Actor Jason Ritter

[kromozome]

HOLLYWOOD - JULY 21: Actor Jason Ritter (wearing high heels) arrives at the opening night of "Hairspray" on July 21, 2004 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

[Mickey S.]

I think he had no choice or he would have been slightly 'shorter' than the girl in the rightmost picture... CU! -Mike

[new_look]

i think it didnt co-ordinate with his outfit so well. Had they been black they wouldve made a nice outfit. it seems that any male celebrities who do ever wear heels wear something daft that noone would wear anyway, therefore would never take off as a trend cos noone thinks it looks good. At least looking smarter, some people will be persuaded maybe? i think its a bit of bad advertising

[Nicole]

i think it didnt co-ordinate with his outfit so well. Had they been black they wouldve made a nice outfit.

it seems that any male celebrities who do ever wear heels wear something daft that noone would wear anyway, therefore would never take off as a trend cos noone thinks it looks good. At least looking smarter, some people will be persuaded maybe?

i think its a bit of bad advertising

I like the look- but either his shirt should be lighter blue or the shoes darker blue. That way, the coordination would have been better.

[shyguy]

I agree with Daz, the overall look just isn't right. It could have been done so much better and then would have looked good instead of just attention grabbing. And surely his wardrobe people should have advised him better.

[hoverfly]

Blk heel boots, would haved worked great. Blue heels......yech

[new_look]

i know. i think its hard to make blue heels of that colour look good with nearly anything. It looks a cheap crappy colour. As shyguy said, he was just trying anothe outrageous look, which will make people spring him to mind anytime anyone mentions heels on a man. With a better outfit he could have promoted a different, but smart image which im sure some would have made people think positive for us heel guys, instead of 'outrageous'

[genebujold]

Daz, others, you're right - blue=yech! Perhaps with another outfit, but not black! How would he have looked wearing my Franco Sarto boots in my avatar? Much better, I would imagine!

[shyguy]

Yeah your Francos would have made the look stylish. Much nicer overall. And as many have said those blue shoes would be hard to match with anything. However black would have been very smart and as Daz states made a better impression for all me who want to/ do wear heels out.

[JeffB]

Perhaps he intentionally wore that color in order to get noticed. Just a thought!

[hoverfly]

Perhaps he intentionally wore that color in order to get noticed. Just a thought!

Yeah, people noticed all right.... yeck bad match. You would think that wearing heels would be enough to get noticed. I mean it does not matter what color of heels for a women to be wearing. She most likly get noticed, though higher the better.

[Bubba136]

Yes, I agree. He probably wore them as an afterthought.

[Rockpup]

Isn't the old showbiz saying that "any publicity is good publicity"? Would we have discussed his involvement in the play if he'd worn regular loafers with his outfit? Jim

[new_look]

our point exactly. noticed for the wrong reasons - not look at him in heels, but what a crap combination between a smart dressed man and the footwear of a podium dancer

[TXT-1]

that colour combination is a very poor choice, if he wore black versions of those heels He could have carried it off well but everyone has at least one brain fart in their life! later, TXT-1

[azraelle]

Tthe color matches his shirt, perhaps not the tint, but the color. Being a guy, it might have been rather more difficult to find the perferct tint in his size than it would have been if he was a girl, with a typical female foot size. Give the guy a break!!!

[new_look]

easier to find black than blue if that was the problem

[Heelfan]

Come on guys this is ridiculous! I thoroughly applaud Azraelle's comment - "Give the guy a break!". I'm ashamed to see you lot (some of whom are my friends and fellow street-heelers) bitching away so cattily about the comparatively minor matter of colour-taste. Can I remind you that some of you are the self-same guys who have been moaning on and on about how unfair it is that guys-in-heels is not a mainstream fashion and why can't male stars like David Beckham legitimise it by putting it into high-profile practice. And yet, blow me, when similar star Jason Ritter actually DOES have the courage to do it magnificently in the spotlight, I hardly hear any "Great"s or "Well Done"s or anything, but only petty cribbing about the colour! Anyone outsider logging on to these threads could be forgiven for thinking that we're a bunch of old moaners instead of looking at the positive aspects. Acting positive gets things achieved. Constantly moaning doesn't. So from Azrealle and me at least:- "VERY WELL DONE JASON RITTER! LET'S HOPE MORE STREET-HEELING GUYS WILL FOLLOW SUIT, BOTH THE FAMOUS AND THE LESS WELL KNOWN!". Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

[genebujold]

VERY WELL DONE JASON RITTER! LET'S HOPE MORE STREET-HEELING GUYS WILL FOLLOW SUIT, BOTH

THE FAMOUS AND THE LESS WELL KNOWN!.

Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

Of course we're thrilled someone noteworthy had the guts to wear heels in public.

As for "advancing the cause," however, particularly with respect to mainstream acceptance, one's choice of fashion and color goes a long ways in either direction (acceptance/rejection).

