FastFreddy2

The style I managed to get in the right size, are these: New Look suede baseball style plimmy. They are reduced from £35 to £15 at NL which is what they cost me, and it's what I'd like for them. [unsurprisingly. ] They are marked 9/42 but are in fact a UK 8. To a degree, £15 might at first seem like a lot of money for this style, but they are suede, not canvas. I found them easy to walk in despite the heel, in fact they feel much lower than what appears to be a 4 inch heel. I mentioned to herself these might be a 'walk everywhere style shoe', and she wasn't surprised. .....

As below, I didn't resist the Levere at £32-49. The Outlet store didn't have a larger size for me in the Chupka, so I went without. Maybe not a bad thing ...... I've got plenty of stiletto style shoe boots, though I though those were particularly interesting. [interesting usually means "head turning" and would that be a prudent purchase?] Checked the ALDO site the other day. [Well, I would wouldn't I? ] Both these styles have been removed from stores, and only available on-line now. Both styles are again available in my size, [Levere 8/Chupka 9] but both have had their discounts reduced. Do many of us make a fashion purchase when the product effectively goes up in price? I doubt I will. .....

Bit of a saga ....... The UK size 9/EU42 baseball version had come up as in stock again on the NL web site, so I tried to buy a second pair on-line using the voucher I swapped out, for the original [too small] pair of shoes. It didn't work. Tried to contact NL by phone on an 0871 number and gave up after I'd spent 25p [5 minutes] listening to a recording telling me how busy they were and someone would speak to me soon. I decided I wasn't going to get a second pair after all. Hey-ho. Had to go to St. Albans on Monday, and leaving the multi-storey car park, walked past a fairly large NL store to get into the main shopping area. On my return I had a quick look inside. UNBELIEVABLY, they had 2 pairs of the baseball style shoe in my size on the Sale shelf. Obviously I didn't have the voucher with me, as it had been removed from the car and put next to the computer at home to use on-line. Today, [Tuesday], I returned with my £20 voucher, and bought two pairs of baseball style shoe. I'll probably sell the 3rd pair, as two pairs will suffice, just so long as the money isn't tied up in a voucher any longer. It's been my experience, vouchers (unlike money) are always in the right place at the wrong time. And if I don't sell them on, at least I've got something to put on my feet, which I can't do with a voucher. I haven't forgotten about the piccies. I've been unusually busy with things that are keeping me away from the computer. ....

Went to the West End with Mrs Freddy on Sunday. [Free parking so least expensive method to visit.] Decided to try the NL 'baseball' boots to get around. Easy to walk in, but getting them laced up while sitting in the car was a task fit for a charity challenge that might have earned a fair bit of sponsorship money. Obviously I had forgotten how long it took to lace up my last pair of baseball boots some 30+ years ago. If I had remembered, they would have stayed at home pending a more suitable 'maiden voyage'. Meaning, a time when I had 30-40 minutes spare before leaving home...... And trying to be patient while working through a (car) steering wheel threading black on black laces through equally dark eyelets! Once on though ..... Well, it was like walking around in silent slippers. Absolutely no noise at all. Comfy to the point of feeling like I wasn't wearing heels.... In terms of a challenge to walking, there wasn't one. I'd suggest anyone trying to walk in heels for the first time, should consider breaking themselves in with a pair of these. Recommended. .....

Just a little update. Apparently the £12 price referred to the original plimsoll version of the shoe. The ones I have, are more like baseball boots and are still £15. Given they are suede and a proper black [not black/grey as the current AW10 plimsoll version] I'd say £15 was a very attractive price. Waiting for some calls to be returned, I finally found time to lace up the (very) long laces supplied with the shoes. Took a little while to get both feet to have matching laced patterns, but I got it done. Had a little walk around the house. I don't usually wear heels indoors, as I struggle wearing them on carpet ..... But these are literally like wearing slippers. REALLY comfortable, and the heel feels smaller than it looks. In fact I could wear these all day and probably forget I had them on! Size 9's have just come back in stock ...... Might have to invest in a second pair ...... ......

Had a good look around Endless.com for shoes and boots. There are 3 brands [excluding Pleaser/Ellie/The Highest Heels] that cater for the larger size foot. Sadly, the UK version of Endless [Javari] don't carry the same style range our US cousins enjoy. I wish I was surprised!

