It’s very easy when I write about adding height and lifestyle to overly focus on my own situation. I live in the UK, mild and temperate (usually) where there are seasons…
It gets very hot and sunny for a few months in summer (if you are lucky) and very cold and wet and snowy in winter (again, at times). Other times I can get back to the UK from being away and it is incredibly mild, almost warm, in January. Well almost.
I write here about elevators, adding height and lifestyle, but that lifestyle is definitely impacted by temperature and weather. And it’s easy to forget that adding height in, say, Southern California comes with different circumstances to adding the same height in Sweden. It’s nothing drastic but it can make a bit of a difference in both comfort and appearance, and also in fitting in to the current trend. Getting the most from your added height means taking it all into account whether you are buying one pair or planning to try and add pairs to bolster your wardrobe.
I get quite a few e-mails from guys wanting advice on adding height, as in the past I have posted my e-mail address: and today two guys, one from very cold northern Europe and the other from the hotter part of the USA, both asked me very similar questions about adding height. And the answer, having thought it through, is a bit different. Not dramatically so but there are variations useful to understand. Work, age and social life of course are important, but the general issues surrounding where you live also make a difference that’s worth taking into account to get the best out of what you are buying.
I was basically asked by both guys: “When I am out day-to-day, how easy is it to wear the highest elevators (5 to 6 inches, or 12 to 15cm)” – basically, two different guys want to know what it is like wearing the 6” elevators. The fact that they came from such different places just made me stop and think instead of giving my usual broad answer about comfort and asking them: “what are you gonna wear with them?”. I realised it IS going to be a bit different
Recently it seems that GuidoMaggi have introduced a lot of new 6″ and 5″ boots (more sneakers and boot styles) and I think that these are in the guys’ minds as possibles. I totally get it as my own 6” boots are heroic and fab.
Big boots for cold places – ideal!
Now ‘day-to-day’ in places like Scandinavia, much of northern Europe, Canada and parts of the USA is usually varying degrees of cool and temperate. And in some cases, very cold. And this means that the bigger boots are a great plus even for the day time. I went to Norway last week and every single guy was wearing big chunky sneakers or huge boots out and about. Elevator heaven! You can wear 6″ boots to your heart’s content 24/7 and you fit right in. I reckon if they invented 9” elevators you’d get away with them!! If you live in a country like that, then you can pretty much always use (and get used to) the biggest elevators because of the huge weather-driven footwear on show everywhere. OK it gets hotter in summer and of course that’s when many guys not into adding height wear flip flops and other stuff that is thinner. But in countries like that, chunky sneakers and big boots can be worn any time out and about – they never look out of place. The only variation really is when you go from casual to formal.
Here is the ultimate and ideal situation to aim for eventually in a cool country imho. My suggestion for what it’s worth is that if you want to add max height in a cold country for all circumstances, the ultimate ideal is to have three pairs – a 6″ pair of boots, a 5″ pair of sneakers but also a 4″ pair of boots with a thinner sole to add to a suit. Living in the UK I find that this variation suits me although I almost always now wear either my 6″ Hong Kong boots or my 11cm (4.3″) Giant Cougar sneakers. I am not a suit wearer, so do not have a great need for wearing stuff that demands a thinner sole – you cannot easily wear a thick sole with a suit – that style IS in sometimes but it is quite a young look when it is.
And in order, I would do it in exactly the way I have. I bought the all-purpose 4″ boots first (the Ischia model was my first and you can wear them easily with a suit or on a night out with jeans etc), then I bought the 6″ ones and then when the sneakers came along I got them. Maybe if I were to do it today, I would go for the sneakers second, then the 6″ – depending upon how keen you are to get as tall as possible. I was almost desperate!!!
Height in the heat
But let’s take the other guy, this time from the hottest part of the USA. When I asked him a bit more about his current style before answering him, I got what I expected: “I pretty much wear sneakers and shorts, and then long pants at times in the evening”. You only have to look at that summary of his reply to see that his demands are different – I think that day to day his most totally logical option is to first get a pair of the big chunky sneakers that add 11cm or 4.3″. I have now worn mine with shorts and long pants and really it has been revolutionary for me as I had gotten out of the habit of wearing shorts. I used to love wearing shorts but had stopped – adding 6″ in elevators ruled out the shorts! Now I am back in them with my big chunky sneakers and I tell you it is SUPERB.
The hot climate guy’s situation is such that his next step should be a 6″ pair of boots that suit the colour and style of the type of long pants that he might wear. The US is generally more conservative in style than Europe and the UK so pretty much certainly black or brown. And then after that, get a pair of the flatter-soled 4” boots. Much depends upon budget of course.
Temperature affects lifestyle for sure. I have to visit hot countries in the party season for work and I find that although I myself love wearing my big 6” boots and jeans, the reality is that many people there will want to segue between that and shorts/sneakers. And will probably feel more comfortable in the shorts 75% of the time. When you live in northern and colder climates, you just will not WANT to be in shorts 75% of the time so your style develops differently.
Now both these guys ALSO asked me a linked question – about how to cope with going up and down in height in these circumstances if you go for 6” boots. I am going to answer that next time.
If you have a question, you are welcome to ask me pretty much anything – it’s bigrob@guidomaggi.it
