FastFreddy2

A problem most parents don't have to contend with. Thanks for the insight. My step-daughter is in her 30's, and I suspect for the most part, naive to anyone with my kind of dress sense. I'd be happy for her to know, not least because we share the same shoe size. But her mother doesn't want anyone else knowing, just in case a "family tiff" makes my interest public knowledge. I'm happy to respect my wifes wishes about this, though it isn't my first choice. I understand it has the potential to be a genie that can't be put back inside a bottle once released. Even if her daughter is okay with my taste in shoes, I'm sure she has friends that wouldn't be. Even I have (and had) girlfriends who declare they prefer "their men to be men", though I would argue that in every respect I'm 100% male. ...

Hello, and welcome to you both. I'm here most days. If anyone wants to talk heels, it's gonna be me.

Finally got to Oxford Street tonight. Fairly useful evening in that I finally got there, and early enough to get to most of the larger stores. Tried on a couple of pairs of 7's in Selfridges. [No 8's of interest. As I've seen another fella trying on Louboubins before, as have I, so no problem with trying on girls shoes in the store.] Both pairs a tad too short, and both pairs about £400 (each) too expensive anyway. Bought another pair of Schuh's in blue for £24.95, as they couldn't find the black pair reported as "in stock" ..... Chickened out of trying on the ALDO >> Chupka << at the store. Mostly because I wouldn't have been able to get them on and off in less than 30 minutes .... Also, the on-line store price is less than the shop price. So ordered them on-line. At this time, I couldn't recommend making a visit to Oxford Street for shoes. Me, I'll buy anything that seems interesting .... But other than visiting to buy specific shoes [that weren't actually there - despite the shop manager confirming while I stood in the shop that he had stock] this venture was an evening out in heels, and not much else. P.S. While walking back to the car around 10.45pm, we nearly walked into John Rocha outside Selfridges. I wouldn't know him but for all the pictures of him in Debenhams. ....

Bought a pair in blue tonight from the Oxford Street store .... £24.95 I don't suppose we have any members in either Belfast or West Lothian could visit their local Schuh store to get me a red pair.

Left it too late to go Sales shopping Thursday, so gave it a go today [Friday]. Didn't get any further than Brent Cross [a shopping mall in North London.] Was pretty hopeless really. Very very few styles in a size 8 to start with, and the ones on show were fairly plain. For 'plain', read clumpy and without much of a heel. Plenty of nicer ones around, but in size 3 or 4 typically. One incident of note ..... While walking around, it's necessary to walk past people sitting on benches resting their weary feet. [Or stopped to have a snack.] Obviously, this puts eyeballs much closer to passing footwear. On one bench, a little girl of say 8 or 9 years, spotted my boots. She immediately tried to get her fathers attention by digging him in the tummy with her elbow. He didn't respond, but she kept watching my shoes .... And I watched her - watching my shoes - until it was inevitable I'd walk into something or someone while looking backwards. I'd said it several times before. Children are much more attentive than us adults. ....

I understand about the trousers/jeans/"pants". [Pants in the UK are under-garments, as most here will know.] I've mentioned before, that I have collected waaaay too many pairs of trousers and jeans. Having recently moved, I found clothes (and shoes) I'd forgotten I owned. :smile: I tend to wear my 'smart' jeans or trousers, so the back lower edge sits above -but close to- the ground when I stand still. I know that when I move my leg forward while walking, initially the material may lightly strike the ground, but for the most part my heel will expose 2-3 inches of itself as my leg extends forward. The thinner the heel, the more likely I expect the heel to be noticed. Even though the £140 boots (the ones I really liked) only had a modest hidden platform of say 15mm, it meant the rear [hem] of my trousers or jeans started more than 1/2" higher than normal. While standing still, almost an inch [25mm] of the heel showed, and while walking more than half the total heel was visible periodically. They fitted well, and I got a pair for £42, but they were just too good to use as traning shoes walking the streets in them. @shyguy. The ALDO 'perfect shoes' (ankle boots) I have two pairs of, and 5 pairs of synthetic clones (mentioned earlier), are the same as the ones I encouraged you to buy off Ebay more than a year ago. I remember you bought a size 8, and found them a bit high? Still too high? @BobHH. I remember the Karo's, also from a year or so ago. I mentioned at the time I like clear uppers, and find them hypnotically attractive. [Real Princess shoes, like those glass slippers in the fairy tale?] I'd struggle with US$200 for them or that amount of money for any other single pair of shoes though. That said, when I consider how much money I'd got tied up in shoes destined for Ebay, US$200 wouldn't seem like such a problem if I got some use [pleasure] out of that money being "invested". [Rather than what I have now, which is probably -and I don't exaggerate here- well over US$1000 tied up in shoes I'm not wearing for one reason or another.] If I can do it, I'll attempt to take a picture of them .... And include it here In fact a conservative estimate of my current investment in 4"+ heels for me, might be in the order of US$2500. :smile: If I can do it, I'll attempt to take a picture of them .... And include it here. All that money tied up, and I think I wear maybe 4 pairs regularly? Shameful really. :smile: .....

