A Night in T.O.

[iloveboots]

Hello All,

This string seems to be mostly Toronto folks so i thought i'd post here. I am going to be in Toronto for a five day vacation June 20th through 25th. Will have 4 to 5 pairs of high heel thigh high Boots with me, expect that is the only footwear i'll be wearing while in the City.

Would be fun to meet up with any HH members in Toronto, write to me here or direct at perseverance1957@yahoo.ca

David

[Dawn HH]

ILoveBoots:-) Have fun in Toronto on your vacation. Being able to meet up with some HH members there would make for even more fun for you while there. Let us all know what happens then. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[dr1819]

Definately a very nice look, Chris. Hope you have fun in Toronto, ILoveBoots! Perhaps those of you in Toronto can have a mini HeelMeet!

[Guy N. Heels]

Maybe Canadianbeaver can help me with this one, but my impression of Toronto is a city that's a lot more "freewheeling" than any other Canadian city I've visited. I've been from Halifax to Victoria and never seen anything with quite the same flavor as Toronto. Would you say something like Las Vegas or LA?

[canadianbeaver17]

Aly....the quote you cites from me...I wasn't comparing exchange rates in that one. I was merely trying to state that sometimes the US have better sales on than in Canada for the same product. Sorry for the confusion.

Guy N Heels...T-O has the perception of being more open minded and diverse than other centres in Canada. I haven't seen it first hand on the craziness.

For those of you who want to see a little bit of Windsor and Toronto's night life, www.canadasocial.com. Be sure to check out the photo galleries. (Note: Toronto pics show more full body shots = heels..on the ladies)

[kneehighs]

Aly....the quote you cites from me...I wasn't comparing exchange rates in that one. I was merely trying to state that sometimes the US have better sales on than in Canada for the same product. Sorry for the confusion.

Guy N Heels...T-O has the perception of being more open minded and diverse than other centres in Canada. I haven't seen it first hand on the craziness.

For those of you who want to see a little bit of Windsor and Toronto's night life, www.canadasocial.com. Be sure to check out the photo galleries. (Note: Toronto pics show more full body shots = heels..on the ladies)

How about some pics of you, lol.

[KrisS]

So as the Toronto winter dragged on, I became more comfortable wearing my heeled boots around the city. Many looks but no comments. (I posted pictures earlier in this thread.)

The warm weather has arrived so it's sandal time again. The black slides I've worn anywhere in Toronto because they are very subtle and hardly get noticed. The burgundy thongs are a little more obvious and I've had a couple of comments. I think the buckle makes them look a little masculine so what's the big deal?. LOL!

I can't comment on other cities, but I think Toronto is a very tolerant and vibrant city. Having said that, it is still hard to walk into a crowded shop or down a street feeling like all eyes are on you and thinking people are wondering why that guy is wearing heeled footwear clearly designed for the opposite gender.

Different season, different heels.

[Guy N. Heels]

Having said that, it is still hard to walk into a crowded shop or down a street feeling like all eyes are on you and thinking people are wondering why that guy is wearing heeled footwear clearly designed for the opposite gender.

I don't see anything clearly designed for the opposite gender. I see some nice looking shooz. So what is the problem?

[canadianbeaver17]

Some nice choices there, Kris.

[heelsRus]

I don't see anything clearly designed for the opposite gender. I see some nice looking shooz. So what is the problem?

There shouldn't be a problem.... but....heels are generally marketed towards women, that's (one reason) why they're known as women's shoes. I disagree with it too, but that's the skewed reality we live in. It's people like those on this board that are pushing the changes so that the definitions don't much matter.

Any way to change the way they're marketed? If that were to change then that would push people to accept heels on men more easily.

[vector]

Ever been to a fetish club in TO? The have one (at least that I know of) called 5ive.

