Heels for Men
- Thread starter jj11
- Start date
deedee you absolutely rock. Serious insightful comment that respects the issues of the thread.
Why do I wear heels? I wish I could say more that they feel great and look great, and wearing them out is just so much fun. They're not practical, so I suppose its the same reason why women wear them. To minimize the stares I chose to master cross-dressing, which took several years to perfect so that I could go out anywhere. But then you constantly feel that you are lying about yourself. (At some point you can develop an alternate gender personality.) Cross dressing is a lot of work and combined with an aging body, I like where this thread could lead in creating the social situation where men could just wear the shoes of their choice, whenever. I hope I live that long, yet you've got to start somewhere. I'm not ready to "just go for it" as some admirable members seem to have done.
Certanly there is the challenge of design/style/fashion to be reformulated through the outfits, but also to be developed within societies aesthetic value systems.
I've found that knowing someone's gender really makes a difference to people. If you give them ambiguous gender cues they either don't know how to deal with you, or they feel you are telling them that you are different somehow, and again they don't know how to address your differences. So maybe wearing heels and the designed outfits to go with them needs to be done in receptive venues until society changes. When you see a guy in jeans and spikes its like, "Okay, what am I supposed to do with that?" You might answer 'nothing,' just be normal, but people mostly aren't like that IMHO. I always liked the advice: whatever you do, be classy.
Spikes and pointed toes on men? In most cases probably not practical stylewise, but it seems that some just have a passion for a particular look. If you just like the height, there's lots more you can do with platforms, wedges, clunky heels, etc to make a stylish male outfit.
Finally I wintered in Los Angeles and many young women wore spiked pumps or sandals covered with long jeans so you really couldn't see the shoes, for normal day wear on the streets. Given the lack of comfort, what's the point of wearing heels that noone can see? Should a man cover his heels, or let them show? If you cover them with long flares it will still be obvious by your walk and the lack of shape of your feet that someting is going on.
After reading this thread I tried creating some outfits and have tried including one. Still can't find pics of Alejandro, are there two threads? Were they combined?
Why do I wear heels? I wish I could say more that they feel great and look great, and wearing them out is just so much fun. They're not practical, so I suppose its the same reason why women wear them. To minimize the stares I chose to master cross-dressing, which took several years to perfect so that I could go out anywhere. But then you constantly feel that you are lying about yourself. (At some point you can develop an alternate gender personality.) Cross dressing is a lot of work and combined with an aging body, I like where this thread could lead in creating the social situation where men could just wear the shoes of their choice, whenever. I hope I live that long, yet you've got to start somewhere. I'm not ready to "just go for it" as some admirable members seem to have done.
Certanly there is the challenge of design/style/fashion to be reformulated through the outfits, but also to be developed within societies aesthetic value systems.
I've found that knowing someone's gender really makes a difference to people. If you give them ambiguous gender cues they either don't know how to deal with you, or they feel you are telling them that you are different somehow, and again they don't know how to address your differences. So maybe wearing heels and the designed outfits to go with them needs to be done in receptive venues until society changes. When you see a guy in jeans and spikes its like, "Okay, what am I supposed to do with that?" You might answer 'nothing,' just be normal, but people mostly aren't like that IMHO. I always liked the advice: whatever you do, be classy.
Spikes and pointed toes on men? In most cases probably not practical stylewise, but it seems that some just have a passion for a particular look. If you just like the height, there's lots more you can do with platforms, wedges, clunky heels, etc to make a stylish male outfit.
Finally I wintered in Los Angeles and many young women wore spiked pumps or sandals covered with long jeans so you really couldn't see the shoes, for normal day wear on the streets. Given the lack of comfort, what's the point of wearing heels that noone can see? Should a man cover his heels, or let them show? If you cover them with long flares it will still be obvious by your walk and the lack of shape of your feet that someting is going on.
After reading this thread I tried creating some outfits and have tried including one. Still can't find pics of Alejandro, are there two threads? Were they combined?
Attachments
BENHER >>> what a long post! I will have to respond to you by PM otherwise I will be taking unfair advantage of the other peeps who perforce use the public portion of this thread. And I will respond, watch for it, OK?
