Getting Your Feet Wet

[Sharon C]

Hi Jane (and Heidi and Alexa), First of all I'd just like to welcome Alexa back. I think we were all wondering where you'd got to. Anyway, it's good to hear from you again Jane, yeah, I've had times when I've had to shower off my feet with my tights on to warm them up after they've got soaked deliberately outdoors in deep puddles. I can imagine the temptation must have been extremely great. What were you wearing? Was it a skirt suit, like a pencil skirt with a matching blouse and jacket, opaque tights and court shoes? As for this weekend, I hope you do have a bath in your trainers with thick socks over your new opaque tights. I look forward to hearing all about that little adventure Alexa, hope that you take the chance and have that fully clothed shower with your partner some time soon. I'm sure that he'll be more than a little surprised. Anyway, nice to have everybody back together again here, hope you all have a lovely weekend and look forward to hearing from you all again soon. Love, Sharon. xx

[heidi.bier]

Hi Sharon, Alexa, Jane! So good to see everyone dropped by for a visit and share their adventures. Jane, it looks like you have a lot of fun walking around in the grass in your wet pantyhose and flip flops. Given the fact you were on the grass for the morning dew for so long that you got cold, I am surprised your pantyhose did not rip! You mentioned that it was not very thick nylons either. May I ask what brand it was that was so super durable? Alexa, you look like you would fit in very well at the Moscow water festival where people get to splash around in a public fountain. What outfit and what heels would you be wearing if you were attending that wet festival? Sharon, since you wear pantyhose a lot like myself, I am wondering, have you ever gone to the beach in pantyhose during the summer time? Heidi

[Sharon C]

Hello Heidi (and Jane and Alexa), Heidi, with regards to your question about have I ever gone to the beach wearing tights, I can certainly say YES! Usually worn with tight denim shorts (almost like denim hot pants) over my tights and white leather trainers or black ballet pumps. I always go with the intention of at least filling my shoes up in the sea, but nine times out of ten I end up wading out until the water is above my waist and then just falling back into the water, floating on the gentle waves and swimming in my entire outfit Many times, I have actually planned an entire, specific outfit solely for the purpose of going swimming in it. When I'm back in the U.K., this is usually done at the beach near me, but when I'm home here, I use my pool for my fully-clothed swimming adventures or, during the winter months, my bath or shower. I see you mentioned to Alexa about the Moscow water festival. If I were to go to that, I'd be getting seriously dressed up just for the purpose of getting saturated right through to my underwear. I wouldn't be happy until there wasn't a dry fibre left on me anywhere. I would probably wear something along the lines of black full-length leather knee boots with a 2 or 3" block heel, black 140 Denier opaque tights with classic black cotton and lycra full-length leggings worn over them, some comfortable but probably somewhat fancy underwear set, a tight, fitted long-sleeved tee top with a cosy zip-through or hoodie-style jumper over that, and either my leather jacket or denim jacket to finish the outfit off. That being said, knowing me, just to draw even more attention to myself, I'd probably go in with a handbag as well After all, if you're going to do something like that it's always best to do it in style. Anyway, I'd best get on with work. All the thoughts and talk of getting soaked are making me want to rush home and slip into a nice deep bath in the skirt suit, opaque tights and heels that I'm wearing at the moment LOL! Hope to hear from you all again soon. Sharon. xx

[heidi.bier]