[w6ish]

you can get away with heels up to 7 and half inches high in the good city of Toronto, and those beauties are totally exposed! i've done it. down queen street in particular, from bathurst to spadina, up to bloor. but by the end of a walking day your feet feel the pinch. even walked down queen to pape one sunny afternoon, of course stopping at the local fetish shop asking for directions. i think the shop was called he and she clothing. the lady in charge immediately saw my boots and said those must be the sexiest looking heels i have ever seen! i enjoyed that attention!

[thesnowball]

yup,thats what the place is called, He and She Clothing,nice place...Theres also a few one Young St...Northbound leather is also a good place..

[KrisS]

white_6_inch_spike_heels That was quite the hike. It's easily 3 km from Queen to Bloor and up Spadina is not the most "understanding" part of town when a guy is wearing those beauties. Did you stop in the Bata International Shoe Museum? Along Queen to Pape is another story especially in the Sherborne and Jarvis areas. Congratulations. If you are on Queen West again, go west of Bathurst. There is a ladies fetish shop called MissBehavin' (live models in the windows on weekends) with a good selection of heels and willing to help everyone interested. Further along is an interesting shoe shop called Heel Boy and across the road is Come As You Are. The name sums it up. It's an area I've heeled in before and felt quite comfortable. If we keep it up, we'll be setting an area trend, guys in heels.

[dr1819]

There shouldn't be a problem.... but....heels are generally marketed towards women, that's (one reason) why they're known as women's shoes. I disagree with it too, but that's the skewed reality we live in. It's people like those on this board that are pushing the changes so that the definitions don't much matter.

Any way to change the way they're marketed? If that were to change then that would push people to accept heels on men more easily.

You bring up some very interesting points, namely, design vs fashion.

Design is inextricably intertwined with fashion, but fashion is what people choose to wear while design is what the designers/manufacturers think people should be wearing. Surprisingly, the "hit" ratio is less than 28%, which means that while design influences fashion, it does not drive it. What drives fashion is sales, or what people are actually buying.

So far, no one's done any fashion-house-specific study as to what types of heels most men would wear as men, even though the recent movie Casanova, with Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Oliver Platt, and Lena Olin, clearly indicated (via the pics, themselves) that men's high heels were alive and well back then.

Given the board's preponderance of posts, I can only assume that this phenomena is by no means localized!

[Guy N. Heels]

Dr1819 hit the nail on the head when he sez that it is SALES that drive fashion. Absolutely correct. The designers can design whatever they please, but if nobody buys it (ergo, nobody is wearing it) it doesn't mean a thing! As for the perception that men are wearing women's shoes - I've said it before and I still maintain that we're talking about the conquest of space. If you put one finger on yer head at the right ear and then put another finger on the opposite side of yer head at the left ear, there's about 6 inches of space between those 2 fingers. So what we must somehow overcome are those 6 inches of space that the average person is carrying around! Once we have conquered that 6 inches of space we can put to rest the notions about men wearing women's shoes. I was in a shoe shop today and I think the sales clerks ("yon sales clerk has a lean and hungry look...") were far more interested in my money than which section of the store I was shopping.

[Dawn HH]

As you say---It's a sale. I always felt as you do---my money is as good as anyone else's. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[w6ish]

KrisS: i have been to heelboy and my wife took a picture of me standing outfront because i was wearing my sexy sherbert platform sandals. they have 6 inch heels, thicker than my usual stilettos but not chunky. they have a two inch platform and a pretty much standard vamp and ankle strap, and are made with black leather. beautiful shoes and very comfortable, i've walked miles down toronto's good streets wearing those shoes with jeans that don't cover the shoe.

here is a picture of me in a town called Wakefield, wearing those same shoes and jeans:

i bought them from pierre silber... gosh how many years ago was it? likely 5 years ago. i wear them here in Ottawa all the time, especially down in the Byward Market where they always cause a fuss.

but Toronto is a great city for heel wearing.

funny though, the shoe enthusiast i am, i still have not made it to the Bata Show Museum. that might be on this summer's agenda.

[w6ish]

also, DawnHH, the folks at pierre silber, maya shoes, forplay and frederick's of hollywood never minded having my money! in fact those good folks at pierre silber know my name!

