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I can't add much to this discussion, but do suggest that 'graceful' and competent heel-wearing is not directly linked to gender or build. We have all seen a variety of women (and a few men) whose ability - or lack of it - to walk in public in heels is all-too-evident. This man seems to me to be perfectly competent in his Omano boots (allegedly 6" heels but I think a little less than that). He has other videos of him in similarly high heels and is obviously well-practised, but scarcely unique.

I completely understand. If I owned a pair like these, they'd never be off my feet, unless I was bathing or under the shower. Sadly, no longer available, which is just as well at £1100 a pair.

Have a pair of these on the way from AliExpress. It's been kind of hit or miss with AliExpress in the past, but they have a big selection oh high heeled boots in large sizes. Never done the chunky heel thing before, so I thought I would give it a try.

While out shopping today, I noticed these. Reduced in store to something like £120. The heel is not as high as I would like, but the sort of heel that could be worn all day (if the opportunity arose.) What attracted me to them was the narrow-ish shaft, and small spacing between the lacing eyelets. It suggested the boots could be tightened to fit my very slim legs. Better still if the were higher, and covered calfs.

I quite like knee and over the knee boots - I’m not fussed about the heels. I have several flat pair of tall boots which I wear all the time during the winter and do not attract the least bit of attention.

Great job DWW, kids are more durable than we believe. It is best to expose them to your heels when they are very young. Like you say, they will ask a few questions but that is fine. They will grow up knowing that men in heels is perfectly normal, and won't be bothered by any other kid's (or stupid adult) comments..........

Indeed. It is nice to find activity on this dormant site!

I think it more to do with boredom. I was a very active member of another board for several years. Every month, a new member would ask the same questions "is this better or the other one better"? "Should I do this, or do that?" These basic questions literally got asked so frequently, a FAQ section was created that fully explored the 'rights and wrongs' of any point possible in a debate prior to a purchase. Did the FAQ section stop the question being asked? Nope. Did pointing people at the FAQ section stop the same questions being asked, the same points on either side of any given debate being put forward? Nope. Responding, became an act of futility. This site needs at least 3 (to 5) regular respondents. I've been unusually busy these past months and haven't had the time I used to have for contributions. I expect to have more time in the new year, if my work position goes the way I expect it to. I'm happy to make contributions as I know Puffer is, but there needs to be others able and willing to contribute.

I hesitate to pour cold water on a brave venture, but I fail to see the appeal of the shoe styles so far shown by Cross Sword. The uppers are conventional (distinctly boring) men's styling which I for one would not wear, regardless of the heel type. And the heel (with a gimmicky insert) is rather too feminine. The price is going to put these out of reach for anyone but a fashionista too. Sorry! If CS (or someone else) introduced some more neutral loafers or ankle boots with a tapered toe and a plain cuban or stacked heel of (say) 3.5" for £100 or so in sizes above UK8, I guess there would be a fair interest. Until then, most UK male heel-wearers will buy women's styles (if they fit), have something custom-made (which need not be expensive) or go without.

Glad I wasn't the first to ask ....

Definitely not 7-8 stone! Almost exactly 12st, although I hope and expect to be 11st 7lb n the not to distant future. Our kitchen floor is a fairly hard laminate - not really wood flooring. I would expect my stilettos to have plastic tips - the ones I have been browsing certainly have plastic tips - and with the rubber protectors I think (hope) I should be fine. To be honest when I am in the kitchen wearing them I will mainly be working at the kitchen table, seated in front of a laptop, with intermittent treks across the kitchen to brew coffee or to make lunch - not a lot of walking, at least not on the kitchen floor anyway. I’ll do my practicing on the outside walkway. I like the idea of my wearing stilettos to work, of having such a flamboyant dress code in my office...

Bad luck, Freddy - especially at this time. WB boilers, although dearer than most, are usually considered reliable and longish-lasting but I suppose it had to fail sometime. I don't know what model you have but I think a replacement heat exchanger can be bought for under £200, and even with fitting costs would likely give you back your boiler for much less than any complete replacement - assuming the existing boiler is not otherwise potentially cream-crackered. I would caution against buying any used boiler (complete) unless it is very new and has only recently been de-commissioned; I understand that boilers can deteriorate quite rapidly during storage out-of-use. PM me if you want to run any ideas for the repair/replacement past me. Meanwhile, snuggle up under a warm duvet, woman or both - and leggings and thigh-boots will help too.