I have some bad (good) news for you ...... If I remember, you are a slightly small 8? The EU 41's, are a comfy size 8 for me, and I think my feet are a couple of mm longer than yours? I'd be very surprised to find a 41 didn't fit you. Was hoping to get myself to Oxford Street over the weekend, to see if Debenhams still had a pair in my size, but unkempt garden and warm dry weather got priority. [Again. ] .....

You'd need something stronger than a "herd of wild horses" to do that bud.

Weeeeeell.... One of the staunch 'meet' supporters Euchrid, met myself and my walking partner as planned at Brent Cross. Bit of a minor hiccup as we couldn't contact him initially despite knowing he was in the mall, but we got there in the end. Long coffee break to start with, before a walk around the stores. Not a great time for getting bargains as we are in mid-season, and current shoe styles are strappy sandals and flats anyway. My 4" heeled 'cowboy' style boots are pretty unobtrusive, but they got noticed by one or two people there. Most notably, the security fella at Office. He left his conversation with a shop assistant by the front door, and followed us into the store. His gawp at my footwear wasn't as discreet as I would have liked, so I gave him an even better look as we left. I put this minor incident down to my recent lack of practice. It may mean I have a 'wiggle' (or something like it) that's telegraphing my heel height. Solution? Wear heels more often. We got to see in all the (shoe) shops, and wouldn't have minded moving onto to Camden with Euchrid, but pressure of time prevented this as I had to return the [borrowed] car to its owner. Perhaps in a week or two. Anyway, pleasant event.

If you don't first choose "Homepage", I now know....... Interesting blog. Interesting pictures. Interesting, and somewhat eventful life .....

While 'browsing' the Kurt Geiger website this morning over my breakfast cup of coffee, found these boots had gone down further in price to £35 ...... I'm hoping that owning 5 pairs of the [Carvela version of the] Menezes style of shoe-boot will help stop me succombing. More likely, short term memory loss will prevent me! Having read my own review of the style, [comfort level and impression of height], perhaps I need to try a pair on again to confirm/refute my possible 'need' for these? ....

Mrs Freddy has the same [irritating for me] problem. I'm more of a night owl, verging on vampire ..... She, like you, rises with the birds. Herself was up at 4.30am yesterday [Thursday] and not much later today. The one single benefit to me, is that I seldom get to make her a cup of tea in bed. [hehehe] Conversely, I get coffee brought up to me just about e-v-e-r-y day. .....

I didn't even know Freecycle existed! Had a quick look today, and no-one is looking for hardcore/rubble that I could see. There was someone looking for a 'man with van' to remove some though. It's a great idea, and I'll definitely use it in the future. To be honest, I wasn't entirely happy with the tree/pergola removal to a tip to start with. I would have been very happy for it all to have been used elsewhere, but even short term storage wasn't an option. This work was done now because it's dry and although warm and sunny, it's not too hot to work outside. (Yet.) The cut trees and wood, took up just about all the free space in the garden, and meant we couldn't move or enjoy the space we had reclaimed. Even now, with 3 trips undertaken for rubble removal (of about 7 in total), we still have trouble getting onto the patio outside what will be the kitchen. And Mrs Freddy isn't the least clumsy person you could meet...... More than once I've offered her the chance of acquiring a white stick to help her get about! If there's something to fall or trip over, I can count on her to find it. Lastly, you were up a bit early? .....

The unusually warm/dry weather has kept me away from these pages, doing things in the new garden in keeping with my 'scorched earth' policy. Namely, removing 6 leylandii, and a rather badly trimmed Birch tree, together with their long root systems. Many, many hours of hard graft were saved by purchasing one of >> these. << Due to a leaking pot of oil inside the box, I got the saw for £40.50 which was about £10 less than I was prepared to pay for a hire tool. It made mincemeat sawdust, of trees with 12" trunks with little effort from me. I'd already disassembled the 25ft wide by 12ft long pergola that must have used a good tonne of wood in construction ....... All the wood was reduced to manageable sizes using one of >> these. << Fortunately, I've finally gotten rid of the all the wood attached to the house [pergola] and small forest [7 trees] that had been crowding the lawn. Reading this, you'd think I had half an acre or at least a couple of hectares for a garden? No, it's a postage stamp sized garden, but has had 30 years of careless management. Bit like the inside of the gaff actually. About all I need to do now to conclude the removal, is make about 4 trips to the tip with several large buckets per trip, to evacuate the remainder of the pergola concrete piles. These were 12" square by 24" deep concrete socks for the 3"x3" supports. Fortunately there were only two of the deep ones, and a shallower one just 12" deep, but all three had further support from a 5 brick high wrap around on all 3 main uprights. Removing these piles took a little over a day of continuous hammering with one of >> these << which I hired for about £50. The breaking up bit was straight forward, but hoofing out the rubble from a continually deepening hole wasn't much fun. Rather frustratingly, having created these deep holes, I then had to fill them in again (with top soil). All this work has impressed the heck out of the neighbours, and Mrs Freddy ...... But has left me in need of a break! I'm not built for hard work, with my little bod I'm really built for speed ..... Once the rubble has gone, and I've finished digging over the soil I've removed roots from, it'll back into the house for crack filling and rubbing down duties. Good job I've got a sense of humour. ....

