FastFreddy2

These remarks bear some further explanation (before I attempt to sharpen my wit to challenge them). What exactly do you mean by "sovereignty"? Please be as exact as you can be. How far advanced are you in creating the opportunity for 'humans' (we call them people in the UK) to disengage themselves from the dependency you are not happy with? Are you advocating people becoming 'preppers'?

Please give us some background to your interest in heels. Do you wear them, or collect them?

Hello, and welcome.

I'd be amazed if 'security' didn't notice. They are paid to look for anomalies, even if everyone else seems too busy to be aware of what's going on around them. Fair play to you for going out in heels to a public/local place.

Yikes ... 2 years and no photo's.... Since that time I've sold quite a few pairs, and recently donated two pairs (one new, one pair worn 2 or 3 times) to my walking companion. (And both pairs fitted like the proverbial.) I have several other pairs, some of which are surely going to the auction site, but two pairs I wear regularly. Unsurprisingly, one black pair and one dark blue pair. Anyway .... The reason for dragging this thread up .... Was my experience yesterday, with Marks and Spencer. I'd visited one of their stores a couple of weeks ago, and found some jeans I really liked. Priced at £35, which is expensive compared to some (though not to brands like Levi or Armarni) but expensive compared to what I might usually pay ... They were bought at that price with me thinking I would return to store and use a buy-back trick I've learned to use during one of their frequent 20% discount days. Which is a method I've employed many times in the past. Glitch #1 .... I could not find this style in any other store I visited. (About 6.) I read the receipt, and the style included the word 'trial', suggesting it was a style introduced to see if they sold. This was somewhat confirmed by a sales assistant in a store, who said M+S were trying to introduce some exclusivity into their range, by doing shorter, more localised styles from time to time. Possibly I had one? That being the case, my 'buy-back' dodge couldn't work. The style wasn't/isn't available online, suggesting something unusual? While I'm often loathe to ask for help, I contacted M+S Customer Services via email for some info. Email of course allows plenty of detail to be included, so ALL of it was. It also allows a flexible response period, so investigations can be conclusive if they need to be. Glitch #2 Mindful I was after a "Per Una" jean in "12 Long" (which is a womans size/style) the response was a product code mans jean. Other than is was blue, it had nothing else in common with my requirements. I didn't want 'hipsters', didn't want straight leg, and I didn't want non-stretch material. Glitch #3 You can't respond, to the response. You have to send another enquiry, which I did, and I gave the product code for a similar style, but I had made it clear, it wasn't the style I was after. Glitch #4 Having given up on the email, and not bothering to wait an answer for my second attempt, I rang M+S at the store I had bought the jeans from. Simple? Especially given the number was on my receipt.... Nope. Got put through to a National M+S call centre. As before, they didn't have the skill to help, and kept telling what I already knew, in that the product number (that I suspect they didn't believe) couldn't be found. I confirmed that was not fresh information and could I talk to the store? Glitch #5 During our conversation, I was told she would contact the store, would I mind waiting. "Not at all" was my polite but untruthful answer. When the adviser came back I was told again, she was contacting the store. I asked if she was struggling to get someone to pick up the phone? She used about 30 words to tell me what she was doing. I asked again, "Struggling to get an answer?" She got halfway through the same diatribe, but I stopped her. I told her that "waiting for someone to pick up the phone" was also "struggling to get someone to answer". She was English, so had no excuse for being so naive, but after 3 times of asking she said; "yes". Glitch #6 Without any introduction, I finally got connected to the store. But to the Mens section, not Womens. (Wrong floor.) A further transfer got me speaking to someone who knew what they were about. That had taken almost 20 minutes to get to her. Historically, M+S customer service has the reputation of being as good as it gets. Not in my experience. It turns out, the £35 jeans were reduced to £12 a week after I bought them having been put into sale/clearance. "Sale" (or clearance) items drop off the system, which seems a bit foolish. It's not like retailers have a shortage of space for data on their servers. Conclusion? I have two choices: return the jeans and walk away, or return the jeans and hope they are there during my next visit and buy them back for £12. M+S don't allow instant 'buy-back' so once they get returned, they HAVE to go back into the store before they can be sold again. I need a second pair to work my dodge. I have until the 17th of January to decide .... So no rush. Glitch #7. After going to all this trouble, I got a second response from M+S, concerning my second email. In it I had suggested the original adviser was inept and the style I was was looking for was similar (not same) as WOMANS style "xxxx". The email reply, was a stock availability list for a group of stores nowhere near where I live, for "xxxx" which I had mentioned WASN'T the style I was looking for.... I think M+S must be employing semi-literate 16 year olds for their customer service department. You just couldn't make this up.