Perhaps when you've sorted that out you could use the same manual to help us program our central heating timeswitch... ;-)

I agree. It is disappointing that our culture cultivates and encourages this sort of look and that so many parents tolerate it, or concede to the greater marketing forces. I am also deeply pleased that my own daughters have not bought into it in the slightest. They have no interest in that sort of thing and have found groups of friends among like minded kids.

wowsers!!!

I liked the sign I saw once in a wildlife park in Tasmania - "We have defibrillators on hand; if you need one please ask a member of staff..." I just love DIY defibrillation...

Yes, he's got one-termer written all over him, if he's not actually impeached during his first.

From Prince Charming to his Cinderella

oh, and there's guaranteed to be some gorgeous foreign totty on show, many of them in stilettos

Well, my influence with TfL clearly worked then. The additional closures and works were put in place to discourage Freddy (and others) who prefer to use the car to travel into London. Travelcard, anyone?

¿Qué?

The Outing: Unusually, I didn't leave late. I left later, but not late. Companion was collected, and we to Brent Cross for an en route meal. We were soon back on the road, heading toward the South Bank. Having made practice runs several times, we arrived without mishap. Again, unusual. The first space I'd hoped to use was full, but one further along was empty. Blue Badge on the dash, we were good to go. And this is where 'reality' hit me around the face like an old smelly fish. The car was parked in the same position to the van shown in this picture: In all the visits I had made previously, those covered market stalls had not been there. Worse, on the day, there was a row even closer to the car, where the empty space appears between the cars and the potted bushes. It was a busy pathway, with people stopping to browse. And the stairway seen in the background (that least ups to the RFH main entrance) was almost covered in people sitting, eating and drinking refreshments just bought from the market. Getting out of the car felt like getting out on stage in front of an audience, and in bright sunshine too. The reality was, courts were off the agenda, so thankfully I had not made a special purchase of red ones! Even after we had left the car, me in the boots shown in my avatar, I was reluctant to walk up through the sitting mass. We walked around to the rear entrance, the one I had used before. Walking past the venues dedicated Blue Badge parking, I could see all the bays were used. There was no way I could park closer, just cross the road. I had just not appreciated (i) how many people would be there, and (ii) how many would be sitting - watching the world around them. Inside the venue was slightly darker, noisier, with seated heads a little higher off the ground. Having found where we were to enter the auditorium, we had a quick post-dinner coffee. The cafeteria was like a furnace, so we went outside onto the busy balcony. Immediately I could see a woman, with two male companions with their backs to me had spotted my high heeled gait, so I kept my back to her. In doing so, one of a group of four girls standing by an adjacent table to the woman I'd spotted, told her friends about my shoes. After a quick look by some, they all went back to what they were doing. Apparently, I wan't as interesting as she may have thought. At this point, I was quite glad I didn't have slim heels on, and very glad they weren't red. My bladder is either super-efficient, or super-inefficient. Fluids almost fall through me. Back inside I made a visit to the toilet, and we into the auditorium and seated. There were some rather stunning couples in the audience, very well dressed and very good looking. Most looked like tourists though. One couple were very noticeable. Unfortunately, the fella with the camera hadn't switched it on as he thought, so no pictures.... (Duh.) The actual performance was superlative. We were seated very close to the stage, and pretty much at the best level too. He and the group of artists with him, got a standing ovation, and a well deserved standing ovation. All his concerts are sold out wherever he performs in the UK, with good reason. Once the performance was over, there was a terrific rush to get outside. Not sure why, but there was. Outside, it was as good as dark, and only then could I possibly been able to wear slimmer heels and gone almost gone unnoticed. I say almost, because even the shoes I had on got spotted by one person as I was about to leave the front of the building. Hey-ho. The car wasn't more than 40 or 50 yards away, and we made a quick journey homeward. Another time we might have hung around for a walk along the river as the weather was so good, but our senses were already humming from the gig.

