Women who don't wear high heels unite!!!

Heels for me would only end in laughter for my friends and Schadenfreude for my enemies. Not happening.

i can't do it. i've tried. i hate anything that slows me down, and heels slow me down.

but i want to wear my kickass flowing ball type dress and it drags on the ground. should i get a pair of these to wear with it?

http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/ne/new-rock-nr-toberas-skull-biker.jpg

They're cool boots, who's to know that they're hidden under layers of froth and tulle??

oh, people will be able to see them. i can't walk like a girl, even in a girly dress. it has been commented on :/

Every now and again I am so tempted, I actually buy a pair of high heels. The cutest were a pair of Prada slings and a pair of purple Miu Miu Mary Jane-ish high heels. I don't buy expensive shoes (nor clothes) anymore, but boy do I long back to those days when I would spend too much on labels. :-) But do I long back to the crazed days when I would totter around in'em? Yes, only, I would want to be better at it and not have my mother snigger at me when I would walk down the street. Deep down I wish I could suffer the pain but alas I don't. I don't have the *character*.

Hurray for this thread :D I am a complete klutz in heels, I just don't feel like I can walk naturally in them at all. Give me boots any day.

I asked my mom, who lives in Japan, how all these girls do it (in Tokyo). "They are in pain. They just do it." Honestly, I wish I could. I'm jealous of Posh who seemingly was born in high hells. I'm not jealous, however, of her misgrown (?) feet due to high heels.

"high hells" :D Nice typo =)

I'm sitting here typing in navy knock off crocs which is probably taking the 'no heels' thing too far but having size 8/42 flat feet has never been compatible with nice dainty heels. I'm 5ft 8 so I've never felt I needed the extra height either. Plus I hit my late teens at a time when the fashion was for big boots and short dresses.

I do have a rather wonderful pair of 4 inch grosgrain pointy heels with ankle straps but they're strictly for indoor use as I can't walk outside in them.

I always seem to be able to walk okay in heels until I venture outside the house, then I start to walk exactly like a T-Rex. My man is the same height as me so I tend to use him as my excuse not to wear heels.

Obviously I try them on when I'm out shopping and admire my oh so shapely calves but I've rarely been tempted to buy them :)

Leigh, you're missing a trick. The longer your feet, the less the pain because the foot angle created by the high heel isn't nearly as harsh as it is for somebody with, say, size fours. I love heels and I think you're all mad, btw.

but it makes you walk slower and not be able to run! blech.

maybe that's it! i wore high heels for the first time in my life approx 1 month ago and was surprised by how easy it was. i have size 10 (american men's) feet though.

emsk i ran fine as long as i kept my toes pointed the whole time, i.e. not landing on heels but flat along entire foot. not that i would have won any footraces.

certainly can't imagine spending a whole day in them though, much less DANCING??!

I'm a bit of a tomboy and do a lot of walking every day, I can't imagine walking the 2 miles to and from work in heels without crying like a baby.

I dunno what it is with heels as I have no problem with high wedges (apart from one time when I made the mistake of putting rather viscous foot balm on just before wearing my 10cm wedge sandals out, almost breaking my ankle). I used to have smallish 2inch t-bar shoes that I danced all night in but I was much lighter in those days.

What are the mechanics for why men like to see women in high heels?
Is it a control/bondage thing, were Crass right?

I've got 54321,
I've got a red pair of high-heels on,
Tumble me over, it doesn't take much,
Tumble me over, tumble me, push.
In my red high-heels I've no control,
The rituals of repression are so old,
You can do what you like, there'll be no reprisal,
I'm yours, yes I'm yours, it's my means of survival.

Gotta love Crass...

I'm a bit confused by the use of the words heels/high heels in this thread: do some of you consider any kind of heel as a high heel (for you, there are two kinds of shoes: flat or heels), while others have three kinds of shoes: flat, heels, high heels?

High heels -- C/D

x-post

Well you get like kitten heels which tend not to be over an inch or two in height, but 'heels' does tend to refer to footwear intended to elongate the leg and make you taller.

Oh well, of course there's another high heels thread. Never mind Jen!

Ah, thx for the explanation.

Why do men like taller women though?

eye level cleavage?

Is seriously no one going to explain the high heel effect to Ned

Yeah, come on - I feel like an idiot.

My back can't take high heels, but I don't like absolute flats either. A modest wedge will make me taller than my husband, which is hotttt.

Emsk, you should definitely get those boots and wear them with a filmy fairy-princess gown.

OK - i looked it up...
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/58539

It would appear to be because it shows off yr legs and arse. But I still don't get how it does this more than ordinary shoes. Are women walking on tip-toes hot?

I can't wear any kind of cute, girly shoes at all. Partly because of tomboyishness, partly because of weight distribution. Strappy shoes are objects of mystery to me, and even those tiny, completely flat ones that all the young ladies wear with their skinny jeans are a source of wonderment to me. How can they be comfortable? There's no arch support, or visible cushioning between feet and pavement.

yeah beth i think i'm gonna do that. and wear it to bestival. first i need to check i can walk in platform boots tho, must be easier than heels, right?

The worst are those that wear strappy high heels WHERE THE TOES STICK OUT AND TOUCH THE GROUND. Double ick with stinky yuck on top.

I'm total tomboy during the day, but after I shower I like to put on a dress and a somewhat dainty shoe. It has to be comfy like a sneaker, though, unless I'm just staying in and all I have to do is shuffle from room to room in my house. Nothing worse than hobbling around downtown in shoes that are abrading the back of my heel, etc.

I can't wear any kind of open shoe. My feet instantly peel and crack. My son onnce asked me if my feet were decomposing. This despite pumice, sandpaper, lotion, etc.

if i could get away with not wearing anything on my feet at all, i would do it. i did for 2 years and loved it. unfortunately the world is full of dogshit and broken glass.

I don't wear shoes with any heel at all and haven't for about four years. it's not that I can't walk in high heels or that I find them particularly uncomfortable, but that if I wear them for even a few hours the next day the whole of my legs ache unbearably. for ages now though there have been plenty of nice flat shoes around. shops like topshop usually have way more choice of flats than they do of heels. I don't feel like I'm missing out particularly.

i don't really. special occasions. i've seen my grandma's feet from wearing high heels her entire life and it's not pretty. she's also had multiple surgeries and is unable to wear anything other than slippers now.
i've also had the distinct pleasure of seeing my stiletto obsessed co-worker's bunions.

Mmmmm, bunions!

It would appear to be because it shows off yr legs and arse. But I still don't get how it does this more than ordinary shoes. Are women walking on tip-toes hot?

well no, but the act of standing on tiptoe forces calf muscles to contract and thus look more lithe and (for some) sexxy - and presumably tight(er) buns are another eventual side-effect for similar reasons. ladies care to corroborate?

Look, having yr heels higher tilts your pelvis forward and gives the lower back a slight sway and makes the upper body lean forward and perk up a bit to off-set your balance. Plus the cross-over walk -- which, apologies but I really think it's the only way to be graceful in heels (and the higher they are, the more true that is) -- accentuates hourglass-ness and makes you sort of wiggle down the street.

Is it stupid and maladaptive and transparent and obv designed to play on a set of stereotypes about BOTH the sexes and their "roles"? Oh yah, totally. It's a game. Games are fun, sometimes.

Now get back to goff industrial combat boot discussion.

I like them sometimes, but not often. Definitely not on a regular working day, I just have to walk too much. I'll keep them at my desk and slip them on before meetings but that's about it.

Now when I was a vintage rockabilly and also a teacher, I wore them fairly regularly. Too old for that now.

i think people need to start posting pictures of cute flats and where to buy them.
cos i need new flats.

I haven't worn heels in 10 years, since I broke my ankle (not due to heels, due to complete clumsiness). I got a pair of Dankso closed backs that make me 2" taller, which is nice, and I wear them a lot. All my other shoes are flat and very utilitarian. I watch in awe women who are able not only to walk gracefully but also do complicated maneuvers in heels (i.e. flight attendants).

Seriously, life is too short to wear uncomfortable shoes. That includes nose-bleed heels. My feet are so important to me.

Also, in heels, I'm like 6 foot tall. So not a good look.

My work uniform shoes are heels, but I have never worn them. But now ballet flats seem to be killing my feet and legs, too.

do they have much arch support or heel cushioning? This would kill me.

I can't wear ballet flats, either. Not enough support. I need a good, structured sensible shoe. Like something I could go horseback riding in.

And why do all the current platform shoes have the thin heels? I want wider ones.

Ms. Misery: They only started to noticeably hurt since I put in insoles!!

I wish I could wear sneakers every day.

That is odd.

