male heelwearing WILL NEVER take off... unless...

[TXT-1]

this has been on my mind for ages... slowly building up tempo like an Iron Maiden song But I will say what has to be said... I am for all for freedom of speech, freedom to wear what YOU want, etc... but unless you are a 5'5-5'9, <85kg guy then male heelwearing WILL NEVER take off while there might be a few exeptions, W6ish, Shockqueen etc... I seriously doubt that the wearing off (stilletto) heels by men will become common place... On another note I am getting rather Disillusioned by HHplace... we no longer have many female members (Where's Laurie, Missy, Candi cane, Jenny etc.) we have Spam by the shit load.... Spam (email kind) is shit so no censorship there if the forum owner was still interested in this site we could fix that problem... however he has other things to do (apparently) I'll give HHplace 3 months to fix the Spam thing and iff not To quote a certain cult 1979 movie (The Warriors) "I think I'll take off" (permanently in this case) later, TXT-1

[Ozzard]

How you choose to behave and the decisions you take are clearly up to you - I hope you'd be willing to grant the rest of us the same privileges. I'd be interested in your reasons behind why you assert that something "WILL NEVER take off" - the bald assertion is likely to get many backs up. I agree that more could be done about the general care and feeding of the board, but that's always a problem if the board owner can't take care of it. There are ways of doctoring a phpBB board to cut automated spam considerably, and they appear not to have been applied here; there are no ways of preventing humans registering for accounts and then spamming the board, in the same way that there are no ways of preventing trolls coming on. This board has some of the most willing and active moderation I've seen in terms of cleaning up the spam that gets through - but it'd be good to modify the code to dissuade the simpler spam bots. I'd be willing to put in some effort in that respect, but it would require a high level of access to the board and I suspect I'm too much of a newcomer to be considered trustworthy. As a side note, does anyone have any figures for the traffic this board generates? I may have a cheap (free) hosting solution...

[TXT-1]

what you do in your own time is of your concern... I'm too tall (5'11-6'1) to wear my "Avatars" (7" plat slides) in public anyway besides, I have NOT ever seen a guy in heels, (apart) from a handful of TV/CD/TS's around here YES there is a difference: a guy wearing heels as a man and someone that is male appearing in public as a woman... one thing about HHplace; it gives you a false sense of security: by reading the posts here one could almost think that the time of "men in heels" is close at hand, when it couldn't be further from the truth! but when the REAL girls no longer visit here the truth can get skewed...

[chris100575]

Your avatars may not be suitable to wear in public TXT-1, but then I've never seen a woman wearing them either. I've worn heels in public a few times now and never had any adverse reactions that I was aware of. FWIW I'm 6' tall, 200lbs and couldn't pass for a woman even if I wanted to. Last time I was out in heels I was wearing a pair of my Malicias with black jeans and t-shirt and a leather biker jacket. And you know what? It worked pretty well. I don't know if they have a stiletto heel strictly speaking, but it's pretty damn close. I agree that men in heels is probably never going to be a mainstream fashion, although I'd love it it if it was, but then I don't follow mainstream fashion anyway. One thing is certain though, it'll never take off if none of us ever do it. Chris

[sscotty727]

If your waiting for mass acceptance (as in the vast majority of men wearing heels or even high heels marketed and sold FOR men) then you are probably in for a long wait. However, unless there is some new laws being passed about men not being allowed to wear heels or if your personally being harrased, then the only thing stopping you from wearing anything out is yourself. You might get looks or comments if you wore the heels in your avatar, but that is totally up to you and how you carry yourself. I do wear heels EVERY day, however they happen to be wedge heels. They are what I am personally comfortable in and what my wife can accept (her opinion is the main one to me). As far as complaints about the board go, something most of us take for granted here is this is a FREE website. Throwing stones at the owners and operators is much like being invited to be a guest in someones house and then criticizing everything about it. Yes I am sick of all the spam just as you are, however, I am a guest here as well. The owners and operators of the board are aware of the spam and do what they can to take care of it. Other actions could be done, but they are in charge of the policy and reasons behind taking/not taking the action about it. While I might like to see a more locked down place, I fully support and appreciate them and all they do to keep the site up and operational. Scotty

[Fog]

one thing about HHplace; it gives you a false sense of security: by reading the posts here one could almost think that the time of "men in heels" is close at hand, when it couldn't be further from the truth!

but when the REAL girls no longer visit here the truth can get skewed...

