loveheel Posted May 25, 2004 Posted May 25, 2004 I have been wearing HH boots and shoes outside for quite a while. I am not a daily wearer, but do wear heels almost on any trip I make ( a few times a month). I have always wanted to wear HH sandals. I have pretty hot feet in most shoes and open shoes makes me feel so much better. So today, on a trip to San Francisco, I finally did it. I went shopping for shoes in these sandals. The heel was partly covered, but obviously my (painted) toes were clearly showing. It was awesome. A few people glanced, but nobody did a double take. And I was not struck down by lightning. Unfortunately, the heel on these is a little high for extended wear. On the Baker's web site it indicates a 4" heel, but when I measure it, it is more like 4 3/4. So I went out and bought some lower 3.5" heels. For those of you still on the fence, go somewhere where noone knows you and just be yourself.
Dawn HH Posted July 1, 2004 Posted July 1, 2004 Loveheel:-) That is a very nice sandal that you pictured on your post and you may be right in thinking that that height of heel may be too high for extended wear. Can you tell us how you are getting along with your 3½" heels? Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
Mickey S. Posted July 1, 2004 Posted July 1, 2004 I always envy the guys who go out in public in this kinda obvious female footwear, because I don't have the guts (yet). I'm more comfortable with the chunkier closed-shoe-type styles. I haven't been out in public with stiletto heels yet except when I tried on some 4.5" pointy-toe knee-high stretch boots in a shoe store and >> 'got caught' by other customers (2nd post in the thread). Anyway, nice shoes, loveheel! CU! -Mike
Dawn HH Posted July 1, 2004 Posted July 1, 2004 MickeyS.:-) I, like you, envy any guy that can wear stiletto heels out in public in daylight and pull it off. also, like you, I must wear chunky heels at all times and in all situations. That is all that my joints will allow at this late date in time. If you will check my old posts, you will be able to fill in the entire story complete. Besides that, Mickey68 would definitely not be seen in public with me if I could wear stillettos, but is quite happy to be with me while I wear chunky heeled boots. Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
Mickey S. Posted July 1, 2004 Posted July 1, 2004 Dawn HH, Fortunately, I don't need chunky heels but as I feel they are more appropriate when I'm outdoors. I wear my 4" chunky heel ankle boots on a daily base and I'm on stilettos all weekend long whenever the situation allows for. CU! -Mike
wineanddine Posted July 1, 2004 Posted July 1, 2004 To all: Was out of town for a day trip last week and decided to try some day time heeling too. I was in a suit so I had no chance of wearing thigh highs so I bought a pair of "stocking socks" to change in to. The most comfortable pair of heels I have though are 5" red patent stiletto pumps. I put them on in a mall parking lot and with a navy blue suit and the navy stockings the red looked great but I might as well have been wearing a neon sign above my head. Walked across the parking lot to the line of stores and then down one length of the sidewalk. The most difficult part was how painstakingly slow it is and the girl about 8 years old with her mother who stopped and just looked and then said something to her mom, but they both just walked on. I think it would have been much better without the red so today I bought the same shoe in a plain black, but probably won't get the chance to try that again for awhile. Very exhilarating for sure though. I guess my question is even with the heel showing quite a bit with a dark suit and dark shoes what are the chances that people will simply not notice?
ShockQueen Posted July 1, 2004 Posted July 1, 2004 I guess my question is even with the heel showing quite a bit with a dark suit and dark shoes what are the chances that people will simply not notice?Probably somewhere between zero and nil, but hey....as long as YOU feel good doing it.....does it really matter if you're seen or not? I've seen many pics of suits and heels (of course, most here), and I think it adds to the overall look instead of detracting from it. I'm sorry, but boring "men's shoes" on a suit look clunky and frumpy, where a nice pair of heels adds a flair of style and class to the look. As has been said before by others....onwards...and UPwards! SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!
