Most of us who have been adding height for many years (16 years plus in my case) know that you CAN get away with 5” (12cm) elevators, but that every half inch over 3” comes with its limitations, challenges and requirements. Even to experienced height adders like myself. And the less time you have been adding height, the greater the challenges. As someone who regularly DOES add 5” in height, I am telling you that, in 80% of cases, I advise other guys to go lower than 5” (and it’s not just that I don’t want the competition!).
But, for those who have decided that they want to add the MAX in height, here is my guide to doing it well, comfortably, discreetly and undetectably.
People are NOT that observant, but…
Firstly, you are in luck – people are not very observant. I have mentioned this before but my mother is a psychologist and she has to explain to incredulous police officers why witnesses to crimes say that the alleged criminal was anything from 5’8” to 6’2”, blond to dark brown and wearing a green, red, blue or black shirt. In a nutshell, unless others have tabulated your height, measured you against others and then come up with absolutes, they will NOT actually know how tall you are, or much by way of comparison with others, until they decide for some reason to focus on it.
However, although not everyone will notice added height, even at the 5” level, that IS a big difference depending upon your existing height and it comes with challenges that you have to be aware of. Including inevitably a greater chance of detection at some point in the process than, for example, with 2”- 3” elevators. It is still a small chance but it IS greater.
Use lifts or a smaller elevator beforehand
Now this is really important. If you are set on going for the max, you just MUST make a start on adding height NOW, before you even order your boots. You must either start by buying and wearing a pair of 2”-3” elevators right away or add lifts to your shoes TODAY – with these, my own course of action has always been to get footwear a size or two bigger than you wear now, and add more lifts than you can fit in those your own size. Hi top trainers, higher leg boots and shoes. Some are not keen on this advice – I understand this but trying to fit lifts into ready made footwear not designed for it is limiting – it means you really can only add an inch without pressure on various parts of your foot.
Ideally (ideally!) you should buy a pair of elevators in the 2”-3” mark to wear for a few months or more before you ‘graduate’ onto the Big Ones.
There are many reasons for all this – firstly it will give you the proof that no-one is noticing you are suddenly taller. This is good and bad (‘they haven’t noticed – aaargh’), but really it’s good because it proves that other people are not super-aware. At that lower level, trust me, even your own girlfriend/best mate would not notice you have added height. It seems counterintuitive – but buying a cheap set of lifts to prove the point seems to me to be a good proof – I have at times told people in e-mails a dozen times, but still they come back “Yeah I know but surely, she will be able to tell…surely they will notice when I go into the office…”. Nope they won’t, get over it, no point asking me a 13th time, buy some lifts, shove them in your boots and see for yourself. And then make a start with lower level elevators for a while.
The other main reason is that it starts to help you experience that for YOU the difference in height will be immediate and obvious, even if (joy oh joy) it is not to anyone else. Your experience will allow you to get used to ‘being’ a couple of important inches taller, walking with them, just generally being taller.
You really only have to do this for a few months and your transition to the Big Ones will be made A LOT easier.
Getting used to walking in 5”
I have found that walking in the lower 3” elevators is very very easy. I can do almost anything at all in them, even run. Walking in 5” elevators, though, takes a little time to finesse. And there is just NO running for the bus. Before you even start, therefore, you have to get into your head that once you have got your 5” elevators, you must go for lots of walks (short ones) in them, to the shops or to a mate’s place, taking the dog for a walk, whatever. That way you will gradually come to walk as naturally as possible. And you will also understand about running and trying to hurry – you have to learn to be cool at all times (not for everyone who wants to bustle around).
Your wardrobe really has to reflect your bigger boots – if you are a devotee of European style skinny jeans then my advice is to lay off them for a little while till you work out the best way of wearing stuff which so exposes the boot. I wear them but I have carefully finessed it and know that I have to take great care wearing big elevators with them – the boots are of course always way more on show. Many of the styles around, specially in colder countries or in colder seasons, involve tight skinny jeans and big boots, so you get away with it more. But at first stick to stuff that covers the boot a bit more.
New clothes needed – isn’t that great?!
Always make sure your pants/ trousers are LONGER than before – you really cannot just add all that 5” in height and stick to the same old pairs. At their highest level, elevators DO mean buying longer pants – funny enough, not 5” longer. It’s weird that all you really need is 2” or max 3” longer. Not really sure why this is but I have always found it so.
What you want to avoid above all is the pants riding up over the back of the boot and getting hitched in the top of the boot. As a matter of course, just get in the habit of casually looking back and checking the back of the pants are down OVER the boot before you get up out of a chair.
Your existing height
In an earlier piece, I have been through the business of what you can easily add in relation to your current height. Read this again if you are thinking of going for the max.
Would I advise a guy who is 5’6” to wear 5” elevators? That is a tough one really and it so depends upon lifestyle and current situation. Every single person is different (some guys wear a suit all the time, others are only happy in sweat shirt and jeans). I think I would more likely say that day-to-day FOR MOST GUYS in that height area you would be better adding 2” – 3”. But it’s really about how you see yourself and what you would like to achieve and when. At night, on special occasions, say when you are gonna be photographed at a friends or family event. Well you might want to appear just that bit taller.
But in that height area, I would suggest that unless you were only adding big height for specific occasions and never otherwise, then you are better having really good quality big elevators just for occasions and always stick to a bit lower. Never have just 5” elevators.
In summary, prepare for adding the max by going half way for a reasonable period – it helps you get accustomed to walking and being taller, and others get accustomed to you being a bit taller without suddenly seeing a big change. As someone who wears 4” and 5” elevators every day, I just so love the extra height I get – I would never be without them now.
