Broke my own rules.

[luvmaryjanez]

I was watching TV and a woman had a pair of beautiful taupe (not that boring nude) heels. I could tell they were not Baker's $29.95 shoes. Now I had to have some. I found a pair by Nine West. They are unreal comfortable. I wear my heels with my everyday white crew socks. They were nice except the heel was that new type that is farther to the back of the shoe and uniform in shape. I'm so picky about shoes that I didn't want that shape heel but bought them anyway. I still prefer the original shape heel of 65 years ago but I still like them. When I see TV shows from the days of old I love the shoes, clothing, cars and modern things of the late '50s and early '60s. I feel the introduction of go-go boots helped to start the demise of heels. In later episodes of Bewitched she wears those awful low heel blunt toe shoes. A woman I knew took her beautiful heels to a shoe repair shop and had the pointed toes made blunt to be more fashionable. Killed me to hear that. 

[Shyheels]

As a child I was a huge fan of go-go boots! I wished I could have a pair of those shiny white boots  - it’s what set me on the course to liking women’s boots snd heels! I still fancy a pair of go-go boots if only I could find nice ones …

[bluejay]

Shyheels, I love wearing my shinny go-go boots, i have them in a lot of colors, including black, white, red, purple, hot pink, royal blue, yellow, brown,lime green,gold, silver and light pink. I gets lots of compliments from both women and men wearing them. I wear them with tights, leggings and my skirts, dresses and skorts in the warmer weather. It's a lot of fun wearing them out and about.

Happy Heeling,

bluejay

[Shyheels]

I definitely want to buy a pair. I've wanted go go boots since I was a child. 

[mlroseplant]

On 1/7/2026 at 10:28 AM, luvmaryjanez said:

I was watching TV and a woman had a pair of beautiful taupe (not that boring nude) heels. I could tell they were not Baker's $29.95 shoes. Now I had to have some. I found a pair by Nine West. They are unreal comfortable. I wear my heels with my everyday white crew socks. They were nice except the heel was that new type that is farther to the back of the shoe and uniform in shape. I'm so picky about shoes that I didn't want that shape heel but bought them anyway. I still prefer the original shape heel of 65 years ago but I still like them. When I see TV shows from the days of old I love the shoes, clothing, cars and modern things of the late '50s and early '60s. I feel the introduction of go-go boots helped to start the demise of heels. In later episodes of Bewitched she wears those awful low heel blunt toe shoes. A woman I knew took her beautiful heels to a shoe repair shop and had the pointed toes made blunt to be more fashionable. Killed me to hear that. 

I think I know which Nine West pumps you are talking about. It wouldn't happen to be the Tatiana model, would it? The setback stiletto heel is still better than the giant, clunky block heels that seem to be in style now.

Never mind one's fashion preferences, it amazes me that it once made financial sense to take your old shoes to the cobbler and have them majorly modified like that. Nowadays, we'd just throw them away and buy something new.

[higherheels]

8 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

The setback stiletto heel is still better than the giant, clunky block heels that seem to be in style now.

I actually like this type of stiletto heel on some models.

The modern block heels that are getting thicker towards the bottom are absolutely not my thing if you're speaking about those.

 

[mlroseplant]

16 hours ago, higherheels said:

I actually like this type of stiletto heel on some models.

The modern block heels that are getting thicker towards the bottom are absolutely not my thing if you're speaking about those.

 

Yes, those are exactly what I was thinking of. That and some of the Japanese inspired stuff. No thank you.

[Shyheels]

I agree as well - nothing about them appeals to me

[Cali]

Please NO!

[CrushedVamp]

Yeah, I do not like that style of heels either.

[mlroseplant]

Ok, let's talk about more pleasant things, then. I ran across a picture I took over four years ago depicting a "setback" heel vs. one that curves to the front somewhat. Shown in the front  of this photo is a true setback heel, which comes straight down to the floor from the back of the shoe. At the back of the photo is a curved, traditional shaped heel. I don't know if it has a special name. This is the style that I believe @luvmaryjanez likes the most. In the middle of the photo is something in between, which is what 90% of the stilettos I own are.

Some say that setback heel is simply there to make the heel appear taller than it actually is, and I suppose it's true. Our favorite Christian Louboutin certainly took advantage of this illusion, to his great success. CL makes very few shoes where the heel doesn't come straight down from the back of the shoe, and most makers have followed suit. I prefer a little curvature, but do not necessarily prefer the 1960s style of more extreme curvature. Steve Madden lets you have it either way. My favorite Daisie pumps have a slight curve to the heel, whereas the Vala model has a straight, setback heel. Otherwise, the two models are identical.