Found this pair of mules on Ebay. They are from Leatherworks.

And there's me thinking that these were your (well-hidden) secret talents, Freddy! Yes, it does have appeal. Without being big-headed, it is always gratifying to have some special knowledge or skill that most others either do not have or would not recognise. Perhaps proficiency with a musical instrument that few know you have, let alone play. Even trivial things can be satisfying - like knowing exactly how to get from A to B by some devious road route or transport link that would leave anyone else floundering.

Those boots are beautiful, dream of having a pair just like them. I would have no problem wearing those killer boots just about anywhere.

I only mentioned 'sideways tipping' to emphasise the application of the c-o-g 'plumbline'; I agree that it is not directly relevant to our current considerations - although it is not something to be totally ignored when standing or walking - in heels and sober or otherwise! I won't comment further on hypotheses or experiments as I believe we are both essentially saying the same thing, albeit reaching it by slightly different routes.

Exactly so. I have tried to explain it the distance your foot travels in an arc. When the heel is landed, it becomes a pivot, over which the whole of your foot has to rotate. The longer that arc, the more ungainly your (my) stride will be, because it takes time and effort to get that sole landed on the ground. Shorter arcs, are easier to walk in. This looks like an extreme, (though expensive) solution: Zanotti likes a very high, short shoe. (Steep rise.) I'd like to think this is fairly easy to walk in, though at £350 on an auction site, I'm never going to know.

Quite so. If what I would like to wear openly in public (and I don't mean pink 6" stiletto sandals) was not denounced as 'effeminate', 'poofy', 'perverted' or otherwise as allegedly unacceptable from time to time, I would be a lot happier. I can cope with 'eccentric' or 'different' (I am happy to be both, although in most respects a conformist) but it is hurtful to be thought of as a persona non grata by Joe Public - and even more so by close relatives or friends. I don't personally like to see a man with long hair, piercings, tattoos or an abundance of flashy jewellery - but such men are not uncommon, generally pass without vitriolic attack and are (one assumes) comfortable in their own skins and accepted in their own family or social circles. So, why should high heels be unacceptable on a man, even on footwear of an otherwise masculine or at least unisex appearance, worn with otherwise conventional clothing? Or are we being paranoid in thinking that, just because someone close is openly 'anti' or we have detected some sort of reaction elsewhere which we have interpreted (perhaps wrongly) as being adverse, we must conceal if not suppress our heel interest in the great majority of situations? If there is an easy answer, I have yet to learn of it.

An acquaintance of mine (not a member here – yet) has a few pairs of HH boots and has recently bought some from YSL, which is offering several similar unisex styles for both men and women with heels of a nominal 30,60 or 85mm. In fact, the comparable boots for men and women are almost identical, as shown here: The women’s boots (on left) have a heel that is very slightly thinner and higher and the shaft appears a little taller too. When he went to try and buy at the YSL shop, he was shown the boots for both sexes without any suggestion that they were sex-specific. As he wears a UK8, he was able to buy the women’s model in a python leather, which he preferred, and which was a little cheaper than the men’s equivalent – if one can use the word ‘cheap’ in relation to something costing £760! I am told that the heel on these in UK8 is actually 95mm (3.75”). I have seen a pic of him wearing them (fully exposed below normal length narrow trousers) and they look great, and totally acceptable for a man to wear in public. It is interesting that YSL should introduce these unisex styles and I wonder how popular they will be, regardless of the high price? But it seems that several sizes are already sold out, which suggests there is some demand. Could we hope for some affordable high street copies? (Of course, one could get Miguel Jones to make a made-to-measure boot of very similar style for something in the region of £120.) Here is a better pic link to the women’s boots: http://www.mytheresa.com/en-gb/embossed-leather-ankle-boots-458700.html The other men’s/women’s styles can also be found online, e.g. http://www.farfetch.com/uk/shopping/men/saint-laurent-french-85-boots-item-11101784.aspx And here is a YSL pic of a male wearer: http://mesuive.tumblr.com/post/115224070462/saint-laurent-85-french-zipped-boot-in-black

Next time you attend for correction, Freddy, you will leave with glowing testimonials. I assume you refer to one 'Kym Marsh' (not 'March')? I had no knowledge of her (carnal or otherwise) before your introduction and am content to preserve that status quo.

