Aiming High - Practicing in Heels

[Shyheels]

Very true! I’ve been trying to think of where I can go to get some real world practice in my challenge heels. The nearest place is a park about a mile and a half away from where I’m moored - a distance and time commitment that is a serious disincentive. I can practice here in the boat - about 15 paces each way, back and forth - until I get enough fluency not to look stupid elsewhere

[higherheels]

@Shyheels, you have low temperatures already, but that's perfect for boots. In Germany it's still warm (20° C+) but that's about to change now. 

@mlroseplant Wow that's a great pair and a far distance, great job!

 

I lately only practiced in my Hot Chicks at home.

But I wore my other pair of Louboutins (Pigalle 120) to an event, the walk was a bit below 400 m one-way. This was the first time I wore a 12 cm heel out since the beginning of our challenge.

And I felt the progress in the 12 cm heels too, they were easier than ever 🙂

[Shyheels]

Yes! I love boot season - which I somehow manage to extend to all year round! Another night of clear skies snd low temperatures coming up, another early morning in heavy suede OTK boots! Perfect.

congratulations on the successful outing in the 12cm Louboutins! That’s great!
 

 I can imagine that after practicing in the Hot Chicks you would definitely find the Pigalle’s a bit easier. I know I’ve really noticed the difference practicing in my 12cm heels makes when I put on my 10cm boots. Even just wearing them on the boat is making a definite difference 

[mlroseplant]

Meanwhile, our temperatures here in Iowa are on the warm side. It sure looks like I'll be able to ride my motorbike to work for at least a couple more weeks. I never count on being able to ride past September consistently. What that also means is that sandal season is not yet over, either.

@higherheels, 800 meters in 12 cm heels is pretty amazing. My question is, did this event involve much standing, or were you able to be seated most of the time? If you had to do much standing at all, I'm really impressed.

@Shyheels, I can see where you'd have to be really motivated to get out and practice. And you know, it's funny that we're even talking about it in this way. There must be very few people in this world who would actually carry a special pair of shoes to a place just to practice wearing them. Maybe beauty pageant contestants? Dancers?

[Shyheels]

It was warmer this morning so I was back into my 12cm heels, doing a few lengths of the boat - a good 15 to 18; steps each way given the shortened steps one takes in such high heels - in between periods of writing. Practicing in heels has the added benefit of getting me up and moving every twenty minutes or so, something I really need to be doing as it is so easy to become absorbed in your work and find you’ve sat hunched up for hours on end. Our high heel challenge lifts me out of that unhealthy rut.

@higherheels I am also deeply impressed by your 800m walk in 12cm stilettos, all the more so after my practice session this morning!

@mlroseplant It is curious, but nice, that we take things seriously enough to want to walk well in our heels. And sometimes that does mean treating it as a sport that you go somewhere to practice 

Edited Wednesday at 10:49 AM by Shyheels

[higherheels]

@Shyheels I'm also looking forward to boots season 🙂

It's a big difference between the Hot Chick and the Pigalle. Not only the height, also the general comfort. The Pigalle are also very well worn in already.

 

@mlroseplant Thanks! The Pigalle really ain't that bad, even for extended walks. And now with practicing in the Hot Chicks it feels even easier. I might choose some 12 cm heels again for longer walks and see how it goes.

Only in the beginning I was standing for like half an hour, but afterwards mostly sitting.

[Shyheels]

@higherheels  I’m impressed! Standing for half an hour in 12cm stilettos is pretty darn good. to say nothing if walking to and from. One if the things I do for practicing on my boat in my 12cm heels is standing to eat my lunch and I can definitely feel it!  I’ll get fit calves out of this if nothing else!

I take your point about good design making a big difference. My Jean Gaborit boots are so incredibly comfortable and easy to walk in.

@mlroseplant Have you any rides planned?

[higherheels]

Yes, only standing can be a good training too, I also feel that when wearing the Hot Chicks while cooking.

[mlroseplant]

@Shyheels, I am not 100% sure what your question is referencing, but the first thing that comes to mind is the motorbike. I don't have anything special planned until next year, as our season is rapidly drawing to a close. Basically, I'll ride until I can't stand it anymore, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of 5º. 