There are those who claim that the setback heel is much harder to walk in, and that you should always choose a heel that comes down more toward the center of your heel. I have personally never found this to be a factor at all, but then again, I've never had a lower heeled shoe with a setback heel. Perhaps it really does make a difference in the 2-3" range, but once you get above 4" I cannot tell the difference, other than looks. I will say it is somewhat easier to accidentally catch your heel walking down the stairs in setback heels, particularly if the stairs have those plastic edge protectors on them. Those are the worst!

[higherheels]

Apparently nobody here likes the modern block heel, I wonder who does. Maybe the ones who usually don't like heels? 😀

 

@mlroseplant I didn't even realize that all/most of the well known Louboutin models have a setback heel until you mentioned it!

I think all styles have their own beauty, but my favorite is the one with a little curve.

In regards to walking I also can't feel a difference. Maybe in a direct comparison of two identical models with a different heel.

[Shyheels]

I think that were a kind of special group - in terms of interest, passion and knowledge when it comes to heels. We’re far more likely to notice nuance and subtle differences than the average heel wearer

[Mr. X]

Here is a type of heel I can't stand. You see it alot on Steve Madden shoes. They look oddly out of place. And I don't like shape either. They remind me of that springy door stop you find on the wall.

[Gige]

I wanted to chime in here on a few points.

First, Go-go boots. I have never been a fan of them as they are so much associated with a specific time period - the 60s. The have seemingly survived for many decades afterwards for reasons I am not sure I could determine or understand. Not that I am complaining or the like, but to me, they are very much part of the "younger crowd" from a by-gone era. Go-go boots, like any object, have their place in history and breaking that association may be very hard to do regardless of how styles and attitudes change. I conducted a quick search for modern go-go boots and regardless with what they were pared, trying to see them in the context of contemporary fashion is hard to do.  This is not to say that they cannot or should not worn with current fashion, but, more so, doing so may take supreme styling ability. I would suspect that some of those who wear go-go boots now do so with an appreciation of the time when they were in their heyday. Again, speaking only for myself, they are not for me as they truly define an era where fashion trends and styling were very different. 

I think the pumps in question are the Nine West Etta, of which I have  pair in black, and they are rather comfortable. The heel on these, as seen in the photo, has little, if any, curve to it when compared to the shoe next to it. In a practical sense, the Etta pumps are really no different that any other stiletto pump I have worn. I would tend to believe that the setting of the heel bit back is more of a structural concern than a walking issue. Although I love the lines of the "classically" angle heel, I am also a fan of the modern straight down heel as it is beautiful update to a classic. This is not to suggest that all different takes on the heel are of the same beauty. I am not a fan of the cone shape or others similar styles, particularly those that are highly embellished, are triangular, or are an upside down cone. 

@higherheels I have to most politely disagree with you about the block heels. I prefer block heels to stilettos as the former offer greater stability and for me, comfort when walking. Stilettos have a time and place to be worn but given the choice, I would go with a block over a stiletto. Likewise, block heels offer much less of a possibility of getting caught in a crack or pavement irregularity than stiletto heels. As previously noted, I do not care for many styles of block heel but believe that, for the most part, they are more practical than a stiletto. I would say that about 90% of my heels are of a block heel style. 

Just to add to the argument that not all heels are beautiful, I submit this photo as proof of that point (I am not the person in the photo). I cannot imagine that they are comfortable for the slightest degree of walking. 

Edited 1 hour ago by Gige

[bluejay]

Giege, I have to disagree with you disapproval of go-go boots. I like them very much and I have them in a rainbow of colors. I do not consider them as go-go boots of the 60" and 70". I just like to wear them because they are very comfy to walk in with the 3-1/2" small block heels, which brings me to the point of agreeing with you on the small block heels of which most of my heels are, both boots and shoes. I do have a few pairs of stilettos which I wear very little of.

Happy Heeling,

bluejay

[Gige]

20 minutes ago, bluejay said:

Giege, I have to disagree with you disapproval of go-go boots. I like them very much and I have them in a rainbow of colors. I do not consider them as go-go boots of the 60" and 70". I just like to wear them because they are very comfy to walk in with the 3-1/2" small block heels, which brings me to the point of agreeing with you on the small block heels of which most of my heels are, both boots and shoes. I do have a few pairs of stilettos which I wear very little of.

Happy Heeling,

bluejay

Thanks for the response! Even though we may disagree on go-go boots, I do appreciate when anyone does offer a differing opinion/view point as it reminds me that others have a great reason for doing so. Just to clarify my point, I have always viewed go-go boots as less than a 3" heel (maybe closer to 2"). Thus, we could probably have a new discussion as to what constitutes a pair of go-go boots! Also, are your boots all solid colors, or do you have some with a pattern design?