Boredom. If he needs to tell you something, he'll tell you.

Anonymous wrote:No matter how bored, I can't imagine hetero teenage boys doing this. If for no other reason than not to appear gay to strangers. Unless he was laughing and clearly joking around, I'd have a talk with him.

I would never "have a talk with him" about this. If he is gay, it's fine. I will wait for him to tell me, which may not be for many years.

When I was in the upper single digits, my mom would go shoe shopping sometimes and drag me and my sister along.

It wasn't that much fun.

One day I decided to try on the high heels and I walked around in them.

My mom never took me shoe shopping again.

I think that a lot of people are conflating sexual orientation, cross-dressing, and boredom while shopping.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter how bored, I can't imagine hetero teenage boys doing this. If for no other reason than not to appear gay to strangers. Unless he was laughing and clearly joking around, I'd have a talk with him.

Kids these days, eh?

I'm wondering how you think the OP should start that talk with the OP's son. Maybe "Son, I noticed you trying on women's boots the other day when your sister was trying on boots. Are you gay?"

Better to expose DS to some older gay friend role models -- like a neighbor couple -- have DS spend some time with them.

Anonymous wrote:No matter how bored, I can't imagine hetero teenage boys doing this. If for no other reason than not to appear gay to strangers. Unless he was laughing and clearly joking around, I'd have a talk with him.

Kids these days, eh?

I'm wondering how you think the OP should start that talk with the OP's son. Maybe "Son, I noticed you trying on women's boots the other day when your sister was trying on boots. Are you gay?"

No matter how bored, I can't imagine hetero teenage boys doing this. If for no other reason than not to appear gay to strangers. Unless he was laughing and clearly joking around, I'd have a talk with him.

Hopefully he got a sense for how terribly uncomfortable they are and will feel only pity and empathy toward women who choose to squeeze their toes into these torture devices.

Good job, mom. Dad. Whoever you are.

I'll admit doing it around family is a bit weirder, but when I was a teen, it was very common for the guy friends we were shopping with to try on heels and walk around the store acting like models while waiting for us. I'm sure I still have pictures somewhere - it was hilarious. They're all straight and married today. I guess they were bored and maybe curious to see what it felt like.. And I'm sure they're much more receptive and understanding whenever their wives complain about their feet hurting

Maybe he's just British.

Very odd behavior. If it happens again, ask him why he did that.

I think he was trying to tell you he was bored.

It sounds like he was bored and being silly.

P.S. In high school, I worked in an outlet shoe store. Everyone working there was between 16-24. One day the store manager came rushing up to the front and whispered that there was a man trying on women's heels in the back of the store. There was a ton of whispering and giggling and peaking. Eventually, the man left without buying anything.

Years later, when I knew more about gender and sexuality, I thought of that and realized he was probably just into cross-dressing, and what we did to him was AWFUL. Any time I see a man dressed in women's clothing I think of that, and it prompts me to look them in the eye and smile with acceptance. It's part of my life philosophy to not be an asshole.

Which schools are closed today, and have bored kids at home?

Anonymous wrote:We were in a department store looking for sensible shoes for my older daughter. She started trying on completely ridiculous, ugly, and expensive high heels. Then my younger daughter started trying them on too. Are they trying to tell me that they want me to buy them completely ridiculous, ugly, and expensive high heels?

No, they were trying to tell you they want to be hookers. Just like OP's kid is telling her he's gay.

It really is the shoes.