Mens' heels

[wsherman]

Hello All!

Last year my wife bought me a pair of womens' casual oxfords with a 1.75 inch wedge heel and I found that I liked the heel height quite well. In appearance they have a cap toe which is not pointed but has a more pronounced and narrow toe than a standard men's cap toe. If one did not see the heel they would be taken for a mans' shoe. Since that initial purchase in saddle brown I have aquired a pair in grey.

In my younger days I wore western boots with a riding heel which was undershot which means the heel was slanted in toward the instep and the new shoes remind me of those boots.

I am now on a quest for more casual oxford or slip-on with a 1.75 to2.25 inch heel that have that masculine look. Our last little find was ferreted out on Amazon. By the way the shoe was the Naturalizer "Aimee" oxford that has been phased out. I'm hooked I want more!

Just to keep this on topic I asked for a "winter wieght long skirt" and my wife has offered to sew me one for Christmas, and we are shopping for ready made too.

So if anyone here has some suggestions on the skirt or shoes your help would be most welcome!

My wife agrees with me cowboy boots just won't work with either kilts or skirts. The thought reminds me of a gent I once saw in downtown Fort Worth of a gent dressed in a beat up Stetson colorful western shirt a Tutu and western boots! It's been nearly 40 years and I still have that image firmly fixed in my mind. LOL!

As always...

Slainte'
Bill & Sir Brinkley the Exubrant LeaderDog Extordinaire!

[skirtyscot]

What's the problem with skirt and cowboy boots? Women wear skirt, tights and boots and it's a good look. I would try it myself but it might be a step to far towards the femme side, and I'm not sure I could justify the expense of a decent quality pair right now anyway.

As for you, have you tried taking the spurs off?

[crfriend]

Just to keep this on topic I asked for a "winter wieght long skirt" and my wife has offered to sew me one for Christmas, and we are shopping for ready made too.

Talk about wonderful news! So she is definitely on board with your skirt wearing.

So if anyone here has some suggestions on the skirt or shoes your help would be most welcome!

Any long and reasonably heavy skirt can be useful in winter. I have a pair of bespoke ones from The Mouse Works and a couple of "twill walking skirts" from Historical Emporium that paired with heavy petticoats are good to about 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

On footwear... I just wear my favourite style of men's slip-ons that I've worn for the past 20 years or so (I sport size 12 men's shoes, so that takes all the delightful women's stuff off the table) and be done with. Visually, we are accustomed to seeing the size of the foot minimized by visual trickery done with the shoe when skirts are in play. The trickery is done with heel height (to make the foot look more like leg), by elongation and pointy toe-boxes, and by opening up the top of the shoe so more foot shows (to a point; some shoes overdo the reveal and make the foot actually look fatter than it is).

My wife agrees with me cowboy boots just won't work with either kilts or skirts.

Well, there are cowboy boots and there are "cowboy boots". The former are what you'll see worn by farmhands who spend a certain about of time astride horses and the latter... well you'll see those in nightclubs and bars well away from anything equestrian -- "Urban Cowboys". 'Nuff said.

[wsherman]

Thankyou Gents for your input.

Yes I know that the "cowboy boot" is worn with skirts and the look can be pulled off quite well but it's not for me. Somehow when I think of the look I see that Tutu. I've wondered over the years if that poor soul had lost a bet. Ah well.

My wife has been quite happy with my kilting for many years and of late has been ok with skirts about the house and yard. The only long skirts I own are Macabi's and she is not enamored with them as she says I look like an dumpy old granny in them but I find them comfortable and slouch about the premises in them a lot of the time lately. I think part of this is that she just may be willing to do anything to get me out of the Macabi and into something she finds more pleasent to look at. LOL!
One day at a time.

By the way I've never owned a pair of spurs I think they'd make driving too hard! Could just poke holes where they're not needed or wanted too.

As a shoe salesman I guess I was too straight-laced to try clothing options that were outside the box but the laces are not so straight anymore and are quite comfortably loose!

As always...

Slainte'

Bill & Sir Brinkley the Exubrant who ate something that hasn't agreed with him and is paying for his scavaging! That means I got to go and take him out , Brrrrr!

[crfriend]

The only long skirts I own are Macabi's and she is not enamored with them as she says I look like an dumpy old granny in them but I find them comfortable and slouch about the premises in them a lot of the time lately. I think part of this is that she just may be willing to do anything to get me out of the Macabi and into something she finds more pleasent to look at. LOL!