I agree; male heel wearing will never be mainstream, and this site could give you a false sense of security, but, if you're sensible you will keep it in context and know that. If you choose to go out in heels you're going out as an excentric, and accept that and have fun outside the mainstream. There are only a couple of thousand at the most who've ever contributed to this site. Someone here quoted their girlfriend saying "It's so rare you've got to find it on the internet". However, what I've found is that in this community there are a lot of very genuine and decent people. Some of them have daft opinions (in my view), but as stated above by Scotty, it's a free site. I'd rather have this free site than no free site.

[sscotty727]

I agree; male heel wearing will never be mainstream, and this site could give you a false sense of security, but, if you're sensible you will keep it in context and know that. If you choose to go out in heels you're going out as an excentric, and accept that and have fun outside the mainstream. There are only a couple of thousand at the most who've ever contributed to this site. Someone here quoted their girlfriend saying "It's so rare you've got to find it on the internet". However, what I've found is that in this community there are a lot of very genuine and decent people. Some of them have daft opinions (in my view), but as stated above by Scotty, it's a free site. I'd rather have this free site than no free site.

You shouldn't be using the board to gauge what is ok or not ok or to push you into directions you normally wouldn't go. I can attest though it is so easy to try to push yourself so you can share it with the board, I've too fallen into the trap more than once.

The main function of the board (atleast from my personal feelings) is one of "you are not alone in your feelings for heels". Once I accepted I wasn't some freak (well, atleast from the heeling standpoint, jury is out on everything else;), then it became easier for me to accept myself for who I am. As far as going out in heels, that evolved from what I found comfortable as well as what the wife could and couldn't accept.

Scotty

[Guy N. Heels]

I see posts on this board practically every day from young men (12,13,14,15,16) as well as mature adults who seem to be expressing the same kinds of self-consciousness and misgivings I had when I first became interested in heels. These people both need and deserve some kind of support with an interest that, in itself, hurts no one and has no basis for moral judgement. I prefer to offer such support as best I can, as opposed to "throwing rocks". I've never been "down under" and so I have no way of understanding some of the comments you've made. But in my personal experience - life is what you make of it. Whether you choose to wear heels or not is up to you. How your community responds to your choice is - believe it or not - largely up to you. But I do think it rather unfair to launch a huge invective against this board.

[Shafted]

It's clear to me that although unorthodox some parts of the world are ready for men in heels. I'm sure that at the same time this doesn't mean the whole world is.

[lorriette]

I agree that postings here can encourage guys to go that little bit further. On a personal level, I street heel, do get occasional funny looks, and suffer complaints from my wife if she thinks I overstep the mark. The seventies proved that when conditions are right, huge changes in accepted fashion can take place. The case this week, of the british rapist, who stole the stiletto's of his victims, will, of course, lend argument to the narrow minded, anti-everything brigade.