Hello Sharon, Jane, Alexa, Sharon, you sound like a person who TRULY knows how to have fun and enjoy life. While I myself am a person who likes to stay very dry and dress conservatively in my tight sweaters, skirts, multilayer pantyhose and knee high boots, if you were ever at the Moscow water festival, I would love to be standing on the sidelines watching you frolic in the water in that really cute outfit you just described. I can just imagine how much water a hoodie would absorb. It would act very much like a sponge! Ditto for your 140 denier tights. Tall knee high boots could hold over a liter of water each, if they are waterproof and nothing leaks out the zippers. It would also be fun watching you try to walk in your high heeled boots when they are super heavy and full of water ...... or perhaps you might be swimming in the water instead of walking with loaded boots Hypothetically, if you were at the Moscow water festival, would you keep everything on the entire time you are playing in the water or would you strip down to just bare essentials? ie - no hoodie, just a t-shirt I have also worn pantyhose at the beach! This past summer, my friends & I went to a resort with a beach. I wore a tank top, straw hat, cut off jeans shorts, two pairs of suntan pantyhose and a pair of tall Uggs. I was not planning on going in the water, just lying on the sand and enjoying the seabreeze. My upper body had sunscreen and was under a big beach umbrella while from the waist down, my body was exposed to the sun. However, with dual layer suntan pantyhose & tall Uggs, I was protected from sunburn. I wanted to wear high heels but I knew it would sink in the sand. The suntan pantyhose gave me perfect legs and most people didn't even know I was wearing pantyhose, they looked very natural. However, when I fell asleep, my friends pulled off my Uggs, discovered I had pantyhose on but couldn't persuade me to go with bare legs. LOL Heidi

[Sharon C]

Hello Heidi (and Jane and Alexa), Thanks for your reply Heidi. As for what you said about certain aspects of my outfit, yes, hoodies do soak up a lot of water, round about the same as any thick winter jumper would, and my 140 denier tights also hold a lot. I remember back in the summer climbing out of my pool in a similar outfit. I took off my boots and tights. There was an empty pint glass that I had on the table beside me. I wrung the tights out into the glass to see how much it would fill. I managed to squeeze enough water out of them to fill the glass by nearly three quarters! I thought it would be an interesting little experiment. I should have done the same thing with the boots to see how much they held. I'll have to try that one sometime. As for what you asked about if I was at that festival, I certainly wouldn't be taking any items of clothing off, as I enjoy the feeling of swimming fully clothed much more than only being partially clothed. Anyway, sorry my reply is a little late. I would've replied from work today, but I never had the chance as I was busy all day long. Look forward to hearing from you again soon. Sharon. xx

[heidi.bier]

Hi Sharon, Thank *you* for always promptly responding and keeping us up to date with your adventures Interesting experiment you did Sharon, seeing which item of clothes hold the most water. Now I too am curious, would your hoodie absorb the most water (possibility), your thick 140 denier pantyhose (maybe) or would your tall boots hold the most water (likely)? The pair of high heeled boots I have on at work today are actually one size larger than my real size. The reason for this is that I have on two pairs of thick pantyhose plus one pair of wool socks inside it for padding to offset the 3.5" block heels which I walk around in all day. I am guessing the volume of my boots would hold a lot of water although I would never ever get these expensive boots wet LOL Heidi

[Sharon C]

Hello there Heidi (and Jane and Alexa), Thank you for what you said, and you're very welcome. I can say with almost certainty that the hoodie would hold the most water in the fabric, followed closely by my knee-length boots, and then the 140 denier tights. I'll have to try that with all three items of clothing sometime in the near future. Maybe have a deep bath with them all on, and then pour the water from the boots into a large jug and make a note of the volume, then do the same with the tights, and then the hoodie, although I'm pretty sure the hoodie would win, as I know from experience that it does hold rather a lot. Anyway, sorry this is a bit of a short reply, but hope to hear from you again soon and hope you have a great weekend. Sharon. xx

[heidi.bier]