genebujold Posted July 1, 2004 Posted July 1, 2004 I guess my question is even with the heel showing quite a bit with a dark suit and dark shoes what are the chances that people will simply not notice? I disagree with Shockqueen. Of course they'll notice! A guy wearing pink heels? Come on! Many people will even notice a 1.5" block heel - they'll just be too polite to comment. Yes, folks - unless you're wearing women's wingtip flats that are made using the same last and with the same heel as men's wingtips... people will notice! That's not the point. The point is - who cares? First of all, we do. If our street-heeling is inviting angry rancour, then yes - we should care! Fortunately, it is not, so we're on to the next phase - acceptance. There's only two things that will clear this hurdle - exposure and moderation. If you get the hankering to do the hot pink thigh-high 5" stiletto strut through city hall, have at it. But I would ask that you, out of respect for the rest of us who may have to contend with whatever legislation city hall may provide ("thou (men) shalt not wear heels higher than 2 inches, not narrower than the width of the heel itself"), to adopt a more gradual approach that would allow society time to get used to the idea of a heel-wearing man. If I may be so bold... 1. Definately wear heels in public. If you don't, you're not pushing the edge! 2. Wear heels that look fashionable on you with your current attire. If you can't figure it out, walk into your local version of Macy's and ask them - you'd be surprised at how much they would really like to help you and your heeling hobby to present the best fashion front. 3. If you don't have access to a fashion consultant, you do (if you're viewing this website) have access to the Internet. Conservative fashons can be found at Spiegel, JC Penney, Roamans, Lane Bryant, Nordstroms, etc. Yes, it's fashion for women. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the more masculine women's fashions are entirely acceptable on men, as well, and are largely available in larger sizes at the afformentioned websites. Although I'm a highly successful networking security consultant here in Las Vegas, NV, USA, I'm usually wearing woman's clothing throughout the day, I get away with it by ensuring the styles I choose are gender-neutral and progressive-looking. If anything, my clients believe I'm wearing the latest French fashions! Strangely enough, I've seen about a third of my clientelle adopt, to a limited extent, my fashion choices. Ladies and Gentlemen - this is amazing! This is real progress! The bottom line is, if you look good, it really doesn't matter what you're wearing. Personally, I think the fashion designer's who've "showcased" men in heels over the last 30 years have botched it big time by trying to tie their heel-wear with outlandish "queen"-type costumes which have very little to do with the vast majority of the target market - straight men, real men, who prefer wearing heels. Once the designers pull their heads out and come up with accessories that meet the fashion choices of the target market... - business will boom!!! Until then, it appears to be a wait and see. Personally, I prefer not to wait, so I've adopted a conservative approach (black leather heels under black slacks) and wear 4" heels daily in public. Just do it, folks! No need to "shock" them into acceptance! The easy, relentless approach works quite well. I do believe that at a full 21% of the population, we outnumber the naysayers by almost 2 to 1. Just do it - and do it in style.
loveheel Posted July 1, 2004 Author Posted July 1, 2004 Loveheel:-) That is a very nice sandal that you pictured on your post and you may be right in thinking that that height of heel may be too high for extended wear. Can you tell us how you are getting along with your 3½" heels? Cheers--- Dawn HH Dawn, My lower 3 1/2" heels were clearly a good buy. I have worn them out a few times since then. Usually under jeans that do not fully cover the heel. The sandals have thicker straps so they don't look ultra feminine. Though when people have a clear look, there is no doubt in their mind what they are. They are very good for regular wear and the heel height makes them very comfortable. I feel very good wearing them and that is the most important things I guess. I have bought a few more pairs of sandals since then at Bakers. I really will try to get some time together to post my collection on this site, as I would love to have comments.
asdf174 Posted July 1, 2004 Posted July 1, 2004 Prephaps one day I'll start wearing my heels out agian. I love those sandles by the way. It's all good. ~Arron.
