Too high??

[kx500a1]

Hi Everyone, I'm new, hope I'm not going over old ground or being in any way offensive! Just a wee (as we say in Scotland) minor thing to get off my chest... just wondering if any other heel admirers agree?? I LOVE looking at stiletto heels on a woman, as I'm sure most here will agree, but do you think there is a point when high just becomes TOO high... and therefor looses some of the sex appeal / attractiveness? My own opinion is that stiletto heels (approx 4" to 5") are typical heels that the average ~(heel wearing) woman can walk down the street in and look sexy / classy in - heels 6" to 7"? Well as Laurie points out, it passes the "crossover point" - one doesn't gain much heigh beyond that - it's more like a heel extending beyond the natural heel, and which in my own mind is kinda overkill. It's not that 4 - 5" are exactly subtle... let's face it, those are still skyskrapers, make no mistake, but I find part of the sexiness and attraction is that they are wearable in everyday life by typical women and not just for fetish wear. However, saying all that, for example, sometimes higher is still sexy - some pics of Laurie in 6" black sandals look absolutely mind blowing - AND look so natural! Anyway, does anyone have an opinion on the above?? Cheers, James.

[Laurieheels]

They all have an appeal, different heights with different looks. I like them all once they're above three inches, but I have a favourite look. But it also goes with the sizes of the shoes as well as other facotrs. I like a slightly higher heel for sandals as look, but slightly lower heel for sandals when wearing them because I like to be very mobile. A lot of people are going to say that there is no such thing as too high. But I think that too high is a matter of situation and circumstance. A little redundant, I know. The idea being, every height with a purpose. Personally, 5.5 inch heels are spot on for me.

[hjt101]

I have to agree with Laurie, there are definitely heights that work better for certain occasions. I have several pairs about 4 inch and they are good for almost everything. My 5 inchers are more dressy, and make a different statement to observers. My pairs above 5 inches, require more thought and time when walking. My really high heels take a differnt gait when moving, and the pace is alot slower. My lower ones would allow me to run if required. As a personal view, heels under 4 inches are for most casual occassions. Heels between 4 and 5 inches feel very dressy and are for special occassions. Heels above 5 inches are either for the bedroom, or the stage. It really depends on what the wearer has on to go with the shoes. If it a business suit and 6 inch heels, all the power to them.! The big thing is that they can walk well in them!! Bent knees and stumbling around just look funny!!

[JeffM]

As they say Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Most girls on this forum have stated that they wear heels to create an image, the image as they see themselves, not as we see them. But those of us who see them might think a slightly higher heel would look better or maybe worse. For me there is some thing magical happens to a pair of stilettoes when the heel height equals or is higher than the heel tip to ball of foot measurement. Have a look at Laurie's avatar. That is my classification of a high heel. If the heel height becomes greater then I call it very high and if even greater still Ultra high. It doesnt matter what the shoe size is this way. Jeff

[Dr. Shoe]

There are two things that turn me on: A woman who can walk naturally and competently in high heels (4" and higher) or a woman attempting to walk in heels but can't! Anywhere in between does nothing for me. However, to answer your question, IMHO there does come a point when they are too high to be sexy either way. That is when the instep has passed through the vertical and is all distorted like a caracature. Actually, I find a small amount of curvature sexy but not too much where the ankle bone has migrated around toward the front of the front of the ankle.

[Firefox]

I think it comes down to different needs and perceptions. Personally I agree with the original poster. For me 4-5" are fine and look pleasing and are natural to walk in for the common sizes. For larger sizes you could add another 1/2". Beyond that other motives could take over. Restriction, pain, extremes, sharpness, domininance. So the people who like these types of shoes probably have other reasons in mind.

[JeffM]

Firefox wrote

Restriction, pain, extremes, sharpness, domininance. So the people who like these types of shoes probably have other reasons in mind.

Anne Louise sprang to mind when I read this. According to her posts she regularly wears 6 or 6 1/2 inch heels at work and is looking to go higher.

I doubt FF you could say she wears these heel heights because of any of your reasons. I belive she wears them just because she likes very high heels. Anita C is probably the same and a number of our other ladies too.

