Whatever next?

[Puffer]

We are used to seeing some weird and not-so-wonderful footwear styles but I question whether these 'double-heel sandals' are remotely attractive or practical.   Introduced by Simon Poirte Jacquemus, available now in several similar combinations and a snip at £805.

[Cali]

Toooo weird for my taste and I don't have £805 for garbage. But somebody must like them.

Then why stop at two layers???

[Tech]

Its the "High Heel-Heel"... Definately odd, visually...

[Shyheels]

Hideous - what’s the point? What’s the artistic message? Looks like the designer got bored, or a machine screwed up and bonded two prototypes, and somebody decided to call it art.

[Puffer]

Here we go again - all metal sandals with 15cm stiletto heels in alternative thicknesses.   I can scarcely imagine anything less comfortable; without padding those stiff metal uppers must surely cut into ones feet and toes?   It certainly looks as though the wearer was having great difficulty in walking; hardly surprising.   A fetishy gimmick if ever I saw one.

Trying on NEW METAL SANDALS with 15 cm HEELS ! (youtube.com)

[Shyheels]

Indeed. Neither art nor fashion is served here. 

[CrushedVamp]

I am artistic by nature, so I understand the overall idea of "no limits on imagination" so when I see wild artistic expression I try and be non-judgmental, I mean that is the whole idea of a fashion show, to be only expressive at what could be. It is no different than car manufactures who make full size clay models of cars, and their prototypes are so different than what can be efficiently made in the factory production line. Or a Henri Mattise painting looking outlandish in his day, but painting it nonetheless and seeing the world likes the vibrant colors and visible brush strokes.

I get that.

But at what point do you NOT waste your time in an endeavor?

The double sole? The metal shoes?

By their very nature shoes lend a self-evident practicality to them: they must be worn. Sure we can blend form and function, and we can challenge the user to on the skillful wearing of them via dizzying heights of stiletto heels, so by all means show us high heels festooned with barbwire if you want, but to make barbwire insoles is insulting to the audience at large.

The double soled shoes? It's kind of insulting because I cannot unsee that.

[CrushedVamp]

I think one area of high heeled shoes that has gone unexplored is adjustable high heels. One look on youtube regarding “types of mechanisms” and it is clear to see that an adjustable heel is possible.

Maybe it is adjustable in ¼ inch clicks, or a thread-out type of heel, or who knows, maybe the two means combined together so that a 2 inch heel could be extended to five inches? I could just see some interest in the same pair of shoes that is worn sensibly to work is cranked out and not so sensible at the club. Or the pair of shoes worn to work and is shorter in the morning takes on a much high heel in the boardroom later that afternoon?

I am not sure, but it surprises me that this has not been explored with high heels yet.

[mlroseplant]

On 12/15/2024 at 1:26 AM, CrushedVamp said:

I think one area of high heeled shoes that has gone unexplored is adjustable high heels. One look on youtube regarding “types of mechanisms” and it is clear to see that an adjustable heel is possible.

Maybe it is adjustable in ¼ inch clicks, or a thread-out type of heel, or who knows, maybe the two means combined together so that a 2 inch heel could be extended to five inches? I could just see some interest in the same pair of shoes that is worn sensibly to work is cranked out and not so sensible at the club. Or the pair of shoes worn to work and is shorter in the morning takes on a much high heel in the boardroom later that afternoon?

I am not sure, but it surprises me that this has not been explored with high heels yet.

I have not seen a "convertible" high heel that I find attractive, and to be honest, why would I have wasted the last 12 years training just so I can wimp out and change to flats? I do admit to having brought backup shoes with me on a number of occasions, but I've never actually had to use them! Well, except for that one time, when I experienced catastrophic shoe failure. Also, I don't understand how the shanks work in these convertible heels. They couldn't be terribly durable.

[CrushedVamp]

I guess I do not see changing out painful shoes as "whimping out"., but rather see both sides of the situation. Again, I do not wear high heels, but my wife does and lives in hers.