Hi Sharon, Jane, Alexa, I hope everyone had a fun Halloween! After carving up some spooky pumpkins with friends, I went to a costume dance party. I went as a sexy pirate wench. I wore a pirate hat, a low cut dress that ends in a mini skirt, suntan pantyhose with dark stockings over my pantyhose and neon green fishnets over my dark stockings along with a pair of knee high leather boots that had a 3" black heel. I also had on a pair of thick wool socks inside the boots for cushioning. The party was a blast! There was a large water fountain in a part of the dance hall and during parts of the dance, the water fountain would spray a very very light mist of water over anyone standing near the water fountain! I think that is something you three would have enjoyed had you been there. After all that dancing, my group of friends went back to a friends house. We had 6 girls and 5 guys. We watched a horror movie at the friends place in his home theater and as we watched the movie, one of the guys kept on trying to flirt with me and he kept on trying to get his hands on the zippers of my fur lined leather boots! He claimed he found my fishnets very alluring but there was no way I was going to let him get my boots unipped. LOL Did anyone else dress up for Halloween? If so, what did you wear? Heidi

[Sharon C]

Hello Heidi (and Jane and Alexa), Glad to hear you had a good Halloween. I didn't get dressed up and go out, but I did have a nice evening. Your night sounded like a lot of fun. If I had been there, a light spray wouldn't have been enough for me. I'd have jumped right in that fountain with everything on LOL! The outfit you wore sounded nice. You and I certainly share an extremely similar dress sense Anyway, sorry this post is short and sweet; I'm sure to have another soaking later this week, and I'll be sure to share the experience with you. Sharon. xx

[heidi.bier]

Hi everyone, I just got back from a business trip to Spain and didn't have access to the internet on a non-work computer until now. Everyone has gotten so quiet! I take it that with the onset of winter, outdoor adventure to water fountains, beaches and outdoor pools is too cold. It did sound like the three of you, Sharon, Jane, Alexa did have a fun, wet summer. Sharon, question for you. You also wear pantyhose a lot. How do you wash them after you get them all wet? Since you wet them so frequently, you probably have to wash them pretty frequently as well. What or how do you wash them without shortening their life span? Heidi

[Sharon C]

Hello Heidi (and Jane and Alexa if you're reading), Heidi, nice to hear from you again. With regards to your question, yes, you're right, I always wear tights every day; and yes, I very often get them wet The washing of them usually depends on a few different factors. If I've been for a fully-clothed swim, either in the sea or in my pool, then I put them in the washing machine along with the rest of the outfit and then tumble dry. The washer and dryer don't seem to harm them at all (even though on the packet it says to hand wash only). For example, I'm wearing a pair of my 140 denier 'claret-red' coloured ones; they are 16 months old now, and let's say they get worn and washed twice a week. That would mean up until now they have had at least 128 machine washes and tumble dries; all that and they're still in excellent condition, but for just a few small bobbles on the upper thighs. Even the waistband is still firm and stretchy. If I come home and fancy just getting my feet wet, then I usually remove my tights about an hour afterwards and hand wash them using a small amount of detergent in a sink full of water. Then I rinse them thoroughly and wring them, and either dry them on a radiator or, if it's during the summer, I peg them out on the washing line for a couple of hours. On a final note regarding looking after them properly when washing in a machine, I find the best way is only to wash at 40C, and if I have items in the wash with zips, like my skirts and jeans, make sure all zips are done up so the can't catch my tights and snag them. Also, if my bra is in the wash along with them too, then I make sure the bra is hooked together so that too cannot catch my tights. Anyway, hope this answers your question sufficiently Look forward to hearing from you again soon. Your friend, Sharon. xx

[heidi.bier]

Hi Sharon, Great tips for washing pantyhose! I couldn't agree more with the avoiding zippers when in the washing machine with delicate nylons. When you go in the sea and salt gets on your pantyhose, is there a special way you wash the salt out? Do you dry out the salt before putting them in the washer? I know hand washing my pantyhose is the best way for longevity but I am too lazy too wash my pantyhose by hand. I have a special pantyhose washer bag I place all my pantyhose in before I place them in the washer. This prevents my other clothes from running roughshod with my delicates. Do you find you spend more money each year on pantyhose or on your boots Sharon? ........ I guess for Alexa & Jane, they spend minimal on their nylons and mainly on their sandals & heels unlike the two of us. In fact, I have almost had pantyhose & high heel boots on almost every day this year with the exception of the very hottest days in the summer or when I am doing a special activity like horseback riding or a sport. Heidi