Jeff

[Anne_Louise]

It’s a slight exaggeration, sorry Jeff, to say that I wear 6” or 61/2” regularly. My few pairs of 6” are closed courts so only get an airing in cooler or wet weather. They’re not difficult to walk in but I don’t like the look of them as much as my 51/2”. The heels are a little thicker than I like and the shoes themselves are rather ‘heavy’ and clumsy looking compared to my preferred styles. It’s true that if I could find some full 6” heels in a more aesthetically pleasing design I should wear them much more often. My only (so far) 61/2” are a different matter, they have a lovely shape and fit well. I bought them last spring so didn’t wear them much before the warmer weather came, but I wore them often enough to manage without being unduly conscious of the extra height. In fact I posted somewhere, I forget where, how I wore them one working day and had walked to the car before I remembered which shoes I was wearing. Broadly I agree with Laurie, though my ‘low’ shoes tend to be around 41/2”. I have just two or three pairs of heels around 3” but only to throw on if I have just got in and need to give the dogs a quick walk ‘around the block’. I don’t possess any flat shoes – even my hiking boots and shoes have some heel which is necessary for comfort and support. My 41/2” and 43/4” are dwindling in number as they wear out – most of them are very old now as I haven’t bought any that height since I discovered 51/2”, and that must be eleven or twelve years ago. I wore some 41/2” at the weekend for an event that I was taking part in, simply because they suited my outfit and they are quite ‘eveningy’ and glamorous. Much as I like them, they have a lovely traditional stiletto and elegant pointed toes, I still don’t feel right in them for such an occasion, and if I could find something similar with a higher heel I would definitely get them. So for everyday it’s always 51/2”, which I can manage with no trouble at all, all day if need be. Some time ago some of us were discussing shoes, and one person said to me, ‘You look comfortable in your shoes.’ That’s the whole point, as expressed at the beginning of this thread, if the wearer looks ungainly or self-conscious then she should go lower, or have more practice if she really wants to wear that height. As for the 61/2” heels, Jeff you will be pleased to know that with the autumn underway I have now started wearing them again, and shall do more and more as I become used to them. Once they become easy for me I shall try some 7” – after all, Laurie has proved it possible, and I’m not one to be outdone! Laurie, you had better find some 71/2” to keep ahead of me!! The reasons for wearing such ridiculous shoes have been explored in other threads so I won’t go over old ground here. This message is already far too long, but I’ve not posted much for a while so I hope I’m forgiven. Anne Louise

[chris100575]

I agree with James on the whole, that a heel can be too high. For my size (8uk) I think that 4.5" - 5.5" has the nicest proportions, but for other sizes the heel could be higher or lower. Interestingly, I've just measured a pair of my 4.5" courts, and they fit Jeffm's heel height / heel tip to ball of foot theory quite nicely! Chris

[Firefox]

It does depend on the size doesn't it? I don't think we should be talking about absolute heights. For an average size of 38-40 European size then 4 to 5 is about right, but for every size above that you can add 0.25 to 0.33 inch and still achieve similar proportions. When many of the guys or TV's post their size can often be 42 to 44 so 5 to 6.5 inch is the corresponding range. I'm assuming this conversation refers to women you see in the street whose size is 40 or less 90% of the time. As for the reasons for wearing a certain type of heels there are always exceptions. If you view 99% of women on the street they don't wear crippling heels they can barely stand in. I think I can count on one hand the times I have seen women in an average size shoe wearing anywhere near 6". Correspondingly it follows that many of the things you see posted on these type of boards with regards to wearing extreme heels out and about every day are products of pure fantasy. Present thread participents excepted of course

[JeffM]

Anne Louise, I think you may be getting confused with frequent and regular. If you wear 6 inch and 6 1/ 2inch heels when the seasons are suited then that is regularly. If you wear them every week then that is frequently. I seem to remember this converstaion from some where else. Jeff

[Anne_Louise]

Some people are just too damned slick for their own good! You know EXACTLY what I mean, Jeff even if I am now hanging my head in linguistic shame. It's a cruel trick to show me up in public like that.

[Bubba136]

"Hug" for Anne_Louise.

[JeffM]

Does this mean you dont love me any more? Just as well I still have Laurie and Lucy and Vanity and Anita and JenniferHoustan and ..... Jeff

[Laurieheels]

Jeff? No one has me. I belong to myself only. ;P

[JeffM]

A pedantic point Laurie :argue: I didnt mean have as in own. I meant have as in friend, regard for, well-wisher, supporter, affection etc. So if you dont want to be part of that group then Ok. I will just have Lucy, Anita, Jenniferhoustan and the 93 million others. So and to you too. Jeff Ps I still like you, I still like you, I still like you. I said it 3 times first so I won. :rofl:

[Anne_Louise]

Jeff, dear, I think you had better stop digging! 'When in a pit .....' you know! Bubba, thanks for the hug - I feel better now.