Where to start ...... "Men" are known to be collectors. The term 'anorak' (over here leastways) is a term given to those who have a special interest - extra special interest - in some facet of life. It maybe they can tell you about every battleship that floated in WWII, its tonnage, if it was sunk - and where it sank. [i have just such a friend.] Some over here in the UK collect references to trains [aka 'trainspotters'] some need to see sight of >> every lorry << a company owns, to add to their personal reference list. I think I might be a shoe/boot spotter and owner. I've 4 pairs of ALDO ankle boots. All four pairs fit very well. Two of them are the same style, and I have marked their box "perfect shoes". I gave £40 for each for those two pairs. [something like £25 each for the other two pairs.] All bought in Sales, their original prices being around £80 per pair. I've also got 5 pairs of a plastic/synthetic clone version of the 'perfect' ALDO boots. Four of the [size 7] clones bought for about £10/£12 each, with the fifth [size 8] pair bought for even less. I knew the 8's would be too big, but the idea was to wear them in winter with thick socks. That's over £200 on what is practically 2 versions of the same shoe. None worn outside ... Nor inside come to think of it. My first ever 'shopping in daylight' Nine West wedge ankle boots, were bought for £42. [Half-price end of season sale.] I liked them so much, I bought another 4 pairs. [so, 3 styles and a total of over £400 invested.] I've barely worn out the first pair. In fact most would say they looked like new, though I know they've had a fair amount of use. I don't drink or smoke. I spend less on (girls) shoes than I would on either of these if I did drink or smoke. But my criteria for keeping shoes, is that I must perceive I will one day wear them. Even the 5" Schuh patents could get an airing if ever I visit the Opera again, or another formal event where I would be anonymous. With no platform to speak of, they'd be discreet. The £140 French Connection boots - which I really, really liked, came with a platform I couldn't hide. It meant enough of the stiletto heel showed for them to be indiscreet. I just couldn't see a way of them working. :smile: Plus .... I tend not to wear my nicer clothes/shoes anyway. It's why my 'perfect' ankle boots are unworn. I got the £150 boots for not much money, and they have the same hidden platform the £200 boots had/have. Although they fit really well, the hidden platform and light heels make them difficult to disguise. Sadly, they are destined for Ebay. :smile: In some ways I am a true collector. I'm minded to those who buy paintings and instead of hanging them, they hide them in storage, perhaps having a yearly or monthly glimpse at them. :smile: That said, I do wear out [or wreck] some styles. I recently had a little accident on a stairway at home. I'd returned from a visit out in heels, and was too lazy to change them immediately. Coming down the short stairway of 6 or 7 stairs from the toilet, my heel caught on the stair carpet and I stumbled down the remainder of the stairs. Fortunately for me, I escaped injury as I crashed into a wall only 40 inches away. Broke the heel on my boots though. They were a £10 buy from Ebay that had been used regularly for over a year. Returning to the comment about pictures... I think I too had asked about these. [To the same fella.] I'm quite cynical after a point. I'm happy that someone might have a better pair of shoes [or blacker cat] than me, but eventually I would expect to see sight of the shoes, or the blacker cat. I don't in any way mean I question everything I'm told. Far from it, as in the real world I'm considered gullible because generally I believe anything and everything I'm told. What I mean is: if someone goes on and on and on and on about something, I'm expecting to see something that supports the discussion topic. If I remember, the response I got was: "My girlfriend doesn't think pictures are a good idea." My [hopefully unspoken] thought was: but I only want a picture of you from the waist down, and it's not like you're keeping your cossdressing to yourself? In fact you're very public with it, even going to work dressed up as a girl? The contradiction in the situation suggested to me, that possibly some remarks may have been provided with a touch of 'artistic license'? Who knows? .....