[BlondeBimbo]

Well – I have just prodded myself and I am real!! OK I haven’t been here too often! I do think TXT is correct in that "I seriously doubt that the wearing off (stilletto) heels by men will become common place... " – OK there were platforms in the 70’s – but this was never “Real” high heels – very little slopey arch there. I could never imagine it being typical that a bloke runs into a shoe shop “Those red heels in the window – do you have them in a size 12?” – hell I had to drag my partner in to the shop kicking and screaming before I could get him to buy new walking boots! However just because it may never be completely “mainstream” does not mean that it couldn’t be “not that unusual” and men could be completely comfortable wearing high heels in many situations without adverse comments – OK society is not there yet, but it can be, people just have to be exposed to it in favourable conditions where they don’t feel threatened. After all only 30-40 years ago men wearing “perfume” would have been considered “odd” – now most men use some form of scent everyday – OK if it’s aftershave, body spray etc.. – We haven’t quite got to the true perfume being commonplace yet. I do think the constant “too much Spam” threads are getting a bit much though, I clear out a few a day as do all the other mods’, and looking at the bigger picture we don’t actually have that much – compare it to other areas and we are fairly spamless! – it appears it’s a shared subject to write about, -but it’s actually quite easy to spot and ignore. Most of the spam recently appears to be manually entered rather than auto, and people are joining just to add spam, personally given how quickly it is actually removed, I think it is worth the ease with which people can join/post – please remember for each person doing the posting there are probably 5-10 others building up the courage, if this site is really aimed at helping others we ought to put that towards the top of the list. As for us girls on the site, the problem is we don’t really share the same issues as the boys, for example there was a thread a while back about “is it possible to drive in high heels?” – well I cannot relate to the question after all, I like thousands/millions of others do it every day without thinking! (No comments about women not thinking whilst driving please! ) so I cannot share the obvious excitement and “dare” that is associated for most of the boys. Perhaps if my partner wore heels, I could relate to it more, you need to encourage your partners to contribute, after all they would benefit from speaking to other partners of HHMen! BB

[Ozzard]

As for us girls on the site, the problem is we don’t really share the same issues as the boys

Indeed. It's been interesting to watch women's fashion change over the last five years or so in the UK. Styles that were previously classed as "fetish" - metal heels, some platforms, ultra-pointed toes, very high (but not yet ultra) heels - are now mainstream, at least in the cities. This has gone hand in hand with a more general move towards previously "fetish" clothing, which (sadly ) now appears to be running its course.

This board, along with any other special-interest board, documents the interesting and hence somewhat out-of-the-ordinary. When everybody's doing it, I suspect there's little reason to post :-).

[Thighboots2]

These days it seems that anything goes and whilst many may see they have been brought up not to comment on others.

Men in heels will come I am sure. Seems the androgenous look is coming too. What I cant see coming is stilettos for men outside of say, the club or fetish/goth scene. Yeah, I know we can and do wear them and has been so often demonstrated, people don't tend to notice especially when the outfit is properly co-ordinated (the real key is the total look), and you can walk in them naturally without being selfconsious about what you have on your feet.

My fiancee is fine with me wearing 3" cowboy boots which all the heel showing, but if the heel is tapered too much, ie beyond cuban she finds that difficult to accept. I wear heels daily which are about 1.25" x 1.25" under pants with the hem about 1/2" of the gound when standing still. ie these boots (next catalogue pic).

She is OK with this. She sees them as "Dyke" style and so OK for a bloke. She's a traditionalist when it comes to shoes, court shoes is all she wears when dressed properly for work, sandles for evening dress wear etc., ie not too adventurous. However, she is not really happy with my winter boots where the heel is 20mm x 18mm.as in this pic of mine.

This she sees as too close to feminine and we have had the conversation as to where does this stop, and why do I do it etc etc...

Blondebimbo Some of the 70's shoes (yeah, I was around then) didn't have plats but the highest heel generally available for guys was 3" w/o plats. A reasonable lift, you dont feel its high, until you check the difference when you only have one shoe on!

So I see mens shoes with heels coming, probably upto 3", but no higher, and with wide and stable with the cuban style in there too. It annoys me when designers put male models onto the catwalk in stilettos. You can go from stopped to flat out in one jump, things need to accelerate at their own pace and all that happens is that people laugh at the designers work. If they would put their models down the catwalk wearing the boots of my first picture, then they would probably be taken up quite readily. Certainly does nothing for the cause that we hold so dear to our hearts.

