shoe preferences changing through the years ?

[Slides 'n Heels]

About high heels: our tastes can be very different. Boots, pumps, sandals, block heels, stiletto's etc. And so must be our personal stories how we came up to our shoe preferences. I am curious to hear if your shoe preferences have been the same all the time, or did it change since you discovered your passion. My story: I have had a passion for female shoes since I was a young boy way back when in the early 70’s. My first excitement were flip-flops and wooden sandals made by Scholl and Berkemann. I was envious on the girls wearing them. But I could only dream about it. In 1985 I was able to buy my first pair of wooden exercise sandals. It was the start of my female shoe collection. For many years, heels did not have a special attraction on me. It was 1998 when I came on the Internet. And found out that I was not the only one with a "weird" shoe passion. Discovered some dedicated sites, and chatted with like minded people. I found pictures of high heeled slides, and women wearing them. Slowly but steady I came to realize that heels were also hot! And I wanted to have them too! I got my first pair of heeled slides through Ebay. The heels were about 2”. Not that high, but I wanted to explore a new world so to say. Through a trade I got a pair of Candies with 4” heels. I was hooked…….. I always thought that I would stay with slides and thong sandals. But a few years ago I found myself looking at women in high heeled boots more and more. So the urge came up to try heeled boots myself. I did not surrender to this urge until fall last year. In a mailing of a department store I found a picture of a hot looking pair of boots. They were black knee high boots, with tapered 3”heels. So I decided to have a look. It was quiet in the shop, so I tried them on. And it felt great! I could not resist buying them. And I was hooked once again…. Going out in them for the first time was a sensational feeling! Does this mean that my passion for wooden slides has now become less ? No, that did not change at all. I fact my female shoe passion has become more wider. Would be nice to hear both similar and opposite experiences

[lorriette]

exploration...... like being in a candy shop, the eye catches sight of something new and you just have to try it. Tastes change, as do your favourite shoes. Every now and then, you back for a taste of previous delights. Perfectly normal behaviour.

[thedesigner]

probably like most, i started with block heels as they were less noticeable, but now wear stilettos a lot (never had any difficulty); nowadays i look to widen my selection and coloour of shoes to get something different, so long as theyre 4" heels !!

[loveheel]

One of my first pairs was a set of 6 inch patent pumps. Basically, stripper heels that I bought in a junk market. After that I bought various block heel boots. But now, I have developed a much more diverse style. I favorite is sandals do I can not always get a way with it. I have also lots of boots with all kinds of heels: stileto, block, blade, etc. I find it fund to try on new styles as they come in fashion and wear them out.

[canadianbeaver17]

I think my shoe preference has mirrored what was the trends at the time. When I started about 5 years ago, the styles were more chunky and blocky. Now, it's more slimmer and streamlined. You could also say that this is a true sequence for first time heelers, where they try to get more "masculine" looking shoes.

[docs41]

I wouldn't look at though your preference for slides has lessened, but your interest in other styles has grown. The same has happened to me too. The end result is a larger collection! Also I've been a Scholl fan for years as you can probably tell by my avatar.

[Bootking]

For me, it is more the style changing than my taste. I've always had a strong preference for high heeled boots, but could always appreciate a high heeled sandal or shoe. I find that I can usually find something in my taste as styles evolve, even platforms or block heels to a degree. And the tighter the fit, the hotter!!!!!!

Low heels and flats, or a loose fit, NO WAY! And I've always felt that way since I was a child.

[HeelD]

Evolution is what goes with style. I'm sure I will evolve more over the years - in fact I already have evolved. A few years ago I was wearing stuff I wouldn't wear now. My personal style is a blend of female and male. Some days I will wear stilletto heels, another day I will want to wear a block heel, or some MJs, then a wedge on another and also somedays deciding to wear some ballet flats. All I'm expressing is fashion freedom and creating my own sense of style - adding bits and pieces to what I wear like a hat or choosing the right bag to go with my outfit (as well as the shoes of course!). I'm loving every minute of it!

[HighBoots]

I think so, yes. We get older, grow up, maybe become wiser... I was never into pumps or similar very feminine shoes, my only love is boots. The first boots I bought were outrageouse thigh high ones with very high heels, even a pair of thigh high ballet boots. They for sure were fun, but only wearable in the closet for me. I progressively moved to more chunky heeled and lower boots, to finally end with models like the one in my forum avatar, with heels ranging from 5cm to 11cm for those on the photo. The big advantage? I can wear most of them outdoors as everyday wear. The stilettos, while fun to wear, are (in my opinion) resolutely feminine, specially if you have a strong male body. I think a normally build man in stilettos looks as ridiculous as a strong build woman in them, it just doesn't go with the body size. Cowboy style boots, or other more chunky heels go way better with the man body. And the high heel "feeling" is still there when I wear my 11cm heeled new rocks. The only pair I regret (I sold all my stiletto models) is the ballet boots, which were really fun to wear occasionally indoors. All this only my personal opinion, I'll never blame some guy running around in stilettos, I just realized it was not for me.

[roniheels]

I'm not real large in stature (5'9", 175 lb.), but I thoroughly enjoy wearing high stiletto heels, especially in public. I wear high block style heels to work. So the change to stilettos is a fun and welcome change.