If I'm honest, I might be over there too because it's busier, but apparently got banned with no appeal after getting into a spat with a protagonist who made some very inflammatory remarks to me via PM after I tried to make things good between us. Sadly the Mods there decided I wasn't welcome, and that was it. I suppose I could re-join with another 'handle', but deception isn't really me. I try to live by Christian values, and am happy to be measured by these, so no deceit if it can be avoided. I tried a 18 months ago to raise some interest here, and it felt like it was working. But again, the Mods (same ones who banned me at HHp) decided I had two heads ..... :smile: Around the same time life (real life) gave me a bit of a kick in the teeth (some of which you know) then life kicked me some more while I was down. Now I've wandered back .... it's a ghost town. And no surprise either. I've noticed I'm not the only member treated with irreverence/discourtesy. I am a prolific poster, sadly. I love to write and explore ideas. It wouldn't take much for me to be responsible for half the content here. :smile: And this site has been here, 6 years? :smile: Given how many men want to explore or indulge themselves wearing heels, it's almost a tragedy this place isn't busier. But I've said many times, it needs to get some 'critical mass' going. Anyone got some firelighters? ....

Things are getting a little better here. Quite a few companies are selling shoes and boots in a UK size 9 which I think equates to a US 11 or 12. Anyone with a size UK 10 or over has precious little chance of getting shoes from mainstream suppliers. Ellie and Pleaser do one or two non-fetish styles, but nothing I could wear in public. Fortunately I have feet small enough to get in just about every UK size 8 (though Dune can be a struggle), and often I get into a UK 7. 25 years ago I was easily a UK 7. Not content to get a larger body, a wandering hairline (who am I kidding - and absent hair line :smile: ) ..... I also get longer feet. Getting old has not one single attraction I'm aware of. :smile: ...

Hello fourwinds, and a very warm welcome to you. :smile: Have you been a heel lover for long? ....

I notice one or two have joined recently. I'm guessing to access what are now empty Galleries. :smile: I also notice that even the Admin team don't visit. Why should they, no posts, and the bulk of the past year filled with posts from a member who continually fails to adhere to the site rules. [i've just read.] I thought sparking up interest 18 months ago was difficult, but at least people came to the Forum to read new posts from time to time. Has it gone too far this time, and is a completely lost cause? :smile:

I can't reliably alter my User Profile. Even if I try to save it without making any changes, it insists I've used the wrong format in the "Sex" option. Tried both by way of finding out if there's a glitch with either one, but it doesn't make any difference. Oddly, it did allow me to change my avatar..... Help? :smile: ....

The Sales must be in full swing, and where am I? :smile: Think I'm going to have to make a visit to London either Tuesday or more likely Thursday. I know it's possible to get a wide selection via the internet, but experience tells me larger stores roll out (sometimes ancient) sales stock at this time of year, and they'll include the styles I prefer. For the last 2 or 3 years platforms have been very popular. [And why not, if it gets a young or not so young woman in heels they might not have otherwise worn? ] I prefer what I'm growing to understand are what are generally known as 'single-sole' shoes. I notice some of these style are starting to become available again, but the styles I like are a tad expensive at the moment. [Here is an >> example << ] Even in the Sale these are £75 ..... :smile: I'll just have to wait until Priceless copy them. :smile: So ..... West End Thursday? ....