This is why I stick to vans, no problemos. Crocs used to be my number one choice but I slipped too many times due to worn-out bottoms. I fear breaking myself.

*considers herself lucky*

I nearly bought some leopard print open toe heels becuase they were $15, but I already have about 4 pairs of leopard print shoes.

I'm wearing ballet flats. Took ages before they were comfy. Now they are too comfy. :-)

I need to wear more grown up shoes. I keep promising myself that when I start driving to work I will do so. But it's hard since I work at a University. Everyone dresses like students.

I'm a big fan of 'pumps' or ballet shoes but only after getting used to the sensation of feeling every stone on the ground through them.

I love being in bare feet but I'd happily wear flip-flops for the rest of my life.

bell, Nine West is having a BIG SALE, but I think it ends very soon. I was just there last night, and got 2 pairs of cute flats.

I like heels, and have been told I should wear them more to reach my 6'1 potential. It's just not practical for me, as I don't like aching feet (mind you, mine are large (11 US lady size!) and flat), and I'm prone to aching shins.

Now, kitten heels. I can do those on a regular basis, and not feel like I'm going to fall over, Gulliver's Travels-style.

I have tons and tons of wonderful heels, and I love wearing them, but in the summer I ride my bike everywhere, and in the winter it's, well, winter. For a while I wore practical shoes on my way to work, and brought a sexy pair to change into, but I don't really have co-workers, so this started to feel like an exercise in futility. (Especially since, with the bike, this means a whole change of clothes, and, seriously, no one sees me during the day.) When I go out with my friends I tend to dress down to eliminate the flock-of-birds mating-ritual overtones. And my boyfriend never takes me anywhere SO I NEVER GET TO WEAR MY PRETTY SHOES. Sad. I am a princess living the life of a scullery maid.

I'm too tall in heels too, and never having gotten used to wearing them, I feel like I'm about 5 years old playing "dress-up" if I wear them. And if I'm not very careful...I think that's what I look like walking in them!

I never wear heels. I never wear skirts/dresses. I wear make-up approximately 1 in 5 gigs that I play, and I don't play that many gigs. I am kind of surprised that nobody has bothered to even mention the possibility that it is STUPID and SEXIST to expect people to wear things like heels. But then again, most girls get incredibly defensive about how they haven't been conditioned but in fact they *love* being in pain and crippling themselves, so maybe it isn't surprising.

Good heavens, mine eyes have been opened and the error of my ways is suddenly clear.

Who are these people expecting that the ladies wear heels? There are plenty of sensible, non-heel options out there, as can be noted in my closet.

I expect ladies to wear heels. there. i said it.

Is it stupid and maladaptive and transparent and obv designed to play on a set of stereotypes about BOTH the sexes and their "roles"? Oh yah, totally. It's a game. Games are fun, sometimes.

-- Laurel, Wednesday, August 1, 2007 1:39 PM (2 hours ago)

Maybe emil.y has me killfiled?

xp ahahaha

I support non-high-heel wearing.

I can run and dance in heels, go me! But I live in my sneakers, cause I like my comfort and it's so difficult to find comfortable shoes in general, regardless of whether they're flat or heeled. I'll only wear heels if I'm going out on weekends.

I think my approach to high heels and girly-dress generally is sort of along the lines of drag queenery. Costuming, role playing etc. Also, what Laurel said.

My bestgayboyfriend taught me how to walk in heels. I don't know how I feel about any of it.

I feel wistful because I don't wear heels because I can't wear heels: too fat, old broken bones, clumsy due to compromised sense of balance. I would wear all these cute shoes! (but, alas...)

Make this the thread of adorable flats!! Take back cuteness for yourselves, O flatfooted ones.

Good heavens, mine eyes have been opened and the error of my ways is suddenly clear.

Okay, maybe it has nothing to do with social conditioning and something to do with all women being boring and stupid and 'vain' (except that you actually look shit in heels). Is that better?

Speaking of adorable flats, what's with the little bows on a lot of them? I'm not a bow kind of gal. Any advice on how to get them off w/o leaving a seam-ripped mark is appreciated.

I can't wear ballet flats, either. Not enough support. I need a good, structured sensible shoe,

O-O-OTM.

I generally wear (awesome) sneaks, but it's hard to find dressier shoes that are not heels but do actually have decent support. I had the good fortune to find some ridiculous Cole Hahn/Nike Air crossover maryjanes. Can't find a pic of them online so I'll have to post the one pic I have of myself in them, wherein I am a cosmonaut:

http://a174.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/00286/37/19/286719173_l.jpg

YAH MOLLY THE STUPID BOWS ARE THE WORST.

how to remove bow? they were 20 bucks. i couldn't say no.

http://images.ninewest.com/images/nw/product/PG.TUTIR.BLGRNSU.PD.jpg

they are also way more ELECTRIC BLUE than that.

snip bow off where it is attached with threads. If glued, gently slice through the glue.

If slicing off leaves residue, buy a giant orange button and glue it back on in place of stupid bow.

I never wear heels. I never wear skirts/dresses. I wear make-up approximately 1 in 5 gigs that I play, and I don't play that many gigs. I am kind of surprised that nobody has bothered to even mention the possibility that it is STUPID and SEXIST to expect people to wear things like heels. But then again, most girls get incredibly defensive about how they haven't been conditioned but in fact they *love* being in pain and crippling themselves, so maybe it isn't surprising.

your last two posts are pretty cunty so i don't know why i'm addressing this but "pain" and "crippling" in high heels actually depends entirely on the shape of your foot and the shoes you've purchased. the arches of my feet are such that wearing completely flat shoes actually can be excruciating. PPL IN BEING DIFFERENT SHOCKER, FILM AT 10.

Are those gathered elastic backs uncomfortable? Do they rub into your feet?

abbott you are awesome

i have been wearing flats recently a lot though and putting myself into crippled deformity cos i am paranoid about my height so i guess women are stupid and vain u_u

One time I wore LaBatt Blue boxes on my feet all day. Those are about as comfy as yr avg. ballet flat.

I would also worry about the elastic backs.

I think the stupid and vain part emily was relating to the idea that heels are sexier (push your ass out, etc.)

My sister is like 5'11" and all her shoes have at least 3" heels. She's all got like an R. Crumb figure, too, vs. say Posh Spice; really pulls off the whole amazon woman thing.

tall women + heels = teh hott.

I always wanted to be an Amazon. :(

I cld too at 5'9" but my boyfriend is insecure about me being taller than him as it stands (or as I stand, in flats).

I do not like being taller than guys I'm with either.

that photo rules

i LOVE to be shorter than the woman i'm with but it rarely happens.

I own one pair of heels and I can walk/dance in them just fine. I just don't ever really want to. Mind you, I only actually own four pairs of shoes - two pairs of black shoes for work (one pair are a kind of clumpy low shoe, one pair of court shoes), one pair of red smart sandals, one pair of heels which I hardly ever wear. Past that, I have one pair of flipfloppy sandally things and two pairs of trainers (plus two other trainers for the gym - one pair of running shoes, one pair of tennis shoes, but I don't count them since I only actually wear them at the gym).

i LOVE to be shorter than the woman i'm with but it rarely happens.

Walk on your knees.

re elastic backs : they're okay! i'm still breaking these bad boys in, but the elastic is way better than a sharp flat piece of leather (or whathaveyou) cutting into your heel. i was having that problem yesterday with my older pair of flats, and these are causing no such pain, nor irritating the old wounds.

laurel - A+++ idea about the orange buttons if problem should arise.

i LOVE to be shorter than the woman i'm with but it rarely happens.

Walk on your knees.

-- Ms Misery, Wednesday, August 1, 2007 12:23 PM (Wednesday, August 1, 2007 12:23 PM) Bookmark Link

this still wouldn't work.

Hands and knees and let her put a leash on you. It would be an interesting date.

What, do you date 5 year olds? xpost

I have a pair of these in pink:

http://www.zappos.com/images/721/7212842/3034-216243-d.jpg

Like Emil.y, I don't wear heels, I don't wear skirts, I don't wear makeup. I never have worn these things, and I don't look comfortable in them on the very, very rare occasions when I do. And that for me is the key. If you are constantly pulling at your clothes, complaining about your uncomfortable shoes, and dabbing at slidey-off makeup, then you're better off without all that shit because you can be yourself. If you can do all that stuff and look comfortable in it, good for you, because you probably will look fancy and great.

The only thing I think is sexist is when guys don't bother their arses to match the woman's effort. On holidays, we went out to a nice restaurant for dinner and saw a couple where the woman had a nice dress and a bit of slap on while the man was wearing elasticated waist shorts, a band tour t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. That's not cool.