I will say this much publicly: cross dressing isn't quite what this thread addresses, I don't think. It's an entirely different thing. Cross dress is not men wearing heels, it's men presenting as women so that the heels will be part of an expected presentation rather than a MEN in heels shock. Does this make sense?
I will say this much publicly: cross dressing isn't quite what this thread addresses, I don't think. It's an entirely different thing. Cross dress is not men wearing heels, it's men presenting as women so that the heels will be part of an expected presentation rather than a MEN in heels shock. Does this make sense?
Deedee, and all,
This thread is so rich with issues for me and I'm new at forum posting so I need to learn to temper my excitement and pace my responses.
Crossdressing and the other related gender issues are another rich area and I'm trying not to bring them into this thread, however I wrestle with the role of style and fashion as it relates to separation of gender roles and presentations currently "enforced" in our society, in some measure by clothing standards, if not fashions.
If a man is wearing high heels, they were most likely designed and intended for women (excluding those large sizes from fetish sites) and I suppose that men wearing any garment or accessory specifically designed for women are in a sense crossdressing, strictly as a matter of definition. I prefer transgendering for those using clothes and mannerisms to present as the other gender. So how do men wear heels without crossdressing, until the designers catch up with the "new trend"? I found the men's clunky heels and platforms of the 70's less than fullfilling.
As much as I love wearing heels, both for how they look, and how they feel, I readily agree that they really don't look good on men, and I would hope that is more about a lack of fashion integration than male body limitations. (I don't care for wing tips on women either.) Only some creative design and experimentation can resolve that issue. Then there's the other issue of social conditioning regarding fashion. What's a guy to do?
This thread is so rich with issues for me and I'm new at forum posting so I need to learn to temper my excitement and pace my responses.
Crossdressing and the other related gender issues are another rich area and I'm trying not to bring them into this thread, however I wrestle with the role of style and fashion as it relates to separation of gender roles and presentations currently "enforced" in our society, in some measure by clothing standards, if not fashions.
If a man is wearing high heels, they were most likely designed and intended for women (excluding those large sizes from fetish sites) and I suppose that men wearing any garment or accessory specifically designed for women are in a sense crossdressing, strictly as a matter of definition. I prefer transgendering for those using clothes and mannerisms to present as the other gender. So how do men wear heels without crossdressing, until the designers catch up with the "new trend"? I found the men's clunky heels and platforms of the 70's less than fullfilling.
As much as I love wearing heels, both for how they look, and how they feel, I readily agree that they really don't look good on men, and I would hope that is more about a lack of fashion integration than male body limitations. (I don't care for wing tips on women either.) Only some creative design and experimentation can resolve that issue. Then there's the other issue of social conditioning regarding fashion. What's a guy to do?
BENHER >>> What's a guy to do? That is not for me to answer, nor could I. I will say, however, that you are addressing these issues very perceptively; you understand many of the questions & drawbacks involved in guys trying to wear heels designed to express the female gestalt. I think you might want to start there. It may well be that by wearing heels you are in fact addressing a female gestalt within YOU. Probably you do not want to hear that, but it may well be true. And if so, then you need to confront if you can deal with it.
Benher and Deedee49: Between your two posts above, you have very clearly laid out both the internal and the external issues of the heels-on-men issue. For the internal issues, I think Deedee is correct that it is an expression of some degree of feminine identification in a man, as is any form of crossdressing, limited or complete - in the case of heels, more identifying than the average male, less than that of a full crossdresser.
And in comparing to the "average" male lies the external issue: the populace is not accustomed to the image of heels on a man, so it is de facto unusual and therefore not readily accepted. Look at the resistance to new shoe styles: everybody screamed and groaned when round toes first came out, now they're universal.
I will probably have more to say when I have a few free minutes.
And in comparing to the "average" male lies the external issue: the populace is not accustomed to the image of heels on a man, so it is de facto unusual and therefore not readily accepted. Look at the resistance to new shoe styles: everybody screamed and groaned when round toes first came out, now they're universal.