[Sharon C]

Hello Heidi (and Jane and Alexa), No, after going in the sea with tights on, there's no need for any special washing requirements. I can simply shower off in them and then wash by hand, or put them in the washing machine with the rest of the outfit. Regarding your other question, yes, I do seem to be spending more, year on year, on tights and boots. A few months ago, I found some really nice thick opaque tights in eight different colours. They were six Euros per pair, and I bought four of each colour, at a total cost of 192 Euros! I've only opened one pair of each colour, as I wanted to keep three of each brand new in case they get discontinued - I would at least have spares. I have also found that, over the last few years, I've certainly raised my standards when it comes to boots; nothing too over-the-top, but whereas in the past I may have spent around 50 Euros on a pair, I'm now spending around 150. I'm not sure if this is considered a lot or not, but I think it's quite a lot to spend on a single pair of boots. What do you think? Look forward to hearing from you again soon. Sharon. xx

[heidi.bier]

Hi Sharon, I have spent 150€ on boots too many times to count, so I would not feel guilty if I were you. Lately, I have been purchasing super comfortable high heeled boots. I like knee high so almost all mine are knee high and have a thick, comfy fur lining like Uggs except the outside is either leather or suede. They all look very dressy, not casual like Uggs. The heels I choose are mainly around 3" although if they have a platform, I have been known to go as high as 5" for the heels on my dress boots. The problem with wearing fur lined, leather, airtight, high heeled boots all day is that at night, when I take off my hot boots, my feet feel like they are freezing without the protective leather and fur of my boots! Do you have that problem as well Sharon? ......... Also, do you tend to keep your more expensive boots dry and wet your less expensive ones? Heidi

[Sharon C]

Hello again Heidi, Thanks for your reply. It seems like you and I are very similar. I too tend to wear knee-length boots nearly all year round, and always with tights. Even in the middle of summer I don't go bare legs in them. Like you, most of my heels range between 2 1/2" and 4 1/2". Most are smooth inside, but I do have a few fur-lined ones. As for your question regarding when I take them off, they don't get cold too quickly, but this is usually because I take them off at the end of the night before going to bed, but keep my tights on in bed. That way, I can sleep comfortably and keep my feet and legs warm. With regards to keeping my more expensive boots dry, I do tend to, althought there have been times when I've been out wearing an expensive pair and an opportunity to get wet presents itself. On some of these occasions, I have gone in with an expensive pair of boots on (providing, though, that the water is clean, like a fountain, swimming pool etc). Well, hope to hear from you again soon. Sharon. xx

[heidi.bier]

Hi Sharon, Have you had a chance to do the experiment we talked about before? The one where you compared how much water your hoodie can hold versus how much water your knee high boots can hold? Interesting to see that you also sometimes sleep in your pantyhose. How long after you wake in the morning do you pad around the house in your pantyhose before you put your boots on? When I was in Spain on my business trip in early November, I wanted to pack light for the trip. Thus I did not bring any pajamas. When I slept at night, I typically slept in an oversized Walt Disney themed t-shirt, bra, panties, my pantyhose and a pair of socks. In the morning, as I was applying makeup, my co-worker / friend, knocked on my hotel room door. I quickly put on my knee high boots and threw on a bathrobe and answered the door. You can just imagine the look on her face when she saw me wearing just a bathrobe with pantyhose and high heeled boots! hahahahaha It was priceless! Heidi

[Sharon C]