TB2

[dr1819]

You can go from stopped to flat out in one jump, things need to accelerate at their own pace and all that happens is that people laugh at the designers work. If they would put their models down the catwalk wearing the boots of my first picture, then they would probably be taken up quite readily. Certainly does nothing for the cause that we hold so dear to our hearts.

Great pics and an excellent analysis!

I agree with you 100%. If the designers put their models in masculine-looking heels, it would take off. I think Harley Davidson's like of boots would be perfect for men beneath a pair of jeans. Now - if they would only make them in a size > 11...

[pumpmarstar]

I have a slightly different take. I truly hope heels for men get acceptance but I have recently been wearing flat loafer style shoes with a very low cut vamp (toe cleavage. I've done this for 3 years now with very little hassle apart from about 3 men who come to mind. After a while, they had to give up anyway. I think before heels get acceptance (for good), I reckon acceptance of low cut vamps for men needs to come first. Ultimately, I'd like to wear 4" block heels in a round toe court shoe style with toe cleavage vamp in black suede which I think would look good with jeans. Back in the 19th century, men were wearing pumps to formal dances and the like, but they were flat.

[dr1819]

I have a slightly different take. I truly hope heels for men get acceptance but I have recently been wearing flat loafer style shoes with a very low cut vamp (toe cleavage. I've done this for 3 years now with very little hassle apart from about 3 men who come to mind. After a while, they had to give up anyway.

I think before heels get acceptance (for good), I reckon acceptance of low cut vamps for men needs to come first.

Why, when there are many heels with high vamps and even full uppers?

[RPMindy]

I like BB's post! i was initially thinking of doing a bit of devil's advocate when i read the part much earlier about no moral objection to men wearing heels. but.. there is no need for me to work up a sweat here. i do notice a trend with the younger crowd.. experimenting in the bedroom sense and folks being more ok with men in heels at those times.. or men in heels for costume parties. will we go back to the early days where men in heels was common place (as the story goes).. my vote is not in my current time.. maybe when i have kids in college... the thought will cross a designer who will be bold enough to initiate the move. RPM p.s. like i said before.. BB raises some good points... this forum seems to gravitate more towards men in heels and their issues than an enviroment that will draw more women heeling for gals is just another thing they do and rarely put much thought into.. other than is it cute and can i afford it... and even less. can i walk in it.

[HeelDirectory]

Like RPM’s post above, Fashion always seems to escalate from above, so some famous male actor or singer needs to wear heels before they become more mainstream. Or someone who wears heels need to become famous. Fashion shops can produce pointed or chisel toe shoes for blokes and everyone will wear them, however I doubt this will be the case if male high heels appear on the shop shelf. With the slow merge of female into male fashion and the need for designers to create something new and different, they would need to start getting men into flared skirt type trousers before people will take heels more seriously. Thats my opinion anyway... Are there any designers out there who would take this onboard!?

[balacau]

Thes type of threads are always an interesting read. I don't think I can really add much if anything to the posts above but my caffeine starved mind started working when I saw the thread title on the menu page!

Do I really think that male high-heel wearing will take off?

Well you can never tell anything about fashion, and thats really how I see it. Fashion recycles itself around although I do not really see the platform boots that men wore in the late 60's and 70's as being "high heels" as such. Just as the younger generation are associated with trouble (I know this from peoples own misguided comments at me), high heels are associated only with women. The media of all sorts really doesn't help with this issue at all.

Spamming?

Can't say I've ever had any problems like that, no spam personal emails at least. If you really want to see how spam has destroyed a message board, you should take a look around Yahoo Groups. I was a member of no less than 13 of those groups who now use a pay-to-use site which has no trouble with spam at all. Unfortauntely they moved without me following them (since I won't use a pay-to-use site) and I figured it was just time for me to move on from there.

