French Connection ~ Winter boots

[FastFreddy2]

These are definitely not for those with slim wallets ... They can only be eye-candy to me leastways ... ;-)

>> [url=http://www.frenchconnection.com/imagegallery.aspx?imagePath=http://media.frenchconnection.com/stormsites/fcuk/images/products/zoom/AFCF2_3.jpg]

[FastFreddy2]

These are definitely not for those with slim wallets ... They can only be eye-candy to me leastways ... :smile:

During the past 12 months, I've made some purchases!

Had these for £100. What the picture doesn't show, is the hidden platform! Returned.

>> �200 boots with 5" heel <<

I bought these twice. [2nd time for £42.] Lovely, lovely boot. I just couldn't wear them out. Waaaaay to nice to wear. Another returned pair.

>> �140 ankle boot with 4.75" heel <<

I still have these..... Unworn, but I kept them.

>> �150 ankle boot with 5" heel <<

Don't know how suitable any of these would be for street-wear, but I'd happily do a full report on them if someone wanted to 'donate' a pair for me to find out? :smile: :smile:

....

[BobHH]

So what's wrong with the 150 boots? Too radical for public wear? They are certainly attractive looking, and high!

I would like to see some pictures of guyinheels - his description of himself is pretty interesting, but not that many posts recently. Roniheels also sounds interesting, and of course thighbootguy over at HHPlace is out and about quite a bit. Personally, I don't do much out because I have been here too long and am too well known to get away with much. Right now it is a little cold to wear the wedges to the salon, and the house is cool enough that I often wear warm stuff at home. Girls seem to be used to having their legs and feet exposed even in cool weather. Erin the dancer was happy barefoot today at 66F in the dance studio. And the neighbors boys were out barefooted in 50-60F weather. As for me, I would rather be hot than cold.

Off to the salon in the morning, but the forecast is for 40s/50s F temperatures, so it will probably be Emus!

[FastFreddy2]

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?

.....

Edited December 30, 2010 by FastFreddy2

[BobHH]

The way to hide your heels is to wear pants that drag on the ground. I see both guys and girls who do this. Erin wears pants that drag when she practices, but once in a while she steps on her pants, which isn't too graceful. I can't bring myself to do this - seems mistreating the pants pretty badly if you are outdoors. Of course, torn jeans are high fashion, but not with me.

I don't have any stairs in my place, which is fine with me. Heels on stairs can be deadly - I know two girls who fell down flights of stairs that way, and it took both of them some time to recover, though I don't think they broke anything. One was on concrete stairs, which was pretty bad.

I too tend to be a collector, usually going overboard. I have done this several times - match covers, pens, high heels - usually going overboard when I latch on to something. I got every color and style of stiletto platforms for a while, but later realized they are too hard to walk in on uneven or rough ground, and gave almost all of them away. Now I still have too many mini-platforms, which are my preference, but am weeding them out to ones that are really comfortable and that I will wear. I generally only get them during sales or with discounts.

I kept one pair of glow-in-the-dark stiletto platform sandals, which actually make great night lights, and that is what they are, now!

[shyguy]

An interesting discussion, as I find myself using the same criteria as Freddy before I purchase anything now, i.e. will they be worn. Lately money has been tight so I haven't bought anything new, and have been wearing the just under 2 inch heel boots I got from Ebay to walk the dog regularly having worn out one pair and getting through the second. Can't find the same ones anymore so I am looking for something cheap again and also which will be worn.

£150 boots are way out of the question so French Connection isn't getting much of a look in.

As for hiding the heels, sometimes I wear longer jeans, sometimes now the heels show but they aren't exactly towering stilettos :smile:

[BobHH]

One more comment on pants - there is a lady at the gym who works out in flip-flops (a no-no) but you hardly see them because she wears flared pants that drag on the ground.

I have worn booties with 3 in. thick heels out a few times. They sort of look and sound like cowboy boots. Also some wedge sandals worn with socks a year ago. The only high ones are the Karo high wedges that are discussed under this thread. The salon girls are not wearing heels this winter, though, and I haven't, either. I hope they will when the weather warms up. The salon has expanded and there are many more people there than there were a few months ago, and they all look, I think. Several men customers from time to time, but no one else with heels or polish.

My most expensive shoes are the Karo wedges, Shoes USA heels (close to $200), and a pair of men's loafers at around $170. On the other end, I have some Jante heels that were on sale for $10 and some men's casual loafers that were around $20. Oh, yes, good dance shoes run around $150.

[FastFreddy2]

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:

.....

[shyguy]

I still have those boots, and they get an occasional wear around the house and do still feel a little high but fun.