FastFreddy2

That is good news.

It would have been better for me to edit the photo, if the original had been taken further back, and absolutely perpendicular to the heel. I've had a go at showing what the difference is. I think you need to add at least 3 more coins to get the heel vertical as shown. You'll also notice the footbed still looks like it goes uphill, suggesting that even my 6 degree alteration, may not have been enough if the photo was taken at right angles to the heel (not slightly looking backwards). P.S. Of course if the heel is not vertical, it will snap or bend over time. P.P.S. Original picture with 9 degree shift. (Rotation clockwise.) Vertical and horizontal lines added as indicators. I would think if the platform was 2" deep, the heel would be 4 inches higher, so 6 inches? I have myself bought brand-new shoes off the auction site with what looked like a heel that has some removed to make them easier to walk in (not required by me). I'll have a look to see if I still have any images, though this was some time ago.... Years. They were supplied by a retailer, so returning them wasn't a problem.

Those heels look to have been cut down. I'll try to edit the photo later to show what I mean. I'm surprised (a) the seller wouldn't take them back and ( you lost the case. I suppose the seller saying they were "more like a 9" (EU43) may well have covered some ground, but a shoe marked EU44 that fits like an EU42 surely qualifies for "significantly not as described"? Maybe not. When I list something I always 'advise' on size, and often compare the like-for-like sizing against other brands. ie. "The shoes claims UK8 but fits like a New Look 7, and a Primarnie 7." Only had a single complaint. Soon after the shoes arrived with the buyer, she claimed they were a bit on the small side. They fit me with room to spare so I didn't accept her return request. (Felt she was B/S'ing.) Only later when she got feedback for a cheaper pair she had bought two or three days after bidding on mine, did I find she'd bought a second pair the same size, indicating she was a liar and just wanted to return the more expensive of the two pairs. The second pair were an identical shoe in the same size, only a different colour. I suppose you're only allowed one 'case' too?

Haven't been out for a while, so will be "up the West End" later today. Going there with my 'walking companion'. While I might look in one or two stores (Debenhams have a mid-season sale) I won't be spending any money, other than on food and refreshments. We're having some warm dry weather at the moment, but rain is on the way for the weekend (typical). Had something of a work related stressful morning that I'd been dreading for some time. It went well despite my anxiety, so want to give myself a pat-on-the-head as something of a 'well done'. An evening out in heels, seems like just the right thing for it. Will be wearing the shoes in my avatar. Not worn them months, so going to be something of a challenge. Hey-ho.

The chap I met had sourced many style from many places. I don't think he kept buying from a single manufacturer, but imported from all over. I know for sure (because he advised me about them before I purchased too) that he bought from at least one manufacturer/retailer in Italy. As we know, even a single manufacturer doesn't have consistent sizing across all their style range. I have 3 different sizes from ALDO, and at least two from ASOS. He might have been tempted to return some, but as I indicated, I don't think he would have thought it worth it. (Too much trouble). Mrs Freddy has a similar problem, a reluctance sometimes to return an item even if the item doesn't quite fit. And as I said, selling them on wasn't an option either. There might have been personal issues that acted as a barrier. Perhaps he had an established auction site account that didn't separate him from his normal life? I do know his wife knew, but wasn't happy about it. (Not any longer, anyway.) Cost wasn't an issue. He 'gifted' me the boots. I would say circa £200-£400 worth. The boots I showed earlier were at least 50% wider than my skinny legs. My calf measures about 13 inches in diameter. Most boots come with a 19/20 inch calf I think. And for men they need to be. I have some Jessica Simpson boots here that I think are great. They are a mid-calf boot, with a split opening that allows a larger calf to wear them. A chap I met around two years ago who bought some shoes from me, also tried the Jessica's. He couldn't get his calf into the boot. Those patent boots would probably look good on most mens legs, and a chunkier ladies leg. Just not my skinnies. I bought the Office shoes because they were plain leather, and high. I don't generally do platforms, but I have some from Forever 21 and they are difficult to walk in, so I like them. The Office shoes had/have a taller/slimmer heel. Nicer shape to the toe, and were/are leather not PU. I was interested to see if they fit better than the ALDO ones I had already tried (and sold on) or were a better fit. I was happy to spend the £3-90 return carriage to find out, so I did. As I reported, the fit was not only improved (the ALDO 8's felt like a 6½) but fitted really well with no apparent vices (pinching) anywhere. I had almost decided they were keepers. BUT, while walking around on carpet, I twice had a 'little moment' where I thought my ankle would fold. At first I thought it might be a loose heel, but it wasn't. I then checked for straightness, only to find the heel wasn't vertical. They went back. You are right about the Lois. A proper 5" heel. Short arch, which made walking in them pretty difficult, and a good half a size (to whole size) too small. Meaning, the 8's felt like a 7. For my feet that isn't much of a problem, because they tend to 'mould' into the shoe after about 20 minutes. If I remember. the blue pair were perfect as far as I could see, I can't remember if the black ones also had the inclined heel, although I had returned a red pair with a wonky heel before I found the good pair. I don't remember seeing any fault with the second red ones, nor the grey ones, so I was concerned the fault had developed during storage? Not that I had done anything untoward, but possibly there were unstable chemicals in the shoe. Certainly something had gone on with the red ones, as one shoe had 'grown' a dark mark down the side of the seam on one of the heels. I offered the grey and the red pairs with the faults declared, and the both sold. I did not want to risk further loses with the black nor the blue pair, so they went too. There is a short book I'm planning to write about acquiring a size 8 black leather court shoe. Of course it won't be a book, but a really really long post on how frustrating it is to find that simple thing with a good heel. I have found it practically impossible. I've kind of managed it, but I'm not overly happy about the search results so far..... I have two pairs. A very expensive pair (sticker price £240) from Kurt Geiger. Another pair from Office. (Sticker price £65.) I would wear the Office courts out, but not anywhere near a UK pavement. The Kurt Geigers, will never be worn away from my carpet. I can't walk in them, and they rub one toe - though that isn't the stopper. If ever I will own a pair of shoes that get placed in a glass cabinet, these are them. I'm pretty sure I've posted picture elsewhere. If I can dig them up, I'll include them here somewhere.