[Dr. Shoe]

Yes, my tastes have changed with fashion and context. At first I was into thigh boots with high stilleto heels and so the first pair I bought were 5" heeled patent thigh boots, I also bought a pair of matching pumps at the same time. Now my taste is far more sophisticated and comfort plays a big part in my footwear selection though I'd never dream of wearing less than 3" in girl mode. I tend to go for boots with high skinny cuban, taper or cone heels, though I do like stilettos still...

[Thighbootguy]

Has the style of footwear I like to wear changed over the years? Yes it has and it is still changing.

Heels weren’t what got me started, it was boots. I have enjoyed wearing boots for over 40 years but they were all knee high and had block heels. I kept looking for taller shafted boots and over the years found a pair or two but they were the exceptions. My big feet didn’t help either. I was not wearing my boots out and about back then either.

About 5 years ago I discovered thigh boots that were in my size available on the web and bought a pair with 4” stiletto heels. I remember wondering how and where I would ever wear them but I discovered that they felt great and that, with practice, I could walk in them. I was hooked. The Thigh boots in Public thread picks it up from there.

Recently I have been wearing knee high boots with block heels again. I think this is because I can wear them to work under my slacks, but I have started wearing them over jeans/slacks and with a skirt. (I mentioned in another thread that knee high boots seem to get more attention than thigh boots. I’m still trying to figure that one out.)

I still don’t enjoy pumps as much as boots, but I have become a real heel fan.

[johnieheel]

Not really. I still love my d-oresy style and mary janes. My gf in high school bought a pair of heels that were a sort of d-orsey style and I have been hooked on them every sinse. (70's). As for boots, I love them all as long as they have a heel.

[Bubba136]

Yes, my tastes have changed with fashion and context.

comfort plays a big part in my footwear selection ...

Isn't it surprising how comfort becomes more important as you spend more and more time wearing your heels out in public? Housebound heel wearers can afford to wear their 5" and 6" heels for hours on end inside but when they have to walk a couple of miles around a mall or spend an afternoon on their feet, comfort and ease of wearing becomes paramont.

[yozz]

Isn't it surprising how comfort becomes more important as you spend more and more time wearing your heels out in public? Housebound heel wearers can afford to wear their 5" and 6" heels for hours on end inside but when they have to walk a couple of miles around a mall or spend an afternoon on their feet, comfort and ease of wearing becomes paramont.

My experience is the same. At first you look for very high heels, but that is as long as

you walk a few steps at a time inside. The more you go outside the more you decide at

the last moment to go for something slightly lower and much more comfortable.

Maybe we are just learning what many women know already for ages.

Y.

[Histiletto]

I started with children's Mary Jane patent leather as a very young heeler, and now my enjoyment includes wearing 5" (within +/- 1.5", either way) high stiletto heeled pumps, with a variety of color and material options. I have basically stayed true to favoring the heeled court shoe design with no cut-outs, cut-aways, sling backs, "extended" pointy toes, or peep-holes. Stilettoes are definitely my first priority for high heels, but for medium to low heels, the tapered look is preferred. Platforms use to really drive me up a wall, because they looked so hideous. However, if they are done with certain perimeters, like not overshadowing or becoming the shoe, I can now accept them. Also, I have come to accept an occasional design applying straps, buckles, pleats, and/or bows that give the heels a more delightful presence, but that would depend on my thinking at the time I see them. I have a few boots, but I got them to settle some of my curiosities about boots and can't seem to lean toward their use as much as the courts. Most of us male heelers have so much to experience, because of our feeling the need to be so secretive about our desire in this social atmosphere. The time may not be to far off when male heelers will be able to walk the walk and talk the talk. (I know it's a bit Seventy-ish! Dig it!) We got to prepare for the opportunities!

[dressboots]

My preference is to boots, whatever is the latest fashion trend. Typically I want femine knee boots that would be considered moderate by many on this forum, in the 2.5" to 3" range. I like what I see on the street. The first boots I really wanted were GO GO boots of the 1960's. When riding boots first became popular I wanted those too. With the advent of the Internet I can be inspired of new boot fashion year round rather than just in the fall and first half of the winter. Before that with a larger foot size (women's 12) I had to be ready to buy as soon as the fall/winter catalogs came out in late July as the larger sizes did not last long. The style I got was often a close second of what I wanted as it came in my size as opposed to what I wanted. There are better choices now too. I have always liked the unadorned shaft knee boot. I like for them to hug my leg. In the early 90's knee boots became very loose around the ankle by design, but am now happy the close fitting styles have returned.

[fastfreddy2]

I used to wear HH courts with naked legs, when I was young .....

These days, like most women of my age, my legs have to be covered. I've got slim (skinny) legs that measure 14" around the calf, so most knee-boots look like wellies. I've pretty much settled on ankle boots (aka shoe-boots). These look and feel good under trousers and jeans.

I've always preferred a slimmer heel, but (my) weight means the heel-tips don't last long. I'm currently trying to find some thicker heeled boots, but I might be shopping about 6 years too late? Even blade heeled boots are hard to find now ....

These look perfect.

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