Shyheels: I regret to say that I consider your response concerning my 'CD rules' inappropriate and borderline offensive. I really do not understand why you should apparently take such exception to my attempts to state a reasoned case concerning what constitutes CD conduct.
I and another have already said that we consider a man wearing female footwear to be a CD. (I do not like that label, but have to accept that Joe Public would probably apply it, assuming that he had a reasonable understanding of what a CD is.) You refute that but have neither offered any definition of CD conduct nor suggested at what point, if any, a man wearing 'high heels' does become a CD. I should be interested to know your views. I fully accept that the examples I provided of footwear that is 'acceptably masculine' are necessarily subjective and indicative, not absolute, but here again they are what I feel reasonably represent public perception, however bigoted. And I agree that a bloke in full Western gear which includes cowboy boots in a men's style but with a (very) high heel is not ipso facto a CD - as you or I would understand it - but he would still likely raise eyebrows (and speculative comment) on account of his footwear. Change the heels to stilettos and there is then arguably a CD, however tough and rugged he otherwise appears.
As to 'ties', I also accept that, in the workplace clothing scenarios, wearing a tie is commonly held to be a key requirement for men just as wearing high heels may be for women - and the comparison is often made accordingly. But those issues do not concern the gender-specificity of either item and in any event they do not have opposing polarities for all purposes as you seem to suggest. Ties are sometimes worn by women in the workplace (in a non-uniform context) and attract little or no adverse comment, and not just because women can get away with wearing almost anything. (I used to have a very attractive female colleague who quite often wore a tie, and looked good in it too!) The same is not true of high heels on men - I really don't need to suggest the likely reaction if a man goes into work in any footwear with other than a very modest and masculine-styled heel, do I? Ties are not specifically masculine, any more than trousers have been for a century or so - and there are many workplaces/schools which dictate that women either must or must not wear trousers, whilst men are very rarely allowed or expected to wear anything else.
I have no wish to continue fruitless debate, and certainly not in any acrimonious manner. But I do think there is room for further reasoned and positive comment on what is an interesting and pretty fundamental issue.