Pictures and product details supplied by member-in-waiting; Russboots. These boots are listed by a number of sellers on the (Western) worlds most popular auction site. See item #221578525305 for an example. (£24-99 plus £3-50 carriage.) Showing the top of the hidden heel. Worn with regular trousers...... What heel? I'm thinking 100% passable as a mans boot, but with 4 inch heel. Nice one Russ.

I looking to fit a 2m high by 1.2m wide window panel in about 3 weeks. Normally this sort of stuff is left to the "experts", but I've seen some of the jobs the "experts" have done and have decided I'm going to give it a go. Worst case scenario, I have to pay to get someone to help me out - having mucked it up trying myself. Mrs Freddy is over-the-moon I finally ordered it today. The panel needs to be installed before we can remove an internal wall, and start to think about planning ...... her ....... new kitchen. Only been four years, what she complaining about?

Looking at something else, spotted this >> NOT office safe <<

I have met such a person. (Might be mentioned somewhere here). Nice man, meaning honest/sincere etc with no obvious vices, save an interest in VERY high heels. Not poor, without obvious constraints on budget, save space for storage. He gave me some of the boots he had bought that didn't fit (as suggested above) and sadly I had to sell them on as they didn't fit me either. One pair, thigh high and patent, was quite liked by Mrs Freddy (on her), but were 3 or 4 sizes too big for her too. Leg part of the boot fitted her better than they fitted me. They looked like waders on me, due to my 'beanstalk' legs.... Shown here ... If I remember, he was a size 10, and the pairs of boots he gave me went from a generous 9 to around 9½, but the larger size might have had a fairly slim fit to the toes, so weren't comfortable enough to wear even for short (ahemm) periods? He didn't want to have to reveal his address to any buyer, so couldn't/wouldn't sell them himself. I was quite disappointed at least one pair didn't fit, but I don't like 'sloppy' shoes or boots. I find wearing a heel in lumpy terrain (UK pavements) hard enough without the additional challenge of doing it wearing a heeled shoe that doesn't fit properly. The shoes that went back to Office had about 130mm heel with 15mm platform. This isn't them, as the ones I bought were plain leather, but this is the same style. (Rocco). They were bought with some shoe display marks declared, but I couldn't see them easily enough to be worried about them. The crooked heel though .... You are right about higher heels not always being vertical. Two of the four pairs of Schuh heels I had bought (to keep) had the same problem, and I practically gave them away after I discovered the fault. Fortunately, I didn't pay too much for them, so it wasn't too bad. But I had bought the 'set' with a view to keeping and wearing, consequently it was REALLY disappointing to find on close inspection half of the suite had slightly wonky heels. And it's not like they were easy to walk in either.... And the cause might have been an unseen fault in the what I believe is called the (upper) shank? Not that this was a problem to me while wearing. I put this particular pair on my feet 3 times, 'swearing' I would spend time practicing in them, but just didn't. Plan B, to keep them as an investment then? So when the fault in two pairs was noticed, the investment idea founded too. So they all went. Fortunately, I got a bit more for one pair than expected, so it all worked out in the end, but it was a lesson I hope to be mindful of in the future. ie. Check the heels for position.