I own a Macabi, and am quite happy with it, but it's a special-purpose skirt bought mainly for sailing. Before you laugh, recall that they shed water quite well and if one is so unfortunate as to go into the water (which is a no-no when asea) then they don't weigh much. However, I rather suspect that nobody would call them particularly stylish. Make no bones about it, I love my Macabi, but it's not something I'd wear to a fancy dinner party.

Now, the question becomes, "What does your wife think is attractive?" and what would you think of it (and we'll discount trousers simply because we at the Skirt Café)? If luck is with you, there's a point somewhere in the intersection of the ideas that'll work splendidly. Seek it out as a team.

Finally, please give Sir Brinkley a scratch behind the ears for me. I may be a "cat person", but dogs are good folks too.

[Caultron]

Most of these have 1" heels but a few are higher.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_2?rh= ... 1416113082

Anyway, food for thought...

[r.m.anderson]

wsherman:
ND is a big state - finding shoes out in the western end is going to be troublesome (only internet service)
I mostly shop Payless shoes and Famous Footwear for inexpensive footwear.
I can fit a 11B(M) on most footwear but those darn footwear manufactures are just like dem clothing irregulars.
No standard of uniform measurement !
Bismarck has limited shoe sources - Fargo Moorhead much better - being from the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
I have a great deal of stores to search and browse.
Looking for boots NOW is a bit late in the game - a couple of months ago would have been better especially for getting
those hard to fit sizes (11 and up).
I have found it best to strike up a customer relationship with the store manager and have him/her give me an advance
heads-up on what is on my bucket list and of potential sales such as BOGO (Buy One Get One- Free or 50% off).
Athletic shoes while some do go with kilts and skirts usually there are not many sales - they are popular all the time.
Boots are Autumn and Winter time fare - Cowboy- western boots anytime in a western state not so much out east.
It is a blessing if you have small feet and a curse for anything over size 13 - custom sizing is the only alternative.
When in a BIG city that is time to do shopping for footwear.
Also some stores have a Clearance section or like Nordstroms "The Rack" where shoes without boxes or floor samples
previously worn in store or returns - don't overlook these options.
Good Luck - and "if the shoe fits wear it "!

[Departed Member]

You know, growing up I'd always wanted to try on high heels, just for curiosity's sake to see what they felt like to wear, and I finally did recently and do not see the appeal at all. I tried on a pair of 6" heels and 4" heels and both were just very uncomfortable. I don't know why women like them. That being said, I could possibly be interested in a pair of heels for men for dress up occasions (church, work, etc) if the heel wasn't too high and the shoe had a male shoe look, like a brogue or oxford shoe, wingtips, or loafer of some kind, etc. I don't see myself to wearing them everyday, but on occasion, perhaps. The high heeled shoe began as a shoe for men but was then adopted by women too until eventually it became dominated by women and became exclusively female (not unlike the skirt/dress/tunic/robe). I don't think I could see myself going over a 3" heel, perhaps something like this, minus all the rivets:

http://www.exotichighheels.com/jade-blk.html

Or something like this but with a much lower and wider heel (I don't see the point in stilettos besides trying to perform a balancing act...)

http://www.exotichighheels.com/sed460-b.html

This website has heeled shoes made specifically for men:

http://www.thehighheelstore.com/hhfm-sophie.html


Ebay and amazon have some heeled shoes for men, like the cuban heel for men or ballroom dance shoes:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from= ... n&_sacat=0

I'd something with less of a pointy toe tho too. I'm not a fan of the "so pointing it could be used to impale someone" toe on men's dress shoes.

There's also platform shoes with a 3.5" heel like these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Funtasma-Please ... ZB91WDQP6T

Or this website has heeled shoes made specifically for men:

http://www.thehighheelstore.com/hhfm-sophie.html

[rick401r]

I wore these boots in a charity walk (Walk A Mile In Her Shoes). They are a women's size us12 with a 3 inch heel. They are surprisingly comfortable.

479875_432718090139334_68021135_n - Copy2.jpg

[dillon]

What's the problem with skirt and cowboy boots? Women wear skirt, tights and boots and it's a good look. I would try it myself but it might be a step to far towards the femme side, and I'm not sure I could justify the expense of a decent quality pair right now anyway.