Me in heels outside of the home

Can't see this will ever happen. The furthest I got was cutting the grass in a pair of block 3 3/4" knee boots tucked under jeans; in the back garden when I knew my neighbour was away for a few days and I knew that no one would see. Did I enjoy it? Sure. But I think its more along the lines of being something I couldn't normally do. I would like to find out what its like to spend a full 9 hour shift at work in 4" heels but I'm not under any illusions about that ever happening - plus since I'll be moving to a more formal job with dress code etc soon anyway - it never will happen. Period, but hey there are some things in life which just can't be done by me (and others), so I don't complain. I find wearing heels relaxing...simple enough really!

And finally; general board thoughts

I have learned a serious amount about myself and my fetish since I joined this place, and there really isn't a way which I can thank people enough for sharing their information & experiences. I grew up thinking I was strange and alone with my intense liking for boots - not because of other people because no-one else knew about it - but because of lack of information. No-one else ever said that they were interested in them, at least no-one male. Once I got the internet however, I found there was quite a few people like myself with a liking for heeled boots - a few were self-confessed Cross Dressers, but hey if that floats your boat & makes you happy, go for it.

As for me, I'm quite happy sitting in boots or walking around the house when I'm home alone (even making my dinner in 5" heel boots), even watching a movie with a cup of tea and a pot noodle Its relaxing

True on the point there are few women here, I love to hear what they think about heels etc, and its true that I often read the "for gals only" board although I don't post on it; simply because its very interesting to see things from a different point of view including things which I either ignored or had never considered in the first place.

[dr1819]

Interesting comments, Balacau.

In 1978 a friend of mine wore a pair of his older brother's shoes to school one day. They'd begun to drift out of style by then, but he wore them anyway, and received a few comments. Since it was that era, however, there wasn't any stigma attached to it. I was intrigued and he let me try them on. The heels were a good 3-1/2 inches, which meets nearly all definitions of a "high heel."

As for broad acceptability as a male fashion, that will come when it reaches a certain critical mass, provided, and this is key, that it's done in a tasteful manner, and with styles more appropriate to general acceptance by the male population at large. I think we've seen that most women have a much less difficult time accepting a man in heels than do most men, but I think most men's reluctance to buck the norm is merely reflected in their fairly conservative fashion choices, anyway. For some reason, the need to conform is greater among men, while the need for individuality appears to be greater among women, and explains why the women's department at JC Penny's has more than twice the selections as does the men's department (particularly in the shoe department!

Nordstroms, for example, has 3,268 selections for all women's shoes, yet only 1,017 selections for all men's shoes - less than a third the selections.

[Dawn HH]

HeelDirectory:-) Love your Avatar pic. Welcome to the Forum. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[DandyDude]

I think as long as male heel wearing is associated in any way with "gender," then it will never be seen as anything other than a way for some men to express their sexual confusion. As for the talk about platforms not being real heels, men wore cuban heels in the early 1960s and 1980s. Wayne Cochran wore 4 inch heels, electric blue suits, and a huge blonde pompadour in the early 1960s. My point is that heels for men will never be regular until those who wear them as a style separate themselves from the "genderly confused", who are the main ones promoting the idea that men wearing heels are wanting to be women.. Note the myspace page linked below:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=4100637

The page belongs to someone who admits to wearing skirts. He also admits to wearing heels. He is not "genderly confused," he even has a girlfriend who is a pin-up type model. Check some of his links on the friends list.

[dr1819]

I think as long as male heel wearing is associated in any way with "gender," then it will never be seen as anything other than a way for some men to express their sexual confusion. As for the talk about platforms not being real heels, men wore cuban heels in the early 1960s and 1980s. Wayne Cochran wore 4 inch heels, electric blue suits, and a huge blonde pompadour in the early 1960s. My point is that heels for men will never be regular until those who wear them as a style separate themselves from the "genderly confused", who are the main ones promoting the idea that men wearing heels are wanting to be women.. Note the myspace page linked below:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=4100637

The page belongs to someone who admits to wearing skirts. He also admits to wearing heels. He is not "genderly confused," he even has a girlfriend who is a pin-up type model. Check some of his links on the friends list.