Hello Heidi (and Jane and Alexa if reading), I haven't had a chance to try that experiment yet, but, funny you should mention it, because I'm actually planning on doing it over the weekend I'll be sure to describe my findings once I've done it. As for your other question, when I get up in the morning I don't walk around in them for long, as I get in the shower with them on, have a normal shower, then put the wet tights and panties to soak in the wash bowl with half a cap of detergent. I then dry myself off and put on clean tights and panties, and the rest of my outfit, and get on with the day's events. When I get home from work I wash the items by hand that have been soaking all day in the bowl and put them on the radiator to dry. By keeping this routine, it means I'm only out of tights for a very short period of time each day (a bit more time if it's on a day when I'm shaving my legs). Anyway, hope you have a nice weekend and hope to hear from you soon. Sharon. xx

[Sangue16]

Sharon, do you find you run your pantyhose a lot? I love wearing my (gartered) stockings as much as possible but I have some unique pieces that I will not wear without heels, which means if I am cleaning with chemicals or juggling little ones I just have to take them off. Do you tend to go through them a lot? I will also add that I am catching up on this thread and am finding it gives me a lot to think about--there are certain situations including when I get snow in my heels or have to stop and fix my heel straps that are little inconveniences that I somehow love about heels. I have not yet decided exactly how I feel about the water, though! I will let you ladies know:smile:

[Sharon C]

Hi Sangue16, Thanks for your post and nice to meet you. With regards to your question about whether I find my tights ladder easily, I would have to say no. I'm assuming that you tend to wear sheer tights and stockings (typically 20 denier and below)? I usually always wear opaque tights with a minimum of 40 denier (but typically between 80 and 140 denier). I can't remember the last time I laddered a pair of my 80s or 100s, and as for my 140 denier, those are so strong that I have never, ever managed to ladder them. They seem to be indestructible. I'm pretty sure the only way to make a hole in those would require the use of either a cigarette lighter or a pair of scissors! LOL I'm actually wearing a pair of navy blue 140 denier opaques today. I've had them for around a year and a half now, and they are still in excellent condition, so good that they haven't even started to get any of the bobbles on the fabric that usually occur with opaque tights after several machine washes and tumble dries. Kind regards, Sharon. x

[Sangue16]

Hi Sangue16,

I'm actually wearing a pair of navy blue 140 denier opaques today. I've had them for around a year and a half now, and they are still in excellent condition, so good that they haven't even started to get any of the bobbles on the fabric that usually occur with opaque tights after several machine washes and tumble dries.

Kind regards, Sharon. x

Very interesting, Shannon. Now I understand why Heidi was asking in previous posts if your white tights would become almost transparent when wet, because they are not already sheer. I found a website that describes denier--before today I had never come across the term. In truth, I have never been such a enthusiast for stockings until recently although I have so thoroughly enjoyed heels in every Minnesotan season.

I am curious, what brands of opaque tights do you favor, and do you wear only the type like pantyhose or stockings? I should think 20 denier and below as I favor would be best for water play, but now you, Alexa, and Jane have me thinking about experimenting in other types of tights. With winter on the horizon here, I will have ample opportunity to purposely splash through some nice snow-melt puddles in between campuses. I love the thought of trying it with different colors as Heidi has been asking about. I imagine the pair you were wearing today are a rather lovely shade and I bet water would deepen it nicely, is that right?

I have decided I love getting my feet wet when I am at leisure to enjoy it. I absolutely abhor having wet feet in my PU peeptoes or any of my leather or fabric heels as I am too devout to risk ruining them. I have recently even purchased a can of Scotch Guard which works wonders to repel stains and some water. Maybe this might make yours, Alexa's, and Jane's heel bear the wetting better? I was glad to hear from you and I look forward to further enjoying this thread!