What, do you date 5 year olds? xpost

-- Chim Chimery, Wednesday, August 1, 2007 12:29 PM (Wednesday, August 1, 2007 12:29 PM) Bookmark Link

amputee fetish.

I remember when Kerry was running for president and there was that moment in the news when everyone was like "Oh noes! His wife DOESN'T WEAR MAKEUP!" That sucked.

Like Emil.y, I don't wear heels, I don't wear skirts, I don't wear makeup. I never have worn these things, and I don't look comfortable in them on the very, very rare occasions when I do. And that for me is the key. If you are constantly pulling at your clothes, complaining about your uncomfortable shoes, and dabbing at slidey-off makeup, then you're better off without all that shit because you can be yourself. If you can do all that stuff and look comfortable in it, good for you, because you probably will look fancy and great.

OTM x1000

I have big, wide flat feet and weak ankles. Heels are both extremely difficult for me to find (especially if I don't want them to look like clown shoes), and a ticket to a few weeks in an ace bandage or brace. Mary Janes even look silly on my feet, depending on where the strap is located--too close to the toes and there's just a sea of foot.

I wore shimmery bluish silver Doc Martens under my wedding dress.

Makeup is an utter mystery for me. I've had other people put it on and worn it on a handful of occasions. I haven't the foggiest idea of how to put it on myself. I can pull off a dress or a skirt now, but only have about 3 in my wardrobe (black linen, ridiculous goth velvet thing left over from high school, and a silly pink leopard print thing that would be great for a ridiculous party).

if you can walk normally in heels, then wearing heels is fine and i have nothing but admiration for you! but i have to admit i get extremely angry at women hobbling up the subway steps or down the street in front of me at 1/4 pace on heels they can't handle. i actively hope that they trip and will laugh when they do.

i like heels
i like dresses
i like (some) make-up
but i don't wear heels most of the time just b/c i'm always walking or biking everywhere and i don't have a tonne of things to dress up for. and i like to feel my feet being solidly connected to the ground.
but i've learned to walk in heels (though haven't tried stilletos) and can even dance in them. and wedges are pretty awesome, gotta say - much easier to deal with, not so hard on arches. and i've decided it's awesome being taller than a lot of people (not hard in quebec.)

right now the main mystery re: girliness is how the hell to deal with my long hair ie putting it up in things other than a ponytail. i think it's about time i figured it out. or cut it all off again.

I like the ol' knitting needle/pencil updo.

The longer your feet, the less the pain because the foot angle created by the high heel isn't nearly as harsh as it is for somebody with, say, size fours.

Aha! My feet are very short and anything with a heel is really awkward for me, so this makes sense. Plus my feet are wider than shoe-makers expect for the length so I generally have to fit shoes to the width and have spare room at the toes, so there's nothing to balance on in heels, and the constant pushing downwards as my feet try to slide into the toe-space and don't fit wrinkles the insoles, which then dig into my feet and cause blisters and worse.

So despite being abnormally short I always wear flat shoes, generally trainers. Vans are about the only thing I can fit my feet into.

(Apparently short, flat, wide feet = all-round lousy at balance, and I am one of those people who can't even stand on a chair to change a lightbulb without ridiculous lurching and flailing and panic)

y'know, i don't know why i've never tried that before! well, my hair has never been long enough i guess and i think i forgot abt it. i have kind of been going through a phase of ignorance/retreat re: my girlness. but i just stuck a pencil in my hair and it is totally holding! omg i have these maneki-neko chopsticks that i will have to try! (have never eaten with them )
xpost
i have size 10 us women's regular width feet with with square toes

I am kind of surprised that nobody has bothered to even mention the possibility that it is STUPID and SEXIST to expect people to wear things like heels.

But I mentioned it 18 posts in! OK I was quoting a long gone anarcho punk band, but I did mention it.

Just saying.

Thank you.

I don't think it's even been expected of me to wear heels. Not mentioned by anyone, not even once!

Women who want to wear high heels and take off their sneakers UNTIE!

(sry, just wanted to make that joek)

in some jobs, it is strongly encouraged. I imagine some men encourage if of their women as well although I do not know these mens,

i like the way heels look, i think i can walk fine in them, and it doesn't bother me to be way tall (over 6' even in kitten heels), but i'm just a wuss and my feet hurt wearing any heels, at least that i've tried. so flats it is for me.

i am jealous of those people that wear amazing heels and seemingly feel no pain, there's several london ilxors that spring to mind that are have mad high heels skills. i think some vintage dresses almost necessitate heels as well, and end up skipping buying anything like that just because i know they wouldn't look the way i want in flats. but yeah, ballet flats are my staple. although even many of those are too uncomfortable for me-- but in terms of rubbing, rather than other pain.

Abbott I was coming in here to make that joke.

My roommate constantly bitches about heels/girls shoes in general and i am like "HI WEAR SNEAKERS AND SOCKS" and she is all "i can't do that with a skirt" and I am all "THERE IS NO FASHION POLICE THX"

I wear sneakers and socks. The key is to wear pretty coloured socks that match (or clash cutely with) the rest of your outfit.

Sneakers and socks WITH A DRESS is the bit I left out.

okay the pencil/chopsticks in the hair has sort of revolutionized me, hairwise

ecco high heels, ladies!!

srsly, i never wore high heels before, then i got a couple of pairs when i started working at ecco (THIS IS NOT A PAID PROMOTION) and they're super comfy. i tried finding a pic of them but to no avail. they are a narrow wedge heels (about 2 1/2 inches high) with ankle strap (totally flattering to all leg shapes, which is normally not the case) and straps across the toes. i can wear them for 8 hours while being on my feet all day at work.

anything below 2 1/2 inches won't hurt your back or put unnecessary pressure on the ball of your foot, but anything above this height is really going to fuck you up.

oh god - i have seen the horrific results of women cramming their feet into narrow high heels for 40yrs and it is NOT PRETTY. looks similar to the consequences of chinese footbinding.

these are ecco - and they're pretty cute! maybe a bit higher than 2.5" though...
http://www.zappos.com/images/731/7317601/6220-417061-p.jpg

are these the ones, rr?

http://www.zappos.com/images/723/7230739/3034-242451-p.jpg

most ecco styles are not so cute but these styles plus a couple others are surprising me

oooh!
http://www.zappos.com/images/722/7222279/3832-231243-p.jpg

silly they made them in suede though eesh

yeah those are getting into dangerous territory. comfy to wear all day - just don't wear something like that for more than two days in a row or you'll start to feel the pain in your lower back.

i will try to find a pic of my ones.

oh wait - xpost! very similar, same wedge and same last, but mine have 3 narrow brown crossed straps across toes, and ankle strap actually wraps round ankle.

and xpost AGAIN! yes, we had those in pink and lime green as well! the ankle strap is similar to mine, but the strap comes up the sides and really supports you... hard to explain...

actually, no, that ankle strap is the same as mine.

i have short dumb legs, and this strap surprisingly makes my legs look kinda hot.

last ecco - but this is a nice heel height in general - almost not really a heel
http://www.zappos.com/images/730/7302009/6220-383198-p.jpg

yours sound nicer than those brown ones with the visible stitching - they are a bit boring really, though the wedge heel looks good - the design you describe sounds more interesting/'hip'

search for ecco+aruba (that's the style name) and you might find them. i found a similar one, with an open foot like a slingback, but not as cute as mine.

those heely strap ones always give me blisters. they are cuetttt tho

those are nice! I didn't know Ecco made heels.

esp the yellow ones

o man those things are hideous :( i came in here to say something misogynist but i am too distracted now :(

no mention of foot binding yet?

and xpost AGAIN! yes, we had those in pink and lime green as well! the ankle strap is similar to mine, but the strap comes up the sides and really supports you... hard to explain...

I have a pair of the lime green ones. They are my fancy shoes, for wearing to weddings and the like.

OK, pervy men following this thread. I predict that in about 100 posts, all the women contributing to this thread will be raving about how GREAT high heeled shoes are, with multiple pictures of cool, and extremely high, heels. You read it here first. If I am wrong, I will tell a horrible secret about myself. If you want to hear it. And believe me, you don't.

I'm still undeciced whether I agree with Greer on the statement "once you have worn high heels (or rather, as she put it, fuck me shoes) you are no longer a feminist." I don't know. I think most people tend to go from the premise: Flats are natural. Which of course it isn't. Clothes are always a form of dressing up, sending out a statement,... Is wearing high heels sexist? Maybe one is perpetuating that belief by wearing it but you can still disagree with the statement anyway? Ok, I'm hellaconfused now and don't know what to think anymore. Just that I am WAY too pick about shoes. I can never find the *right shoe*. I can, but they usually cost way too much now... If I had my way I'd be wearing Pradas all the time. :-)

Oh yeah, 99 procent of current sneakers are fugly beyond belief. :-(

moley: "pervy" ? Liking something isn't automatically fetishism.