One of these days, I'll have to drag out my standing in heels story again for @higherheels's benefit. Possibly there are other who have not heard it before, but I don't have time today to write it all out.

[Shyheels]

Teetering this morning with the boat on an ever so slight list to starboard - not unusual in narrowboats. You notice it vaguely when you walk along the galley and living space in regular shoes or slippers, but very much more so in 12cm stilettos. I’m looking at it as good training for balance!

2 minutes ago, mlroseplant said:

I am not 100% sure what your question is referencing, but the first thing that comes to mind is the motorbike. I don't have anything special planned until next year, as our season is rapidly drawing to a close. Basically, I'll ride until I can't stand it anymore, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of 5º. 

Yes - I was wondering if you had any good motorbike expeditions planned to make use of the fine autumn weather. I don’t think I’ve heard your standing in heels story, or at least I don’t recall it, so I’ll be interested to hear it!

[higherheels]

On 9/25/2025 at 11:34 AM, mlroseplant said:

One of these days, I'll have to drag out my standing in heels story again for @higherheels's benefit.

A standing in heels story...now you got me curious

[mlroseplant]

Ok, I've got some time, I might as well tell the story again. I should probably tell this story more often to people who ask me how I manage in heels so well, rather than just saying that I practice a lot.

I officially "came out," so to speak, in May of 2012, when I wore my first pair of obviously elevated heeled shoes to a public function. Those shoes were effectively 3 inch, or 7.5 cm tall. All of the shoes I had at the time were platforms, so I am subtracting out the platform in order to give you a better idea of the steepness challenges involved. Later that month, I took my first real walk in these 7.5 cm heels, which was an eye-opener, because I had no idea how tired I was going to get before I got back home.

Later on in that year, I moved up to effective 3 1/4 inch, or just over 8 cm heels. By about New Year's of 2013, I had bought some 4 inch, or 10 cm heels, and I thought I was doing pretty well at them. Until I made the decision to actually go somewhere in them. My wife and I needed to go to a large shopping mall, something to do with our mobile phones. I don't remember the exact reason, but it doesn't matter to the story. I proudly wore my new 4 inch ankle boots which I had just purchased the week before, and we headed off to the mobile phone store, which was probably 300 m away from our car. No problem, right?

For whatever reason, the store was really busy that day, and we wound up standing and waiting to be served for the better part of an hour. After standing that long in heels, what seemed like a reasonably easy walk into the mall was incredibly painful on the way out. I literally thought I wasn't going to make it back to the car, my feet hurt so bad. I thought I was going to die. Now, 12 years later, it's hard to remember the intensity of that pain, but I remember thinking to myself, "This high heel thing is just a fantasy. Nobody can wear these things all the time!" I became very discouraged.

I do not remember how I got the idea to actually start walking in heels for actual exercise, but it took root shortly after that incident, and I went back down to 3 inch heels and started walking the neighborhood, short distances at first. I didn't really try anything much taller than 3 or 3 1/4" for a long time, but eventually, the 4 inch boots which nearly killed me have become not only doable, but easy. I still have that same model of ankle boot to this day, and I really wouldn't hesitate to wear them to Disney World. They've become that natural, and I guess I've managed to train my feet and ankles to deal with them all day, every day without really thinking about it.

I should remember this story more clearly whenever I hear somebody tell me that she can't wear heels for more than 30 minutes without great pain. I was at that place myself at one time. What motivated me to try again is still a mystery. In all reality, my life would have been much easier if I had given up back then and figured that all those women who wore heels every day were in constant misery, and that it wasn't worth it. Instead, here I am more than 4,000 km and dozens of heel tip replacements later, and now I'm the freak who can hack the tall heels like they were carpet slippers!

