Heels?

[JayceeTG]

I haven't really been that interested in Heels but I have been thinking about it lately and I went to a TG site that sells clothes and heels and all that and I was curious what is a good kind of heel for a gal that has never wore heels before and I heard that when you are picking out heels that your size should be like 2 sizes above what your regular size is so my heel size should be 13 because I am a size 11 1/2? Any insight would be great.

I just look at the way heels look and they look like they would hurt the feet and plus I am not sure how often I would wear them since I have carpet in my house and most likely not going out and about for awhile in public.

[LizK]

Start low and work you way up...I can walk in heels...at least to he kitchen to get a coffee ...well maybe a bit better than that but I started with "kitten Heels" and can now manage a 2-3 inch heel ok. I must say I don't choose those kinds of shoes very often but I do like the way they make my calves look.

Liz

[Kitty June]

I haven't really been that interested in Heels but I have been thinking about it lately and I went to a TG site that sells clothes and heels and all that and I was curious what is a good kind of heel for a gal that has never wore heels before and I heard that when you are picking out heels that your size should be like 2 sizes above what your regular size is so my heel size should be 13 because I am a size 11 1/2? Any insight would be great.

I just look at the way heels look and they look like they would hurt the feet and plus I am not sure how often I would wear them since I have carpet in my house and most likely not going out and about for awhile in public.

I'm not sure if you mean converting men's to woman's sizes. If do you can probably find a chart online.
I'd start with a wide 2-3" heal. Practice in your house and keep your weight on the balls of your feet. Oh, short steps. Most heals don't have much traction and if you take large steps you'll be trying to recover from the split you just attempted.
On a weird side note. I've always had an odd walk. Feet pointed out, but the first time I tried heels, my walk became normal. Apparently I over compensated for a girly walk when I was young. Hmmm....
Anyway, if you can try things on it would be best. I have an awesome pair of boots from Payless that are an 8 1/2, a size 9 sneaker and another boot in 9 1/2.

[Kitty June]

Actually, here's a link for conversion
http://www.csgnetwork.com/shoe_size_converter.html

[warlockmaker]

With high heels you will find you need a smaller shoes cos the high heel pushes your toes to the end of the shoe. Also if its too loose the heel will constantly pop pop out of the shoe and you cannot walk. I suggest straps with your first heels. Also start with 2.5 inches or use wedged heels.

Plus, quality heels are well worth the money cos cheap ones will cause you pain after wearing for a short while.

[sarah1972]

I do love heels and pretty much have anything from 1 inch up to 6 inches. I started with 4 and 5 inch heels and it took a long time to get used to them. Now I am much preferring 2 - 3 inches and I can pretty much wear them an entire day.

As others have said - start on the lower end might be better and work your way up. Also block heels provide a much better stability than pointed heels. Last I want to say that the comfort level greatly depends on the maker of your heels.
Also do not overdo wearing them in the beginning. I started with 30 minutes mostly sitting down...

Now for the added challenge: pointy heels on soft grass...

[JayceeTG]

Sounds to me that they are a pain in the butt lol. I am mostly a boots type of person but I would love to get something femme when wearing certain outfits, like when I am wearing my skirt and top I think I would just look stupid in my boots or if I wear a dress and etc and have a pair of boots on, lol. I just need to find another lady to help me get sissified and I am good but that is really hard here in Montana lol

[Dena]

The right boots can go quite will with a dress or a skirt. I had a pair of lose fitting, flat rough out boot that I loved and they went well in the winter. It was a sad day when they needed to be discarded because of wear. Unfortunately I haven't had a place to wear a skirt in a long time so I can't justify buying another pair.

[Rhonda Lynn]

Knee high boots with a little bit of a heel paired with a fairly simple dress is one of my go to outfits this time of year. Just love it.

With regard to pumps, what Sarah said is true. You will want to invest in quality. A cheap pump is an instrument of torture in a very short period of time. I personally look for heels less of less than 3 inches.

[judithlynn]

I love Loubutin 120mm heels:-
See:http://asia.christianlouboutin.com/au_en/shop/women/so-kate-13.html

Just gorgeous. and only $945
Judith

[FionaM]

Sounds to me that they are a pain in the butt lol.

Oh, but they do such wonders FOR your butt..... 

I think the height is not as important as the cross sectional area.  A pair of blocky heels four inches high are easer than stilettos three inches high. Think chunky heels, or wedges, or maybe a blade instead of stilettos. At least for your first pair. They won't be your last.....

Careful on stairs, especially going down. Slow, steady, and short steps.  And a good fitting pair does not have to hurt. 