Well ........ Summer came and went. Another wet and windy start to the 'strolling' season, with unsettled weather through most of the lighter days. We had an unseasonably warmer end to September, but the cool Autumn has arrived with a 'bump'. While my heeling activities have been fairly predictable (North London and the West End) I did find myself in Bluewater, though took the long route to avoid charges - and traffic jams. On balance, my court shoe wearing plans were pretty much scuppered due to light evening (expected) and heavy presence of tourists (less expected). I'm not looking to give up, and am currently looking for 'an opportunity'. I have advised Mrs Freddy I want to go to a fetish do (a type of event we haven't been to for nearly 20 years) and she has not been resistant. I had in mind the yearly Rubber Ball, but early enquiries on Google suggest it's no longer held. I wonder if anyone could advise? The alternative is the Torture Garden gigs. There is a number of these on the immediate horizon, the better know of which looks to be sold out already. The November the 5th gig still has tickets available, and that could be an option for court shoes. Not much has changed overall. My visits are getting a tad shorter, as the people I travel with are getting less enthusiastic, possibly due to their age. I am less plagued than them by creaking bones and sore feet, so my enthusiasm has not yet waned quite so much. Mrs Freddy has said she is pretty much done with West End shopping until after Christmas, as time in shops has become pretty much unbearable already. We were at Brent Cross on Sunday, as heavy showers in the London area made the West End an unattractive prospect. The place was as full as I've ever seen it, with very little space for those looking to park up for a while over a cup of something hot. The noise in ALDO was almost at nightclub level. The end-of-year-sales are the best time for me to shop for street wearable footwear of course, and I am looking forward to the last few weeks in December. I will update posts elsewhere regarding this, but these opportunities affect those with size 9 feet and smaller. Ankle boots are the mainstay of the dedicated shoe outlets, with OTK boots quite popular too. As usual, nothing quite slim enough for me (so far).

I think this where the heel is 'set back' which seems to make walking in a very high shoe quite difficult. And that's walking in a style, not standing in one...

Read >> this << (and commented) ..... Thought it might be of interest to some .... Although not necessarily good news if you find you don't have the right bone structure.

What was the general response to your shoes/heels in Tesco?

I can see you might 'get away with' wearing a heel for a charity walk (well done on all your walks - by the way ), but how does the "8 hours training", fit in with the rest of your life? How does wearing these 'medicinal' shoes fit in? Are they worn at home, or everywhere?

I have very good experience with Compeed 'plasters'. They are unlike any other (cheaper) product, in that they are padded, and do a very good job of reducing the effects of rubbing (blister) damage. Even used after so much damage, they bring relief and comfort in a couple of minutes after application. I don't know how you seem to have bruised so much of your feet though? Was this for a charity walk? Lastly, you have included a Vehicle Registration Document (V5c) in one of your pictures. While I can't read it, it seems unlikely you would want the world to know your personal details? Hopefully there isn't a better quality picture posted anywhere else.

I try to wear a heel as often as possible. Strangely perhaps, I don't wear them at home. I live in what many would consider a building site, with almost no floor covering in most rooms. (Bare floorboards.) While reluctant to take my heels off once after an evening out, I tripped down a split stairway here, breaking a heel and came close to nearly breaking an arm. If it hadn't been a split stairway, a broken arm would have been the least of my worries. Lesson learned.... When I'm out and away from my home town, sometimes socialising sometimes 'shopping', I will wear a heel. I was at Brent Cross recently walking around in a 5" heel. I doubt anyone can wear a heel that high without rolling their hips, nor adequately disguise the sound of a heel hitting the floor with every stride. I walked past the Virgin Media sales stand, and a young woman (very early twenties) gave me a knowing grin as I walked past. Forgetting her location, when I passed her again, another grin. At the time I was unaccompanied, so no-one running interference. Generally, most people are too busy to notice (or care). I try to avoid groups of young people if possible, and people facing me while they sit. I was in Amsterdam almost 40 years ago, and it was the first offshore place I ever visited. I had never seen middle-aged people dress well before. It was a pleasant shock. The only Dutch phrase I can still remember is "één zone" for bus travel. While there, I stayed with an ex-girlfriend. Of course a walk around the 'red-light-district' was mandatory. I was around 20, so why not? I left my money with my friend who sat at a cafe while I had a quick scoot around. Good job too, as there was one lady with a dark short bob I really, really fancied. She was stunningly gorgeous. It's been quite a while, so the general air of pleasantness may have left. Europe generally, is not as safe as it once was. The only practical reason I'd be reluctant to walk around in a heel, would the cobbled streets. Like some of the older parts of Camden, much better in a flat shoe.