[Guy N. Heels]

also, DawnHH, the folks at pierre silber, maya shoes, forplay and frederick's of hollywood never minded having my money! in fact those good folks at pierre silber know my name!

And when they start sending you Christmas cards, then you know they really appreciate yer business.

[pbsmith]

I'm new to the group, but this is one of my favourite topics. Shoe & boot shopping! When on vacation in Toronto, my wife and I allways go shoe & boot shopping. Yorkdale Mall is a nice place but as mentioned is a little expensive. I allways look in Brown's Shoes but I haven't bought anything there yet. I allways go to Kleen Air Shoes when looking for fetish shoes. My favourite shoe store is Aldo. Love those stillettoes!! They are a little more expensive but I prefer real leather to manmade materials. They have an Outlet store on Younge street as well as one at the Dixie Outlet Mall in Mississauga. I do like the Square one Mall in Mississauga but I also like going to the big power centre (big box stores) which is south of hwy 401 and west of Hurontario St. I can't remember the name of it offhand. In the USA, I have visited the Shoe Warehouse (in Duluth MN). I have got some good deals there as well. Happy shopping!

[Dawn HH]

W6ISH:-) Looking good standing there in your platforms in that pic. Is that a steam engine on those rails in that background? Cheers--- Dawn HH

[w6ish]

yes it is, a steam engine but its a tourist thing, the steam engine doesn't really do the work, they have something hidden in the cars that does the pulling and pushing. ah but its a great little town and i have worn my sherberts out there many a time and had fun. my sherberts though are getting a work out here in the capital city. same with my white 7.5's from pierre silber, having fun with those lately, wearing them with bare feet, painted toe nails and very tanned skin. makes the shoes really stand out!

[KrisS]

white_6_inch_spike_heels Yes, I recall the picture in front of heelboy posted in a thread some time ago. Lookin' good as always. Ottawa is a great city, nice size, great people, and at least one guy in heels. pbsmith Kleen Air is a great shop and the young lady there has no problem with guys in heels. Do you try heels on in the shops and malls you mentioned? I work near Square One and have thought of going shopping in heels but I find it very conservative and I think heels would be TOO obvious although I have been to the Bay and Chapters nearby in the 2.5 inch heeled sandals pictured earlier in this thread so I guess the next steps would be through out the mall. Try the Transit store in Dixie Mall. They always have great deals on last season's shoes. $15.00 to $30.00 range.

[iloveboots]

Hi Kris,

Another fun store is NorthBound Leather at Yonge & Bloor area, be sure to go to the fetish section of the store...plus they have some great shoes and Boots!

david

white_6_inch_spike_heels

Yes, I recall the picture in front of heelboy posted in a thread some time ago. Lookin' good as always. Ottawa is a great city, nice size, great people, and at least one guy in heels.

pbsmith

Kleen Air is a great shop and the young lady there has no problem with guys in heels. Do you try heels on in the shops and malls you mentioned? I work near Square One and have thought of going shopping in heels but I find it very conservative and I think heels would be TOO obvious although I have been to the Bay and Chapters nearby in the 2.5 inch heeled sandals pictured earlier in this thread so I guess the next steps would be through out the mall. Try the Transit store in Dixie Mall. They always have great deals on last season's shoes. $15.00 to $30.00 range.

[pbsmith]

Kris, I have tryed on shoes and boots at Kleen Air but otherwise I just buy my size and take them back to the Hotel and try them on. I love Aldo but sometimes they are hit and miss for me. I wear a women's size 11 so sometimes size 41 is ok and sometimes not... I bought a beautiful pair of black stilletto calf boots that were a little too tight. They were a bit too narrow I think, especially with a very pointed toe. Fortunately since then I have bought several pair that fit great! I'll never get tired of stilletto heels and really pointy toes!!

