How would you describe yourself?

[sscotty727]

Hey Guys, I am trying to come up with a way to find out the make up of the board. We seem to have a wide range of people here. Please pick the one that you feel best describes you. If you think I missed any, please let me know and I will see if I can add it (can you edit a poll?). I fall into the "I wear heels all the time, but prefer to be descrete about it" category. Thanks, Scotty

[shyguy]

I am a "wear heels inside, but may wear them outside one day" I have worn lower heels outside, but higher heels are indoors only, although I would like to take a trip out in a pair of boots I have which seem like they'd be comfortable enough

[sscotty727]

Dang, I had this written up in notepad before I did the poll so I could edit it and stuff. During my copy/paste, I forgot to add "I like looking at heels but I no desire to wear them." Can you edit a poll once people voted?

[dr1819]

I fall into the "I wear heels all the time, but prefer to be descrete about it" category.

Thanks,

Scotty

Same as you, Scotty, although I'd have to add that at work I'm in flats (company rules).

[Fog]

I voted for what ever I like, whenever I like - that was the nearest. I do wear whatever I like - fully exposed stiletto boots and shorts is a favourite, but I do it occasionally. It is really a two part question - so hard to do in a poll. The first element is what do you wear the second is when and where do you wear it. You might get people who wear stilettos inside every day, but block heels out rarely. I'm being pedantic I know, but it's what I do for a living.

[sscotty727]

fogborkenvv, You bring up a great point. Let me explain the reason behind what I was trying to do with this poll, and your right, there needs to be more parts. A question was raised in another thread about why people here seem to respond more to boots vs pumps. I also said I notice fewer responses to wedges and even less to my inserts. My theory for this is because of the composition of the members here based on what they wear, why they were it, etc. I figured if we could compile some statistics showing (for example) that the majority of men say wear boots out and about more often than pumps, then we can explain why those threads seem to get more responses to pump threads, or stilleto heel threads get more responses than say wedges, maybe less people here wear heels out descretely. Anyway, yes, the poll I put up doesn't ask enough. I was going to include alot more variations on the answers, but then I noticed I started having WAY to many combinations. I think the poll types here are limited. dr1819, you mentioned that you can do polls. Do you know a site where we could host a multipart poll and maybe compile some stats to kinda map the general membership of the board? Just more curious than anything. I think it might also ease some fears when some threads get less responses vs some getting alot when we understand the composition of the members and their interests. Thanks, Scotty

[kneehighs]

Please pick the one that you feel best describes you

I voted for this one:

"I am a freestyler and wear heels openly outside, whatever I want, whenever I want."

I would also question limiting the use of the term freestyler to just choice one--if to use it at all. A freestyler is any man who adorns himself with one or more articles of women's clothing, but still retains the appearance of his originally assigned birth sex while doing so.

[sscotty727]

I voted for this one:

"I am a freestyler and wear heels openly outside, whatever I want, whenever I want."

I would also question limiting the use of the term freestyler to just choice one--if to use it at all. A freestyler is any man who adorns himself with one or more articles of women's clothing, but still retains the appearance of his originally assigned birth sex while doing so.

Kneehighs,

I wasn't trying to "limit" the term, but rather use it to mean someone who wears it openly so others can see the heels. Unlike myself who wears heels, but wears them descretely.

[kneehighs]

sscotty727 I fully understood your original meaning.

Openess so that others can see, however, is not a defining factor of a freestyler. Never has been, and hopefully, never will be. In my opinion, it defeats the purpose of the term by creating the potential for false divisions among our forum members, when the intent of the term was to create a definition we could all unite around.