Had to read this 4 times before I understood it .... My defence is; working late last night, eating later still, (hence my grammatical faux pas on the original comment), followed by a slow morning. (In the 'mental agility' sense. ) I've remedied my grammatical error, with a different word (care of a Thesaurus) that is more appropriate on about 3 levels I can think of, despite my suffering from a dose of the 'morning after the night before', without the dubious benefit of the 'night before'.

Almost all of my travels for a good many years now - or at least a very high percentage of my travels - have been for work. I am increasingly becoming a homebody in my down time, quite happy to explore the lanes on my bicycle or sit in the back garden and improve my mind with a Mickey Spillane or Perry Mason. I like being in interesting, far off places - sometimes - but I do not like travelling there, the exact opposite of my youth when it was all about the journey, and the feeling of liberation I felt when I started off. The destination was nearly irrelevant. Nowadays the journey - typically by air - is deeply unpleasant as a rule. I can still enjoy settling in for a long train journey, up to Scotland, say, or a sea voyage (not on a glitzy cruise ship, never been on one of those, but on an expedition) but those opportunities do not come up often. Generally it is air and a trip to the airport has become to me like the halo before a migraine.

No - I didn't think you were rocking up places with a battered old caravan and taking over some public park or farmers field or some poor sods back garden. I meant it in the homme du monde sense. :-) Alas no place is really safe these days. One has to make the best of things. Even so I am not sure I would have been taking my wife or kids off to any place in the Middle East (other than, perhaps, Dubai) or North Africa. Too many fruitcakes. And professionally, I have no interest in covering terrorism, political unrest or being embedded with combat units along anybody's front line. I have great respect for those who do these things - indeed one of my friends regularly covers some of the seediest and most violent pockets of central Africa, but not me. I have no calling in that direction. Risk, I don't mind - but 'clean-cut' risk, that of nature, wild animals, and remote wilderness environments, not deliberate attempts on my life by religious fanatics with black plastic sunglasses and bad shaves. As for cycling, I have many many thousands of miles under my belt, excellent bike-handling skills, road sense and much experience at paying attention to my environment when I am out and about. That said, I would not be too keen on wife of kids cycling the same roads I do. Not at all.

"All comes to he who waits", and I do waiting pretty good .... Office boots, my size and brand new went through the auction site the other day ..... I missed the end of the auction, but I would not have bid that high anyway. A 4½ inch heel maybe, but not 4. Office as a brand has changed significantly since I first authored this thread. It would seem someone into heels, has joined their buying team.

Nice! Could we please change the thread title to simply 'Kelly Brook'? Apart from the fact that (mercifully) she is not wearing platforms in any recent pics, the words 'lovely' and 'platforms' do not readily go together imho. Indeed, I spy an oxymoron (and I don't mean Kelly).

I suppose £250 would have been OK for first-quality AS items not on clearance, but I would normally expect a good mid-range suite (i.e. inc bath) for that money! Still, it was good that you were able to salvage the WC cistern. 13 years ago, during a bathroom refit at home, I chanced upon a complete spa-bath suite (i.e. bath with fitted jets, pump, blower, basin/pedestal, cc WC, taps, traps) being sold ex-display at B&Q for £250. It was slightly marked (customer abuse) and a couple of the spa bath control knobs were found missing after I bought it. The spa bath manufacturer was very helpful with some technical info and supplied the missing bits at nominal cost - which B&Q refunded cheerfully. The price new would have been nearly £1,000 and the whole set-up worked well, so I was pleased (as was the wife). The marks (mainly odd scratches in the bath) were of little consequence as they would have appeared anyway after a period of use, but I diminished them with some Perspex polish and elbow grease. Let me know how you get on with the mains issue - 'no pressure'!

Another film outing tonight. Last Witch Hunter at my local odeon. Changed into stiletto boots in the car, then strolled into the foyer for tickets, a costa coffee & the movie. No stress, no agro. Lots of fun. The heels were mostly hidden but visible to anyone observant. on another topic, I was out last night with a few friends. One girl, new to the group, said at one point "I'm really out of practice wearing high heels" . She was wearing Tiny kitten heels - barely noticeable. It always makes me smile to know I can wear heels higher than many woman would dare.