[Sharon C]

Hello Sangue16 (and Heidi, Jane, Alexa if reading), With regards to your question about stockings, I very rarely wear them; in fact I can't honestly remember the last time I did wear a pair, as I am always wearing tights. As for brands, I have found some really good quality non-branded opaques in the supermarkets for around 6 Euros per pair that last longer and are more comfortable than the boutique branded ones that sell for in excess of 30 Euros, so because of that I tend not to buy expensive branded ones very often. As for the navy blue 140 denier opaques I was wearing yesterday, I have got wet in those many times, including even swimming with them on. When I climb out of the pool, they have a really nice shine to them where the water is pouring off me and running down my legs, and they look almost black Anyway, nice to hear from you and look forward to your reply. Sharon. xx

[Sangue16]

I see, how lovely! I very recently ordered a new pair of opaque stockings that are open but laced up from about three quarters of the way up. I will suddenly become extremely helpful with his projects including installing a cherry wood sink fixture in the bathroom so we might move on to the next--a jacuzzi in our basement! I will have to christen these stockings before then. This makes me wonder, does opaque hoisery stand up well in the sort of chemicals used to treat pools, or do you go without? Personally, I find that pool chemicals are horribly harsh on my hair and I end up saturating it with conditioner which I mostly rinse out before I go into the water. (My hair ends about three inches past my natural waist and I would like to keep a healthy length to it.) I wonder if a pre-soaking to saturate tights with chemical-free water would be necessary for the same effect? Heidi? Jane? Alexa? Are you three still following this thread? I hope so because now I am down to page 12 and it feels as though you are all old friends, lol. Funny how that goes! Reading some of this thread reminded me of a time my family went to Disney world in California for summer vacation. I had, sadly not heels, a pair of blue Converse with leather uppers that I went on every ride with, including the water ones! I recall squelching about in my white cotton socks and repeating the water rides just to feel the water slosh from the back to the front of the shoe. They held up very well with the wetting despite being leather, I wonder if leather pumps--courts--would hold up equally well? I liked leaving wet foot prints and would splash in puddles to resume making dark prints. Heels must leave much different soaking prints. I do love the abbreviated footprint followed by a small heel mark when I see it in the snow... that's a thought that I can play with. Hope to hear from you and the others soon

[Sharon C]

Hi Sangue (and Heidi, Jane, Alexa if reading), I have my own heated outdoor pool in my garden, of which I'm always going in it fully clothed, and nearly all the time my outfit does include a pair of opaque tights as they just feel so lovely to swim in. I haven't found that the pool chemicals have ever harmed any of them, or any of the rest of the clothes I wear, including my shoes or boots. I just shower off in them after a swim, then put the entire outfit in the washing machine as normal, and everything comes up great. With the shoes or boots, if they are my leather trainers, they can be machine washed, but if it's knee-length boots or fur-lined calf length Ugg boots, then I have to rinse them out in the bath or shower and let them dry on top of a radiator. I can relate to what you were saying about your socks and trainers when you were at Disneyland. I absolutely love the feeling of soaking wet squishy socks and trainers. Usually, if I want to go in my pool wearing them, I like to wear a pair of thick slouch socks with classic black cotton and lycra leggings over a pair of 40 or 50 denier satin-feel tights. The feeling of walking around after swimming with the satin tights on my feet, the thick, soft slouch socks over my tights, and all the wet squishy cushioning in my trainers is just so nice Have you tried stepping into a bath wearing a really nice pair of trainers with thick, soft socks over a pair of satin-feel tights? If not, I highly recommend it. As for your last question regarding leather court shoes, I can honestly say with 100% certainty that they can be dunked countless times and not endure any damage. I'm always getting my court shoes wet. Walking back from work to where I park my car, whenever there are deep puddles, I always walk through them, deliberately filling my court shoes and soaking the feet of my tights. I then have a half-hour drive home with wet feet Anyway, speaking of work, I need to get on with some so I'd best be going. Look forward to hearing fro you again soon. Sharon. xx

[heidi.bier]

Hello Sharon, Sangue and hopefully Alexa & Jane too, I am here, don't forget me!!! LOL It is very late at night but I am still at work thus I haven't had a chance to respond. I will be back as soon as an opportunity presents itself. Very nice to have you join us Sangue! Heidi who is stuck at the office late at night