I has a plantar fasciitis and flat feet, so no hee-hiles for me. I'm a bit of a Doc Marten girl - today I R wearing chunky DM sandals.

The only thing I think is sexist is when guys don't bother their arses to match the woman's effort. On holidays, we went out to a nice restaurant for dinner and saw a couple where the woman had a nice dress and a bit of slap on while the man was wearing elasticated waist shorts, a band tour t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. That's not cool

oops. I have made the occasional misjudgement of this nature, except for the elasticated waist, which is truly gross and beyond the pale. Thing is, I am very attached to my scruffy holiday shorts (from Gap - long, grey, lots of pockets). I am planning to wear them in France next week, even though they have been officially deemed 'disreputable'. I have bought some nice new swimming trunks as an attempt to divery her attention from the old shorts. This will fail of course.

I can't contribute to the shoe debate. Womens shoes are a mystery to me. All I can say is that the high heels = instant horniness thing doesn't work for me.

divert

Also 'a bit of slap' is a great phrase!

So what if the husband's clothes doesn't "match up". Maybe they agreed to this? Who knows what goes on "behind the walls." That said, I do tend to find a balance (and vice versa, Mr Nathalie as well).

So what if the husband's clothes doesn't "match up".

I kind of find such behaviour slightly disrespectful. But that's my personal opinion. I realise that others disagree with me.

Maybe they agreed to this?

In fairness, it rapidly became apparent during the meal that this guy was a tool of the highest order.

I am planning to wear them in France next week, even though they have been officially deemed 'disreputable'.

But you wouldn't wear them to an "event" restaurant if Mrs. Dr. C was dressing up nice and wearing her drop earrings and a pashmina and all, would you? (Please say no.)

This is insane. ILXors be contrarians. Here's this thread going "women who don't wear heals, unite!" and now it's full of loads of pictures of high heeled shoes. I don't understand the world.

if I start a thread called "high heels are the sexiest things in the world, we must wear them all the time!" do you think I will finally get a discussion of nice, sensible shoes?

Dr. C was dressing up nice and wearing Pashmina

Not the image you were looking for, but the one I have.

xpost to Trish haha - No. I do scrub up occasionally for posh events, if required. But these ideally don't occur on holiday!

Cheers, Aldo. Will post pictures. I am the new L0uis J4gger. The truth is out.

I guess I'm lucky, because when on holidays, Mister M favours those Columbia outdoor lightweight clothes that are designed for backpackers who want to ensure that they will never be thrown out of Raffles in Singapore for being too scruffy, but want to be able to scrunch stuff up in their rucksacks.

He does not wear high heels either.

Except for that first pair of Eccos posted, I don't think any other pics would qualify.

And GOD FORBID a discussion winds it way from the original post question. This board isn't for conversation folks, it's for conformation!

i think a thread with high heels in the title should have pictures of high heels in.

maybe there should be a thread about "i like sensible shoes" or something.

i'm not even a woman, so why am i here?

perving? :)

I am kind of surprised that nobody has bothered to even mention the possibility that it is STUPID and SEXIST to expect people to wear things like heels. But then again, most girls get incredibly defensive about how they haven't been conditioned but in fact they *love* being in pain and crippling themselves, so maybe it isn't surprising.

Emily, I'm not having a go because you seem pretty sound in every other post you've made, but can't you see that it's *your* post that comes off as defensive? I've always believed feminism was about empowering women to make choices, on everything from reproductive rights to footwear. No one expects me to wear any kind of shoe.

I wear heels a lot of the time. I don't have bunions, blisters or corns because I pick shoes that fit me. The last blister I had came from wearing a pair of Converse without socks. I'm also just under 5'2" and heels manage to put me on a level with everyone else. I can look people in the eye, reach shelves in supermarkets, see more than the bass player's knee at gigs and breathe in crowds (yeah - being right at armpit hight in a crowded space really, really sucks.)

To be perfectly honest, I was overstating the case because I opened this thread expecting it to do what it said in the title, only to find most people raving about how much they liked their *pretty pretty* high heels. I usually avoid threads about girly clothing as I find them deathly dull, so I felt somewhat conned into reading one. I guess I was kind of trolling to spice things up a bit, which neither worked or was very clever of me. Sorry.

Having said that, I do pretty much believe what I said (just without the hardline feminazi 'ur al dumb' approach). I'm actually still quite shocked that everyone believes that 'expectations' only arise from someone actually coming over to you and explicitly stating what they want you to do. Does nobody here believe in subtlety of societal interaction, or social norms?

I think this thread suffers a problem at the start - the "unity" itself segregates 'women who don't wear heels' and 'women who do', and there is an implicit vibe that 'women who don't wear heels' are all somewhat similar.

The thread started with the post that really said "i love high heels but they hurt me", we see later that in fact, that is not what all women who don't wear heels think, some think "i don't love high heels at all", and thus, the unity is only heel-deep.

As one who isn't a women, and wear high heels (well once), i'm not sure if i am one to comment, but here goes: I believe in the subtleties of social norms, definitely, although i'm not sure that, at least, in the time and place that i live in now, whether this applies to the highheels issue to such a great extent - i mean, personally i don't mind whether a woman wears highheels or not, and if someone tells me "omg i love a woman who wears heels" i wouldn't think that it's any more or less sexist than if one had said "omg i love a woman who wears glasses".

(i actually hate it when girls wear heels cos they make me look even shorter than usual)

You are Fake Tuomas AICM£5.

Well, wearing glasses is most of the time a necessity (and, if not/if it is, makes one look "cleverer"). High heels usually, but not always (see Anna's case in point) about dressing up and just that. It usually is meant to make the person look "pretty." Then again, aren't most clothes (unless it's a uniform, I guess) meant to make oneself pretty?

That said, I think at the end of the day, I don't wanna be a feminist "soldier" anymore. I understand Greer's point of view (and Emily's) but then if I have to analyze every single thing I do and end up with "shit, it's because of social expectations" I might as well be dressed up in a paper bag. (And of course even then I am making a statement.) So, y'know, fuck it. I am a little bit done with always judging people and myself. Sometimes I just want to let go and go with the flow. I guess I'm less of a feminist in practice and more a theoretical one? Or maybe I like to see the grey zones?

Truth be told, I simply love high heels and am extremely jealous of women (and men, I ain't descriminating her) who can pull it off (or rather pull'em on).

Also, you could say that some women are aware of what statement they are putting across and are consciously playing with it. Many people tend to point and judge and not realize that, hey, maybe the people who wear high heels (or put on make-up,...) aren't aware of what they are playing into.

No one expects me to wear any kind of shoe.

I strongly support you going barefoot from now on Anna.

I agree with Nath about no longer wanting to be a feminist solider (and I say that with a past of definitely being a solider - physically facing off with priests and republicans in front of abortion clinics and the like)

This does not mean I don't consider myself a feminist nor continue to espouse such beliefs. I just don't feel the need to justify my personal choice to other women in order to prove myself worthy of being a "feminist".

Why don't men wear high heels? Seriously.

Bondage! It's all about hobbling women and the like.

(I'm sure the dudes who wear utili-kilts aren't far off from donning sport wedges)

i had a pair of platform shoes in the 70's - everyone did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-heeled_shoe :

"there are numerous shoe designs worn by both genders which have elevated heels, including cowboy boots and cuban heels"

and

"High-heeled shoes quickly caught on with the fashion-conscious men and women of the French court, and spread to pockets of nobility in other countries. The term "well-heeled" became synonymous with opulent wealth. Both men and women continued wearing heels as a matter of noble fashion throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. When the French Revolution drew near, in the late 1700s, the practice of wearing heels fell into decline in France due to its associations with wealth and aristocracy. Throughout most of the 1800s, flat shoes and sandals were usual for both sexes, but the heel resurfaced in fashion during the late 1800s, almost exclusively among women."

(etc. - just waiting for fashion to change, presumeably?)

my main reaction to the thread title comes from my belief in feminism, which is as anna said, about having the power to make choices. that's simplifying it but i'm much more into WOMEN UNITE and PEOPLE UNITE and at the same time recognizing and empowering marginalized groups, which can be done. i know this is about shoes (originally. lol ilx), but still.

We are all forgetting Prince, here.

i never forget prince

I was trying to

Ha ha, Prince, of course!

In my opinion, when it comes to fashion, footwear and grooming men are less likely to follow the trends that may cause discomfort in the name of beauty.

My man gripes about having to shave his face, I'd like to see him cope with plucking his eyebrows, shaving his pits, waxing his bikini line, epilating his legs then shimmy into a corset and killer heels.