I know what you mean. In a perfect world I would have oodles of space indoors for presenting my bikes as the works of art they are, but alas. One of my tourers has more miles on it than many cars do. I am hoping one day when my ship comes in - presuming same ship is not a garbage scow - to have it stripped down, the rusting old drop-outs replaced with new stainless steel ones, and then resprayed. It is a bicycle that deserves that attention and money, given where all it's taken me. It is very personal bit of mobile art! My other two are 5 and 7 years old. Not as high mileage but well used and loved. Glad to her you're riding again though!

Don't know if you've spotted these ..... >> here << or if they would be of interest.

Freddy - I have just seen your correction in post #109 re 'iron' gas pipe. You are of course correct that the fittings are cast iron, either galvanised (essentially for outdoor/damp conditions) or 'black iron' finish, which is I think the result of a chemical process (oxidation?) during the casting process and gives a certain amount of natural corrosion protection. As to the pipe, it is not cast iron (at least in small supply pipe sizes) as this is far too brittle. Although often referred to as 'malleable iron' (meaning it can be bent), it is I think usually/normally drawn mild steel these days and is again in galvanised or black finish. Such suppliers as I have identified do say that it is steel. I don't think that corrosion is a real problem in iron/steel gas pipes/fittings, given their wall thickness. As you say, iron resists rusting better than steel. Interestingly, the only gas leak I have ever experienced was from a 'black steel' pipe inside my house. It had been installed only about 5 years earlier by British Gas to supply the meter, which was in the bottom of a cupboard but quite close to (damp) earth below the floor. I was not impressed and insisted on a repair FOC, using galvanised. In those days (1978), if not now, it was usual to run gas in steel pipe wherever this was not an eyesore (when copper was used). Better for resisting damage but not necessarily corrosion. A further thought regarding your re-plumb in copper. You may well find that your local scrap merchant sells brand-new copper pipe (and fittings) at a good discount. Mine certainly does. I don't know where it comes from - although obviously 'leftovers' from a job somewhere - and don't ask! Although the pipe is invariably straight, clean and undamaged, it is of course worth checking, especially if the bundle has been made up from different sources. The fittings (usually there by the bucket-load) are particularly cheap as sold by weight - a handful costs almost nothing. Until recently, I too would not touch plastic pipe. But I have since used it (although not for gas!) and am quite impressed - although I avoid joints in visible locations. One location where (white) plastic 15mm pipe is handy is in the upstands from below the floor into the rad valves - no painting necessary! If necessary, they are joined to the (horizontal) underfloor supply pipe with either a plastic or a brass compression elbow.

Freddy, your post #116 read with great interest. Some comments: 1. You imply (I think) that LSB made Cover Girl shoes. I'm sure that this is correct. CG used to advertise 6" heels (etc) quite regularly in the newspapers and I often wondered who actually bought them. I had a pair of black leather sandals made by (or for) CG in 1972 to my measurements (size 11UK) with a 5" heel (no platform). Although well made, and with a properly positioned stiletto heel, I have never found them easy to walk in and they are almost as new and I would be glad to sell them if anyone is interested (will post pic on request). I think part of the problem is the 'curviness' of the arch, much as you suggest. 2. It is very obvious to me from your helpful comparison pics that, quite apart from wearability,the Aldo shoe is much better styled and proportioned imho. The slender stiletto is in the right place, the toe box looks better (more pointed?) and the arch is flatter. That is a true classic stiletto! Interestingly, it looks to have a slightly lower heel - because there is less 'daylight' forward of the heel - although effectively the same (rear) height as the Schuh model. Is this why heels are often now found set back - to appear higher? (I despair of modern women - they have to have a set-back heel and/or a platform, usually with an effective rise of not more than 4.5", instead of mastering a true 5" Aldo-style heel - if they can find one.) 3. Again aside from wearability (and I'm not surprised that you find them difficult), the heel on the KG Cilla looks awful imho. It is not only too far back but has that strange curve to the rear - almost as if it is bending (which it may well do when worn). Why reinvent the (w)heel? 4. I quite often see references to 'Super Arch' heels from the US, typically with heels of around 6". These seem to be claimed as easier to wear, despite the curvy arch. Is that so; your findings would suggest otherwise?