This was cancelled at the last minute due to a bout of Bloke Flu, that I couldn't shake off and is still affecting me some weeks later. Meeting is currently rescheduled for this coming Saturday, 23rd April, at a North London shopping mall. Any takers? .....

Sorry to be a 'party-pooper', but stiletto's might be a liability given the condition of the pavements..... [Cracks, gaps etc.] I've worn stillies up there twice..... The second time I ruined a heel with it disappearing down a crack outside Selfridges. I now tend to stick to block heels and wedges. And very very occasionally....... mens shoes. .... Reason for edit: Grammar.

I was told yesterday, these plimmey's had been marked down to £12 in the shops, but larger sizes were thin on the ground. The 42/9's fit, but didn't arrive as promptly as expected. Piccies to follow (still ).

Website visited. Looks interesting, but I couldn't find pictures of you in heels? Was I looking in the right place? Welcome.

I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing images of your boots! And welcome.

Bought a pair of wedge plimmies off Ebay a few weeks back. Black with moderate heel. Rubber sole (quiet) and a toe shape that gave nothing away. Got them half price, and new. Result? A whole size too small. Clearly marked 41/8 but a 7 at best. As luck would have it, I got full credit at NW, so not lost money .... But I actually wanted the shoes..... Had tried on a larger size while in London with Heelman500, and they fitted. Bit expensive I thought at £25, so waited to see if I could nab a pair in a sale. Must have missed them if they were discounted, but >> these << came up the other day. Not sure these will be suitable as the weather is getting warmer (at last), but they look like they'd be comfortable, so I've ordered some. In anticipation, I've ordered the size 9's expecting them to come up small again. Should have them by the weekend. They look like a style any of us could 'get away' with wearing almost anywhere ...... :-) ....

Think I worked out why the Schuh courts are so hard to walk in. It's not the height, it's where the tip of the heel is in relation to the heel. eg. Most tips are located 'inboard' of the heel. [under the foot as it were.] The Schuh heel is underneath the very rear-most point of the foot. It's like adding another half an inch on the height because of how much you have to extend your foot/ankle to plant the shoe. So far, takes me about 30 minutes every time I wear them, to get used to this change in walking technique. I still don't have it right ..... but I hope I'm getting there. :-) Pictures to demonstrate 'the problem', to follow. Along with vid of them in use. ....

That's an equation I didn't get taught in school, but one all us fellas need to know. Classic! :-)

Nothing serious I hope? Just 'enjoying' a bout of bloke flu myself. Apparently, my voice sounds quite manly now. That's Mrs Freddy's idea of a compliment! :-) Did a video of myself wearing the Schuh shoes last week. Bob the Builder duties have prevented me from learning how to edit the vid, and publish either in good quality .avi or poor quality Flash on YouTube. It's nothing special .... but a start I suppose. Reason for edit: Spelling error. ...

Finally found something that >> looks the part << and I'm not sure I can be bothered to return the B+Q item now..... Had a bit of a spend up since ..... Circular saw in keeping with my skill level [none] another Worx item ..... >> Mini circular saw << If I don't cut my hands or fingers off, this might be next >> Full size circular saw << And in a moment of desperation I bought a sander >> B+Q branded sander << [i would agree with reviewer BTW.] So just about tooled up for all the jobs I have to do. All I need now, is the energy and skills to do them. One item I needed, that's almost literally been worth its weight in gold since buying ........ >> 3mm screwdriver << best £4 I've spent in a while. You try changing every light fitting and wall socket in a four bed house without one. .....

Dunno if it can be described as 'last minute', but there is a meet in the offing on Saturday 9th April.