Master Resource: General Public Discussions of men in heels

[mlroseplant]

On 12/20/2021 at 10:31 AM, Cali said:

Mom pants or mom jeans is a slang term for high-waisted women's jeans that were originally fashionable in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
 

They are characterized by being high waisted (4+ inches above the belly button), baggy, high ankle in length (short), with a flat curvature for the buttocks. Non-flattering.

I prefer slim and skinny jeans, especially those that are hyper-stretch.

My own mother attempted jeans at about this point in time. They were so not her style that I don't think she's ever worn a pair since.

I like the super stretch skinny jeans for myself, but at this time of year, it's difficult to fit the long johns underneath, so I opt for just a tad looser than skin tight. My ex-wife (from Orange County) used to say that because southern Californians didn't have to focus on staying warm, they could spend that energy to develop humankind--like inventing the perfect fake fingernail!

[Puffer]

I've just seen a reference in a TV programme to the belief that 'a baby born breech [i.e. feet or bottom first] would grow up to be a healer'.   I was a breech baby and have grown up to be a 'heeler' - does that count, or legitimise my activity?

[p1ng74]

Both cowboy boots AND high heels showed up on this list of 22 fashion items every man needs for 2022:

https://www.eonline.com/news/1314515/22-fashion-items-every-man-needs-for-2022-according-to-hollywoods-top-stylists

 

[SF]

Interesting.....   Fashion trends change as we all know. Heck I still have some paisley print shirts in the closet and I am waiting for a comeback.  Within the past few weeks I have also seen articles in print and on the net talking about men wearing heels, and to a lesser degree even dresses and skirts.   

It does seem that fashion once was considered unusual or different, i.e. a guy wearing heels, is now accepted by many.  I am out in heels a lot and have not gotten any obvious reaction or comments (not that I am looking for or need any reaction), in a few years.  

Maybe the SoCal mindset if different.  Who knows?  In any event, I like it...  Enjoy your heels.....   sf 

Edited January 18, 2022 by SF
typo minor

[Cali]

4 hours ago, SF said:

Interesting.....   Fashion trends change as we all know. Heck I still have some paisley print shirts in the closet and I am waiting for a comeback.  Within the past few weeks I have also seen articles in print and on the net talking about men wearing heels, and to a lesser degree even dresses and skirts.   

@SF 1969 called, they want their paisley shirts back. I still have a few too.  But those prices are outrageous.

I have been telling my friends I'm a "trend setter" with my heels and other things I wear.  Now I have proof!😉

[balletboot]

9 hours ago, p1ng74 said:

Both cowboy boots AND high heels showed up on this list of 22 fashion items every man needs for 2022:

https://www.eonline.com/news/1314515/22-fashion-items-every-man-needs-for-2022-according-to-hollywoods-top-stylists

 

One of the few articles I've seen that doesnt reference the LGBT with mens heels.. that's a nice change!

[pebblesf]

Great article indeed.  But, a simple article won't have too much of an effect.  It's trendsetters like you guys that really make a difference.  

[Mr. X]

On 1/18/2022 at 9:36 AM, p1ng74 said:

Both cowboy boots AND high heels showed up on this list of 22 fashion items every man needs for 2022:

https://www.eonline.com/news/1314515/22-fashion-items-every-man-needs-for-2022-according-to-hollywoods-top-stylists

 

It's nice that High Heels were mentioned.  But unfortunately there vision of High Heels is not my vision.  And I'm pretty sure I'm speaking for a lot of others here as well. They are referencing high heels made specifically for men. These are big and clunky. And to me they are not that great looking either.  I love wearing heels and I would not be caught dead in those!

[KneeBooted]

On 12/8/2021 at 5:01 AM, mlroseplant said:

I'm not totally negative about the article, but I have some serious problems with it. Actually, it's not the article itself, it's the accompanying photos. The article sounds so reasonable, like "Oh! This is something I've always wanted to do, and finally I decided I'm going to do it." It's a road that a lot of us have already been down. But then, you see the photos.

I won't even talk about the guy in the silver banana hammock and the tinfoil boots (in lieu of a tinfoil hat?). Next, you've got the guy in a sport coat. Check. Button down shirt. Check. Nicely tailored and not skinny, jeans. Check. Lucite extreme platform sandals. What the actual?

Exhibit 3, pretty normal looking guy. Says he likes the way heels make his legs look. Then, he's pictured wearing a wife beater, Mom pants, and about 2 1/2" boots. It could have been a normal, positive picture, but no.  .  . the fashion world has to introduce some weird, unflattering element into everything, just to be different, even when different is already there, front and center. Not to mention the fact that in this outfit, you can't even tell what his legs look like.

I am guessing that this article is directed mostly at women, but I am not at all sure what the intention was. If the intention was to normalize men in heels, the writer bombed badly, or has a skewed perspective. If the intention was to show how ridiculous we look, they did a halfway decent job. Having said that, it may have been an editor's decision to include the silly photos. The article itself doesn't really match the photos. Even Mr. Banana Hammock must have photos of himself in normal street clothing and heels. Why weren't these included? Somebody wants to keep us on the fringe.