I'm not at all confused about my gender. I'm a man living in a man's body who nevertheless thinks (as identified on several different gender identity tests) more like a female than a male. And I like wearing skirts and heels, too, with the occasional dress. Right now I'm in a black polo shirt, jeans, and a pair of black two-strap RSVP wedges with male underwear. Oh, and two of my nails are painted with Revlon's Pure Pearl (020).

I found it interesting that the guy identifies as a glametalpunkdustrigoth. I wonder what the "dustri" means.

I have no desire to be a woman, nor do most men who wear heels. But some do, and that's ok, too, just as some women want to be guys.

[TXT-1]

It would appear that I'm still a valid member here at HHplace... as the new board is based off a 3 month old Board.... which still has me as a member!... but I DON'T want be be off the board yet!... anyway... things have been great... my datsuns are going great, I Haven't bought any more heels for 6 months... why you ask?... simple I DON'T "Streetheel" and I never will!!! the "streetheel, streetheel streetheel" vibe I get from HHplace gives me the shits!... if you are a 5'7 98 pound weakinng you might get away with "streetheeling" in 4.5-5' stilletos but for us "bigger built" guys I't's NOT possible... If I could go "streetheeling" I WOULD NOT be doing it in 2.5" boots.... I would be using my "new avatars" (7.25" platform mules) But I can't be stuffed doing it... I'd prefer to practice my Handbrake turns and powerslides in my July '75 Datsun 120Y I have NO problem with guys that wear heels.... I just won't be wearing them (in poblic).... I won't be dedicating a page on my website to them either!! I will no go back to where I came from!.... later, TXT-1

[JNR]

hmm, who turned over that rock?

[chris100575]

I found it interesting that the guy identifies as a glametalpunkdustrigoth. I wonder what the "dustri" means.

"Industrial", one of the rock / metal sub-genres. Rammstein and Nine Inch Nails for example.

Chris

[DandyDude]

I'm not at all confused about my gender. I'm a man living in a man's body who nevertheless thinks (as identified on several different gender identity tests) more like a female than a male. And I like wearing skirts and heels, too, with the occasional dress. Right now I'm in a black polo shirt, jeans, and a pair of black two-strap RSVP wedges with male underwear. Oh, and two of my nails are painted with Revlon's Pure Pearl (020).

I found it interesting that the guy identifies as a glametalpunkdustrigoth. I wonder what the "dustri" means.

I have no desire to be a woman, nor do most men who wear heels. But some do, and that's ok, too, just as some women want to be guys.

Well, I don't agree with the whole idea of "gender identity." To label someone because they don't fit some sick stereotype of appropriate thoughts is quite degenerate, IMNSHO. I liked opera when I was a child, still do. I walked, talked, read earlier than most, things the gender police say girls do earlier than boys. When I was in elementary school, I preferred to be with the girls at recess, I hated recess anyway, and I got a lot of crap for it. Funny thing though, I had real girlfriends at the age when boys were supposed to hate girls. I had a girlfriend at age two, her name was Kay. I played baseball, could throw a "football" around, and played a mean game of REAL football(association). When I got to my teen years, I would get flack from short-haired jock types who were vile to me because I had long hair. I'd say the fact that I was tall and girls liked me got to them as well. In fact, there were several cases where jocks would tell girls "He's gay" and then try to put the moves on me themselves. Since I wasn't interested, it didn't hit me right away what was going on. Three incidents only became clear in my mind fairly recently, and I'm still laughing. In case anyone isn't clear, they were "cruising" me in various ways.