Dawn HH Posted July 2, 2004 Posted July 2, 2004 Wineanddine:-) You went out in a dark business suit in 5" RED PATENT stilettos and walked along like you owned the place? BOY!!! Talk about "GUTS". I sure wouldn't have the "kahunna's" to try that. Whoa! The same shoe in black might work better for you, but I'm sure that a lot of people would sure notice what you have on your feet. Loveheel:-) I will be looking forward to seeing pics of your 3½" heels as that is the ball park in the heel height that I use---between 3" and 4", and you are right in saying that they are quite comfortable to wear for extended times. I have put in as much as 18 hours in a day in heels of that height and have done it many times without any problems and can immediately drop down to the floor in my stocking feet. Emery:-) In another thread you mentioned carrying your wife's purse as "Emery the Bold", and you were a little unsure about it. My father carried my Mom's purse all of his life and didn't think anything about it as Mom needed a lot of assistance to get around. Mickey68 also needs a lot of assistance in getting around and is on a cane because of 3 strokes that she has had and I carry her purse over my right shoulder constantly and assist her with my left arm as her eyesight isn't the best and she sometimes misjudges curbs and uneven terrain. If some miscreant were to start to mess with us to our detriment, he would be very surprised after I would hit him with a heavy purse and then send the heel of my high heeled boot through his foot. If necessary then I could finish him off with Mickey's cane. It's metal and I'm sure it would hold up just fine. Tee-Hee-Hee!!! Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
wineanddine Posted July 2, 2004 Posted July 2, 2004 Dawn HH: Thanks for your kind words but I wouldn't exactly say I felt like I owned the place. I was scared as hell, but the worst part in my own mind at the time was that the red patent was so obvious. Even though I agree with ShockQueen that with the black it is very unlikely to go unnoticed I think I'll feel a lot more comfortable and less conspicuous. I ordered the black pumps Wednesday so they should be here anytime. Have a great Fourth. Wineanddine
genebujold Posted July 2, 2004 Posted July 2, 2004 You know, you were probably safer wearing the red pumps. There's a little-known psychological concept called presense. If a would-be verbal assailant is teetering on the verge of verbally assaulting someone, they'll usually go for it if there's an underlying non-verbal message like you're trying to hide something. That tends to communicate weakness. But by wearing the pink pumps, instead of black ones, you're obviously not hiding anything, which would send the message that you're not afraid of squat - a significant deterrant for people like that. The last thing such a person wants is an "in-your-face" response. They're bullies, and bullies hate being bullied, which is why they bully first - to gain the upper hand. They tend to shy away from situations where they believe someone else already has the upper hand.
loveheel Posted July 9, 2004 Author Posted July 9, 2004 Wow, loveheel! That is a truly quartzian stunt you’ve nicely pulled off! Even though San Francisco is a famously gender-liberal city, it takes real courage to put yourself on the line like that – my profound congratulations. I honestly don’t think I’d have the chutzpah to go that far, myself. But you know, these days I probably wouldn’t be too shy to do some fairly outrageous street-heeling on Newbury St. Of course, that’s only because I don’t live near there any more! My only long-distance stiletto-ing was in Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas – 2 million square feet of mostly upscale shops. Again, I don’t live there, so the sense of freedom was too tempting to resist; of course, when my wife and I were sitting down for coffee, some acquaintances from the east, 12+ years ago, came by and chatted. What they thought of my Enzo Angiolini t-strap stiletto sandals I don’t know. They didn’t say. Thanks. I wouldn't exactly go walking around Newbury Street in Boston with this footwear. That is a bit too close to home. I teach at one of the major colleges in the Boston area, and so there are a lot of students around that have had me as a teacher at one point or another. But when I am out of town, I really don't care all that much. As has been said many times on this forum, if you wear things with confidence and style, people might have a second look, but they usually do not seem to be outraged. On that same trip I had a pair of 4.5" stiletto boots (with point heel) with me. I wore them for a short time outside, but felt that I walked too clumsy in them, and so I took them off. I think the last thing we guys want is to be made fun off because we wobble on our heels. If you are going to wear heels in public, make sure you can walk in them with style. This is no different from women. I think women that wear heels that are clearly too high for them to be be comfortable, look silly.