[sscotty727]

Not trying to divide anyone. I just don't PERSONALLY feel like the term "freesyler" fits ME (if it fits anyone else, by all means, use it). I wear "heels", but only those that are descrete. I don't try to push the limit or buck the system. I am just me. I wear shoes where my heels are at an arch, but I don't do it for others to see or to try to "change the system". Not that I am at opposed to the system changing, just I am personally not ready to do battle. I leave it to guys like you Kneehighs, who has the courage and conviction to take on percentions of the world. Like I said before, I am just a happily married guy with kids and a job. I do what I am able to do within my own limits. Yeah, you can say I "push" things by wearing heels to work and such. Guess I just don't see it that way or else I would be wearing less descrete heels. Anyway, not trying to start an argument here or divide anything. As I said in the beginning, I just didn't feel as though the term applied to me. I didn't leave it out of the other choices on the poll to send some message that you are only a freestyler under certain circumstances, and if that is how it came across, I do appologize. Perhaps the first choice should have just read "I wear heels openly outside, whatever I want, whenever I want" and left the term out. Unfortunately, I don't think I am able to edit the text of the poll, so please just look at the description and not the missing term in the other ones. As far as the poll itself. The intent isn't to divide the board, but gain an understanding of the cross section of the board. Mainly so we can understand why certain threads get more attention over others. If anything, I am trying to bring understanding so people here don't feel like they are being neglected, etc, but rather, people tend to post in messages that interest them. If you have someone who, for example, loves wearing stiletto boots that are visable, then that person is less likely to post in a thread dealing with discrete wedges. It isn't that they are ignoring or avoiding me, just that topic would hold no interest to them. Another words, if say we found out that (and I am just making up numbers here) 5% of the board wears heels outside descretely, then if I post a topic discussing that, I shouldn't expect LOTS of replies. It isn't anything negative on me, just the composition of the board doesn't currently support as much interest in that than if say 50% of the board wears stiletto heels openly. Then a thread on that topic would gain LOTS of interest. Again, not saying one is more valuable than the other, just maybe people can understand why certain threads get more replies over the other. Does that make sense? Scotty

[Thighboots2]

Well I'm in the "Heels all the time, but discretely" category, although it depends upon the footwear of course. I wear my 3" cowboys with slim jeans to the top of the heel. Whereas I wear my other heels with trousers/pants that cover most of the heel when standing still, which is how the majority of women wear trouser/heel combination here in the UK (I hate the current fashion of having trousers overlong so it leads to frayed hems - Ugh!) TB2

[kneehighs]

No worries, sscotty727 It will be interesting to see how the results of the survey pan out.

[chris100575]

If there was an option for "I wear heels around the house a lot, and outside occasionally" I'd vote for that one. Chris

[asdf174]

I wear heels all the time inside the house. Maybe one day when I move to a safer community where I don't know anyone and I'm ready to make a change I will start wearing outside but not now.

[sscotty727]

If there was an option for "I wear heels around the house a lot, and outside occasionally" I'd vote for that one.

Chris

Fair enough, I figured I would probably miss a few categories.

But when you do wear them out, do you wear them descretely or openly showing them off? I am not as concerned as to the frequency of the wearing as much as I am as to the how (it at all) if that makes sense?

[chris100575]

So far I've only been out a few times, but I think I was pretty open about it. In all cases I was wearing jeans with my boots under them, but the heels were completely visible apart from the very top.

So far I've been out in a pair of fairly discrete round-toed knee boots with block heels, some very feminine wedge sandals with diamante straps (not mine, swapped with a girl on a night out), and these from New Rock twice.

With the New Rocks all but about half an inch of the heel was exposed. I actually felt no more nervous in those than in the less obvious boots, and quite comfortable once I got over the initial nerves. The wedge sandals were too feminine for me to wear out except for fun though.

Chris

[Guest]

Hi all, I voted that I wear heels all the time but like to be discrete about it. What I mean by this is that I always wear jeans to cover most of the heel. But shoe wise I mostly wear block type heels but I also wear pointed toe stiletto boots the odd time when out, it really just depends on what mood im in. Basically im now in the period where I now just wear heels like any women would by co-ordinating them with what im wearing and consider it not such a big thing. My parents (Im still at uni - living at home) know about my heels and my mum has suggested for me to wear them on one formal occasion but I have not openly worn heels in front of them. I dont know why I cant whenever they know... it just seems like a metal block some how.

[asdf174]

Hi all,

I voted that I wear heels all the time but like to be discrete about it.

What I mean by this is that I always wear jeans to cover most of the heel. But shoe wise I mostly wear block type heels but I also wear pointed toe stiletto boots the odd time when out, it really just depends on what mood im in.

