Who has bought some new shoes

[jeremy1986]

On 12/18/2020 at 11:22 AM, Sabrina said:

Some sandals in the sales, ready for next summer.

Very cute. Casual day to day style that I like too 

[RonC]

Internet purchases that don't fit get returned, unless it's like ebay where they can't go back.  Those, and others that I am done wearing or don't have storage to hold on to typically get donated to Salvation Army where at least someone else can get some use out of them.  I'm sure there have been a few guys thrilled to find a pair of size 11 or 12 pretty much like new heels at a second hand store!

[bailey]

Classic style but with a little bling.

[bluejay]

Nice heels. I like your shinny blue leggings, too. I have the same color of blue along with several other colors.The shinny leggings add some bling to the ensemble.

Happy Heeling,

bluejay

[mlroseplant]

This is it for my new shoes for a while. Finally, the last pair managed to make it to my house. It took the better part of a month, and I have no idea why. Part of it is the unprecedented volume of shipping in recent weeks, I am sure. I know it seems like I have gone to the dark side, and am now a designer label snob, I really haven't, it's just pure chance that these happen to be Prada shoes. And I do believe that they are the real thing, but they are not in good enough condition to where somebody's going to pay hundreds of dollars for them. They're not really that bad, but they've got some issues. There is a blemish on one of the wooden heels, a slight scuff, and  the "Prada" emblem is missing from the bottom of the left shoe, a brad-like or staple like metal fastener being the only indication that there ever was one there.

I know some of you will react negatively to these shoes because of their sheer bulk. To tell the truth, the only reason I bought them is because they were super high and super cheap. I do not believe the seller realized what a chance she was taking when she started the bidding at $29.99 with no reserve. Just looking around other used clothing sites, such as Poshmark, these shoes even in their somewhat flawed condition should be worth $150, and in better used condition up to $300. Somebody bid $29.99 a couple of days before the auction ended. I figured that was the end of it, somebody had run across these and wanted them, I mean, they are big and kind of ugly, but they are Pradas. So I punched in like $32.57 or something like that at the last minute, and I won the auction for $30.99 (plus shipping). Evidently, bidder No. 1 put in the starting bid as their maximum amount, so I wound up getting it for just $1 more. They probably had the same idea as me, they were ambivalent about the shoes, but I used a different technique. So that's how I got a pair of Pradas for about 40 bucks. That may be a good part of the reason they took so long to get here. No profit motivation for the seller. Hmmm.

Now that they are finally here, I actually like them a lot better than I thought I would. They are size 39 1/2, and I thought that maybe they might be a little big, and by the standards of what I usually like, they probably are, but nothing objectionable. I like my heel to come clear to the back of the shoe, but not overhang at all, it's a pretty tight tolerance. It's very difficult to tell simply by looking in the mirror, but I'd say there's about 1/8" of extra shoe behind my heel, and that's perfectly acceptable. The uppers fit my feet perfectly, showing the better part of three toes, and the shape of the rise allows full contact of my foot with the footbed for the entire length of the shoe. Very much like my recently catalogued Miu Miu wooden sandals. However, unlike the Miu Mius, which are of the same basic genre and style, there is a leather lined footbed, instead of the foot resting directly on bare wood. Also, unlike the Miu Mius, these are almost eerily quiet when you walk.

Now for the numbers: 5 ⁷/₈" heel (I've still never quite made it all the way to 6"), 1 ⁵/₈" platform, which I believe is the biggest platform I've ever worn. I cannot say for sure what they're going to be like out in the real world, but from experience, I think they're going to be just fine. They aren't heavy, and I can't believe that such a thick platform would feel so natural to walk in, and I think they look better on than I thought they would. I do not know if they will go well with shorts or not, being rather bulky as they are. I don't know why I have always been drawn to the "Candies" style sandals, but I have liked them since childhood, even though I have never owned a pair of actual Candies. Perhaps this is because I like the concept, but prefer a more extreme execution. These certainly fit that bill, but I believe they will be easy enough to live with, and without the pressure of worrying about messing up my expensive designer shoes.

An afterthought: I've gone back to the dining room mirror to take my pictures, because it's way too cold and windy to be mucking about outside with a tripod whilst wearing sandals. I probably should have cleaned the mirror before I took the picture.