wineanddine Posted July 9, 2004 Posted July 9, 2004 Dawn HH I got the black pumps in the mail from "Heelbuys" store on the internet and they are the most comfortable I have ever worn. The black is much less obvious than the red patent (obviously) and I'm looking forward to taking them out although it will probably be some time. With 5" stiletto heel they are surprisingly comfortable and easy to walk in. The name on them is Jante. For only $16.95 they were a real bargain. Wineanddine
Dawn HH Posted July 10, 2004 Posted July 10, 2004 Wineanddine:-) Like you said, the black pumps should be a bit more discreet than the flaming red ones. I envy you being able to walk confidently in a 5" stiletto heel, as 4" is my limit. Of course, the larger size feet can take a 5" heel much more comfortably than a smaller size. The elevation wouldn't be so sharp. I'm a 7½M in a pump. It has been said many times on this board that the Jante brand is the most comfortable heel, that the members who have them, can wear. I just have to go by what they have said as I haven't had an opportunity to try them yet. That certainly was a great bargain and being that they are most comfortable, I'm sure you will quickly get your money's worth out of them. Be sure to keep us all posted on any adventures you might have while street-heeling in them. Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
SF Posted July 11, 2004 Posted July 11, 2004 Loveheel, Referring to your original post. Glad to know there is another guy out there who wears hh Sandals in public. I live in the SF bay area and have been to Frisco and the Monterey Bay area many times in hh Sandals. For the most part, nobody notices, and those that do don't seem to mind (especially in SF). I have been wearing heels for many years now, and can wear them with just as much class and finness (sp) as the gals can. Maybe that's why nobody seems to care (or notice). The wife even says that I do well in heels. Wearng heels in public was a bit "scary" at first, but once used to it, it is a great confidence booster. I just wish more guys wore in public... See ya... SF "Why should girls have all the fun!!"
Dawn HH Posted July 11, 2004 Posted July 11, 2004 I would like to reinforce what SF has posted for any of you shy fellows who are scared to get out in public in heels. When I started, I used to sweat clear through my shirt so bad you could take it off and actually wring the sweat out of it. Talk about being a nervous "Nellie". You will very quickly find out, as some of you are starting to find out now, that the more you do it, the more calm you become, and as you gain more confidence, you will realize---"HEY, THIS REALLY IS FUN". Come on guys, I did it---now it is your turn. Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
loveheel Posted July 12, 2004 Author Posted July 12, 2004 Loveheel, Referring to your original post. Glad to know there is another guy out there who wears hh Sandals in public. I live in the SF bay area and have been to Frisco and the Monterey Bay area many times in hh Sandals. For the most part, nobody notices, and those that do don't seem to mind (especially in SF). I have been wearing heels for many years now, and can wear them with just as much class and finness (sp) as the gals can. Maybe that's why nobody seems to care (or notice). The wife even says that I do well in heels. Wearng heels in public was a bit "scary" at first, but once used to it, it is a great confidence booster. I just wish more guys wore in public... See ya... SF SF, great to hear from you. I live on the other side of the country, but it is always great to go heeling in San Francisco. It seems to be a city where people can just be a little more flamboyant. Compared to SF, Boston is rather boring. Good luck on wearing those sandals. The more I wear sandals, the more I like it. It is really much more fun to have your feet in open elegant shoes, than in those hote mens shoes that most of us have to wear much of the time.
genebujold Posted July 12, 2004 Posted July 12, 2004 I just wish more guys wore in public... SF I do too! Although I've been doing it long enough to be comfortable with it, I still get the occasional stare or background jitter... If more guys did it, this would slowly die down, just as it did with men wearing earrings.
Dawn HH Posted July 13, 2004 Posted July 13, 2004 Genebujold:-) I agree 100% with your last post. It sure would be nice if there were other guys in my area that wore heels in public like me. I'm out in public in my heels every chance I get and having a lot of fun with them. I have yet to see another guy in cowboy boots much less in high heels. I must be the only one around here at the present time. Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
genebujold Posted July 13, 2004 Posted July 13, 2004 Well, you may very well be! Hopefully, though, you won't be long in your individual persuits before you're soon joined by others.
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