Hidden Heels

sscotty727 · 1st October 2003, 19:55

I am not sure if this topic should be here or in the high heel section as I am not sure if it already exists or something that can be easily made.

My question is: If say I wanted to wear a 3" or 4" heel to work but didn't have the courage to wear such a heel openly, would it be possible to say take an average looking man's boot but make the inside of the boot be a 3" or 4" heel? In other words, the toe would be filled in but longer, the heel would be solid (like say a platform) but inside your foot would be raised to the angle offered by a 3" or 4" heel? I could have sworn I came across something like this on the internet once, but can't find reference to it.

My questions are:

1) Does it exist, if so where could you get such a shoe?
2) If it doesn't exist, would it be farily easy to make such a shoe?
3) And lastly, if it could be made, how easy would it be to walk in such a shoe?

Thanks,

Scotty

Ionic · 1st October 2003, 20:50

scotty, see Highluc's web site and in particular this page http://highluc.net/hidden_heels.htm
where you will see some hidden heel examples. I guess he will have more advice on the matter.

/I

sscotty727 · 1st October 2003, 21:06

Its funny, I just happened upon his website after I posted my message and before you gave me the link, must be on the same wavelength or something. I will definitely have to ask him since I would love to wear a higher heel at work but can't risk it with working at a government site representing a large consulting company.

Thanks for the information!

Scotty

Highluc · 1st October 2003, 23:24

I already answered in a personal mail but for all the other interested ones, hidden heels can be purchased directly in the usa from http://www.elevatorshoes.com/ and Europeans can find local dealers (including in UK by hitting the country flags on http://www.bertulli.com/
For people with a UK size 7-1/2, Us male 8-1/2 or fem 10B, Euro size 41 you can always buy my hidden heeled shoes second hand because I hardly wear them anymore after my separation from my ex and probably will sell all of them within the next year. I now prefer real nice looking heels on my feet. Check out my website http:// highluc.net and if interested feel free to contact me about any shoes I have.[/url]

Dr. Shoe · 1st October 2003, 23:42

Whilst at college I had the idea for a cowboy boot with an outer heel of 1.5" and an internal heel of 4" giving a total of 5.5".

To make it, you would get a last with the 5.5" pitch, prepare the insole in the normal way. Next you would make a wedge and carve it to the shape of a 1.5" last and stick to the bottom and use the whole lot to make a pattern in the conventional way. Next take the insole off and make the lining patterns using the original 5.5" last.

Stitch the upper and the lining together as usual.

Take the wedge off and re-attach the insole and last the lining then re-attache the wedge and last the upper. Finnish with sole and heel.

sscotty727 · 2nd October 2003, 02:28

While I haven't found anything that eliquant, I did find something that is pretty functional. I was able to add up to 2 inches to my 2 inch JC Penny's heels, and I can take it anywhere from just 1 inch, 1 1/2 inch and 2 inches higher. This gives me a 3" to a 4" heel total while the shoe looks like a 2" heel. The trick was to go out and get some Dr Scholls items. I first start off with a layer of Gel Heel Pads. I then add 1 to 3 layers of Work Heel Pads (they are wedge shaped), and then to top if off and make it feel comfortable, I put a Tri Comfort pad (looks like another internal sole except it also has a little bit of a heel). I walked all over the stores and they felt amazingly comfortable, but I could feel the increased angle. The nice thing is they are removable so I can move it from shoe to shoe. I took my 1inch "normal" shoe, added the pads and took them up to a 3inch heel without looking like anything was different externally. I tried them in my 3 inch buckle heels and they went up to a nice 5 inch heel and I could instantly feel the difference in the angle. This very well could work for me to get the effect of an increased heel while allowing myself and my wife to get used to me wearing higher heels. I would love to get heels made eventually like Dr Shoe mentioned though. Do you ever consider making them for paying customers?

Thanks,

Scotty

Heelfan · 2nd October 2003, 03:33

This "Hidden Heel" talk reminds me of my young teens. I ventured out on my first street-heeling expedition when I was only 12, 'borrowing' my mother's 2" stacked heels. I was very excited but very terrified! By 13, to get the heel-feel without the embarrassment, I used to stuff tightly-folded newpaper into the backs of my trainers (then we called them 'plimsolls') to create home-made 'elevator shoes' or 'lifts'. One day when I was down at the shops, I bumped into my mother. Although no-one could see my 'lifts', I was terrified that my mother would notice than I was suddenly 3" taller! However, she didn't, so I carried on wearing my hidden heels. Later again, in my late teens, I bought a pair of black, lace-up'elevator shoes' from a specialist shop in London.

However, although hidden heels gave me the 'heel-feel', I found that they didn't give anything like the buzz of wearing real heels in real situations.
Like Highluc, I abandonned hidden heels in favour of REAL heels, but in my case, many years ago. I am now in my late fifties, but I still remember my first street-heeling moment and the subsequent newspaper-wadge 'lifts' as clearly as yesterday. It has all been great fun, and still is!

Cheerfully yours, Heelfan

sscotty727 · 2nd October 2003, 03:46

Hey HeelFan,

Great story. Actually though, the "hidden heel" is more for me to wear at work where I am not comfortable wearing real heels (given my working environment). In public though I am still wearing my higher heels with long pants though. Someday I am sure I will start showing off more, but that is something I don't think I can ever do at work, atleast with my current job. This gives me an outlet though. If it helps any other shy guys though, that is great!

Scotty

Ionic · 6th October 2003, 17:11

Someone put a web link to a street heeling photo album yesterday which wasn't terribly exciting but the advert boxes all round the edge were quite useful. One was to this site "Shoelifts.com".

http://shoe-lifts.com/

They come in half inch steps for men and women all the way up to heights that I don't really understand how one could use. At least it saves having to make your own if you are not very good at DIY.

Certainly a handful of half and one inch ones could be handy for fine tuning various shoes and boots. For international, sales people might be able to club together for an order across the Atlantic.

/I

sscotty727 · 7th October 2003, 03:36

Actually I found these heel cushions at the local store. I found that by "stacking" 2-4 together, it comfortably lifts my heel to give me a higher heel without the shoe being tight. I've been wearing them to work for days now and they feel great and are alot less expensive than the shoe lifts.

Scotty