[Sangue16]

I have often wondered at your ease with English, Heidi, being that you are in Germany. Did you often speak English during your business travels? Since I seem to be the only American here I notice that you are all so at ease with the metric system while I find myself referring back to Chemistry lab which is the only place I encounter it, lol! Also, trainers, courts, and similar words are so much fun but so quotidian, I'm sure, for you all. Heidi and Sharon, since you often wear tights, did you have to get used to the clingy, warm sensation of wearing them? I find I cannot tolerate them and as my favorite TV series character Debra said on the subject, "Has anyone ever died of crotch asphyxiation?!" I happened upon a nice thread on here, which I believe Heidi and Alexa posted on, weighing the pros and cons of different hosiery and whether to wear it at all. Someone on their cuts her opaque tights for use as stockings! I think I will try this as I tend to need something thick sometimes or I will be a smelly, sweaty, sliding mess. There are few options for thick stockings and that hot, asphyxiating feeling of hose is something I cannot stand. Heidi, when you were describing leaving sweaty footprints on your tile floor it reminded me of looong work days when I would take a break from my heels to avoid steaming them up and would leave similar steamy outlines on the tiles. I like to get my PU heels wet but not that way:penitent:. Do I recall correctly that you experimented using antiperspirant on your feet? Do you find that that helps or causes issues slipping in your heels? For now, I have yet to get my feet wet this season as I did not wear heels for some time out of fear of wearing them down too much. I have since learned about the option of using more durable metal heel tips and I am curious what they might sound like so will eventually order them. I wonder what they sound like wet? Something tells me Alexa might know... lol

[Sharon C]

Hello again Heidi and Sangue (and Jane and Alexa if reading), Heidi, wow, you really were working late last night weren't you! I hope they pay you proper overtime for making you work as late as 10.30pm? Sangue, thanks for accepting my friend request. I only send friend requests to those who are part of our little group, and you certainly fit in well As for your question regarding getting used to wearing tights and the way they feel, I personally can't remember, as I started wearing them when I was just four years old. Opaque tights were always a part of my junior and senior school uniforms, so I guess I've always been used to the way they feel. I find them so comfortable that even during my school years, I would wear tights with my normal clothes on weekends and holidays. When I left school, I continued to wear them every day, literally all year round, from back then right up to the present day. You mention about getting a hot, asphyxiated feeling when wearing opaque tights. I've never had that sensation even on hot summer days. During the summer, I still wear between 80-140 denier ultra opaques without getting over-warm anywhere from the waistband to the tips of my toes. I'm not sure if you can buy them in the States, but in Europe we can get opaque tights made of a special blend of materials, typically microfibre, polyamide and 3D-woven Lycra with Tactel, branded as "Climate Control". This feature can be found on many leading supermarket brands of opaque tights and, as it says on the packet, "Designed to keep you cool when it's hot, and warm when it's not." It's been around for about the last decade, and I can certainly say from experience that it does exactly what it says on the packet! I've worn them in the height of summer with a short skirt and ballet pumps when the outdoor temperature has been touching 30C (86F) for the entire day, and not once thought about taking them off due to being too warm. On the other end of the scale, I've also worn them to work with my skirt suit and knee-length boots in the middle of January when the outdoor temperature is only around 0-2C (32-34F), and they've done a marvellous job of keeping my feet and legs cosy and warm. Anyway, look forward to hearing from you again soon. Sharon. xx

[heidi.bier]