I did think the same initially, but selling mostly UK11's? (One UK5 which is a bit odd.) It may be, that he like me, has found a wide variation in sizing? Meaning a UK11 can be anything from a 10 to a 12 and he's selling the boots that don't fit. He's identified as a business seller, but I suspect that's to do with the bike spares. I like business footwear sellers, means I can send poor quality/badly sized items back. Bought some Office courts the other day. Had a bit of a quandary as they fitted very well, which I wasn't expecting. Walking around, I twice had my left ankle tilt. Turns out, the left heel wasn't attached quite vertically, but a couple of degrees off. They went back, with all costs covered and my curiosity satisfied.

Something like these ......

I don't know how many men here have a UK11 sized foot, but someone on one of the more popular auction sites is obviously deducing his collection. They have a number of very very very high boots for sale. I haven't looked at every one, just the one I wish was offered in my size.... Item #271815537097. New, with start price of £150. To be shipped from Spain, but carriage is a very reasonable £10-50.

I keep an eye on the ladies shoes for sale at Tesco, I don't know how I've missed these. Will have to have another look! They look VERY wearable, and an unbeatable price too.

Not had any luck either using a search engine, nor my 'vintage' paper collection of heels. Here are a couple of looks that go some way to illustrate smaller lace spacing. Almost certainly from Little Shoe Box. Leather .... Although obviously PVC, the smaller spacing on the lacing, has stopped gathering and ripples in the material when fitted to the legs.

Looks like I bought 4 pairs and sold one pair off..... So I have 3 pairs ..... I might have to sell another pair .....

Full article >> here <<

A "womens health" health magazine is possibly the last place I'd expect to find a positive article about anyone wearing high heels. The last place on the womens magazine rack anyway.... Getting a journo from the 'mens' side of the office, that publishes the male version of the magazine, was only ever going to be a caricature (send up) of the idea. It was all a bit predictable. Sadly .... Those shoes should have been fairly easy to walk in. They weren't so high that standing in them ought to have produced the reported pain ..... As for standing all day at a desk, good luck with that. My father stood all day at work (because he had to, not because it was trendy) and got varicose veins that looked like the Himalayas. Standing upright isn't natural, unless you are walking ..... Or a horse.... It would be refreshing to read or see an article somewhere in the media, that at least gave them a fair shake (as the Aussies would say.)

I'd love a pair of tight fitting lace-up leather crotch boots with a 5½" stiletto heel, with laces from toe to top ensuring the boots were secure and TIGHT all the way up my legs. As I've mentioned before, I have legs like beanstalks, so they'd have to be hand-made, the cost of which would put them out of my reach .... I've not seen anything in recent years that I could use to demonstrate the look, so I may need to dig out an old 'glamour' mag. Modern designs seen to use tough leather (or unforgiving plastic) with lacing holes set too far apart, leading to unattractive creases and gaps, not the look I would be happy with if spending several hundred pounds on something I might wear as a treat perhaps once a month or every other month.... I do like the sneakers from Dinsko. Even without knowing they have a heel, they look good.

Given your other abilities, I doubt there's much you can't turn your hand to, time allowing. I've noticed the 'bowing leg' effect in my own walk, and ever so slightly in another - possibly even more experienced high heel wearing man, who I have met several times. I'm not sure what causes this, though I'm aware ladies on the catwalk over-step their gait. (Their feet don't walk along a single straight line, but either side of the line crossing right over left, and left foot over right.) The over-stepping seems to create the illusion of cone shaped legs, removing the 'bowed' effect? Us men do seem to suffer a bit with 'bowed' legs. I've seen it reported of children who have been encouraged to walk too early, their under-formed bones curving with their body weight. I've also noticed veteran football players have extremely 'bowed' legs, almost like they've spent a lifetime riding horses..... Looser trousers needed, obviously.

Regarding image sizes, same camera, same session ..... "Some" cameras will change the image size (actually the pixel count) automatically if there's too little light, or a close focus option is used. (Often a 'close focus' setting reduces the amount of light getting to the sensor, so it is then treated as a low-light image.) For the shoes .... Since they have been made for your feet, I might rightly assume they fit very well. As for the style, I would consider it 'optimum', if not perfect. I LOVE a pointed toe, always have done, no-matter men/womens style, 'pointed' does it for me. Possibly going back to imprinting, from my formative years? I suppose we'd all prefer a thin heel, but experience suggests they don't last long used in the big outside world, (pavement damage) and wear quickly. They are more noticeable when 'caught' sight of by others (they stand out as anomalous if spotted), so a block/cuban style heel is more practical and less obvious. I have thinner heeled shoe boots I like to wear, but my 'go to' footwear has thicker/safer, less prone to wear and damage heels. Just like these. Very good choice.