Why don't you stop all of that and say if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for you.

(btw 4 pics of ecco brand 'sensible' shoes that aren't all that super hott anyway as reaction to theme of 'liking heels but finding them uncomfortable' isn't exactly a high-heel offensive image bomb. but that's obvious.)

I can't cope with jaggy legs and a bushy flange for more than a few days at a time unfortunately.

bushy flange
!!!!!!!!

I'm thinking of getting laser removal. Is that anti-feminist?

You're getting your flange removed? I'm no doctor, but I think you need it.

nah, it's like an appendix really.

right. that scared off all the men, didn't it? well done :-)

Apparently the women too. Me = threadkiller.

I strongly support you going barefoot from now on Anna.

I'm actually barefoot right now! One of the few advantages of spending all day alone in the office. Fuck wearing a shoe.

x-post - except for you Stan - fly the flag bravely.

oh xxxpost etc.

Also, this is what I think a flange is:

http://www.germes-online.com/direct/dbimage/50336008/Steel_Flange.jpg

the one i saw had a bigger hole in the middle.

Yeah, that's similar to mine only less hairy.

and more ball bearing

xpost

You shouldn't have added the xpost. It was fine the way it was.

Why don't men wear high heels? Seriously.

Tom Cruise to thread. I never understand why all his wives, being taller, wear high heels when he's apparently obsessed with not appearing smaller than them.

Uh, I mean wives, not in a polygamic (?) kinda way, but his partnes... Ah shit, you know what I mean.

all his wives would stand on each others' shoulders to make a very tall wife.

You're getting your flange removed? I'm no doctor, but I think you need it.

-- accentmonkey

i first read the second half of this as meaning "you need to get your flange removed"

this thread has turned into major rofls

women who don't want flanges unite

If the heel covers more surface area is it easier? Tracer Hand seems to know more about this than I do. This is like learning to play tennis from a book. I was never conscious of pointing my toes.

youn i think i'm just a natural

Ho man, I do have a pair of cowboy boots (sort of) AND a pair of Cuban heels, both by Børn (= hella comfy). And the man is always like, "Dammit, quit being tall." But I don't really count those as heels somehow? Even tho the heels are a bit taller than those pictured below, which I would consider heels:

http://www.bustledress.com/aaa/lisa/1073.s.jpg

This is like learning to play tennis from a book.

hmmm

My cowboy boots are probably the most comfortable pair of shoes I own. Damn, I'm wearing them tomorrow.

I love those things but how the fuck do you wear them in the summer?

well I don't. Which is why I kind of forgot about them. But I am going to wear them out tomorrow night. :) (see also knee-high boots)

I agree with what Emily was saying because, well, rape statistics MEAN women have to learn to fight AND learn to run.

But, it does not make anyone more or less of a feminist if they choose a high heel.
a good heel is also a weapon.

That's kind of what I dislike about them: whenever I see a stiletto, all I can imagine is the heel being shoved into someones eye. When they're on the shelf, anyway, not on someone's feet.

I also own a pair of pink paisley rubber cowboy boots. I can't wear them out much because people really get jealous.
xpost

just talked to a fancy high heeled friend - her opinion is that you use everything to combat the attacker, including shoes...but the shoes are so good that it's hard to have them tainted.
(By eyeball gouging or other defense tactics.)
her point being...
it's good to buy two pairs of everything you like.
"I could totally hurt someone, but what about my shoe? i guess I'll have to have an extra pair in the car."

http://www.shoemall.com/assets/product_images/styles/medium/120257ESP1R.jpg

super comfy ecco boots - i can wear these all day long.

fuck, my boss should be giving me a raise for all this promo work i'm doing.

The red and white stripey fake pony skin Ecco clogs are my dream shoe.

abbott the shoes in your picture look like a hi-top version of the original high-heeled shoes that french courtiers etc. wore ! i think?

is this why "court shoes" are named thus? i have never quite understood it - i guess i always imaged it's what lady lawyers wore

You work for ecco, ruby? Can you get us a discount? ;)

20% for my *friends* ;)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10792822@N04/

Ahh, freaky fetishist!

Worse - ugly shoes!!

Yes, please -- fetishes are all well and good but shouldn't preclude having standards.

tall women + heels = teh hott.

-- chicago kevin, Wednesday, August 1, 2007 12:18 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Link

qft, and i'm only 5'9

haha uhh zing opportunity there obv but to clarify i meant i don't mind looking up at hottt tall woman in heels

rrrobyn, i finally found a pic of my ecco sandals! and also my ultra-comfy boots:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1150/1022310557_8c5529b3c5_o.jpg
and i have them in black (i get for only 35% of the retail price, so it's hard to resist):
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1046/1022310419_a0149b027e_o.jpg
and:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1031/1022310571_2aa65014df_o.jpg

Ok, I want this cleared up. When you girls talk about Ecco do you mean these shoes:

http://www.eccousa.com/shoes/womens/dress/96/product-list.aspx

that's them. they're a danish company. but they have a huge catalogue, so you only get very limited style ranges from country to country.

They seem so..."old lady-ish". Well, the ones they had here seemed so sensible.

they typically are quite conservative and 'old lady-ish' because they're a comfort brand. but in the last few years they've moved into dress/business shoes, and they make some funky sneakers.

Ah, alas, they don't sell those (funky) here. I was saying old lady-ish but then I only noticed the Ecco shoes in a shop targeted towards older people.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1097/1029294172_9453adb27b_o.jpg

whoa, those look like they have reptilian teeth and wld eat yr feet and then you wld just have shoes but no actual feet inside them

i kind of like old lady shoes, but a specific subset of the aesthetic

your ecco sandals are pretty cute, rubyred! i like that they are more strappy yet still fairly solid looking

I wd never pretend that high heels are GOOD for you, but just as an aside: the whole reason some of the most delicate, insubstantial-looking shoes are expensivooooo is that the architecture of them, the design & materials & etc, have to be even more carefully planned/selected. A skinny, strappy pair of -- okay, not stilettos, but heels, let's say -- can feel perfectly solid and not ankle-turny at all if they're balanced and hinged in the right places for you. But they won't come from Payless. Or probably even the mall.

Why is that, Laurel? I would assume that the design of a well-done heel is expensive but in the long run (or walk) I doubt the cost (of paying a designer) is nothing: Payless probably sells tons of a particular shoe. Even though I do like brands/labels, I realize that the idea that there's more "design" behind it, is rather ridiculous. I'm not speaking about the style but the idea that it is/can be sturdier than a cheap shoe. Or maybe I'm being a contrarian here. :-)

I kind of don't even know what to say to that.

Probably better if I just eat my lunch and go read something else, instead.

What I meant was, and sorry if I seemed unclear, is that you imply that a well made shoe can't come from Payless, right? I can understand they would use lesser material but why would they not make a well-designed high heel shoe? Or did I misread your post? (disclaimer: extremely tired and I R A BIT DUMB)

I have had some comfortable and long-lasting shoes come from payless but I agree that in general you get what you pay for with shoes. (or any clothing for that matter.)

Cheap shoes are cheap b/c they are mass-produced with cheap materials. In those circumstances quality usually falls by the wayside.

Shoe design and fit is really complicated, actually -- do I even need to say that? It is most certainly NOT a one-size-fits-all, or even one-width, or one-last, or one ANYTHING. Payless and inexpensive manufacturers want their shoes to fit, by the most minimal standard, the greatest number of people, so even if a certain design element might make a great difference in comfort for SOME people, if it limits their customer base, that feature will be discarded. That's business. Not to mention that they're cutting corners in materials, labor, time-savings in construction techniques -- everywhere they can -- to keep costs down & maximize their profit.

When you buy a carefully designed shoe it's made without sparing the extra leather & other materials that are required to cut the toebox a little more generously so you never bump your toes into the inside even if you have to behave uncharacteristically for those shoes (ie run in heels or other formal footwear). It's also made with a calculated amount of toe-spring (which is the amount that the hinge -- where the ball of your foot bends the sole -- is contoured during construction) to give you a little mechanical advantage, a little extra springing back when you flex the shoe, which makes it feel easier to walk in and stresses the foot less. It could be made by a process that takes longer to fit the materials to the last (the "mold" around which a shoe is planned), thereby making the product more labor-intensive, but makes the curvature more natural, or makes the curvature hold up better even when the shoes get wet or old, or be more sensitive to where your arches flex under different kinds of stress, so that there's no seam over a pressure point, or any number of things you don't notice until you've actually felt the difference over time.

I mean, should I go on? I don't even have any training in shoe-making, I just looked this stuff up on the intarweb for a lark. How is it not utterly obvious that every art and/or craft has its secrets, and that access to the product of a greater skill level carries a price?

