Shyheels

Actually no. I have never had even the slightest desire to tinker with such things - not even out of curiosity. I was well aware of the drug culture at the time and certainly when I was a private liberal arts university in the 70s where there was a BIG drug culture. Had no interest. Plenty of opportunities, and a girl friend at the time who was heavily into the drug and boho theatre scene, but no desire or interest at my end at all. Nor did she ever try to influence me. She was probably the easiest-going, least judgemental person I ever met.

Custom, or made to order, would be the only way to go. Expensive, but perhaps worth it if it scratches the itch. Cheaper to buy ine perfect pair than have ten 'almosts' and many more that are sent back. you only live once...

When I was a kid, in the late 60s, early 70s, I was very much into the styles of the day - bright colours, patterns, paisley, Jesus shirts, bell bottoms. I was completely into the whole look. My mother (father was dead by then) was indulgent up to a point, but beyond that point used light mockery to (sadly) telling effect to reign in my enthusiasms and exhuberance. I was sensitive. I persisted for a while but then finally gave in and trotted along with the more conservative, much less hippyishherd. I regret it now. Had I made a stand nothing bad would have happened...

Hmmmm. Not exactly....

That's a pity. With a zip they should be very well fitted. An increasing number of people have large calves - and larger bodies in general - so what would be seen to fit a standard leg these days might be fairly large...

The duck boots are lace up, giving some size flexibility on one's calves. I did indeed have a base layer of merino tights which I wore under my boots with trousers over to shed water away from the boot tops. Zodiac landings in Antarctica can be pretty sloppy as regards water splashing around. were one walking along a street, or on an Antarctic base, one could and, if you were woman undoubtedly wood, wear tgem outside your jeans. These boots are very fashionable right now in the US - the tall versions primarily worn by women, on display, over jeans.

Good point!

I can certainly understand the cold weather bit. Many years ago, on a long and remote cycling expedition, I got a nasty case of hypothermia because I did not bother with a wickable base layer. I do now. Fairly sheer merino is my go-to material, both in tights and top. I don't recall if my base layers came in men's or women's styles - probably they did, based in colour, with men's being drab and women's more cheerful. Although I prefer the more cheerful colours in the women's line-up, being six foot and 13 stone (plus on occasion) considerably reduces my choices! Bright colours tend not to come in my size.

I am not into, nor interested in, crossdressing in the least - not even curious about it. That whole thing just passes me by. I am not repelled by the idea, nor judgemental, just not interested - any more than I am interested in learning how to play bridge or repair a car engine. Just not my thing. I do like tall suede boots which, for reasons that remain obscure to me, society has decided are feminine in nature although the style of otk boots that I like have no overtly feminine characteristics. Pull-on style, lowish block heels or just standard sorts of dress-shoe heels, dark grey or brown suede, just over the knees. curiously enough my PVC jeans, ordered but not yet arrived, look almost identical to my wife's from her rock chic days in the early 1990s. Hers were men's PVCs. Mine, judging by the sizings, appear to be women's, but as I say they are virtually identical. So who woukd be crossdressing? Me thinks neither of us.

I might add that when the female scientists with whom I was travelling in Antarctica wore their boots under their jeans/trousers, as guys do, nobody considered them cross-dressers for doing so, as referred to them as dykes - such offensive and unenlightened stereotyping would (rightly) be unthinkable. As they should be if the situation were reversed and a guy choose to wear his boots over his jeans...