So I have had a conversation with a friend in the UK about this exact thing. One person that I feel is helping to normalize not only men in heels, but other fashion as well is Mark Bryan. He’s got good taste and I think his style is authentic. That is until he posts pictures of him at various photo shoots. A lot of the pictures are odd clothing combinations or bold off putting styles that no man or woman would wear in a normal everyday situation. Yet that’s what gets published because it is eye catching and edgy. 
 

While I applaud him for being comfortable in being himself, those photo shoots don’t do anything to help promote myself, or anyone on here looking “normal” in heels. Although I don’t really want to look “normal” because that sounds boring. I want to see how someone like Mark styles his heels into his everyday attire and have it look well put together, not like I found three random items of clothing and decided it was “style.”

[p1ng74]

I feel like that is the way design and fashion works.  The edgy, and almost ridiculous looking displays serve the role of communicating and emphasizing the concept in a specific show setting.  It draws the eye of the masses to the idea.  The idea is then seeded into the minds of the masses.  When normal people execute on the idea themselves, they take a more practical, toned down approach.  

I'm a car enthusiast, and I think concept cars follow the same pattern.  The non-production models sometimes have features that are so bold and outrageous that most people would not consider using it as daily transportation.  But more toned down versions of these designs then become embraced by consumers because the concepts have been seeded into the minds of people and have had time to mature.  

[Pierre1961]

Sorry but I don’t agree! 

Mark Bryan somehow doesn’t serve the men in heels cause. The style is ( in my eyes) awful. He doesn’t even walk gracefully. 

And because of that edgy,no taste style people won’t have any wish to try wearing heels,even in a more practical an usual way. 

He may be just be considered as the ultimate mentally ill guy.

I 1000 times prefer what we are all doing here: wearing heels on different occasions and in our own different styles. 

Pierre 

[Jkrenzer]

25 minutes ago, Pierre1961 said:

Sorry but I don’t agree! 

Mark Bryan somehow doesn’t serve the men in heels cause. The style is ( in my eyes) awful. He doesn’t even walk gracefully. 

And because of that edgy,no taste style people won’t have any wish to try wearing heels,even in a more practical an usual way. 

He may be just be considered as the ultimate mentally ill guy.

I 1000 times prefer what we are all doing here: wearing heels on different occasions and in our own different styles. 

Pierre 

Agreed as to the clothing but i like his taste in shoes. I'm just in for the shoes anyway, kinda like Melrose.

[pebblesf]

Well,  I applaude Mr. Bryan for sure.  Yeah, perhaps his style is not my style, but that is not the point.  Mr Bryan presents himself as just an average guy would enjoys wearing heels and traditionally "feminine attire".  It seems like that is the effect most of use want to achieve, trying to get away from all the usual stereotypes and assumptions that are made when guys wear heels.  Perhaps I am missing the point...

[mlroseplant]

I had to look up Mark Bryan's Instagram for the first time in probably a year to figure out what @KneeBooted's objection was. What I remembered was a guy in button down shirt and tie, pencil skirt, and heels. What could possibly be objectionable about that? Then I had a gander just now, and yeeeaaah, I can see why he might be a little offput, given the tone and style of his own channel. It's the "Photo Shoot." Those things are typically evil in one way or another.

But are they? Then you have @p1ng74's point of view that these things are meant to be outlandish for the sake of introducing new ideas and new styles that may be, and quite possibly will be, adopted far more incrementally on the street. My main objection to the photo shoots is than often, they are so photoshopped that the person doesn't look anything like what they do in real life. I'm looking at you, Vietnamese girls. You know who you are. At least Mr. Bryan still looks exactly like the same person in his photo shoots.

You are quite correct, @Pierre1961. He definitely has not figured out the TikTok girl walk. There's not a lot of video on that channel, but there's enough.  .  .

Is it good messaging? Is he a good messenger? It doesn't matter. At all. Nobody has ever heard of him. Nobody cares. Your neighbor has never heard of him. Your coworker has never heard of him. Even if they have, he doesn't live down the street from you. He's a guy with an Instagram channel. My point is that YOU, yes YOU, are the best messenger you have to dispel stereotypes and break down walls.

Edited January 21, 2022 by mlroseplant

[SF]

I don't know who Mr Bryan is, other than from a passing exposé about a guy in another country who wears heels and dresses in public.  I admire that, but I don't follow the guy, or anyone else for that matter.  I do like the fact that he, like me, wears gals shoes in public on a regular basis.  Something I have done since I was a teen.  Mr Bryan is younger than me, so maybe he is following me?  Something to think about.  Smile...  sf

 

[VirginHeels]

A few more articles:

https://www.businessinsider.com/high-heels-history-covid-pandemic-dress-code-2021-12?amp
 

https://www.wise-geek.com/what-are-high-heels-for-men.htm

https://www.legit.ng/people/1454764-male-pastor-wears-high-heels-church-services-goes-viral-photos-spark-debate-social-media/

 

[SF]

VirginHeels...  Thanks for posting these links.  The business insider video was very interesting and educational, for me at least.  And I liked the wise geek article, it even prompted me to leave a comment.  