[Shyheels]

That's a great story @mlroseplant. I can picture the scene and imagine the circumstances - and the discomfort. I have a standing in heels story too - a couple of them actually. Like yours mine occurred when I was first trying out high heels. I'd always fancied heels and wished it were open to me to give them a try without it being turned into some big deal. When at last I summoned the nerve, I bought myself a pair of very elegant knee boots with 10cm heels - fashion classics, the very sort of boots I'd secretly always wanted and wished I dared to by. All well and good. They arrived and they were perfect. Nicely made, soft leather, perfect fit. I'd gone with boots as my f=gateway into heels mainly because I like boots but also because they seemed the sensible choice - if sensible is ever a word you can use to describe stilettos. In all the how-to-walk-in-heels articles and blog posts I'd read ahead of time, beginners were advised to start low and chunky and work their way up. Somehow I thought that didn't include me, but to be on the safe side I figured to get something at offered decent support. I wanted to succeed at this not end up in A&E with a twisted ankle and a dumb backstory. So boots it was. By all accounts they were easier to walk in.

After sitting for a few thoughtful moments, admiring my new high heels and marvelling at my daring for having bought them,  I stood up!. Wow. Aside from the giddy rush of finally being in heels, my calf muscles clenched up like I'd done a thousand toe raises at the gym non-stop. That was a surprise. Until that moment it had never even occurred to me that I might lack the muscle tone to wear heels. How could that be? I'm a cyclist. I ride a couple thousand miles a year and live in a hilly town. But taking up high heels was like taking up a new sport, one that not only requires a new skill set but uses your muscles in a whole new way as well. It was my first proper glimpse into the world of high heels.

I didn't quit or give up but I look things more sensibly after that. A couple of days later, I managed to eat my lunch standing by the counter in my stiletto boots and felt quite chuffed at my progress. Outside a neighbour went by walking her dog. She saw me in the window, smiled and waved. I smiled and waved back, blushing a bit and wondering if she'd noticed I was several inches taller. A part of me hoped she had. 

 

 

[higherheels]

Great storys from both of you!

The unexpected situations when you have to stand for a long time are something that's unavoidable if you're wearing heels often. I also could tell so many stories about that...

It's funny how we're all so different, but the general paths and ups and downs can be seen in all of our journeys.

You definitely took me down memory lane and since we're at it, I might as well tell you about my beginnings:

I bought my first pair of heels when I was 16. It was the time me and my friends started going to clubs and parties, and since we felt like we're the big girls now, we also wanted to dress like them.

Needless to say we weren't nearly as grown up and smart as we thought we were. So my first pair were cheap stiletto pumps with a plateau and much bling-bling 😂

I don't remember the exact model but wouldn't find anything about them anyways because they were no-name. They must have had something like a 12 cm heel with a 3 cm plateau. 

I wore them the first time for going to a club. It started pretty good but after an hour or so they already hurt really bad. Nevertheless I (and also my friends) didn't want to show any weakness so we just kept on going for a few more hours until we couldn't take it anymore and walked home barefoot.

I had blisters all over the place, but that didn't stop me. I always wore them out again when I had the chance to. Looking back I really don't know how I was able to stand the pain. Probably also a part of being young and dumb.

And over time it really got better, and I also bought some better fitting heels. But the big breaktrough came when I was 20 and found me a pair of ankle boots with a block heel (around 8 cm). They weren't the type of high heels I wore until then, but I wanted something different for more casual everyday wear.

I couldn't believe how comfortable they were, and started wearing them for every occasion where I wore flats before. This was the moment when I properly started wearing heels - looking for a good fit and quality, choosing an appropriate heel height which is comfortable, etc.

It was like a reset where I started from scratch and then worked my way back up again to higher heels and different styles. And it's basically where I'm still at now, wearing my heels daily and sometimes trying something new 🙂

[Shyheels]

Yes, it is funny how our paths are so similar despite our differences in lives and countries and jobs. You too have a good story. You certainly had some amazing dedication to have continued after that first painful night out.

Like you, I found redemption in chunky heeled ankle boots. I'd always wanted a pair of boots such as you describe - I viewed them as racier, edgier versions of the hiking boots I wear as a matter of course (Im the guy editors send off to wild and remote places, not the one they have covering finance or politics) I found a pair of very nice black leather ankle boost with 8cm chunky heels and almond-shaped toes (my favourite style) and loved them. Like you I could them amazingly comfortable and easy to walk in, yet they still gave me the sense of being in heels and the satisfaction that came with that. I now have a couple pairs pf 8cm block heeled boots, including knee boors and an OTK pair and love them.

Aside from liking the style they helped build up my abilities and now I'm taking up the challenge of 12cm stilettos!