Typical. These shoes have been around for some time. I finally gave in and purchased a second pair (having checked for correct sizing and quality with a 'first' pair - that I subsequently returned to a local store as they failed my VFM test) with me making the second purchase because they didn't appear to be getting into "Sale" stock and I've got very little self-control around Christmas. And these have been available for some considerable time after all ... :smile: I believe I made my final purchase in early November, having decided it was better to have some that failed the VFM test, rather than not own a pair. :smile: They've just gone down in price! Finally getting into the Sale stock. Size 8's still thin on the ground, but they are about.... Red has always been my favourite colour for shoes .... :smile:

Sadly the boots are going back. They fit well and are a quite generous 8. I got them on wearing socks ..... But .... They're not as high as claimed at 5.34 inches down the back [135.7mm] and the platform is 0.86 inches [22mm] this means instead of having a rise of over 5", they've just about got a 4 1/2" rise. To be honest, it feels higher, but I've got numerous pairs with 4 1/2" heels so why buy another pair in a style I don't particularly favour? [aka platforms.] Bit of a bargain at £35 though.... :smile:

Well, how wrong could my plan go? :smile: Arrived at the Hospital late, due to my poor time keeping, the queue of traffic trying to access Brent Cross Shopping Centre (slightly surprising since 80% of the customers look to be of Middle Eastern decent so unlikely to celebrating a Christian holiday...) Plus the weather kept the roads a bit of 'a challenge', shall we say? Arrived at the Hospital at 7.30pm and immediately used the wrong lift (elevator). Arrived at bedside on 14th floor at 7.35pm, with only 25 minutes to (the official) kicking out time. Our family friend has cancer, and had her first course of Chemo earlier in the day. We arrived to find her being sick (and was another couple of times before we left). The good lady has been part of my life (on and off) for almost 40 years. She didn't look well at all. That said, there was another woman in the bay (4 patients to a bay) that was very very very poorly. Mindful where we were, no-one was in a hurry to get us out of the place. Casting a bit of a dark cloud over events, I suppose in this situation, you never know if you'll meet again .... Consequently, we left a little after 9pm. We said we were leaving to get some food (which we eventually did), but at the time, I just couldn't embarrass my friend any longer while she was being ill. Although she did seem to be a bit brighter when we left, to what she seemed like when we arrived. Walking past the thirty something lady in the corner, I realised her struggle for survival wasn't going to be a struggle for much longer. Measurable in hours rather than days or weeks.... The sadness of the whole situation made us both want to go homeward. Oxford Street, while only 500 yards away, was in the wrong direction. We returned to the car and drove North, stopping briefly en route to get a bag of chips each, which stopped our tummies gurgling with hunger. The shopping trip will have to wait now. Thursday is a possibility, but being realistic, it looks like I'll getting to the Sales after the Christmas break. ...

Did you read the reviews? :smile:

Not that anyone is going to be reading this in time to actually consider meeting - and if they do, they'll not meet anyway .... :smile: I'm going to University Hospital to visit a fairly sick friend from 6 to 7pm tonight. After that I'll be briefly in Marks and Sparks opposite Primarnie in Oxford Street, before going to Carluccio's for a spot of food. Hopefully out of there in time to visit Debenhams and House of Fraser to see if they have their Sales switched on yet. ANYONE sending me a PM will get my contact telephone number. Hey. I'll even spring you for a drink if you arrive. I won't be alone, I'l be with my walking friend who some of you have met. She can talk the hind legs off a donkey, so I promise - no 'pregnant pauses'. :smile: Shops close I think at 10pm. Plenty of browsing time in heels. ....