I don't like to be labeled. A site I used to read ran some crazies off the message board for posting how they yearned to have their penises cut off because they were "really" women." It was on a freestyle board, and some queens were posting an article where some trannies went to Asia to be "changed." The trannies were spewing the usual about "trapped in a man's body," and how they didn't have changes because they were already "really women."Those who posted it were positively gushing. Others posted that the board was to expand clothing choices for men, and promoting otherwise plays into the hands of those who say that men who wear heels etc, ipso facto want to be women. It was done.

My point was that people need to think of heel wearing men as a form of male peacockery, and not as sexual confusion.

[DandyDude]

It would appear that I'm still a valid member here at HHplace... as the new board is based off a 3 month old Board.... which still has me as a member!...

but I DON'T want be be off the board yet!...

anyway... things have been great...

my datsuns are going great, I Haven't bought any more heels for 6 months...

why you ask?... simple I DON'T "Streetheel" and I never will!!!

the "streetheel, streetheel streetheel" vibe I get from HHplace gives me the shits!...

if you are a 5'7 98 pound weakinng you might get away with "streetheeling" in 4.5-5' stilletos but for us "bigger built" guys I't's NOT possible...

If I could go "streetheeling" I WOULD NOT be doing it in 2.5" boots....

I would be using my "new avatars" (7.25" platform mules)

But I can't be stuffed doing it... I'd prefer to practice my Handbrake turns and powerslides in my July '75 Datsun 120Y

I have NO problem with guys that wear heels.... I just won't be wearing them (in poblic).... I won't be dedicating a page on my website to them either!!

I will no go back to where I came from!....

later,

TXT-1

I'm over 6' tall barefoot. I'm also an experienced Latin/Ballroom dancer and have that type of build.

[dr1819]

Stuff

To put not quite too fine a point on it, I was a diver (springboard) in high school, lettered in it, beat the crap (self-defense) out of the badass in school when he accused me of cheated in a game of no-pads, no-holds-barred football in the snow (he outweighed me by 35 lbs), but no one could tackle me (as I'd bicycled everywhere the past 10 years). He accosted me, I broke his jaw, and since he was the HS ringleader, I was never screwed with again. Wow - amazing what a 119 lb guy can do.

Same thing happened in college, exactly four years hence, but at a fraternity party, although the circumstances were merely my trying to retrieve the BYOB cooler that I'd carried into the establishment earlier. Instead of being helpful, the football player they'd hired as a "security guard" attempted to beat me to a pulp. He did lay three damaging blows on by backside before I a managed to break his jaw.

Folks, it's self defence. If he'd been concentrating, ONE blow from him could have ruined my day, permanently. A broken jaw heals. Ruptured kidneys don't fair so well.

He was fine and back in the game next fall (6 months later). It took me nine months before my right kidney regained normal function. One more hit on his part and I would have lost it.

I'm NOT a "scrapper," having been in just three fights in my 43-year-old life, one on Jr. High, one in College, and one that I lost (I was mugged) in a popular vacation spot.

All I'm saying is be prepared to talk yourself out of fights in the first place (perhaps 40 times), be prepared to run the other times (perhaps 4 times), and be prepared to take care of yourself the rest of the time (just 3 out of 47 times).

Taikwondo, is a wonderful non-agressive martial art which can protect you greatly without you having to learn how to break bricks with your fists. It's ideal is "protecting the attacker," and it's not about overpowering - it's about using the laws of physics to defeat his overpowering attack strategies.

And it works. After studying Aikido for less than a year, I encountered a guy who was a supposed black belt in Taikwondo, last summer, in 2005. Guess what folks, he was dang fast. I definately had a fight on my hands. He was actually upset that I interefered in his "acquisition" of another pilot in his outfit (she thought he was a creep). When he followed her home, I followed him, and when he accosted her, I intercepted and said in my unmistakable martial arts form, "Uh, no, I really don't think you ought to be going there with her."

The usual response with "why not?" and "Who do you think you are?" were replied to with my name and "her friend," and "please leave now."

