Gender related heel issues

[Shoeiee]

Hello Amanda, First, thank you for sharing your thoughts with us here. I certainly appreciate it when a gal joins us and shares her interest with the entire forum. Please, stay awhile and enjoy!! In reply to: "I would perceive masculinity to be exhibited by someone able to climb a mountain, fell trees, carry a heavy load up a ladder, drive oxen through a muddy field, push my car out of the road when it's broken, carry me upstairs, build a kitchen extension and run after and tackle that burglar. I just can't imagine any of this being done in stiletto slingbacks." I too would agree to a certain extent as I participate in many 'masculine' activities rather regularly. I'm a motorcyclist, father, electronics/computer/network technician, enjoy mechanical challenges, do home repairs, etc. However, when my wife and I go out I don't usually worry too much about many of these things. Or even as a family to many places. When I am participating in any activity that requires flats, I wear appropriate footwear but if my wife and I, or the whole family for that matter, are going out for dinner, a movie, shopping, etc., I will wear heels. It's nice to walk on both sides of the line, you know?? But as you said somewhere in here, everyone has masculine and feminine traits - it's all in how they're expressed. I also like similar abilities in women as well. I don't think any gal would go to a gym or park in 5" stilettos, and participate as the location dictates. They may arrive in 5" stilettos and change into appropriate footwear but that is just what I may do as well. Nor would I greatly desire a woman who wants to be in 5" stilettos 100% of the time, limiting her ability to participate in a nice hike or other flat-shoe-required activity. I prefer one who has the flexibility to engage in both seamlessly. One of the most amazing things I have experienced is being in the military with women. You see them day-in and -out wearing combat boots...Then they get dressed up to go party and it's a whole different side of them!! A total Jekyll and Hyde effect! Some look horrible in uniform but when they hit the streets for a night out, look out!! The reason I bring this up is are they any less feminine since they work in a very masculine world? I think not personally. It's a role they play. Women are societally allowed to transition from one role to the next without anyone saying anything...(except maybe a loud WOW!!! ) I personally long for the day when it is completely acceptable for a man to make similar transitions. The difference is women aren't labeled like men usually are. They're accepted for who they are in whatever mode they may be in. Am I jealous?? Maybe a little...But I'm also happy for all women because of this ability. And I love to have a woman who enjoys mudding, racing, horses, etc., and can go from one extreme to the other flawlessly. A true character trait to be admired! Glad you're here and hope you stay and relay more of your thoughts with us!! WELCOME!!

[Danielinheels]

Hi and welcome, Amanda. Glad you've joined us, it's always refreshing to have female input here. And while I'm sure this site may not have been what you'd have thought it to be, stick around. We're a largely pleasant group, bound by a common interest and respectful of other interests, tangential and astray.

Ideally, pretty much all of us here would just like to be accepted for something small on the larger mosaic that makes us... well, us. I have an extremely wide range of interests, many of which are controversial or otherwise not commonly agreed upon by the general populace or my inner circle. Nonetheless, I've only been asked to outright stop heel-wearing, which needless to say is also the most questioned aspect of my character. In my case, it's work to find my shoe size, meaning this is clearly something I want to do despite the difficulties therein contained.

I would percieve masculinity to be exhibited by someone able to climb a mountain, fell trees, carry a heavy load up a ladder, drive oxen through a muddy field, push my car out of the road when it's broken, carry me upstairs, build a kitchen extension and run after and tackle that burglar.

I just can't imagine any of this being done in stiletto slingbacks.

I'm somewhere between 100 and 100 percent sure I could carry you up stairs in heels... many of the specialized tasks (mountain climbing, cutting trees, carrying heavy loads up a ladder, building a kitchen extension) are slightly different, calling for heightened safety; thus, a female performing the same tasks would opt away from heels also.

My ability to run in heels depends on a number of factors (the type of ground I'm on, heel height/style, was it raining recently, etc) and if a burglar is just faster than me, the shoes I'm wearing is irrelevant and getting my phone out of my pocket to give the police a description of the poor guy requires little of my feet.

I don't know when I'd be in a muddy field, with oxen, to drive them through it, but as with the specialized tasks above I'd dress the part. And if those oxen ain't movin', they ain't movin', heels or otherwise. I'd be hard-pressed to think they weren't moving because they saw my shoes and had an extended laugh to themselves.

I don't drive in heels (keep a pair of flat shoes in the car; I learned long ago why they have those shoes called driver flats) so pushing a stalled vehicle would be done in flat, though possibly female-marketed, shoes. And I've done this before with no hangups whatsoever.

Just thought I'd play a little devil's advocate, it's late and my sleeping medicine hasn't kic

[Amanda]

Thanks Daniel, for such a colourful and witty reply. I hope you sleep well..xx

[roniheels]

Amanda I do enjoy your views. Here's my nickel.

I have felled a tree, chopped up the wood, rebuilt a car engine, scuba dived, snow skied from the top of a mountain, climbed a mountain, roofed a house, and remodeled a house. Many of these things I did working with or enjoying the activity with a woman. And at the time of those activities, neither one of us were wearing high heels. After cleaning up after the activities, like shoeiee said, the women transformed into this lovely vision. I didn't think anything less of them prior to the transformation.

I guess my ideal dream date would be me and a woman wearing the identicle Brooks Bothers suit, silk shirt and tie, fedora hats, and identicle high heels. I haven't met this woman yet, but I know she's out there.

I have to agree with Nigel on one thing. And it seems like it is younger women that don't like the idea of men wearing feminine high heels. Possitive feedback I get on the streets is from, I believe, middle aged women when they see me wearing high heels.

That's my input. Keep em coming, Amanda.

[lovesheels]

I am 66 and my wife is 64 and she may wear A 2" heel at the most now but she used to wear the high ones . Me I love to wear high heels but she wont let me wear them around at all not even in the house so I have to get up early to wear them at all and I am wearing A new pair of sandals I got from payless nice and comfy white 2 1/2 " heel. I have even wore heels in stores and found it fun and knowone even noticed. I love to try them on at payless they have A better selection of nice heels now.