Still I remember one time going to a hockey game and we had anticipated a restaurant being opened after the game ended. They weren't, requiring her to walk in high heeled pumps for quite a ways before we found one that was open. I am not sure of the distance. From hotel to Arena, to the closed restaurant then to another and back to the hotel? It might have been a 1-1/2 to 2 miles. It was a painful walk for her that night and that is not what I wanted her to remember about our date-night. After that we brought emergency shoes with us, either Keds or the dreaded flats

I am disappointed when she changes out to either of those, but do understand. My feet never hurt that night but hers sure did.

There is certainly something to be said for grinning and just carrying on despite the heel pain. If we always did that, we would be much robust in life. But then, why, if there is another easier, less painful alternative? Again, I see both sides.

[Shyheels]

The idea is to enjoy yourself. Looking good or elegant may be a part of that but if you’re in pain then that too is going to affect your look. I can see being stuck in heels if you’ve no back but, but if you’ve options use them. Enjoyment should be the overriding factor in fashion. If the pain of wearing heels is overcoming that enjoyment then give it a rest.

My most miserable experience in being stuck in painful footwear was going on a hike in a pair of poorly designed trail running shoes, whose poor design didn’t manifest itself in short walks around town but certainly did about five mikes into a 15 mile hike. Turned my right foot into hamburger. I’d have happily changed into anything. As it was I was able to limp to a rural railway platform, wait two hours for a train and from the station back in town limp to a cab and home. A horrible experience of bad footwear.

[Cali]

I had my hiking boots bit into the back of my heel at 7 miles in a 10 mile hike/backpack trip into the sierra wilderness. Had to leave the sock for the entire 5 day trip, struck. When we got back to the car, I had to soak my foot in the ice cold mountain stream to get the sock off. 

[CrushedVamp]

7 hours ago, Shyheels said:

The idea is to enjoy yourself. Looking good or elegant may be a part of that but if you’re in pain then that too is going to affect your look. I can see being stuck in heels if you’ve no back but, but if you’ve options use them. Enjoyment should be the overriding factor in fashion. If the pain of wearing heels is overcoming that enjoyment then give it a rest.

My most miserable experience in being stuck in painful footwear was going on a hike in a pair of poorly designed trail running shoes, whose poor design didn’t manifest itself in short walks around town but certainly did about five mikes into a 15 mile hike. Turned my right foot into hamburger. I’d have happily changed into anything. As it was I was able to limp to a rural railway platform, wait two hours for a train and from the station back in town limp to a cab and home. A horrible experience of bad footwear.

Mine was at a job where the President of the Company was a jerk. It really was as close to a sweat shop as you can get. Some days it approached 140 degrees (F) with the 400 welding robots we had going.

I understand production, but this guy thought seats on the production floor made the company look like lazy people so there was none. For 10 hours a day, 5 days a week workers had to stand in boots, on concrete, with metatarsal protection, meaning the foot cannot flex as it walks. We all hobbled in pain. It destroyed my feet for the few years I worked there. No amount of insoles or good boots overcame any of it.

The funny thing was, when I started my next job after quitting, 1 minute into my first work day they said, "now the most importantly thing is finding you a chair". It was work in a powerhouse and not even an office job. My feet have since recovered, but those years of working in that sweat shop did a number on my feet.

[mlroseplant]

On 12/19/2024 at 8:11 PM, Shyheels said:

The idea is to enjoy yourself. Looking good or elegant may be a part of that but if you’re in pain then that too is going to affect your look. I can see being stuck in heels if you’ve no back but, but if you’ve options use them. Enjoyment should be the overriding factor in fashion. If the pain of wearing heels is overcoming that enjoyment then give it a rest.

My most miserable experience in being stuck in painful footwear was going on a hike in a pair of poorly designed trail running shoes, whose poor design didn’t manifest itself in short walks around town but certainly did about five miles into a 15 mile hike. Turned my right foot into hamburger. I’d have happily changed into anything. As it was I was able to limp to a rural railway platform, wait two hours for a train and from the station back in town limp to a cab and home. A horrible experience of bad footwear.

It's funny about that, isn't it? In the past several years, I have been making notes about the idiosyncrasies of my many shoes. One of the notes says, "Not a 3 miler." It took me three tries before I realized that a 2 mile walk in these particular sandals was very pleasant, but each time I tried to go 3 miles, the silly things ate holes in the tops of my feet. The very same shoes are just fine for standing 5 hours at the farmer's market hawking egg rolls, but for some reason, there's just something about that third mile.