An interesting link, thank you.

Hello Bertus, and welcome. Yes the new thread can be seen, thank you. I have size UK8/EU41 feet so can buy shoes in most UK shops. Having 31 pairs is quite a good collection.

Looks like our 'friends' at Just Fab have a similar style to the Steve Madden. Remarkably similar .... And might come in a UK 9 too. I'm wondering, do these 'brands' take it in turns with their manufacturing sources? OOPS! And the link to the shoes >> click here << Which saves time with the B.S. entry exam.

Those nail/pin heels seem to be reasonably popular with celebs. The shape of the shoe, specifically the toe-box looks a lot like a Steve Madden style I like with a 5" heel, but the S.M. shoe has absolutely no room for toes. Length wise I can get into an EU40/UK7, but I'd need to have a toe removed to wear them. An EU41/UK8 has more room, but falls off my foot as it's too long. While searching for an image of the shoe I'm talking about ..... I stumbled across these ..... (from the U.S. site) .... Odd that a Kurt Geiger heel style appears on a Steve Madden shoe, as S.M. shoes are sold through Dune in the UK, not Kurt Geiger.

I doubt there's anything that could be called 'original fashion'. Newer (stretch) materials have led to better fitting styles, but almost everything has a history, rather than being completely innovative. Dame Vivienne Westwood admits to building her career on it. Same is true of black and white films. One that took 7 BAFTA's and 5 Oscars in 2012, and a shed load more, was The Artist. (Loud intro.) Not sure about lead paint, but I'd like to have access to some old fashioned (high VOC) brilliant white gloss, and some emulsion that when dry, didn't wash off with a damp cloth. (I remember emulsion paint drying on glass and being the very devil to clean off. Not any longer.) And don't get me started on light bulbs (though rough service bulbs do provide some respite). I think the bottom line to this, is that people don't much like anything they aren't familiar with. As my photography tutor taught us.

Do they know? Mrs Freddy would say a pointed toe on a shoe looks feminine. But as I confirmed to her recently, my favourite (mens) shoes of all time, were a pair I owned in my twenties with pointed toes. In a UK7 too, back in my 8½ stone days.

Once, in a place of work, but I returned for them 10 minutes later. I'm liking the sound of that. Mrs Freddy remarks EVERY time I put on my M+S pointed boots. Other than curing a back problem (I don't currently have) we might both be "on the same page" as far as it being socially acceptable for men to wear what they like when they like. Around 4 or 5 months ago I did a 'sexual orientation' test I saw mentioned on a cross-dressing site (someone I know used to post there). Curious about this test, I took it. While it's not a definitive 100% 'scientifically' supported test, it does seems to be associated with accuracy. The outcome of my answers, was that I'm a bit androgynous. Meaning, some aspects of my personality have either both components of each sex, or neither components. This surprised me, though not the two people I mentioned it to. I suspect they have read more into my shoe style than I do, and had already taken their assumptions a bit further than I had. Doesn't mean they were wrong, but had assumed from my shoes, long nails and genteel demeanour, that I was already somewhere in the 'middle-lane' where I actually saw myself closer to the first lane. The 'test' sort of confirms I'm more in the middle than I gave myself credit for too. I am disappointed about men in heels still being such a shocker in 2016. As I mentioned elsewhere, coming out as being gay, seems a lot more acceptable than a man wearing a high heeled shoe. I watch men kissing in public (not porno, but affectionate), holding hands, and the same (even more often) being a couple. No one takes a second look. A man in a heel, it's almost like; "stop the presses - new headline" .....

Further reading .... >> Here << Suggesting 'fused' or locked joints to help with long-term pain.

