Heels and stairs

[bill1962]

Today I was behind a co-worker on the stairs. She had on a pair of 3 1/2 or so heels and was having some difficulty in walking up the stairs. I thought to myself, goodness I walk better in heels than she does.

Good thing it was an inside-the-head voice.

Bad Tiffany.

[Sara Jessica]

Did it ever occur to you that spending quality time in the real world in heels might give you some insight as to how her feet may have been feeling at that moment? Perhaps the walk from her car was longer than expected? Maybe taking the stairs was her last straw?

Regardless, I doubt that a man's opinion that he perceives he can walk in heels better than her ever would cross her mind. This is not the stuff that defines femininity although competition about the silliest things seems to be a hallmark of masculinity.

[Beverley Sims]

I have had similar thoughts about other skills I have "mastered" over a period of time.

[bill1962]

>>Did it ever occur to you that spending quality time in the real world in heels might give you some insight as to how her feet may have been feeling at that moment? << I do spend quality time in the real-world in heels.

[AllieSF]

Funny, but going up the stairs is the easiest for me because I always step on the front sole part and the heel never really hits the step until the last one. Now, going down the stairs I generally have the full foot/shoe simultaneously hitting the step at the same time. I am definitely more cautious going down, and at my advanced age that is also with or without heels!

[Maria 60]

I also thought I walked good in heels, not realizing that I only walked in the house on hardwood floors. What a surprise the first time I stepped out of my car and took one step on ashfalt, and fell straight on my face.

[MelanieAnne]

I've often seen women walking hunched over in heels like they never wore them before. Especially at weddings, when they have to dress up, and maybe don't dress up much. I guess maybe we try harder.:heehee:

[lingerieLiz]

We all have things to learn. I do know several women that are not accomplished at wearing heels. They didn't wear them much growing up or as young women they had jobs where they didn't or couldn't wear heals.

[Cheryl T]

Stairs can be the trickiest in heels. It depends on the width of the tread.
Sometimes the only way is to turn your heels sideways as they don't fit on the tread fully otherwise and can not only be tricky, but dangerous.
Stairs are a definite skill activity in heels. Sure anyone can do it, but can you do it gracefully??

[charlenesomeone]

Stilettos can be tough, I'm still learning. I like wedges better, same height and easier if you miss step some.
Some are really cute too.

[Tina B.]

Just got my first pair of 4" heels, learning to walk all over again, and I've worn heels for 50+ years, just never so tall.
getting around the house has been a challenge, wouldn't even want to try stairs in them yet.
If you watch, many younger women are not good at heels, due to a lack of practice. Since dressing up has diminished in our society to weddings and an occasional night out. They just don't get enough practice.
Around here I see them going in and out of churches in casual pants and flats, even jeans and tennis shoes. No mean to sound like an old foggy, but in my day, girls dressed up for church at least once a week, also going out to dinner, and things of that nature where much more formal than today.
Just be glad there are enough women still wearing heels and pretty dresses to keep the manufactures in business. Or we wouldn't have the practice we get at it.

[Paula Siemen]

I live in a three story house and every time I dress I have to deal with the stairs. Its still always tricky. If you think going up stairs is hard.......try going down......OMG

[Krisi]

I have seen women walk awkwardly in heels and I remember watching a woman run down a long running escalator in an upscale mall in heels (I suspect she worked there and was in a hurry).

I don't think it's all that important and I wouldn't judge people on it except to say that the one running down the escalator was very impressive.

[Teresa]

Bill,
Sometimes you see this on TV and think I can walk as good as that !
Part of it is possibly because we have stronger leg muscles, that aids our balance !
My wife has just outed some lovely heels, saying she can't walk in them any more !
The biggest challenge I have on the stairs is wearing heels when using the Dyson ! Most women wouldn't attempt that one ! Only one stupid CDer !!

[Jenniferathome]

... I thought to myself, goodness I walk better in heels than she does....

Without seeing either of you, here's what I know: you don't walk better than her in heels. In your head you might, but not in life. Perception of self in such things is always over rated.

[Melissa Rose]

Our self image and what others see are often not exactly the same. I have met some CDs who thought they had the sexy girl walk mastered and they actually looked utterly ridiculous.

I work in an office of almost exclusively women. Most rarely wear heels, but it is not an unusual occurrence. We are more interested in not tripping, not falling down the stairs and not dropping what we are carrying. Looking good or being graceful (being ladylike, if you prefer) is secondary especially when carrying stuff. When you have to worry about it all day, not falling trumps style and grace. A few colleagues wear heels a few times a year and they are grab onto the handrails and take tentative steps due to lack of practice. Some stairs are more difficult to use due to their spacing and materials.

I keep a pair of flats in my office for the days I wear heels and unexpectedly have to do a lot of walking or spending time on my feet. I plan my heel days for those when I expect to be mostly at my desk. If I have to use the stairs, I use one particular flight because it is the easiest one to navigate. At the end of the day when I am tired and my feet are tired and maybe a little sore, I am more interested in getting to my car then looking good doing it.

[docrobbysherry]

First off, I'm talking about 4" to 5" spike heels here. Because any other shape of heeled shoe or boot is no problem for me on stairs.

And, going up is no problem. As Allie mentioned, down is the issue. And, doing it with grace, as Cheryl explained, isn't easy.

My biggest concern is descending the stairs in my home. I come down from my bedroom dressed ready to go out. But, the stairs r covered in berber carpeting! Twice I have had my spike heels snag in it going down. While the railings saved me from dangerous falls, the heels of the snagged shoes broke off. I now go down very slowly and carefully when wearing spikes!

[Krisi]

Have you considered putting your heels on after you've come down the stairs?

[mariehart]

Have you considered putting your heels on after you've come down the stairs?Not practical when they're boots. Had to do it tonight. Reminds me why I prefer flats or wedges.

[suchacutie]

I would like to suggest that many women walk in heels as little as they can, whereas we can't get enough of them! So yes, at our best we are darned good at walking in heels, and those women who walk in heels all the time could out run us easily!

Apples and oranges :)

[wiwaw]

I have many thoughts when I see women walking in heels. Usually I just wish I was them but after I get over that I watch and try to see if she is doing something I should. I have once thought I could walk that good but then remember it would only last for a few minutes and that I could not pull it off all day.

[Ceera]

Without seeing either of you, here's what I know: you don't walk better than her in heels. In your head you might, but not in life. Perception of self in such things is always over rated.Depends a lot on which genetic girls you compare us to. A surprisingly large number of them these days have very little practice wearing heels higher than an inch and a half.

I've been cross dressing less than a year, but I have practiced wearing my 3.5 inch and 4 inch heels a lot - wearing them around the house and wearing them any time I go out to the nightclub I like to frequent. I'll admit that the first few times out while walking across uneven paving in parking lots or on patios, I was a bit wobbly. But I kept at it, and tried to dance and do any otehr activities I felt like and not to have the shoes get in my way. I have strong ankles, a good sense of balance, and I've been trained in martial arts, which teaches a lot about keeping balanced no matter how you move. In the past two months, after several months of practice in heels, I have had no less than three different genetic girls say to me that they are quite certain that I walk, dance and even run in heels better than they can. And these girls were approaching me on their own to make that comment - I wasn't even trying to chat them up.

[Janine cd]

I've had similar experiences with heels. Walking up stairs is not a real challenge. The real challenge is walking back down. The steps in our house are really not deep enough for long and wide heels. I'm always careful to hold on to the stair rail when descending.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Bill, Stairs can be tricky especially if the treads are short.

[MissTee]

I have learned a lot about navigating in heels by watching the GGs. Even how to fall with grace :o

[Charlette-Rose]

going up the stairs is the easiest for me because I always step on the front sole part and the heel never really hits the step until the last one.
Same here and my GG freinds always say I'm going to kill myself doing it that way, but I don't want to go scuffing my toes now do I? Going DOWN the stairs using all of your foot makes 100% more sense! Imagine trying to walk on just the heels! Yeah, good way to avoid a broken....everything!

[Karen62]

When I see GGs have trouble in heels, I also wonder if the shoes are cheaply made, have slippery insoles or bottom soles, and perhaps are not sized correctly, so they do not effectively grip the heels of their feet (which cause the feet to slide around or possibly start to drop off as they step forward). Walking in heels is a huge balancing act of constantly monitoring your balance, feeling if the shoes are holding in place, and watching the ground on which you walk for obstacles or slippery surfaces (not to mention possible foot pain!.

I think the lack of practice of heel-wearing with many women today (and often the lack of passion for heels that we here commonly have) all contribute to these episodes. And that said, the fact that they aren't falling down like bowling pins with each step is a tribute to their natural grace (something I wish I had). I can go up to 3" but no more, as the ball of my foot hurts too much, and the giant platform FrankenHeels that are so common today are just scary (and, to me, just a tiny bit funny -- I always imagine that those platform heels would have been the shoes Herman Munster would have worn when he crossdressed! Yeah, I'm old enough to make a Munsters reference).

[flatlander_48]

Stilettos can be tough, I'm still learning. I like wedges better, same height and easier if you miss step some.
Some are really cute too.

Agreed. Most of my shoes are wedges. However, if you high-center on a rock (even a small one), wedges can be worse than stilettos...

[Michelle55]

Keep in mind when comparing heel height that the shoe size makes a BIG difference. If you are wearing a size 10 with a 4 inch heel, it is probably just as much a challenge for someone else wearing a size 7 and a 3 inch heel.

[Jonithan]

I'm ok with the up part. It's the going down stairs that gets me. I feel like Elijah Price (Unbreakable) at the top of the subway station's stairs.

Don't get me wrong though, I love my heels. Without them I couldn't reach many things in the cupboards....

Joni

[Gypsy Sam]

Competition about the silliest things occurs in both genders. Who is the fairest of them all? Occurs to every female from pre-school till death. Want to know information about a certain female? Ask one of her female associates.

[chris80]

going up is easy. coming downstairs in heels it is more easy to miss the edge of the step

[immike]

I make it a point to practice walking in heels every day,all over my house? I originally started by wearing Mother's heels&her clothes,as a younger guy,until I got
my own home&was able to order online

[Eryn]

One thing to remember is that many (most?) GGs are not as heel-obsessed as we are. They recognize that navigating "effortlessly" on stilettos calls for a high level of skill and work and they will be just as uncomfortable as they look fabulous. For that reason, many choose to wear more sensible shoes most of the time and pull out their spikes for special occasions only, if at all.

I find myself leaning the same way myself. I have several pairs of 3" strappy sandals and pumps but if I do wear them it is from the valet into the restaurant and back to the valet. If there is much more walking to be done I go to chunkier heels or wedges. If I'm going to be walking a lot, like a mall shopping trip, the wedges drop to 2" or less or I go with cute flats. At 5'14" I don't need the height but I do like the style.

I do try to practice in the higher heels occasionally and find that I can go back and forth without too much adjustment. Still, for CDer or GG, the proper gait in heels is slow and graceful.