Looking over the images of your boots, and trying to be as analytical and dispassionate as possible, I honestly can't see why they could be construed as feminine other than via, as I have said before, the blinkered response that tall boots must be feminine - just because. The slender shafts do not strike me as intrinsically feminine, just decently fitting. I believe we noted in another thread that most tall boots (nearly all of which are found on the distaff side of the shop) have rather large calves/shafts. It could therefore be argued that ones with bigger, looser shafts are feminine by virtue of their numerical superiority. The toes are pointy and the foot shape elongated, but there again not intrinsically feminine. As they say about pointy toed (masculine) cowboy boots in Texas: "They're for killing cockroaches in the corners." Nor are the heels too tall for cowboy boots. Worn under jeans there is no way on earth anybody would notice them. Worn over jeans, yes, they'd be noticed but only because hardly any guys wear their boots that way (because hardly any guys dare wear tall boots - however much they may like the idea) I agree with Puffer - that is the only unusual aspect to them: wearing over jeans. But why not? They are nice looking boots. I recall wearing a pair of very tall 16" L.L. Bean duck boots (mentioned in another thread) when I was in Antarctica. Some of the women on the ship marvelled that I did not wear them over my jeans when we made landings, to show them off. In that particular instance it was wisest not to! Zodiac landings in Antarctica can be quite wet and having trousers over your boot tops is a great idea, if you don't want to get water in your boots. They women on board soon joined me in the male style of wearing boots under trousers! Outside of that though - I think tall boots look best over jeans. I am not into leggings myself, other than for cycling, but boots and jeans seen a decent look! I agree too that one regularly sees guys wearing all kinds of (to me) objectionable get-ups - tattoos, piercings, baggy trousers with the crotch down to the knees, ludicrous board shorts, hoodies, and ludicrous hair styles with nobody giving them a second glance. Yet wearing a nice tall pair of boots (regardless of whetheror not they had heels) over jeans would raise eyebrows and call into question your masculinity. What a weird and up-tight world.

No, indeed! My wearing is very discrete. Although my boots do not have heels nearly as high as yours - two and three-quarter inch block heels - they are otk boots and so 'obviously' feminine even though there us absolutely nithing intrnsically feminibe about them. Ditto my flat otk boots, in brown suede. Were I on my own I woukd nit gave the least hesitation in wearing either pair everywhere. They are extremely comfortable, warm and in all honesty look great with jeans. it genuinely annoys me when I look around and see women perfectly free to wear tall boots, yet were I to do so it woukd embarrass those around me. And yet there is absolutely nothing feminine about either if my pairs of boots, other than this blinkered association of tall boots with the distaff side of humanity. we are off to London today too for the Christmas lights etc. I'll be wearing my hiking boots. Funnily enough I do not own a single pair of shoes, only boots - but if varied heights!

I wasn't suggestion you were anything but considerate to those close to you. I agree with you entirely as regards the oublic in general!

Good point, but even those who rock generally do so carefully - out of consideration for others, perhaps, rather than trepidation.

I had an extremely severe back probkem - a badly ruptured disc that required emergency surgery and my having to learn to walk all over again. I was very, very fortunate in having an excellent surgeon and a happy outcome, helped along by the fact that I had many thousand if mikes of cycling which, the doctors said, gave my muscles the core strength to rebound. I have been very lucky in having few problems in the years since. I take care with my back, and often work at my computer standing up. That is when the geels help take away pressure from my lower back.

It is exactly that simple. There is also the tacit desire to meet the expectations of, and maintain the approval of, others within our sphere and a sort of self censorship and conservatism and hesitancy that often goes with it. Nobody wants to rock the boat.

Interesting you mentioned heels as a cure for back pain. I have a very, very dodgy back and putting on my otk boots with the two-and-three-quarter inch chunk heels immediately takes a lot of the stress from my lower back. They are indeed therapeutic!

Good luck! As you say, perhaps it is best that Fate has kept the Zara boots out of your reach. Although Fate usually likes to dance these temptations before us rather than keep us on the straight and narrow, so a size 41 may yet well pop up. Going for the PU pair eh? I know an expert on PU, PVC and faux leather - you could always query him for advice! :-)

It's still derivative

It's close enough.

The quote is from the film. I can't remember if it was in the book as well, but the quote is one of cinemas most famous lines - used in many movies since the original film aired in 1948

No, the original quote came from the John Huston directed 1948 film Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Based on a novel by the mysterious B. Traven. It is a famous line and has been quoted in numerous movies since.

They certainly projected a kind of classy sophistication that is very rarely encountered on screen today. The whole era was really quite classy. My mother was a fairly successful fashion model during that era and never lost her dress sense. I can still recall the outfits she wore in the early 60s when I was a child and how she would always dress elegantly for travelling. Wouldn't dream if boarding a plane without looking fashionable and sophisticated. i look around the business lounge now and sigh. Times have sure changed.

Snap! Double Indemnity is one of my favourites too. Brilliant movie, snappy dialogue ( screenplay by Raymond Chandler, so how could it not be snappy?) and beautifully filmed. my favourite though is The Maltese Falcon. I don't know how many times I've seen it. It is on my iPad now - come to think of it, I think I'll watch it on my London-bound flight tonight. After last night's hotel, I am up for a bit of noir...

I hate predictve text, and pecking at a screen instead of a keyboard have a great day