[new_look]

all we were saying is that as someone had taken the trouble to wear heels as a guy, with guys clothes, a pair of black shoes wouldve made the outfit look smart, and perhaps a suggestion of a new fashionable look. instead he chose such an outrageous look that anyone looking, even us heel guys said that looks crap, and anyone else would too. As firefox often point out about the outrageous styles and us getting laughed at, a woman wouldnt really wear such heels too, and i cant remember ever seeing a woman with bright blue shoes as casual wear. Well done to him wearing the heels fair enough, but he is doing nothing to promote our image of men in heels, as people just continue to either think fetish, gay or completely outrageous-none of which are 'mainstream' fashion or in the queue for wide acceptance as normal clothing. daz

[Heelfan]

There's no pleasing some people! Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

[Rockpup]

Alot of us would like to wear heels while blending in. I saw a guy in ft lauderdale the other day wearing ~2-2.5" heel sandals just wandering around shopping. I applaud both this guy for just doing his thing as I do applaud Ritter for going for it. Even if celebrities get more leeway then most of us for pushing, or crossing fashion boundries. Also.. in my opinion the comments about color choise are due to us being used to people (men and women) wearing heels, so being comfortable with the thought of a guy in heels, we shift over to thoughts of how to improve the view. It does appear that the women he's next to in two of the pics is a bit taller then him, as they are close with him in heels. Should we be lucky enough for him to wear 5" heeled shoes/boots if she decides to wear moderate heels? Seeya Jim

[new_look]

depends how tall she (or short he) really is. who knows they may already be 5'

[hoverfly]

I have to agree, in this case image is very important. In case of wearing a high heels as a man, he needs to be taken seriously in order for others to honestly judge that person and to accept it as being normal, not as a freak. But then again, what is normal?

[Rockpup]

In my world.. I am normal.

[Pam]

Cheers for Jason!!! I saw the news on E! and thought that we need more events like this one to push heels for men forward. Even though "Hairspray" is a play that has to do with crossdressing, jason was wearing heels as a man, he could have dressed as a girl just for the kicks and for the good time. Instead he figured out how to dress a man's outfit with some cool stilettoes! THe cool thing is that this action put people to think...and I'll bet you that at least one person said....hey it looks good! That is the kind of reaction that we need to get a trend started!

[genebujold]

There's no pleasing some people!

Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

Sorry, Heelfan, but I agree with Daz - he should have had more taste.

Think of it this way...

If I were to advance a new style of clothing on men, which style would I be more successful in advancing?

This?

Or this?

They're both non-birfurcated garments, and while I'll back anyone else's choice, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize I'd have more success advancing the long dark skirt as a men's fashion than the flowered mini.

Same thing's true with Jason's heels. While I'm indeed glad he had the guts to go forth with it, I think the public reaction towards the idea was overall negative, whereas if he'd worn something like my Franco Sartos, the public reaction would have been positive, perhaps others would have even been intrigued to follow suite.

[azraelle]

OH PSHAW!!! Given the choice I not only would, but actually DO, wear other colors besides black, when I can find them in my size that is. If we are truly fighting for "men's fashion freedom" then the wearing of colorful footwear, as well as pants and shirts, should be a major part of the conflict. Otherwise, what is the point--Why F***ing Bother? I cannot abide Henry Ford's "You can have it in any color you want so long as it is black" applied to boots and/or shoes. I am not saying that I would wear bright blue boots or shoes, now, but if by some fashion miracle it becomes generally fashionable for the ladies, I might consider it. Because a men's version (in an "appropriately subdued" color or style) usually comes down the pike in a year or two. Specifics that I own, and wear: two pairs of very narrow ~4" heeled boots from PayLess, one in "peanut brittle", one in tan; and another pair of PayLess boots with 3" modified blade heels in cordovan (deep dark reddish brown). Nothing blue, mainly because of lack of opportunity to buy non-fetish styled colors in my size. Again I say give the guy a break. And yes I (for one) HAVE seen women wear such colors in heels, albeit for very dress-up affairs, which I might point out, was what Mr. Ritter was attending...

[Heelfan]

Firstly - I agree again with Azraelle. What's the point of wanting men's fashion freedom and then qualifying that by saying "As long as it's black". Girls wear shoes in all colours of the rainbow, so it's hardly giving fashion equality to limit guys to one colour! But secondly and more importantly, you guy-moaners are all missing my earlier point. I'm not so much saying none of you should avoid saying you prefer a black shoe to blue, but I',m saying it's a matter of priority of emphasis: There's precious few male stars who appear publically in high heels apart from freaky pop bands and tv/drag/pantomime queens. So at least first why not give Jason a thundering great WELL DONE JASON as the main part of your postings, with maybe 10% at the end mentioning the colour if you so choose. I repeat what I said earlier, by contrast it comes over as bitchy and catty and unappreciative if you lot immediately wade into his colour choice without even complimenting him on his bold shoe statement first. If he and other young stars were to read your posts, it would hardly encourage any of them to press on with heels in public. That it my main point - the question of emphasis. A bit of congratulation never comes amiss before expressing the odd reservation. Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

[xaphod]

In my world.. I am normal.

In the world of the mad, the sane man is crazy.

Xa