Hi Sharon, Sangue and hopefully Jane, Alexa, Thanks for not forgetting who I am! Things have been really busy at work. We have two people on maternity leave and two people who came down with a bad case of influenza. Thus I am trying to cover for a lot of people. My boss said to me, "Heidi, you are one of the most stylish people here. I know a lot of guys are after you. I just hope you are not going to get pregnant this month. I don't think we can afford to lose anymore people" hahaha Sangue, I do work with a lot of international partners, including Americans. I have noticed that fashion wize, Americans tend to wear pantyhose a LOT less than Europeans or east Asians. I take it that you did not grow up wearing hosiery like Sharon & I over here in Europe? Without pantyhose, stockings or socks, doesn't wearing high heel pumps or high heel boots feel very uncomfortable? Would your skin rub up against the fabric of the footwear and blister? ....... I know for myself, wearing pantyhose as well as socks inside my high heel boots makes the boots a LOT more comfortable, especially if I am wearing them from early morning to late night with a lot of walking or standing during the day. Sharon, it sure does sound like you have your pantyhose on almost around the clock. What about your high heel boots? How long are they on you each day for? Sangue, with regards to antiperspirant, it seems to have some benefit although it is not 100%. I guess when you dress the way I do, with two pairs of pantyhose, one pair of thick wool socks and a pair of knee high leather boots with 3" heels for a typical day at the office, it does get very warm inside my boots. I have gotten used to the heat and my feet feel cold easily so my trade off is a little bit of perspiration. Question though. Do you think I should wear my wool socks inside my pantyhose to absorb the sweat to make me more comfortable Sangue? Sharon? Heidi

[Jane82]

Hi Sharon and Heidi And welcome Sangue, great to have you here. Sorry, I haven't contributed for ages... but then as previously noted, I am a serial apologist! Been really busy at work and various things going on outside of work. As you say Sangue, we really do seem to become a little group of friends here so welcome to our "gang". I am glad to hear you like getting your feet wet but unless I am mis-reading you don't seem to like doing it in heels and tights...? Definitely try it if you haven't. Think you said you'd hate getting wet feet in peeptoes... but that's my favourite. Also try Sharon's socks and trainers in the bath... I still haven't despite my feeble promises but definitely will! Heidi, a long way back you asked about the tights I wore with flip-flops before work. They aren't anything special, just from Tesco... but they do the job and certainly held out for my little jaunts around the wet grass. Interesting what you ladies have been discussing regarding wearing tights when it is hot. I feel the heat quite a lot so always have to go bare legged and barefoot when it is hot otherwise I would sweat buckets... and that could be really unpleasant... especially for other people! ;o) I tend to wear flip-flops a lot in summer when I can get away with it... unless it's raining in which case I slip into my heels again. I have been so busy recently I haven't got my feet wet other than a few drops here and there in my shoes at work... something else you should try Sangue. I am really glad to be back! Will again try to contribute more... and as things have settled a bit at work I think I need to get back into getting my feet wet as a matter of urgency! Hope everyone is really well. Love Jane x

[Sangue16]

Jane, I love getting my feet wet in certain circumstances. I have been thinking about this, and I think for me the thrill comes with "braving" being in heels. For example, I love getting my feet wet when I am running late to class and literally running in the rain on wet, slick cement. I like being one of the few that can pull this off while some are on their arse in a few steps in trainers, haha! Along with this, I like walking around comfortably even in heels that my husband ordered online and so ended up about a half a size too large (my gorgeous d'orsay Carlos Santana roulette heels) and getting comments from shoe sales people wondering how I can walk in such a slim heel without a platform, let alone one half a size large! I also love walking through dewy grass and keeping from sinking like I'm walking on water and when I'm in that mood, the cold dew is like magic on my toes (yup, in a peeptoe shoe!)

I guess the hesitation to go full-out soaked in heels comes mostly from my fear of ruining my heels. I feel every scuff mark like a scar on my own arm, silly right?

[Wyndi]

I have to say that I would avoid water as far as ruining a beautiful pair of shoes. But, that's not to say that there isn't something very fun and sexy about getting water in your shoes and feeling the slippery wonderful feeling. I have never tried pouring water or showering in shoes, but you girls have me thinking that doing that is now on my bucket list of things to do.... I'll let you know how that goes. Water in large amounts in heels. Great idea!