Maybe b/c this is not a subject important enough to some of us for more than casual conversation? That is the beauty of a place like ILx we can all share our knowledge. Hopefully without a side of condescension though.

Holy fuck I'm boring. It's all true, though.

xp

Well, my own interest is basically causal too -- I don't have any expertise that Nathalie doesn't have, the whole literacy thing and ability to operate a search engine being a fairly low bar here.

Casual! Casual!

I don't have any expertise that Nathalie doesn't have, the whole literacy thing and ability to operate a search engine being a fairly low bar here.

Obv. you do! I was basically agreeing with you upthread but didn't know half the stuff you talked about.

We could all look up anything on Google and that would kill probably 2/3 the threads on the board. I don't see anything wrong with Nath asking a question as opposed to googling it.

Some of us have scrabble to play you know. . .

why do you ladies love the grossest looking shoes :'( i know nothing abt fashion, esp. girl fashion, and even i can see those things are horrible :'(

haha I love you ade!

awesome shoe rant laurel

a lot of shoes look much better on than they look in pictures, i think - certain styles just suit certain feet and the feet even make them look better sometimes!

that said, i like pretty things

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/70/160974070_0bd2b12fdc.jpg

I do love that the parts of those shoes are interwoven instead of just laid over each other. They're so organic, somehow, and space-aged streamlined at the same time.

Like a psych-out late '60s mass-market cover.

i know - if i were designing fashion i wld make a lot of interlayered things

Dude, women in heels are hot.

Of course, I think women in anything, including nothing, are hot.

Women, in general, are hot. But in heels? Reaching for book on a high shelf? Or just walking down the street? Damn. Women be hot.

This reminds me that a friend of mine recently did someone the favor of cleaning her own house in her heels & underwear at her audience's respectful request. I mean, you gotta clean eventually anyway, right? Totes.

jeezus christ i would never do that. maybe the heels and underwear part, but cleaning my own house while someone else watches, that is degrading!

a girl i knew in college, kinda crazy, once found a guy on craigslist to come over to her apartment and clean her house for free, in exchange for her wearing high heeled boots and directing him to lick the bottoms of them from time to time.

That's funny, my take on it is more that there are some places caustic modern cleansers just shouldn't go.

xp hahahaha

i have really not understood the massive possibilities of craigslist until right now

Hire a cleaner people. I can't imagine mopping or scrubbing the toilets nearly nude is sexy at all.

BLAM, are you related to Gil Elvgren?

I don't know if scrubbing toilets entered into it, tbh. I suspect light tidying, some dusting, maybe a swipe at the dishes. I like bell's idea better.

I mean, should I go on?

Are you really always this pedantic?

It's all true, though.

Well, no, not really.

Sigh.

Go ahead, do your own homework next time:
http://podiatry.curtin.edu.au/shoo.html

I am not related to Mr. Elvgren, but his work holds some appeal for me.

Damnit, I miss my wife. Her travel for work sux.

i thought about this thread when i was walking up damen past the park and this girl was teetering down the uneven sidewalk in heels. i was surprised she didn't snap an ankle but lord they made her legs look spectacular.

ok, back to the sweating.

i bought a pair of heels at a yard sale and wore them this weekend - I suspect they are designer, becuse it was completely comfortable walking in them. They're kitten heels, Michelle D. (I just googled the brand and i guess they're a midlevel shoe.)
There is a difference. These shoes barely have enough leather to cover my toes, but are, somehow, very cute and comfortable for me.
I spend $80 - $120 on my sturdy, comfortable, practical shoes and insist on certain brands.
However, i bought the heels for $1.
i don't consider myself brand obsessed, but just TRY to separate me from the three pairs of Merrell moccassins I own - which are really awful looking shoes,but are so comfortable and so sturdy and, well, not as bad as Birkenstocks.
i got a pair of Born flats at the same yard sale - those are, I believe, a pricey shoe.
They are also very cute, and have become my favorite shoe besides the orthopedic ones.
Craftmanship is important in the area of shoes.
Also, beautiful high heeled shoes can be hung, by the heel, from the tops of window frames and other places as ART - which, sometimes they are.

My mother loves Born flats and I really liked their winter dress boot collection last year but couldn't afford any at the time. I think that, like Ecco, they've been pushing into a much more fashion-forward market for a while now, and if you ask me it's working!

xpost The shoes you bouhgt at a yardsale, had they been worn by someone else? This is always strongly discouraged!

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/products/mt/NMX041G_mt.jpg

DA YUM.

I have no problem with used shoes. Underwear, no. Also no unfortunately to most vintage shoes as the detroriate rapidly.

Yeah, I've blown through pairs of vintage heels that I'm really sorry about, now. I've heard of people painstakingly applying mink oil to extend them a little longer, but I always found that once leather had sat around for 30-40 years in a closet somewhere, it was only a matter of time until it cracked & split. ;_;

I've looked all over shoes dot com for a dainty pair of oxfords to replace my worn-out Esprit ones that I love and they no longer make. Anyone know of some?

What did the originals look like, Beth? Do you have a photo/img?

DA YUM.

Nice, but again with the bunch of flowers/bow/ribbony doodad thing on the front. For some reason whenever I see this kind of decoration it reminds me of the bit in Singin' in the Rain where they stitch the blonde woman's microphone into the huge flower arrangement on the front of her dress. I just wish shoes could be classy and plain, sometimes. They can still be cute if they haven't got bunches of stuff on them.

but I always found that once leather had sat around for 30-40 years in a closet somewhere, it was only a matter of time until it cracked & split. ;_;

I have a fantastic pair of square-toed cowboy boots from the 40s that I've unfortunately only worn twice. No matter how much time I spend caressing them with saddle soap any wearing of them makes new cracks. They now hold a place of honor on my bookcase along with my 1940s radio, old Ray Price 45s and falling apart copies of Ranch Romance.

Wait wait, with saddle soap? Isn't that awfully drying?? I was never a horse girl so I'm just remembering things I've heard/read, but I thought saddle soap wasn't good for preservation....

Sam, it's not so much that but the fact that the shoe is "molded" (?) by the wearer. It's unhealthy to wear worn shoes.

AM, I know and would agree, but they seem a little vintage, forties, y'know, and I'm a sucker for that era.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/marthasminions/oxfords.jpg

Here are my bedraggled Esprit oxfords. No matter how many times I smacked them together, more beach sand fell out. My poor scanner.

Why would they stop making such a useful shoe?

No no no, saddle soap is very, very good at keeping your leather supple.

saddle soap? Isn't that awfully drying

I was told to do this by the man who had restored the boots.

Hm all right. My leather bike sadle came w/ directions saying 'NO NO NO DO NOT WANT SADDLE SOAP" but maybe that's just Brooks being Brooks.

What about Neatsfoot oil?

rrrobyn those t-bar wedges of yours are AWESOME!

Nice, but again with the bunch of flowers/bow/ribbony doodad thing on the front. For some reason whenever I see this kind of decoration it reminds me of the bit in Singin' in the Rain where they stitch the blonde woman's microphone into the huge flower arrangement on the front of her dress. I just wish shoes could be classy and plain, sometimes. They can still be cute if they haven't got bunches of stuff on them.

OTM

same with bras!

i have been known to hack at those fuckawful tacky little frowsy BOWS they sew on the front of bras until all that is left is a kind of mangled octopus of ribbon and cotton

but i still prefer it to a fucking BOW for fuck's sake

rrrobyn those t-bar wedges of yours are AWESOME!

Seconded.

I can't really wear high heels because I'm too tall and never learned to walk properly in them. I've recently discovered the joys of the low wedge heel and am loving those recently. That said, nine days of walking and dancing while on vacation had destroyed my feet so I had a pedicure at lunch. Bliss.

I wish I could wear high heels more often becuase as said earlier, they do wonders for a woman's legs and are just plain sexy.