Basically im now in the period where I now just wear heels like any women would by co-ordinating them with what im wearing and consider it not such a big thing. My parents (Im still at uni - living at home) know about my heels and my mum has suggested for me to wear them on one formal occasion but I have not openly worn heels in front of them. I dont know why I cant whenever they know... it just seems like a metal block some how.

Your mom seems kinda cool though. I mean I don't know many parents that would suggest they're son wear heels. My mom threw away most of my shoes at one point.

[The Mad]

(Indoors only, for now) I would wear heels more often if there was something... non-pointy available in my size. As it is, though, all that's available in my size is the semi-pointed-toe platforms from Pleaser. Wedges in particular (which I have tried in vain to find) drop off the face of the planet at size 10 or 11, and I'm a size 15. I hope to remedy this, though. I'll let you guys know more about my plans in this regard once I've had time to develop them in a bit more detail. (It will involve starting a small business, so if anyone's interested in joining up on this, PM me...)

[sscotty727]

(Indoors only, for now)

I would wear heels more often if there was something... non-pointy available in my size. As it is, though, all that's available in my size is the semi-pointed-toe platforms from Pleaser. Wedges in particular (which I have tried in vain to find) drop off the face of the planet at size 10 or 11, and I'm a size 15.

I hope to remedy this, though. I'll let you guys know more about my plans in this regard once I've had time to develop them in a bit more detail. (It will involve starting a small business, so if anyone's interested in joining up on this, PM me...)

PM Dr. Shoe. He is protesting the spam problem and isn't posting here at the moment, not sure if he is reading his messages, but you can try.

[The Mad]

Worth a shot. Thanks

[vector]

I wear heels in my house and outside after dark.

[jmc]

If there was an option for "I wear heels around the house a lot, and outside occasionally" I'd vote for that one.

I'll second that. The other options don't really fit me well.

[dr1819]

No worries, sscotty727

It will be interesting to see how the results of the survey pan out.

I've worked with Scotty a bit over the last couple of days, fleshing out ideas with respect to the scope of a truly anonymous survey that would do a tremendous job of mapping out the wide range of individuals who routinely post on this website.

As a former statistical researcher, it's my firm belief that if we were to eliminate all personally identifying information, including name, location, age, sex, sexual preference, etc., Scotty and I could provide a very thorough and complete map of the wide range of folks, men and women, who're interested in heels.

Furthermore, even though we would eliminate personally identifying data in the raw form, by including it in the composite results, I think a lot of people might finally realize they're not nearly as alone as they may have previously believed.

Regardless, when done right (and I know how to do them right), such studies are usually good things that people can both take to heart, realizing the diversity of humankind beyond the narrow picture presented by Hollywood and society, while encouraging others to take quite natural steps towards being yourself, the individual you've grown up to be.

All in all, it's a good thing.

I echo Scotty's comments in asking you what yours' might be.

[Bubba136]

Jenny developed a very comprehensive survey form for her "original" Jenny's High Heel Website that, if I remember correctly, addressed all of the concerns that you have addressed. Perhaps Tom NL, who worked with the completed forums, can reserect a copy of it and send it to you.

[Danielinheels]

I'm in the "I need to re-acquaint myself with heels before I wear them anywhere" option. I have and will wear in public when that problem is addressed.

[Booted]

Guess I'm just a laid back heeler. At home I'll wear just about anything but on the street it is either solid heels or wedges...boots of course. Booted

[MelyssaTG]

to Kneehighs: Is there some urban dictionary where you got that definition of freestyler? Cause I'm looking and I cant find it anywhere

[kneehighs]

MaleHHWearer To be honest with you, there is no officially published definition of a fashion freestyler. Awhile back, we had a definition that appeared in the English version Wikipedia. That definition has since been deleted in the English version of Wiki, but may still be present in other languages thanks to members here. Now that you mention it, submitting a similar definition to Urban Dictionary: Define Your World seems like a good idea.

The idea was to "invent" a word, void of the stigmatic association with crossdressers, TG, TV, and fetishism, and thus "normalize" our community through popularization of its use. Its been done in the past and could be done again, if everyone really committed to using the word.

[Dawn HH]

If you read my postings, you will see that from the time that I joined the Forum, I have used the word "Streetheeling", and still use it today. If the word changes---I will change the word. Cheers--- Dawn HH