Thanks.....   sf

[VirginHeels]

Couple of more articles.
https://thevou.com/fashion/mens-high-heels/
https://footwearnews.com/2022/fashion/opinion-analysis/gender-neutral-fashion-trends-1203233685/amp/
 

 

[Shyheels]

Both interesting articles. I can’t say I personally care for the styles they are promoting for men, but it is nice that they promote heels at all. I think in the second article they are trying to do too much at once, promoting several different traditionally feminine articles - handbags, clothing and heels - all in the same photo and creating a look that is more likely to out people off. One thing at a time would be more effective 

Edited February 14, 2022 by Shyheels

[Puffer]

I agree with Shyheels.   Almost all the shoes shown/linked in the first article are simply women's fashion styles and unlikely to be worn by a man who is not a drag artist or CD.   And the few that are not are pretty ugly.   Frankly, I think the article is counter-productive as it promotes the wrong image - essentially yet another example of extreme stereotypical styles for effeminate men, which will deter many moderate heel-liking men too.

[mlroseplant]

I can't say that I disagree with either of you, @Shyheels and @Puffer, but I've kind of quit caring lately. I just do what I do, and whatever article someone wants to write about men wearing heels, well, they didn't ask me, did they? I did find it mildly interesting that Christian Louboutin seems to have done an about-face when it comes to men wearing heels. Money talks, I guess. Unfortunately, he seems to have bought into the usual stereotype that we have to wear super ugly, clunky heels.

[Shyheels]

Yes, I noted the about face by Louboutin too - and the wearisome rush to stereotype. It would be nice to see a story about regular guys who like heels, but the pics would not be flamboyant enough. They prefer to tell a story of radical change and eye popping styles.

I do weary of the idea that men cannot wear, or are not interested in wearing, anything elegant. In every case it is always some clompy Frankenstein wear. 

Edited February 14, 2022 by Shyheels

[Cali]

If you look closely, many are 2.5 inch heels with a 2.5 inch platform. I would NEVER wear any one of those heels and I like platforms. They are just ugly and clumsy and shiny.

[Puffer]

11 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Yes, I noted the about face by Louboutin too - and the wearisome rush to stereotype. It would be nice to see a story about regular guys who like heels, but the pics would not be flamboyant enough. They prefer to tell a story of radical change and eye popping styles.

I do weary of the idea that men cannot wear, or are not interested in wearing, anything elegant. In every case it is always some clompy Frankenstein wear. 

Despite my earlier comment about 'extreme stereotypical styles for effeminate men', I entirely agree that men should be free to wear more elegant -even 'pretty' - footwear.   My concern with the article was (and remains) its implication that heels for men can only be either such styles or something orthopaedic.   The middle ground is surely what most of us would favour most of the time, isn't it?

[Shyheels]

Absolutely.. My heeled ankle boots and OTK boots are seen as “effeminate” only because they have heels, not because of any overtly feminine styling or ornamentation. They have clean lines, classical and elegant - unlike the clompy orthopaedic things that are assigned to men

[Cali]

I wear heels partly for orthopedic reasons. I have a middle eastern friend ask me why I don't wear "male" orthopedic heels, instead of the heels I wear.  Answer is simple: they are clumsy, ugly, expensive, and since they are made for a man's foot, they don't fit. I love the variety in my heels.

[VirginHeels]

Couple more articles, some positive points too;

https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/men-wearing-high-heels

https://www.mandatory.com/living/1584097-women-are-falling-head-over-heelsfor-men-wearing-heels?amp
 

[mlroseplant]

It does seem like the articles slowly keep getting better, or at least less bad. It does bug me that the opening photos in most of these articles have absolutely nothing to do with the article. Furthermore, it seems like at least 75% of the time, they choose a random photo of hairy legs and red stiletto pumps. In this case, fetish-y super long toed red stiletto pumps. Nobody wears that shit in real life!

[Shyheels]

So totally true. I noticed the same things. In my experience photo editors rather even bother to try to understand the stories for which they are selecting the illustrations, but operate to their own agendas - and in the case of stories such as these nearly always go for the lurid, the tacky, the sensational. Very seldom does one encounter a photo editor with any sense of nuance or sophistication. I know whereof I speak. I’ve been dealing with these sorts of people for decades

[Cali]

In the first article:

Lillian Stone wrote: “But wearing sky-high heels also takes serious self-assurance, even for the women onto whom painful footwear is traditionally thrust. Seeing a man strut in a hazardous shoe suggests an immense confidence.”

This is the misconception that pervades heels.  Heels don't need to be painful footwear.  I won't buy or wear painful footwear.  But many people will buy it, so manufactures continue to make and sell it as must have fashion designs.