited April 11 by mlroseplant

[Shyheels]

Why not?

I see noticeably more heels in the north of England that I ever saw in London 

[mlroseplant]

It used to be that heels were more common in the southeast of the U.S. than elsewhere. I am not sure whether that is true anymore.