[Mickey58]

I tried my first pair of heels when I was 12, and I loved them! They were my Mom's and a bit big, but with a 3 inch heel, I was amazed I had no problems walking in them. I've prgressed over the years up to 5 inch heels, and my friends still want to see me walk in them. Most don't know what to think of it. I just tell them it came "naturally" to me. And that statement leads to other topics of discussion. It makes coming out a whole lot easier. And it also sort of cushions the impact of some news that nearly knocked my socks off. But that's for another post.

[Bridget]

I just received my 3rd pair of heels in the mail today and will be wearing them out for New Years Eve.This pair actually fits LOL.They are a Black patent leather shoe with a 2 inch heal.This is my first pair that is not a wide heel.I tried them on  just now and they look great.

[staciM]

There are some downloadable and printable foot templates that can help with sizing, also since you have a size on the "larger" end you may want to see if you need a wide fitment as well.  The template will help with that.

[Raell]

You may think heels are wonderful but no cis woman I have even known voluntarily wears them..the moment they can, they kick them off and put on comfortable shoes.

I have lived as a woman all my life, and just recently found out I'm partial transmale, but the only heels I owned, for formal occasions and dancing, were low and wide, to cause as little pain as possible.

Studies show that heels can cause permanent foot damage if worn too long, and women have even begun taking legal action against establishments that force their female employees to wear heels as part of their work outfits.

One establishment, as punishment, had to make their male staff wear heels during a shift to see how THEY liked it, and after eight hours of torture, no women were forced to wear heels again!

[Anne Blake]

I just love my heels; there must be 10 to 15 pair in my closet between wedge sandals to fancy time pumps. I do have a couple of pairs of flats for days around the house but most of the time that I am out and about it is in some form of heels. I have even done hikes in the short mountains in the snow in my 2" knee high boots....yes, I am a crazy old lady!

A few tips that I have identified:

Payless is my most common go to store. They stock a limited range of shoes up to size 13 and because of their extended size range they are quite used to trans women customers both dressed and drab. I have never been made to feel uncomfortable in their stores. They have a wider selection online and offer free shipping to any of their brick and mortar stores. You can get them shipped to the store, try them on for size and either buy them or not with no problems. Our local store has customers ordering a given shoe style in several sizes to choose the best fit.

As mentioned in earlier posts, shorter blocky heels are easiest to gain control of. Something like a wedge sandal is a good starter style to master if the weather allows. I have three pair of wedge sandals that I live in during the summer months. Winter boots with blockier heals or even narrow heels were the next easiest style. The height of the boot stabilizes the attachment and is not so tipsy. But at some point you will just have to try some spikey pumps. I find that rounded toed pumps are much easier on my feet than their pointy sisters, each to their own.  I have found that a comfortable 3" to 4" round toed pump really sets a good feeling for heading out for a fancy night on the town. But I have to admit that at 68 years old, I can no longer dance the night away.

Whatever you do, enjoy... - Anne

[aaajjj55]

Start low and work up to a higher heel is of course the advice but, let's face it as Anne said above, at some stage you will just have to try some spiky pumps!  I've just succumbed and I'd forgotten just how good it feels to slip nylon clad feet into a pair of stilettos and then admire what they do to the shape of your legs in the mirror.  Heaven!

[Donna]

Be proud of yourself and go to a store that sells women's shoes in larger sizes. Nine West has been good to me about helping me find good women's shoes that are comfortable and easy to walk with. Unfortunately Nine West has fewer locations in my area than they used to. The big name player is Nordstrom. They are super, super helpful and the women's shoes sales people, be they men or women, do not care if you come in and try on shoes in full femme outfit or in total men's clothes. Nordstrom shoe sales people really care and will help you. They will help you get the best fit.
I have heels of various heights, and some are very easy to walk in and some are rather clumsy. Actually I think the high heels with the larger base heel that is not sculpted out is actually harder to walk in than a pump with a high but thinner heel if the heel is sculpted or slanted slightly from your own heel down to the ground. This promotes more of a natural gait as you walk. Keep in mind that you should indeed focus your walking more using the balls of your feet than the heel. How else can female dancers look so elegant on higher heels? - They do not plant their feet first on the heel as they walk, they instead gracefully incorporate the forefoot more athletically, elegantly, and gracefully.
I am 5'10" to 5'11" and in the proper high heels I imagine myself as Ginger Rogers. OK, I imagine.

[Anne Blake]

I am curious about Donna's comment  around stride. When in any type of heels I most often walk with my heel striking first followed by toe. Walking toe first then heel has always felt awkward. What do the rest of you do?

Anne

[zirconia]

Hi, Anne

If it's of any help, and speaking just for myself, I've since early childhood always walked on the balls of my feet regardless of the footwear I may be using. That's not to say the heel never touches the ground—the weight just always stays mainly on the ball of the foot. When walking barefoot my heels don't touch the ground at all. It just feels more naturally balanced than placing weight on the heels.