The next few seconds are confusing, as his attack was with lightening speed, but as I had nothing to loose and everything to impress, I was somehow able to thwart his attacks, after which he asked me, "which martial art do you study?" I replied, "Aikido." He asked what belt I am, and I replied, "No belt, for I'm a beginning student." This really pissed him off, for he launched into another series of attacks, most of which I was able to slightly deflect, reducing broken bones to mere bruises.

He and I stood.

I said, "Take whatever sense of macho you have and go home. You're not going home with her. Neither am I. What's happening here is that you're going home intact, and so am I. If you can't accept that, I'm calling the police, and began punching in the code to the police on the cell phone."

He was a pilot under contract to the US government, didn't want to loose his job, etc., so he held up his hands and conceeded.

The bottom line here, folks, is that it takes a calm head to win a fight, and it certainly helps if you're properly trained. The best training is track, for if you run faster, or for longer than the other guy is willing to chase you, you've won. The next best training is in learning to deflect (not defeat) other means of attack, and for that, I recommend Aikido, as it's perhaps the best out there. This is particularly addressed to those of you who fear hate crimes because you, as a man, choose to wear heels. Always err on the side of caution, never believing your skills will keep you safe, for there are always ways of circumventing martial arts (guns...).

Instead, be smart, be safe, and be conservative. It'll never harm you to train in Aikido, as it's good for the bones without damaging the joints, great for flexibility, and is the one martial art which grants you the greatest liklihood of defending yourself to the best extend in the shortest amount of time.

Caveat - expect to study for a year or more before the results mentioned above are realized. But benefit also holds true - you'll be in much better shape and capable of defending yourself after a year than you were before.

[JSpikeheels]

...unless a few superegos get out there and set examples of the right kind... ...when I was employed at my former employer-euphemistically known as "Big Blue"(retired 1994)- convention would never have allowed me the freedom to challenge the accepted expectations in a corporate culture...one might say that I had responsibilities to my "stream of income" ...when I had children in the public school system I had responsibilities to them as a parent-to conduct myself in ways that would set examples of "expected" conduct" for them... ...and when I took my wife out in the past for dinner and "what-have-yous" I felt that I had a responsibility to her to find my satisfaction in strictly enjoying the pleasure of seeing HER in spikeheels-living the pleasure through her one might say...sublimating my needs through her... ----------------------- ...so to stay on topic for this thread I will simply say this: only when I had discharged my obligations to Society and Family did I reach a point where the planets aligned and allowed me the windows of opportunity: * self-employed * special circumstances with customers have allowed me the chance to give this a try without substantial risk * children left nest * wife not opposed to allowing me to test my expectations ...now that I have established a working model for this "experiment" I intend to be as open, upright and forthcoming with anyone and everyone I should meet who shows an interest in what I am attempting to accomplish-namely, showing a boot heel under a pair of clean pressed Wrangler jeans... ...it's not for everyone-as I hope I made clear- responsibilities to others should remain the priority and one still needs a pretty big "set of stones" to even risk the criticism some of which may still come your way... for most guys this sense of accountability to others takes priority over the sense of "freedom to take risks" and most will never think through the logic to reach the conclusions they would like to reach on a subject like "could I ever wear heels?" ...all of this has taken a lot of life-analysis and priority-setting...growing older has helped settle issues for me as well..but the "dreams of a lifetime" are coming true for me and they can for you... if you look comfortable, happy and excited with wearing heels that will be the aura others perceive and you will not only turn your own experiences into happy ones but that sense of contentment will inform others to try the adventure for themselves- ..if you believe that this so-called "diversity" means more and more compartmentalizatations into smaller and smaller distinct closed-minded societies within Society as a Whole then the concept of male heeling will never emerge as an acceptable custom...but if individuals believe that their dreams can be realized and they see examples such as men in heels actually living their dreams... ...this is when male heeling has a chance of "taking off" god luck and happy heeling JSpikeheels