I buy new, brand shoes, brand new, at pretty high prices. The shoes are really ugly but very comfortable and "orthopedic". I refer to them as "tires", because they are just a practical thing for my mobility. (I can't stand buying new tires for my car - tire stores are the most boring place on earth, and I don't even have any desire to know why one tire is superior to another. But a car needs tires. The merrell moccassins are like tires.)
Used shoes are...I don't know anyone who hasn't bought used shoes. I had a collection of heels from the late fifties that I hung from window frames.Because I liked them.
I have two pairs of Doc Martens, purchased from yard sales. (A short boot and a sandaly type brown shoe.) Cowboy boots? Ya betcha!
I really don't understand what could be "bad" for you about buying used shoes. i get that every foot is supposed to shape the contours of the shoe for the owner. But I'm not sure how often that happens in real life, nor do i think that a high heeled shoe mates with the person who first purchased it for life, to the detriment of all other potential owners!
What I DO get is brand loyalty, and the sense of mourning that happens when a certain shoe (or bra, especially for me 40DD)gets discontinued and can never be found again.
Beth's Esprit oxford picture looks like the shoes have been sent to a watery grave!
I felt very comfortable (confortable enough to play with my nieces and nephew, and carry the youngest around) in my Michelle D. yard sale heels, and loved recapturing a little bit of my youth, when I would totter around in high heels - just to piss my mother off, I'm sure.
Plus, they make me feel sexy and glamorous.
(I also don't shave - at all - and wore them with a mid calf pedal pusher type trouser and a nice little blouse - hid the hair, the tattoos, extended the leg which made me look thinner, and...made my mother happy, I'm sure;))
besides underwear, everything I wore that day was purchased at the Salvation Army or a yard sale. (Half price at ye olde S.A. - so the total cost was...about $6.00 for clothing and shoes.)
This is a de-threading rant, i guess - but used shoes are just not a problem for me.

My poor old shoesies. I wuv them.

But it looks like you drowned them! it's a sad shoe image.

I have tried to save shoes many times. You all need to know that most of my shoes were in the basement of this building when flooding occurred -
i have suffered a flooding shoe tragedy!

I buy new, brand shoes, brand new, at pretty high prices. The shoes are really ugly but very comfortable and "orthopedic". I refer to them as "tires", because they are just a practical thing for my mobility.

OMG where do you get such things? I was trying on the online on Sunday to find like "podiatrist approved shoes" but it didn't work so well.

I had a pair of Dansko clogs once (the kind w/a back, too, more like a normal shoe), but they stretched out in WIDTH eventually and I kind of tottered around in them like Frankenduck. They were the only non-sneaker I could stand/walk for hours in and not die, though.

Merrell moccasins! I work in them.

I have three pairs!

You will never tie a shoe again, once you start wearing the Merrell mocs. Much better than sneakers. But they are fugly.

Well,Abbott, you're young enough to wear them and still look cute. I look middle aged and liberal - which is ok because I am both middle aged and liberal. They ARE the middle aged, liberal de riguer shoe.

They're unisex - need I say more?

pictures?

One of the reasons why I love slip on vans is no-tieing. I pretty much love all slip on shoes.

I am trying to link to the Merrell website. Or just some pictures.
Merrell is making some cute shoes!
There is potential cuteness AND comfort!

The basic Merrell is almost like those short boots from Australia that everyone wore for awhile - um, Blundstones? - as the comfort shoe of choice.
(Beth will commiserate on the Blundstone phenomena - since it grew from actual landscapers to "lady gardeners" on the Vineyard. Super wealthy women started wearing Blundstones to pick their basil that Beth (or me, or someone like me) had grown from seed. When the ultra rich start taking over your "look" , it's a nightmare.

Seeing a middle aged rich person in overalls and Blundstones, trying desperately to garden, is sort of a nightmare. The sun glints off of her diamonds, she hasn't really ever done this, and most pros will sort of force her back into the super clean kitchen with the rest of the support staff she has hired to make sure the kitchen is clean.

However, the ultra rich do sport really amazing shoes when evening arrives.

Also, Blundstones rock.

Classy and plain

Whoa, Merrells look amazing! And I don't care abt wearing "the middle aged, liberal de riguer shoe"...I think t is okay for me to wear anything like that as a Biology major.

Thx for the tip!

We are a minority!

rumpie, move to the PNW and you will instantly become one of the empowered majority, living free and easy, dressing as god intended in whatever you happen to feel like wearing. This sartorial freedom helps to combat the intense depression that comes from ten months a year without sunshine.

Lord, Madchen, those are CUET.

Amusingly, Mister M tried wearing Merrells for a while, because he has flat foot/posture/general foot pain problems, and he found them deathly uncomfortable, and they fall apart all the time. I used to favour Salomon slip-ons, but now I wear Keens.

I have these as my special dressing-up shoes:

http://www.cydwoq.com/produc977.jpg

I only wear them maybe twice a year, because they were SO expensive, but I love them.

where are the merrils? I do not see them on that link.

those are super neat looking shoes! (yes, they do look expensive) what brand are they?
xpost

oh accentmonkey, those shoes are fucking INCREDIBLE.

Ooh I like those! They look like Cydwaq or whatever that brand is that's pronounced "Sidewalk" very tricksily.

Here!!

http://www.cydwoq.com/productswc.html

My fancy high heeled shoes were £4.99 out of ShoeZone (I think I've worn them three times). My red sort-of-fancy sandals were out of Scholl (and cost £6.50 in the sale). My work shoes were £5 in the Dotty P's sale and £6 in Asda. I totally fail at this shoe thing. Seriously, I see the niceness in those ones Madchen posted, but could buy, like 60 pairs of similar shoes for that price. So even if they fall apart, it's not going to cost me much to replace them.

(this is why I must make Madchen cry when I make her take me shopping when I have occasions to look fancy)

Cydwoq has a shoe called SAFE and a shoe called JAIL!
I am afraid of those shoes!

I want the Jail shoe.

Also the Do Not Pass Go shoe.

ah yes! i saw some of those shoes in nyc - they looked like they'd take some breaking in re: the sole, but i didn't even try them on b/c of no-money-ness

I paid €300 for mine in a shop in Paris, but they are incredibly comfortable. I have been out dancing in them, and run for the bus, and even then they are comfortable. I love them and intend to have them forever. I keep them in a box like proper shoes.

So many of them are so good looking but they all look like thin sole/no arch support = ow ow ow for my feet.

i need flats with rubber soles! all of the cute ones have those crap wooden soles that wear out after 3 days of walking.

the rubber soled ones always look cheap, sensible, and business casual. ughghhhhhhhhg

Like these look AWESOME:

http://www.cydwoq.com/produc1215.jpg

But all I can imagine is my poor little flat arch sticking out of the side, aching & moaning, "Abbott, why ya doin' this to me? You carry all your weight on your poor little feets."

That and the tendon at the back of my ankle being like, "Oh back of shoe, how raw will you make me with the friction of your amazing looking but jagged & painful ridge?" Not to mention being able to feel every pebble & c. through the sole.

those are a little too ren faire for me

They remind me of some old Japanese man. Why I would want to dress like that is another question, I suppose.

The soles on mine are pretty sturdy, but the guy in the shop did recommend that after I wear them a few times and scuff up the soles a bit, I should go to a shoe repair place and get extra soles put on them to make them last a really long time, which I thought was a top tip.

yeah, some are more ren fair then others - i think it'd really depend on what you're wearing them with too
and, yes, when i was looking at them in the shop i was thinking about whether they'd kill my arches :/ they are very Interesting Shoes no matter waht tho
xpost
they do look like they'd last a v long time

Some of them are ren fair(e)y but then some are super-duper space-aged nature-loving terra-formed Martian bubble city shoes and my life does not really accommodate that but I kind of love the designs anyway.

I mean, c'mon!!

http://www.cydwoq.com/produc1199.jpg

i never wear heels. not cos i dont like 'em, because i think they look real nice, but because i do not have the wardrobe to go with them! i dress very casually and pretty much wear flats with no socks every day (my feet are a mess, too... dire need of pedicure).

I was complimented AGAIN on my yard sale Born flats. I might have to buy a pair of (new) Borns sometime - they are really comfy and really well made. (You do notice that I had to avoid saying newBorns - because then I would be Angelina Jolie.)

I'm almost breathless in anticipation of Abbott buying a Merrell moc.

Gonna get 'em when some disposable income comes through at the end of the month. Yippee ti-iy-yay!

Børns are so extra comfy & well-built...I should really get a pair that aren't boots which are too warm to wear 10.5 months of the year.

The first time I tried on a pair of Merrell mocs it was instant luv. I have my older pair which are work shoes, and my newer pair which are, um, work shoes. My shoes get soaked every day from watering, so I need two pairs.

I take it nobody has located me a pair of ladylike oxfords. Sigh. I have scoured shoes dot com and found nada. WTF?

these are cool, if a bit pricey

I may have to get them.

holy shit, dudes! purple converse hi-tops for 25 bucks!

I may have to get them, too.

yay! revive this thread when you get your tires, Abbott!

The best heel I ever owned was my motorcycle boots (yard sale purchase).
They got drowned in the basement flooding.

Like cowboy boots, these are boots made for a practical reason. Riding motorcycles. (That's not really very practical, but the boots are!)