[RonC]

Those look challenging to me.  It would be one of those instances where, while I am personally not fond of the style, I'd love to try walking in them for the experience.  Be careful in those!  They make me think of the videos of fashion models on the runway doing butt plants in their overly high platforms after intense ankle wobble episodes!  Have a Merry Christmas sir!

[Cali]

@mlroseplant those are right in my wheel house. I have the Steve Madden Manners in chestnut and tan.

And just missed these from Jessica Simpson in this Zebra.

 

When you can't try them on you sometimes wait too long to buy them.  They sold out in my size.

[chesterx]

I bought these heels many months ago but when i got them in they did not fit well enough to wear for any period of time. I had them in the purge closet & decided to try them one last time before getting rid of them when to my surprise they fit! Not sure why the difference, maybe my feet were swollen when i 1st tried them. They were still a little snug in the toes but these are genuine leather all around, so i wore them to the grocery store confident they would stretch with wear. After 90 minutes they did indeed form nicely to my foot. What a nice surprise, because these are well made shoes. They are leather uppers & lowers, made by Eleanor Anukam in Brazil. The model is Ibena. Lord knows I have plenty of black pumps but i really like the geometric pattern cut outs that have a shear black mesh across them. The description says they have a 4" heel but like most quality manufactures they scale the heel to the size, so these are 4 3/4" tall. I superposed a pic from their website to better show off the pattern...

 

[RonC]

Those are really nice looking.  I love the cut-outs!  Glad you didn't let them go without another try.  I see they are on sale now for $75.  I'd love a pair but I'm having so much trouble with fit these days that I won't buy anything that is not readily returnable or that I can try on in store.  BTW chesterx, I bought a pair of the INC Zitahs that you had mentioned were a good fit for you.  I thought a wide width might be the answer but the 11W I got was not comfortable for me as it was still pinching in the toe box.  Too bad, as I really liked the style.

[chesterx]

17 hours ago, RonC said:

I'd love a pair but I'm having so much trouble with fit these days that I won't buy anything that is not readily returnable or that I can try on in store.

Seems most of us have a cross to bare when it comes to women's heels. For me its the fact that 95% for the available styles are unobtainable due to my size 13 feet...

[Puffer]

2 hours ago, chesterx said:

Seems most of us have a cross to bare when it comes to women's heels. For me its the fact that 95% for the available styles are unobtainable due to my size 13 feet...

13USM or 13USW?   If the former, where do you get your shoes, please?

[RonC]

4 hours ago, chesterx said:

Seems most of us have a cross to bare when it comes to women's heels. For me its the fact that 95% for the available styles are unobtainable due to my size 13 feet...

Yeah, that does seriously limit selection for sure

[chesterx]

8 hours ago, Puffer said:

13USM or 13USW?   If the former, where do you get your shoes, please?

13M, although i can also get by with a 12W on occasion. I find them where i can. Most of My Jessica Simpson heels came from Poshmark. I got a lot of 13's from Macys. Nordstrom Rack was another good source, but it has been awhile since anything nice has come up. Shoe Show Mega had some decent cheap heels at one time, but they haven't updated their styles in quite awhile...

[Puffer]

5 hours ago, chesterx said:

13M, although i can also get by with a 12W on occasion. I find them where i can. Most of My Jessica Simpson heels came from Poshmark. I got a lot of 13's from Macys. Nordstrom Rack was another good source, but it has been awhile since anything nice has come up. Shoe Show Mega had some decent cheap heels at one time, but they haven't updated their styles in quite awhile...

Perhaps you misunderstood me - I meant do you wear a US man's 13 or woman's 13?   I think you have now indicated that you usually wear a woman's 13 wide, sometimes a woman's 12 medium.   Am I right?

(It is always helpful when mentioning shoe sizes to be explicit, particularly as the US sizes for male and female do not correspond.)

Large sizes are very difficult to find in the UK, at least at an affordable price and when not too frumpy.   But, as mentioned elsewhere, ASOS has been offering some very wearable items in sizes up to UK13 (approx USM 13.5 or USW15), although some do run a little small!   These Phoenix courts (4.25" heel) are an example - but must have been popular as the largest sizes are cirrently sold out:

[chesterx]

1 hour ago, Puffer said:

usually wear a woman's 13M, sometimes a woman's 12W.

this...

[bailey]

Staying inside during these times, lends toward more online shopping. Found these wedges on poshmark. Not appropriate winter footwear but a deal is a deal.😁

[XtremeHeels]

My new Giaro Galanna Oxford Shoes!!!

