dapperQ reader and guest blogger Paige was the lucky recipient of LiftKits shoe inserts, gifted to them by dapperQ. We followed up to ask Paige what they thought of the inserts, and Paige provided us with some useful feedback:
I have always been a short person. At 5 foot 2 inches, I learned quickly that most clothes would not fit me; most shoes were too large; most people would read me as feminine, simply because otherwise I’d be an extremely short man. Perhaps people would read me as a short man looking for an acting gig as comic relief. I wanted to be taken seriously. I wanted confidence. Yes, I could change a lot about me, but how could I change my height? Enter LiftKits shoe inserts. LiftKits motto: “Life’s short. You don’t need to be.”
I tried on the maximum height they had: the men’s 2-inch insole. Which is really two separate insoles; the main insert insole is black, measuring 1 and ½ inches. A guide on the back of the insert helps you cut them to size, giving equivalent shoe sizes in between the guide lines to help you decide where to cut. A red insert slots into the bottom of these black main ones, furthering the height to a full 2 inches. You do not cut the red one; the red insert does not extend the full length of the bottom of the shoe. These inserts are supposed to be used with high tops, so I wore them with my waterproof, mid-calf black boots which already have approximately an inch of height to them. This created a total of 3 inches height supposedly added to my 5’2” frame.
I wore these boots (with insoles) out and about, thrilled to be out shopping in them and excited to see how they would feel, with use.
Pros:
- I have never felt taller. (Keep in mind this was only a total of 3 inches, making the illusion I was 5’6”, but even so.) This helped in confidence.
- The insoles are easy to slip into shoes, boots, high-top sneakers, whatever. Don’t want the extra half inch? You don’t have to use the red insert. Nice and simple to use.
- The guide lines (for cutting to size) help newcomers to inserts greatly.
Cons:
- Wearing the black/red inserts together (for the 2 inches) felt like wearing heels. This played havoc with my dysphoria; I knew I wasn’t wearing feminine heeled shoes, but my feet felt like they were.
- You will want a sturdy pair of scissors or a craft knife to cut these. The inserts are made out of a very study foam-like material that can lead to cuts not being clean.
There are men’s inserts that go up to the aforementioned 2 inches, and women’s inserts that go to 1 inch. However, choose what is best for you – or the short person in your life.
To purchase or learn more, visit www.myliftkits.com
About the author: Paige aspires to be dapper, not only in clothing style. Unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way. They freelance as a writer and translator.
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