Advice on beginning with high heels!!

[hckyplyr123]

I am new to high heels and like them very much. Anyone know what is a good height to start with?? Also what is a good way to get use to wearing them other than practicing?? Anyone have any advice on what I can do. What do others do when starting out??

[jmc]

Hi hckyplyr123 and welcome aboard! As for starter height, go with something you can wear comfortably for a period of time. Most of we guys, blessed with largish feet, can easily handle a 3.5 to 4" heel with very little difficulty. You will have to try a few different heights to find out. If you try to start out with six-inchers you will be miserable and will probably give up. There are a few threads around here about foot stretching -- some of that may work. I am of the opinion that extended wear is the best exercise. Just wear 'em and don't push yourself too hard. If you don't have any heels yet, look around for some of the sizing threads too. Shoe sizing is a bit of a black art -- an 11 from one line may be too tight while a 10 from another line may be too loose. And that's if they are both US Womens -- there are UK sizes, European sizes, Chinese sizes and a few other sizing systems too. Conversions between them don't always work well. As for what most others do when starting out, most of us get a pair of five or six inchers and immediately start prancing around - - - poorly. Then we come here and find out what we are doing wrong. Spend some time browsing around here -- there are a lot of threads going back for several years. There is an enormous amount of information here.

[hckyplyr123]

thanks for the help, cant wait to hear what others have to say.

[EdwardianEra]

Welcome, hckyplyr123!

As a fellow forum member who is fairly new to heels, I would suggest starting with no more than 2-3 inches, so you can adjust to the feeling and way of walking in heels.

If you need a good source for shoes, look no further than http://www.zappos.com.

They are considered to be the best shoe website in business, with the best customer service. All shoes ship overnight, for free. You can order several pairs of shoes in various sizes, see which fits the best and ship the others back, and they pay for return shipping, no questions asked.

This way, you can shop from home and get the fit you want, without the risk of buying from other sites and losing money on shipping and reshipping fees.

I wear heels publicly when my sister and I get out of the house to spend weekend afternoons together. I usually change in the car, and wear them for a few hours straight after that. No one has said anything bad to my face; I know I have attracted some attention walking down the street in a mid-calf skirt and silver strap wedge sandals (mostly when I walk past sidewalk cafes). But when I wear jeans with heels, no one really notices. And if they do, they don't dwell on it and just go their merry way.

Best of luck,

EdwardianEra

[Dr. Shoe]

There is no hard and fast rule here but IMO you start low and build up to the height you want. You will find that to start with you are wearing heels that you can get away with in public quite well until you gradually progress to the six or seven inch stilettos. I'm abit curious about your question about getting used to heels practicing. Are you in the situation where you can't wear heels for more than a few minutes at a time?

[Tosca]

Hi all, Welcome to heeling, and have fun. I've perused the Zappos website longingly and turned green with envy 'cos they don't ship outside the US! Us poor heels in Europe/UK feel terribly deprived! All best wishes, Tosca

[hckyplyr123]

No, I have plenty of time, hours upon hours each and everyday where I can walk around in them and go on with my regular day to get used to them. Possibly even sleep in them to get used to the arch change. I just didnt know if anyone had some special advice that they have learned from trial over the years.

[admirer5577]

I would say like most others here, start with a reasonable height and work yourself upwards. I think most guys can handle 4" without too much difficulties so it is just to keep wearing them in order your feet will adjust to them. But remember there is a HUGE difference to walk around in your house compared to be out in real life. 4-4½" is no problem for me outdoors but for week-end parties I sometimes wear 5½-6" and to just mingle around and stand still or move around slowly is really tiring for your feet. In my case it is the balls of the feet that protests the most but a day later it is all ok again. New shoes also need to be broken in. And don't forget that leather shoes are much more adaptable to your feet then "plastic" ones. Happy heeling.

[high_55]

I'd say that 3 1/2 inches is ok to start, i do recomend if you like open shoes like sandals, not to wear the straps too tight, because your feet will start to swell and you won't be able to use them for more than half an hour, before you feel sore feet.

[chris100575]

I started off with four inch heels, and have intentionally stuck in the four to five inch range. Depending on your foot size 3.5 - 4 inches could be a good place to start. (I'm a UK 7.5 BTW) As for getting used to them, there really is no subsitute for just wearing them. I wouldn't suggest sleeping in them would do any good at all unless it's just something you want to do. The heights people have been suggesting should be less of an arch than when you stand on tiptoe, so you're not going to be pushing your ankle beyond its natural range which is when people usually start with stretching etc. Listen to your body, and take them off when they start to hurt. Above all, have fun! Chris

[Guy N. Heels]

One more thing, before you start sinking some serious money into heels, you really ought to try your local thrift stores and second-hand shops - just to try out various styles and heel heights without breaking the bank account. Then, if you find you don't like a particular style or height, you really haven't lost all that much. You'll also develop some definite ideas as to what you really want when you do decide to shop High Street. Also, there are many threads around here that have already addressed the same questions you've asked. Look around and check them out.