I loved those boots so much. And now all you can get is the square toed version!
(I lost many good shoes in the flood - including cowboy boots that I kept due to their awesomeness. One pair of pink cowboy boots. it pains me to describe this.
it was just a stupid flooding of a basement - not, y'know, homeless and without shoes.
but i tried to dry the shoes on the lawn. Which was ridiculous. You can't revive leather when it has been submerged.)

I was crying - I laid all of the shoes on the lawn and sort of gnashed my teeth and sobbed.

It was a very bad shoe experience.

I don't understand why the round toe/steel tipped motorcycle boots are so unavailable. I HATE the square toes.

OH MAN that would kill me, too. :(

Do you actually motorbike around? If so I am jealous. My cousin bought a v. $$$ pair of Doc Marten boots with his first ride and wore through the soles in about two weeks. Haha.

beth, have you tried zappos.com?

The Eccos look great, Beth! Buy them!

Chuck Taylors are akin to wearing a slipper. or a slip of paper. it is an unforgiving shoe.

I know, no arch support. But they look awesome, and you can always stuff them with the Dr. Scholl's inserts.
I will go to zapoos.com now!

thanks Abbott. it was a tragedy.
I don't have a motorcycle, no. I would if it was a reasonable alternative here - but winter sucks for that. I think.
i am about to enter the xxpost world.

The Ecco Cloud Ghillie was even MORE pricey on Zappos. 113.95, vs 109.99 on shoes.com.
I'm going to see if Amazon, where I have one-click shopping enabled (my downfall) has them.

YES!!!!
But 39 or a 40? My only other Eccos are 40s that only fit me well with a somewhat thick sock. These other shoes I would wear with a thin sock, but I'm nervous about going down to 39. What if they are too tight and I can't get it together to send them back? I don't know. For 110 dollars I think I want to try them on first.
MUST FIND WELL-STOCKED SHOE STORE!!!
MUST GET OFF ISLAND!!!

There's an Ecco store on Newberry St.

Phew. I can go to bed now. I have a PLAN.

burning through Doc Martens also makes me laugh.

Burn rubber has a new name!

beth beth these ones but maybe not in pink
http://www.zappos.com/images/731/7311674/6627-404822-p.jpg
(they are paul smiths and stupid $$)

YES PINK!!! MUST HAVE!!!!

my feet are square (as wide as they are long) so I can almost never find nice shoes that fit. waaaaa. i like those jail ones.

Beth, offtopic: we were at Aboveground tonight and Rufus met Nina's mom Michelle (we used to know her as Shelly Donut when we worked together at the bakery) and Rufus said "I thought you were Beth Parker! Do you know Beth Parker? You look a lot like her" and Michelle said, "Yes, I know Beth Parker and I think she's very beautiful, so thank you!" (I love Roo's social small talk).

i am glad to know you like pink :)

beth, only get those eccos if they have a PU sole and not a latex one. most ecco walkers like those do have PU injection-molded soles but pays to double check. PU is the best for comfort shoes cuz it's elastic and retains this in the cell memory - meaning it doesn't compress over time. loads of spring and shock absorption means less stress on your ankles, knees and hips, therefore less stress on your back etc. also, injection molded soles means that you get way more durability out of the shoe + a water-tight seal between the upper and sole. and PU is way more insulating for a winter shoe, and has more traction on wet concrete/lino/tiles than latex or rubber.

damn, what a shoe geek i am.

these are also kind of interesting
http://www.zappos.com/images/730/7304479/3832-388599-p.jpg
(and also expensive! eesh we know which way my taste runs... this is the first time i've searched 'womens-casual-oxfords' on zappos and i gotta say it ain't too pretty)

^ a brand called Think! - with exclamation mark included

these are my ecco 'biker boots' - they're nubuck with a gor-tex lining so they're 100% waterproof but completely breathable. i live in these, and cuz they're not too chunky i wear them with skirts and they look AWESOME!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1039/1022310295_8b64fd8312_o.jpg

Wow, Ruby, you have awesome shoe knowledge! I think it did say that the soles were injection-molded, but it could be that you just hypnotized me with amazing arcana.
Rufus cracks me up!
Robyn, I love pink! Remember, I am a flower gardener!

I REALLY have to go to bed now, I'm delirious. G'night!

if they're injection molded then they're definitely PU. dude, 18mths working in a relatively high-end shoe store, you end up learning a thing or two ;). plus, being able to spout off loads of technical knowledge is what gets the guys to drop NZD$350 on a pair of shoes. i probably sell the most men's shoes out of all my co-workers because of my ability to do this and sound all scientific-y about it.

PU is also around 3 times longer lasting than a latex sole. the catch is that you can't resole PU the same way you can with latex. it can be patched but you have to do it before the shoe wears down too much. this suxors if the uppers are in perfect condition and you want to keep wearing them.

AND if any of you guys ever buy eccos with a PU sole and the sole begins to disintegrate in a weird way (i.e. gets all crumbly) take them back to wherever you bought them from or contact ecco through their website. this is a manufacturing fault called hydrolysis, and they will replace the shoes for free if it happens.

more paul smiths - prettty
http://couture.zappos.com/images/731/7311681/6901-404834-p.jpg

flats even laurel might like ;)
http://couture.zappos.com/images/731/7311679/6218-404832-p.jpg

these are arriving in the next few weeks and i'm SO getting a pair (they also come in black patent and black leather, so maybe i'll get two pairs...):
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1371/1056760695_6324ed0869_o.jpg

i'm a bit worried that strap won't be very flattering to my ankles, though.

PU is Polyurethane, right?
i wish they wouldn't make the soles so ugly though! it's perplexing
e.g. these clarks shoes (clearly i like texture) wld look much nicer with nicer looking soles :/
http://www.zappos.com/images/732/7320466/1396-423527-p.jpg
http://www.zappos.com/images/732/7320466/1396-423527-p.jpg

uh
http://www.zappos.com/images/725/7255284/3832-286962-p.jpg

xpost
those red eccos are pretty cute - vintage looking!

rrrobyn, it is polyurethane. it's notoriously difficult to get the same kind of fine moulding (molding? i never remember which it is) on a PU sole as you get on a latex sole. plus, dress shoes obv have thinner soles, and PU isn't so beneficial when it's that thin. most ecco dress/business shoes still have a latex sole in order to get that nicer, cleaner look but they also have a comfy foam midsole. latex still has naturally shock-absorbing qualities, but it is harder than PU.

^^those shoes are awesome

(xpost the first pair; not so keen on the 2nd pair)

yeah i like the first ones better too - the 2nd ones are the ones that wld really benefit from a cuter sole
ah, shoes

ok this makes me a little embarrassed to work for ecco:

http://2ndnature.ecco.com/2ndNature/index.htm

Tiny terrors get to scoot around on their heels wearing scary shoes.
The skateboard heel.
It bothers me.
It pisses me off.
because they should have adult ones.

I never got to have anything like that! a skating shoe?

i'm pretty sure there are adult ones! i remember there was a thread a while ago about them, but i can't remember the title :(

I think they are called Heelies or Heelys and they are made for adults.

Yup, Heelys for grown-ups!

I actually don't want a heely. But I'm glad to have the choice!

The kids that have them always startle me - why is that child floating by me with no clear means of propulsion?

it would be even more disturbing if grown-ups started doing it. Or, if everyone wore heelys I guess it would be the norm and grocery shopping would become even more difficult.

I am too clumsy for this things. I'd break a hip for sure.

Rrrrrrrrrrobyn I love LOVE the red cut-away flats, YOU KNEW I WOULD.

Those Paul Smith flats are so niiiiice.

it's the buttons. Buttons on shoes are cute.

My other 'alf has a pair of Heelys which his Mum bought him for Christmas. He loves them. I loved it when he fell on his arse.

i'm wearing high heels for the first time in many many months.
they make me walk like a robot.

also i think they make my skirt look inappropriately short and whoreish

I think heels are known to do that. Has anyone asked you "How much" yet?

I opted to wear my uber comfy red mary jane keds with my dress today instead of flat ballet shoes that make my knees CREAK. I fear, however, that I look too much like a dowdy librarian now.

Also, why do people say, "oh! you dressed up!" when I wear a dress of the casual kind, when I want to tell them, "This is one step away from a muumuu, clowns! I am extremely comfortable!"

I was in Greece for the summer and saw high heels on Greek women maybe three times, they all wear cute flat strappy sandals in all kinds of colors. It made me happy.

Molly that is the great thing about casual dresses!

Yeah I kind of hate the comments that come when I do dress up. Makes me want to dress up all the time so they'll shut up.

(bell, I was kidding with you. not suggesting you are at all looking whorish)

i just ordered this from the internets:

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51R6hFbQLfL._SS260_.jpg

i'm a goddamn lady!