My new Giaro Galanna Oxford Shoes!!!

[jetheelsfan]

Yesterday, I hit the jackpot, I found these at a local thrift shop for $1.99.  They look to be brand new as the sole is not soiled or the heels have any wear. If they have been worn, it was inside on carpet.  But I cannot give them a go until the weekend.  I hope the 12W will fit well as I usually can a 13M or a 12W.  I will surely be finding out.  

[Jkrenzer]

1 hour ago, XtremeHeels said:

My new Giaro Galanna Oxford Shoes!!!

My new Giaro Galanna Oxford Shoes!!!

Rid the platform and lower the heel by the same amount then you have a perfect shoe. Just me, but i really don't get the draw of platforms. 

[Cali]

3 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

Rid the platform and lower the heel by the same amount then you have a perfect shoe. Just me, but i really don't get the draw of platforms. 

It's an acquired taste, you just have to acquire a few dozen.

[RonC]

18 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

Rid the platform and lower the heel by the same amount then you have a perfect shoe. Just me, but i really don't get the draw of platforms. 

I am there with you on that though I've softened a bit lately.  I can handle the look of a small platform (1/2" of less) and will say that from my experience of trying on several pairs over the years, they do seem to provide a bit more comfort under the ball of the foot.  But the thick ones like these just don't look aesthetically pleasing to me.  The sandals I wore this past summer for public heeling had wedge heels and probably a 1/2" platform, something that I never thought I'd purchase from both the wedge and the platform standpoint.  They ended up being probably the most comfortable heels I've ever had the opportunity to walk in.  But that said, I'd much rather see a single sole stiletto any day of the week.

[Pumped]

On 1/7/2021 at 8:59 PM, jetheelsfan said:

But I cannot give them a go until the weekend. 

You have more patience than me. When ever I buy a new pair of heels I have to try them on in the car in the parking lot! I often wear them driving home.

22 hours ago, Cali said:

It's an acquired taste, you just have to acquire a few dozen.

I like platforms, and I didn't have to buy that many!

[mlroseplant]

So funny, this argument has been going on for over 20 years on this forum! It will never be resolved. I consider myself a moderate on the subject, and my opinion has evolved over the years. Back in the Jenny days, I was as anti-platform as you could get. Today, you see that 3 out of the last 5 shoes I bought have featured some amount of platform. I've still never done the full 2" platform that was so popular several years ago.

[Breeheels]

just got these in the mail. Easy to walk in and feel great.

 

On 1/7/2021 at 2:48 PM, bailey said:

Staying inside during these times, lends toward more online shopping. Found these wedges on poshmark. Not appropriate winter footwear but a deal is a deal.😁

Those are nice. how is the sizing on them?

Edited January 9, 2021 by Breeheels

[RonC]

On 1/8/2021 at 11:50 PM, Pumped said:

You have more patience than me. When ever I buy a new pair of heels I have to try them on in the car in the parking lot! I often wear them driving home.

I'm with you on that one, though I've typically tried them on in-store before the purchase.  However, if I'm picking up something at the post office or a ship to store purchase, they go on when I get to the car!

[Bubba136]

I my time wearing heels, I have obtained my heels in every conceivable way.  On line, mail order from catalogs, buying shoes and trying them on in store, etc.   Perhaps the most frustrating way of getting new heels was whenever my wife would buy them for me.  Her taste in footwear was very different than mine.  And, while she liked the most feminine, girly styles, my taste runs more to the plain, unadorned styles .  No bows, open toes or heels straps, etc.  Just plain pumps, boots and sandals, mostly.  She earned her black belt in shopping early on in our marriage. And, occasionally on one of these (what seemed to me) perpetual shopping excursions, she would see a pair of heels that she thought I would like, and buy them for me.  While I would return most of her selections, every now and then she would bring home a pair that I really liked. I still have a couple of these pairs in the closet.

[RonC]

@Bubba136Hard to complain when your wife is actually buying you heels....lol.  So if she liked the most feminine, girly styles, is that what she wears?  If so, she has a big thumbs up from me!

[StockingTop]

Green suede with 4 inch heels from Asos

 

Edited January 12, 2021 by StockingTop

[RonC]

Rather hard to see in those photos

 

[StockingTop]

 

6 hours ago, RonC said:

Rather hard to see in those photos

 

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by StockingTop