I might have upgraded.... Last year I bought the 'entry level' Motorola E, with basic 5mp camera, I added a huge capacity micro SD card, and a 'hard knock' proof cover. Was great for use as a media player. Also did (just) well enough for the occasional work or work-related picture. Was/is a terrible phone though. I talk to 2 people regularly, and both complain about lack of quality. Another two, I struggle to hear them. It's been a long time since I've lost a signal in a weak area over a regular car route, but this phone loses it at that place. Had two or three other issues, but none so bad I wanted to break the phone. Unsurprisingly to most, (but it surprised me) turning it off and back on again, cured the two worst. This year, Motorola did a slight upgrade to their Gen 3, with a G4 version. Similar spec, but not identical. More program memory, up from 1 mb to 2mb. More internal storage, from 8mb to 16mb. The processor has a faster clock speed too. Has returned to dual SIM. Oh, and the screen is a tad larger, though not significantly. Camera and function is identical, which is not a problem to me. The image quality of Mrs Freddy's efforts have been annoyingly good. All this for £130 and two year warranty. (No included accidental damage cover.) "Sim free" phone only deal. Not sure if I'm going to keep it though. As long as I don't open the box, I've a couple of weeks to decide and can return it with no complications if that's what I choose to do. It's been offered as a combined birthday/Christmas present. Which is quite nice given Mrs Freddy didn't get one from me this year. ("Finish the house" was her first, second, and third choices. ) The phone quality being poor (again) is a worry of course, but .... Having now had around 10/11 months use of an Android driven camera phone, "candids" are practically out-of-the-question. They are just not designed for it. So ....... Jury is out.

I saw (briefly) an exception today. Having just walked into an Office shoe store, I saw a middle-aged woman (already with ALDO bag and probable recent purchase) buy the shoes shown below. They looked like a size 6, they could have been smaller, but were certainly not much larger - if they were larger. She was about 5'5" in a 2 or 3 inch heeled boot. Around a large size 10 to small 12. I would have put her in her early 40's. While the Walter Mitty in me would have had me talking to her if I had been alone, I doubt even someone as socially inept as me, would be foolhardy enough to approach a complete (lady) stranger to talk about 'tastes in high heels'. I have done it with men twice, with the second event very successful. (Encounter not written up yet.) Things might have been different if I had arrived 10 minutes earlier, while she was trying on the shoes, as I could have sat next to her and started an 'innocent' conversation on "how could you possibly walk in those?" Flattery, can sometime be very effective. What made the situation doubly frustrating, is that these shoes are on my "must have" list, though my size is sold out. Not all Office styles get put into 'sale', (I now know) so I missed my chance while I waited for an event that never came. Ho-hum. Not sure about the suede of course, but those heels are a whisper over 5 inches and have no platform.

Sorry to hear that, it sounds pretty bad. Pictures of your shoes would always be welcome. Those of us with poor imagination, sometimes need help. I mentioned my walking friend and osteoarthritis .... A picture is worth a thousands words .... 30 years of wearing heels, sometimes for 10 hours a day, helped produce this effect. NOT hereditary bunions I was told today. (I was sure it had been mentioned, but my mistake.) Was it worth it? 30 years of getting (and giving) pleasure from wearing a heel, verses a further 20 or 30 years of "ugly" potentially painful feet? My take is this .... Not everyone gets to be old enough to get the "ugly" feet bit, so enjoy a heel if you like to **.... And .... not everyone with painful and deformed feet, got them through heel wearing. Even wearing flats, a person might well get painful feet anyway. So wear a heel if you want to, 'bad' feet might be inevitable whatever you wear. ** There is an analogy I'm reminded of now and then, to do with personal sacrifice/restraint. I usually hear it in restaurants. It runs something like; "How many women waved off the cake tray onboard the Titanic?" Meaning, 'what is the point of going without if your are not going to complete your voyage?' (Not the most cheerful comparison, but unlikely to offend anyone involved, or their immediate family.)

Thank you.

Not sure what "jam all the toes on that foot" means, as it isn't a UK phrase? But your joint sounds arthritic, specifically Osteoarthritis. It would seem your problem isn't unlike the one my friend with a bunion has. (Not that you have a bunion, but hers is a symptom of the recently diagnosed Osteoarthritis in her foot.) But you both have a diseased (sick) joint. My father had a similar problem and took medication for it to suppress the onset, and it worked for 20 years. Ironically, if you discuss this problem with a doctor or consultant, their solution will undoubtedly be: "Stop wearing heels if wearing them causes you pain." And I don't know that would be bad advice. As for "benign form of arthritis", that seems like a contradiction of terms (oxymoron) since arthritis usually produces pain and often disfigurement. If you are already under the care of a doctor, you might have a discreet 'off he medical records' chat about this?