As for you, have you tried taking the spurs off?

With a below-the-knee skirt, I don't think there would be a problem. The main issue I see is just that men have bigger feet and shorter legs in general, and you don't get quite the aesthetics with a shorter skirt that women can pull off. Also our boots tend to have shorter leg sheathes, which also detracts a bit from the look. But if you have a skirt that falls just below the knee, or English type riding boots, I'd say go for it.

[wsherman]

Gentlemen again thank-you for your responses!

I'm one of those lucky men who sport a small and somewhat narrow foot in U.S. measurements that is 7 to 7.5 in mens and 9 to 9.5 in womens sizes, so I've got a small understanding as opposed to a great understanding. There are some mens shoes that I must put in an additional insole to get them to snug up across the instep and help with the loose feeling in the heel.. This is really not my first foray into the ladies shoe department for a fit it is a first for something higher than the standard inch or so of a mens heel. I've worn Eastlands, and the J.C. Penneys Hunt Club in styles that look very much like mens. As far as the height is concerned a 3 inch is absolute as while working many years in the shoe department I witnessed more than once what the higher heels could do to the foot and no thanks. I am more interested in the casual than the dressy shoe.

I recall that years back there was a oxford style ladies shoe that was not a wedge but sported a sensible heel of about 2 to 3 inches. It was it seemed to be made to be a workhorse rather than a racehorse. "wink" In my gradeschool days it seemed that most of the teachers middle aged and older wore them usually in black. These I would like to find if I can. The problem lies in the fact I am not sure what that style of shoe is called.

Carl I gave Brinkley the scritch behind the ears you sent, he says WUF!

The weather here in North Dakota has been quite blustry with temps down to 0 degrees F and Sunday saw winds gusting 45 to 50 mph holding steady at 30-35 mph that put the windchill in the minus teens Farenhieght. Brrr!

You know where a strong man lives in the winter when his voice rises one or two octaves in pitch due to the cold! "wink" LOL!

As always:

Slainte'
Bill & Sir Brinkley the Exubrant!

[Caultron]

Over the past few weeks I've been trying some not-too-radical-but-still-definitely-high-heel shoes, specifically:

http://www.onlineshoes.com/womens-ros-h ... p_id370156

I chose these because they resemble traditional men's wingtips, because of the moderate but still-there heel height, and because they come in my size.

Wearing these in public was pretty nervy at first, but I'm getting over that. I wear them with a utility kilt and tights.

My impression, though, is that the shoes attract a lot more attention than the tights. When I started wearing tights a few months ago, people didn't seem to react at all. But they definitely notice the shoes.

This may be my imagination, of course, because I'm still getting used to the idea of appearing in public wearing (gasp) women's high heel shoes. And the level of notice does seem to be going down with time, which points to the change being in my head rather than anybody else's. But I still think the shoes draw more attention than the tights ever did. Maybe it's the click-click-click that comes from walking on a hard floor. I keep wanting to tip-toe or walk only on carpet. Then again, some cowboy boots are just as high and no one has a problem with those. Hmmm.

I've gotten one compliment wearing a black shirt, black tights, the black shoes, and a gray utility kilt in line at Starbucks. A slender 30-ish woman lined up behind me and immediately gushed, "That outfit is awesome!!"

No one has asked me yet why I'm wearing high heels, but I suppose the answer would be, "They go with the rest of the outfit." I suppose another would be, "It was this or spats."

Buying on-line is a pain, even with free shipping and free returns. But you just can't find size 11.5W or 12W shoes like this in local stores.

Does anyone else have experiences, observations, or suggestions to report?

[Gordon]

That is a nice looking shoe. I have a pair of these that I really like. And they do the click click click as well. I've noticed that people respond to the sound, but I just go about my business ignoring them. I've had two comments from strangers about them, but they both mentioned "those boots" not saying anything about women's boots.
http://www.onlineshoes.com/womens-david ... p_id257954



I would like to be able to wear something a little higher and more feminine looking. Don't know if I'll ever get there though.
Like this; http://www.onlineshoes.com/womens-nine- ... p_id358479

[Kirbstone]

For me?......Nope!

Tom

[Uncle Al]

LGG,

The shoe in the top picture reminds me of what the
French Noblemen wore in the 1700-1800's. This was
the 'Norm' for them. Would not work on several job
sites, but for 'office' work they would be great.

Uncle Al