I will probably have more to say when I have a few free minutes.
stilettogirl84
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
- Messages
- 4,776
- Reaction score
- 0
deedee49 said:
I follow this thread, but don't often post
I think Deedee is right though- the desire to wear heels is generally a way of expressing a femenine feeling/ mood/ personality trait.-
some may argue that -the idea of heels as an effeminate article of clothing- is a culturally conditioned idea, blah blah- but I still say, that if they were not culturally associated with women/frailty/vulnerability- they would not be desireable- noone would want to wear them
I know that's why I like them- to express my effemenity- and in a politically correct world, to express a politically incorrect vulnerability, frailty, delicacy, etc. that is part of my personality
-though the fact that high heels make my big feet look shorter doesnt hurt either
stilettogirl84 said:I know that's why I like them- to express my feminnity- and in a politically correct world, to express a politically incorrect vulnerability, frailty, delicacy, etc. that is part of my personality
>>>> sums it up for me!
-though the fact that high heels make my big feet look shorter doesnt hurt either
>>>> takes care of an unavoidable issue here (for me too. sz40 or even 40.5 feet)
I really don't think there's any more to be said on this issue. Time now to proceed to the next shoe conundrum, folks...
deedee49, this is not a court of law - you will find you can't cut off the discussion quite so easily.
ETA: That came off harsher than it was meant. It's just that YOU may be done with the topic, but I believe it has already gained a life of its own.
ETA: That came off harsher than it was meant. It's just that YOU may be done with the topic, but I believe it has already gained a life of its own.
Last edited by a moderator:
Emery >> it may have gained a life of its own but I do not feel that I have anything further to contribute to it. I have said my say on what is, after all, to me a digression although a diverting one. From here on it's really not for an "outsider," as perforce I must be. You are surely free to pursue "the life of its own," I hope you have a fun time doing so.
This does not mean I do not count YOU as a friend; I do; it does mean, though, that I feel quite at a loss to discuss this topic further in any kind of helpful way. I do look fwd to many discussions with you (and Benno maybe) in other threads here at TFS
This does not mean I do not count YOU as a friend; I do; it does mean, though, that I feel quite at a loss to discuss this topic further in any kind of helpful way. I do look fwd to many discussions with you (and Benno maybe) in other threads here at TFS
Thanks to all who have contributed to "grounding" the social aspects of this issue.
I would like to see this thread explore all the style variations of color, jewelry and accessories, hair, heel height and width, etc. that would inevitably evolve if fashion were to change so that men wearing heels was more commonplace folowing the foundation set by benno's and deedee's exchange. I like to see what it looks like, so I'm including pics of some experimentation from a few years ago. Hopefully others will contribute, too.
As for posting on other threads deedee, I'm on your heels.
I would like to see this thread explore all the style variations of color, jewelry and accessories, hair, heel height and width, etc. that would inevitably evolve if fashion were to change so that men wearing heels was more commonplace folowing the foundation set by benno's and deedee's exchange. I like to see what it looks like, so I'm including pics of some experimentation from a few years ago. Hopefully others will contribute, too.
As for posting on other threads deedee, I'm on your heels.
Attachments
Last edited by a moderator:
stilettogirl84
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
- Messages
- 4,776
- Reaction score
- 0
^ have to say the dress and beard kind of freaks me out...
Benher said:Thanks to all who have contributed to "grounding" the social aspects of this issue.
I would like to see this thread explore all the style variations of color, jewelry and accessories, hair, heel height and width, etc. that would inevitably evolve if fashion were to change so that men wearing heels was more commonplace folowing the foundation set by benno's and deedee's exchange. I like to see what it looks like, so I'm including pics of some experimentation from a few years ago. Hopefully others will contribute, too.
As for posting on other threads deedee, I'm on your heels.
OK these pics are just
Especially the carnival attire and the wedges/pink suit/hairy legs combo
What has the world come to...
In reference to heels, i can think about anything else than david brent in the office trying to look young, when he puts his heels on the table. "thats a ....they're heels" says the guest
"you can still find them" says brent. Nor really too relevant, but heels on men , nooooo
"you can still find them" says brent. Nor really too relevant, but heels on men , nooooo