[JeffM]

I should stop having a bit of fun?? OK, if that is the way it has to be. Jeff

[Anita C.]

For me 5"-5.5"ers are my daily norm. I occasionally venture into 6" for some days when I feel a bit saucy. However doing the daily do in them requires a bit of effort and I always take along a lower pair, just in case. Namaste', Anita C

[PJ]

For me, there is such a thing such as "too high". This includes any high heel shoe where the foot appears to me to be excessively contorted. Two styles of shoes fit this profile. One style is the ballet high heel shoe and the other style is the "super arch" shoe. I find these kinds of shoes not only unattractive, but lacking in sex appeal. That's because the arch of the foot is perpendicular to the ground and the tip of the heel is too close to the ball of the foot. I prefer a near-perpendicular arch as illustrated in my avatar photo. I know that to achieve this angle of arch, the heel height is dependent upon the size of the shoe. For my 11 medium size, it requires a heel height of between 5.5" and 6". I may seem peculiar for being so particular about this. All I know is what I like.

[genebujold]

Heels are too high for the wearer or the viewer when any of the following conditions have been met: 1. The wearer is uncomfortable 2. The viewer is less titilated than he/she would be while viewing a lower heel height.

[Dawn HH]

I quite agree with Whynotheels, 3"-4" heels for me. I'm very satisfied with that. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[flipflop klipklop]

As PJ has mentioned about the ballet type heels, for me, it does loose it's appeal. If the heel is to go higher than PJ's avatar, it needs to be a platform. Then of course there's the platform heels that gets way too high like 18 inches and above. Although novel as it appears, after the novelty goes away, my function over form senses start kicking in.

[TXT-1]

for stillettos 5.5" is the maximum for me any higher than that and they look like fetish art. plats I like no higher than 7.5" based of a 4" arch anything higher than that looks like "brown cauderoy terratory" by "platforms" I mean "exotic dancer" platforms not those wedge thing that the girls here pass off as "high heels" later, TXT-1

[jayteasee]

Interesting conversation, this here...

Hmmm... OK, I don't really wear these, I'm just talking about the looks... I'm also boots fan so I'll discuss just from that point of view.

I don't think there's really a point where it's too high as in how it looks to me... it depends on whoever is wearing the pair of footwear. It's like... you can see if the person isn't comfortable in these, and I kind of hurt for her. Sympathy. It has to work for her... cuz it if to doesn't, it doesn't work for me, either.

My preferation is probably somewhere around 4 inches or something... but I feel that the heel isn't the only way to give the footwear that "attack". It also depends on the shaping of the whole shoe.

Super high heels go better with pumps... not so well with boots, but hell...

Ballet heels... well, I guess I admire anybody who can walk in them... but it really isn't necessary. But it would be a curious appearance.

(Side note: Hmm... Moderators? Having said what I did above, why do you have that "Comfy Loafer" there? Why not swap it to something more feminine? Some kind of nice ankle boot... yep, noob complaining here...)

[chris100575]

Sorry, you're stuck with the ugly shoe until your post count gets above 25. Then you get another ugly one! They improve the more you post. My post count will probably start to drop off soon, as I love my spiky boots! I like platforms like TXT-1's too, but prefer the 6" heel 2" platform to the higher ones. Chris

[jayteasee]

Weird concept. Stopping posting because you like the post count avatar... ...on the other hand, looking at the boot, I can't blame you.

[flipflop klipklop]

Weird concept. Stopping posting because you like the post count avatar...

...on the other hand, looking at the boot, I can't blame you.

I agree, this boot is an eyesore. I gotta get an avatar up soon to ease the eyes. But hey, it's a good way to get people to post more so they don't have to see these ugly shoes.

[Dawn HH]

FlipFlop KlipKlop:-) Hang in there. You only have to make 4 more posts to be able to change your shoes. We have all been through this same dilemma as you when we started out posting. That's the way the Forum was set up. The more you post the better and more femmenine your shoe becomes. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[jayteasee]

It kind of destroys the meaning of the board, I feel... couldn't it just be a low-heel something and not a... loafer??!