[Puffer]

I was in Canada (my first visit) for first two weeks of August and had my final day in Toronto. A big, interesting cosmopolitan city – be prepared for a lot of walking! I must have covered almost 10 miles in 5 hours going N from Queen to Bloor, W to Bathurst, S to Queen and then E to my starting point, with various minor diversions. It was fascinating to see how the atmosphere changes every few blocks, from business to smart shops to ethnic to residential and back again. The Bata museum is interesting but not spectacular; still, it’s worth visiting for an hour. Misbehavin no longer sells shoes; Heel Boy’s stock was relatively conservative higher-end stuff. Several other middle-range stores had fair selection of stylish shoes but not much fetish/glamour stock seen. One shop in a smart mall near Dundas/Yonge (name/location now lost) sells women’s shoes up to size 14, but (as expected) mostly smart but unexciting styles and expensive. In the car later, I passed a shop on Queen a few blocks E of Yonge which apparently sold fetish clothing and had a couple of female dummies perched outside on the sidewalk wearing thigh boots and basques or similar – very eye-catching! Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop to investigate further. The prevailing female fashions in Toronto streets were varied. Quite a lot of wedges and some stilettos but mostly fairly casual; as usual, the ethnic minorities looked the most stylish. Most of my trip was spent staying with friends in the Karwartha Lakes area near Peterborough (100 miles east of TO) in very warm but comfortable weather. Almost everyone (of all sexes) dressed for comfort: shorts and flat sandals (flip flops, thongs, Birks or similar) and I saw very very few women in wedges or any other heels more than about 1.5” high. I expect they will go straight into flat boots when the snow comes in a week or three!

[KrisS]

It was good to hear you enjoyed our great T.O. (Toronto Ontario to answer a question posed pages ago). I hope your footwear was comfortable for the distance you covered. The Kawartha Lakes area is beautiful. If you ever can get up that way, go north of Toronto about 2 hours to the Muskoka area. It's rugged rock, 100's of beautiful lakes and cottages that start at $1 million for not much. It was probably the Eaton Centre at Dundas and Yonge. Mostly the usual mall chain stores on 3 levels but always with more and better stock. The fetish shop on Queen East with the "models" out front was "He and She Clothing Gallery". Very interesting for fetish and CD wear. Too bad you missed Kleen Air Shoes on Yonge. Maybe next time. You're right about the Toronto fashion. It goes from flip flops to definite fall/winter footwear but we won't be hitting the boots in the next few days because the snow won't be here in a couple of weeks, it usually holds off until about December 1. Maybe in Ottawa, but not here. Seems Ottawa always gets that bad weather coming in from Pet and Arnprior. LOL!

[Puffer]

Yes, KrisS, I liked T.O. and hope to return there some day. I did look in at a shop selling the sexier/fetishy shoe styles on E side of Yonge just south of Bloor - was this Kleen Air Shoes? The large size women's shoe (and tall clothing) shop was not in the Eaton Centre but at the eastern end of another mall just to the west of it about a block away - there was a tourist info centre close to it in the same mall. Mind you, the malls are so big it is possible that it was indeed adjoining the Eaton Centre. Can't find my map or I would be able to say more specifically. One tongue-in-cheek criticism of Canadians (who I found very polite and friendly): can't you find anything else to say but 'Have a great day!'? It does wear a little thin after the first dozen! (I was often tempted to reply 'Thanks - but I have other plans'!!)

[KrisS]

Hi Puffer, So I spent the weekend doing a little survey. You are right, we do say "Have a great day" a lot. It must be left over from setting up our voice mail, eh. "Your call is impoortant to us, blah, blah, and have a nice day." I hadn't really noticed, eh, until you mentioned it. Well, mate, it's another annoying thing we do when there isn't much hockey to talk about, eh! I was in New York state this weekend and the Yanks do a similar thing. When you say thank you for something, they reply with this somewhat bored "Uh huh". Most did seem to care that you appreciated good service or what ever. It was the same in 6 other states I've been in recently. At least you got a response. It seems no one even notices there is a customer present. You tourists get better treatment it seems. Thanks for the comments. Y'all come back now, ya' hear. We'll try not to be so annoying next time, eh! Cheers!