Thanks a lot, Freddy. I had managed to add a pic to a post on similar forums but had forgotten how, and I think I have now managed it. These are my MJ boots: I hope the pic is reasonably clear; I ought to be able to make it larger (as the actress said to the bishop) and maybe I can - but some advice would help! I shall try to take some more pics (inc some of me wearing them) before long but my camera is not very sophisticated and nor am I with using it.

Now these are really really nice boots, youve got to have really thin calves to get in these, but the effect is superb! Probably the best heel pic I have ever come across..... I only wish I could get into a pair!

What a weekend! Not maybe heelwise, but wedding was just perfect. Wedding couple was so touched by the songs and the whole party was success to every minute of it. Unfortunately there was no one shooting with video camera so there is no videos to show. I didn't wear heels to wedding, even thou I was prepared with black leather ankle boots with 10 cm spike heels, but I decided not to. Next morning when we got to the hotel room of wedding couple, I put the heels on and showed them to the wedding couple and my wife, and sort of delivered the promise and dare to wear the heels for them. Other half who dared me for the heels, hugged me with tears of joy and said that she was sure that she can count on me... and for sure I will be wearing heels with them in short future, I know I have full support!

He who dares, wins eats!

I wish I could provide concrete answers, or opinions to your questions...There are so many variables, especially the build and swagger of the man wearing the heels... Anyway, I would agree that bare feet or hose/tights are best for heels, no socks.. Some guys, especially tall men, with long legs and a swimmer's build, can pull off most looks effortlessly....Then, there is the rest of us guys, who don't quite fit into that category. So, all I can say here is that what might work fine for one man, can not look so good on another...Wish I could be more concrete, but there are hundreds of variables that affect the look... To me, most guys look better in jeans with heels, but that is just my opinion...In any event, the jeans must fit correctly, and be the proper length, or they can really detract for his appearance in heels..Like FF has said, very loose jeans that are too short are usually a no no... Seasons, hmmm. Oh well, I'm sure there are seasonable looks, I just wear my boots and jeans the same way all year... As for "no nos", again the variables are so many that it is hard to even generalize...Again, usually only slender tall guys can pull off extremely feminine looks successfully. So, the rest of us kind of need to be able to blend our heels with more masculine attire.

We here in the UK are enjoying something of a late mini heat wave. Only last week it was cold enough to need the heating system on, this week we are in 'skimpy' clothing trying to stay cool. Mrs Freddy is busy sunbathing as I write, I'm [supposed to be] busy rubbing down walls. Still. I'm out tonight in London without herself, [she's off out tonight with some friends] and we'll both be out tomorrow night enjoying the warm weather by the Thames, somewhere along the South Bank, All are welcome. .....

I have seen plenty of women who have very strong ideas of right and wrong relating to dress and behavior, and little tolerance for any deviations from the "norm." My first wife was like that to a large extent. My second wife was totally accepting of me and what I wanted to do, and vice versa. She liked high heels and wore sexy ones when she was younger, and got compliments from other people. It was still trauma time to raise the issue with her, but she was totally accepting and even encouraging to me. We were very dedicated and supportive of each other and very happy together. But she is no longer with us. Sometime short girl friend, older, doesn't wear much in the way of heels. I gradually broke her in to mine, and when she saw me in stripper stilettos, she said they were very sexy. No problems there, but we are different in other areas. Two other lady friends, both very tall but no heels, are also very accepting, even to going in public. Basically, I would no longer get involved with anyone who is intolerant of variation from norms of dress or behavior. They have to be accepting of me and what I am, and I have to be the same with them. I feel sorry for those who don't have that tolerant, supportive relationship, but people seem to get into those situations a lot.

hi all i can say is dont dream just go for it, chances are all that is holding you back is in your own mind. from my experience people dont really care.sure you might get the odd look or stare or maybe even a laugh from the narrow minded people in society but why care what other people think,as long as you are happy and you are not hurting anyone else go for it. beleve me the more you do it the easier it gets good luck:smile: