24 replies to this topic

[City Girl]

I just finished watching Sex and the City and feeling somewhat (actually rather) depressed by the stacks and stacks of boxed heels sitting in closet. I'm sure I have more money invested in shoes than I do in my retirement fund. I often open my closet door and say, "Hang in there girls, I'll be back soon..."

Being the girliest of girlie-girls, I got real tired of 'the sporty look' pretty quickly. It's ok for the gym/physio, but it's summer and I was dying to put on a dress, a big brimmed hat, designer sunglasses AND A PAIR OF HEELS! So I went on a shopping spree to hunt for some kind of heel I could walk in. I found a black leather strappy wedge, a mere 2.5 inches (nothing compared to the 4-6 inchers I used to run around in), that I can stand in but it's just not working for walking so I'm in a 'cute' (spoken with sarcasm) little flat. I'm tolerating it for this summer but I desperately want to be back in heels by next summer.

I don't care if I never run again. I'd even be willing to negotiate away other functions just to walk in heels again.

Has anyone made it?

Oh, I can walk in my chunky heeled boots that I wear with pant suits at the office through the winter...but it's not the same as a mule or a strappy stiletto.

[cate]

Hi City Girl. How my daughter would agree with you. She misses her heels so much and any pretty shoe in fact.
However she gets dressed up for an occassion it just never feels that good to her, and her house has shoes with heels by the barrow load, hoping that one day, she can wear them. but I am sure she knows, just keep hopeing and dreaming.
Cate

[dom]

Hi girls,stilletoes i must admit are sexy on women and must make you 'feel' womanly keep going for it are there any designers out there? i bet they would make a bundle!

[Hapahowlee]

Hey City Girl,

Why don't you design something and make a bundle?

I am AB and married to a C5,6,7 so I can't really relate to not being able to walk in heels, but I love my stilettos. I used to dress up for work and wore stilettos practically everyday for about 20 years and when I moved to AZ I took a 6 year break, which I'm still on, but plan to start working again. During these past 6 years, all 72 pairs of shoes have been on display in my closet. I don't really go out to places where I would use them. Everyone where we live dresses in shorts and sandals. I just hope when I put them back on, I can walk. Maybe it's like riding a bike. I used to be able to run in my 6 inchers too.

Good luck and keep working at it.

[jetski]

Hello City Girl, again. Its me, the Canadian Red Neck.

I want to chime in on what you have written. All of us sci's, should have a dream that is formed from memories that we can cling to. Never let anyone take your dream from you.

I am not the greatest example, but at first I was completely paralized. Before that I had worked with my hands and created things for 35 years. My dream was to build a wood working shop and one day return to building things with my hands, even though they no longer worked. I bought the equipment, built my shop, and at present I can walk around in the shop and turn the equipment on, but thats about all. I also spend time there dusting off the power tools, and all the while I keep believing that one day I will once again return to creating things with my hands. I am at present half way there.

From the movie, "Uncommon Valor", the character Sailor said, "Man, don't ever quit".
Bill of Illinois

[chickadee]

Good to see I'm not the only one missing her heels! I gave my pair of espadrille wedges to my sister (who wanted ALL of my shoes, grrrrr), and that make me sad. I won't ever give up my Italian 'F-me' stilettos - 4" with red soles, little peep-toe in the front! Or my leather boots... or my cowboy boots... or my...

Hmmm... I should cut myself off here and go try them on. I can still wear them... while I'm sitting on the couch watching TV!

[meadow]

On crutches i have to wear high top converse, for the ankle support, if not i have to wear my braces. -.-
So flats or heals, even in my wheelchair i cant get them to stay on, or my toes to straighten. :[

[Texas Angel Ang]

dom, on Jun 29 2008, 08:42 AM, said:

Hi girls,stilletoes i must admit are sexy on women and must make you 'feel' womanly keep going for it are there any designers out there? i bet they would make a bundle!

I'm still working on the heel department for my line... any suggestions would be great!

[chickadee]

Texas Angel Ang, on Aug 13 2009, 02:24 PM, said:

dom, on Jun 29 2008, 08:42 AM, said:

Hi girls,stilletoes i must admit are sexy on women and must make you 'feel' womanly keep going for it are there any designers out there? i bet they would make a bundle!

I'm still working on the heel department for my line... any suggestions would be great!

I personally would love a pair of wedge-style zip-up boots. Not too high of a wedge... just a little. I'm prepping my wardrobe for winter, and have a thing for boots. Plus, I don't have to wear my brace with my stiff Italian leather ones - even better.

I've seen your items on your website, Texas Angel - I love them! I really like the fabrics - so sumptuous!

[Texas Angel Ang]

chickadee, on Aug 13 2009, 03:09 PM, said:

Texas Angel Ang, on Aug 13 2009, 02:24 PM, said:

dom, on Jun 29 2008, 08:42 AM, said:

Hi girls,stilletoes i must admit are sexy on women and must make you 'feel' womanly keep going for it are there any designers out there? i bet they would make a bundle!

I'm still working on the heel department for my line... any suggestions would be great!

I personally would love a pair of wedge-style zip-up boots. Not too high of a wedge... just a little. I'm prepping my wardrobe for winter, and have a thing for boots. Plus, I don't have to wear my brace with my stiff Italian leather ones - even better.

I've seen your items on your website, Texas Angel - I love them! I really like the fabrics - so sumptuous!

I love boots... of course I had a high in step before my injury and now putting them on this even worse. But I have found the zipper boots are a lot easier!

Thank you so much... that's not even the complete fall line yet... it's just a sneak peek!

[chickadee]

Quote

I love boots... of course I had a high in step before my injury and now putting them on this even worse. But I have found the zipper boots are a lot easier!

Thank you so much... that's not even the complete fall line yet... it's just a sneak peek!

I have a flat-as-a-pancake foot, so I've always needed something with just a bit of heel. Before my injury, I put heel inserts in my sneakers, just to give them some slight oomph. Now? Well, I dunno... still experimenting, I guess. Besides, if you were here in Minnesota today, you would agree that boots are way too hot. Ugh, I'm not much for warm weather.

eta: Also, would you happen to know any of my other questions in another topic? It's about what fabrics/styles work well? I'm hoping a fashion maven such as yourself would be able to help. Project Runway (and etc) is helpful for inspiration... but really? Ummm, no, that wouldn't fly in Minnesota. I've always been rather fashion forward (for Minneapolis standards), and it's distressing me to wear stuff that I don't feel 'right' in.

Edited by chickadee, 14 August 2009 - 12:50 AM.

[bobbylricci]

hello. my name is bobby ricci. i am currently an industrial design student at the university of Illinois urbana champaign. I am currently working on a project similar to your topic. I had made a heel that would adapt to a modified foot plate. I included a link to more images of where the project is know. Please just let me know what you think. I know this post is pretty old, but i was just hoping for any feedback at all. thank you so much for your time.

http://www.flickr.co...in/photostream/

Attached Thumbnails

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[pinkcloud]

Hi

I too was part of the high heeled shoe gang. I loved them. Clink-edy clink as I walked in me 6 inch heels.....

Flats it is now, lucky I have some sexy funky flats, red patent leather, pink, green.....all open toes - as me toes are now part of the 'river dance spasm attack gang'. So I concentrate on very elegant toe nail polish and the designs are out of this world...I have black and white snow leopard print toe nails - google 'minx' nail varnish, you will see what I mean.

I tended to get lots of compliments about me high heeled shoes - imagine me delight now I get even more attention for me nails and super soft skin on me heels and shoes. Even when me toes a rigid (and trust me I can tell if they were more interested in me toe shape, I'm rather observant on this kind of thing PLUS I have had the most genuine compliment - people copying me ) I treat meself to pedicure as I have trouble with neuropathy is me feet and I love it as much as I used to love mountain walking.

Give it a try......you can always leave wearing heels in bed/lounging on the sofa for your partner and say 'are you special or what? I only dress me feet up like this for you.......well its not exactly untrue

Edited by pinkcloud, 18 April 2011 - 04:35 PM.

[pinkcloud]

[quote name='bobbylricci' timestamp='1303143472' post='221749']
hello. my name is bobby ricci. i am currently an industrial design student at the university of Illinois urbana champaign. I am currently working on a project similar to your topic. I had made a heel that would adapt to a modified foot plate. I included a link to more images of where the project is know. Please just let me know what you think. I know this post is pretty old, but i was just hoping for any feedback at all. thank you so much for your time.


Its kind of lady gaga-ish and if she can make a wheelchair and walking on crutches look cool......

I personally think that these can not be compared to heels. But if they were fashionable to AB ladies - then yes they would be fashionable to us.

Also its the drop of the foot position that causes us the trouble, as its a most un-nstural position for our spine to be in. - not the 'unable to walk on a pointed heel' thats the main troble. Also heels are feminine and dainty, and make our calfs look better - its not the 'height' part we are really interested in. I for one am 5 foot and like being small.

Thanks for trying, this is a real cool idea, just a few more tweeks and I for one am most grateful to you. Thanks for helping us sci feel 'cool and fashionable'. You really are onto something great here....just a bit more investigation needed with us sci's and your'll get there

[LeahC]

I wear heels all the time but I am always in my chair as I can't walk at all. To keep them on I use

http://www.danceshoe...traps-157-p.asp

[bobbylricci]

thanks for the feedback. (I was so nervous to post!) What i tried to focus on in the design was a high heel that was specific to those who use wheelchairs. I wanted to create something that could only be used in conjunction with a footplate. A shoe that could never be walked in. I talked to a girl who uses a wheelchair, and who also wears heels all the time, but they tend to slip off of her foot plate. I thought it would be intriguing to not only stop this from happening, but also to create a unique shoe. My next steps are to bring the design further long, and to try to create a heel that could be walked in, and would also snap into a shape that would fit onto this modified plate setup. Thank you again for the feedback. I'll keep posting as i move forward.

[mellowgator]

hi bobby,

cool shoes. i like it that they will stay on my footplate. do you have the blue ones in an 8m?




mellowgator

[brockit79]

LeahC, on 18 April 2011 - 05:18 PM, said:

I wear heels all the time but I am always in my chair as I can't walk at all. To keep them on I use

http://www.danceshoe...traps-157-p.asp

brilliant! i will get some of these!

[LeahC]

I also have a foot bar not a foot plate x

[brockit79]

LeahC, on 11 July 2011 - 07:44 PM, said:

I also have a foot bar not a foot plate x DSC03423.JPG

looking good! fair play getting your tooties in those. perhaps i wont chuck all of my heels away after all ))))))

[Smileyblue]

I worry too much about contractures in my ankles to wear high heals.. Got rid of them all.. They do look so good though, don't they!

[Trinity]

High heels are not something I would wear all the time but I love having the option when going out and when wearing something dressy
I don't reckon a few hours wear will cause that many problems, I think they make your legs look so much better, they give them a proper shape plus I have too many pairs I can't bare to part with (although I have downsized my collection recently I still have a stupid amount of shoes, it's an addiction)

[Doodle]

I love shoes!!!!! I have a similar kind of foot plate as Leah, but I hook my heel over the back bar, so that they aren't so vulnerable sticking out or close to the ground! My shoe collection has expanded with SCI.... Probably as I have become girlier the older I've got. So Kelly def don't be chucking away your shoes just yet.... Wait until you get your new chair and see which shoes work best on the footplate

[brockit79]

Doodle, on 12 July 2011 - 05:12 PM, said:

I love shoes!!!!! I have a similar kind of foot plate as Leah, but I hook my heel over the back bar, so that they aren't so vulnerable sticking out or close to the ground! My shoe collection has expanded with SCI.... Probably as I have become girlier the older I've got. So Kelly def don't be chucking away your shoes just yet.... Wait until you get your new chair and see which shoes work best on the footplate

The shoes are staying! oww i hear my sister saying lol.....thanks!

[AlaskaOne]

cate, on 29 June 2008 - 12:47 PM, said:

Hi City Girl. How my daughter would agree with you. She misses her heels so much and any pretty shoe in fact.
However she gets dressed up for an occassion it just never feels that good to her, and her house has shoes with heels by the barrow load, hoping that one day, she can wear them. but I am sure she knows, just keep hopeing and dreaming.
Cate

Cate, does your daughter have swelling issues and what do you about it? I would be happy to wear ANY kind of shoe that doesn't have velcro!