Blimey, lot of criticism being thrown around there .... No wonder the site is dead. Who would want to visit? :smile: I think/believe I've done just about the whole journey. As a young man, I found a way to wear high heels in public. It involved getting dressed as a girl, which was no different to going out anywhere else except it involved a bit of makeup. I'm not so precious I'd put anyone else down for doing it. For me, like maybe some others, it was a means to an end. And at that age, I didn't have the wider experience I now have. Nor courage - if that's the right word. Today .... I will wear heels in public. I'm discreet, because like some, I don't want to upset the families and friends I have regular contact with, nor more importantly, the friends and family my wife has. I'm happier in block type heels, (ii) because they last longer (ii) they're more suitable for walking any sort of distance. If the heel isn't 4" or a tad higher, I won't use them. Getting block heels with that height isn't easy, and often isn't cheap. Buying a cheap pair of (stiletto) heels gets me wearing heels, not staring at them in magazines, nor on the Internet. They're an inexpensive enabler. Walking around at night alone, allowed me to practice, and maybe build up my confidence. I remember all too well, coming up against my first 'pedestrian' in the same street. I just wanted the ground to swollow me. :smile: The enablers, and the practice got me the experience and the skill to walk just about anywhere I want in heels. While effectively becoming Style Police, I think the otherwise well meaning members posting here are effectively pushing the lurkers (aka prospective members) further and further away. I've no doubt it's why the place is dead. It's gotten so not only has the welcome mat been thrown, but there's a great big hairy arsed bouncer on the door reading the riot act to any readers about their behaviour. I can read a black and white interpretation into any situation, as many here have. But this just doesn't seem to be an appropriate attitude when trying to support others in what very definitely isn't a mainstream interest. Me personally, I'd prefer to give positive guidance to those who maybe haven't understood the mistakes in their overall look. I've worn stiletto's out, and intend to again. Soon. But they'll be discreet, and I hope they'll help to give me a leaner and more elegant look. I won't be wearing a skirt. The boots won't be black patent, and they won't be thigh high either. Of course I'd prefer them to be 4 1/2" block heels, but I don't know a style available for the £30-£45 I might spend on my leather walking shoes. Stiletto heels are just more popular with the makers at the moment, and I'd rather being heeling that not heeling, having missed out on so many years already. Not a rant, just a suggestion that we all ought to be a little more tolerant by way of showing the way forward. If we are intolerant, surely we invite intolerance toward us of our particular (if very smart) non-mainstream interest? And maybe it's time to find where that "Welcome" mat was thrown? :smile: ....

I've said many times, I won't buy boots or shoes unless I can wear them out. But these got the better of me..... Abraham boot. ** Don't know if it's a setting I've inadvertently changed, but the ASOS link is showing the price in US$D for some reason. Changing the currency on the top right-hand corner will confirm the selling price at £35. Free delivery if you don't mind waiting 7-10 days. ** I've bought them because (i) they appear to have a very high heel, despite the platform ["high rise" :smile: ] and (ii) they looked to be a good price. ASOS will deliver in the New Year. Even if they fit, even if I would wear them outside .... I don't have any trousers/jeans long enough to hide the heel. An excuse for buying -yet another- pair of jeans I suppose? :smile: ....

Schuh have had a patent court shoe available for what must be better part of a year. Plastic (okay, synthetic), but blooming expensive at £50. Lois What makes these unusual, is they have a 5" heel. I bought a pair in black, returned them, and bought them again 6 months later. They come up a bit small, so I can't get them on when it's hot. There seems to be something odd about the shoe shape too, as they feel MUCH higher than 5", and I struggle to walk correctly in them. But I do enjoy a challenge. :smile: Read the reviews. Makes very very very entertaining reading. ...

Mike: You sound like an Englishmen, are you? I can no longer walk in 6" heels and 5 1/2" is about the best I can manage, and then only for 'posing'. Would be impossible for me to spend hours in them. I'd like to own a few pairs of 5" heels to 'up my game' as it were, but for the most part, any I've seen tend to be made of black patent or black PVC. [ie Fetish styles.] Any suggestions for acquiring 5" heels in black leather, without having to sell a kidney? :smile: I've been steadily growing my collection. In fact me and herself moved recently, because our mutual shoe collection filled up all the available (spare) space we had. I would say we must have close to 200 pairs ... At least 30 of mine have to be sold as I'll never wear them. [Wrong sizing being the biggest problem.] I've 3 or 4 pairs of Pleasers, which are totally unsuitable for wearing in the street. I just couldn't resist the heels. :smile: I must have over £1500 invested in my footwear..... ....

Well, it would seem my friend of some years standing has changed her phone number. Or at least I hope that's the problem. She's been back to Colombia a couple of times, as she misses home. She went away for a 3 month visit, and I've not heard back from her. I'm hoping she's just lost her old number, rather than been kidnapped, or something equally unattractive. As she lives in Greenwich, it's not like I can pop around to find out what the story is. ...

Anyone reaching 100,000+ posts, isn't likely to be still using footwear .... Hospital bed and oxygen maybe, or a wheelchair if they started young enough? :smile: