u/Impossible-Meet-8333

Someone, give me a high heels 101 overview for someone looking to upgrade.

I have outgrown the DSW or TJMaxx-like heel shopping/quality and need more mature options in my collection. For instance, I’m thinking 100% natural leather, timeless, kind of heels.

A few specifics or questions that I have and I am thinking about:

1. Where can I go to try nicer heels on? I would like to avoid purchasing online.
2. Are there blogs and resources that explain how to shop for heels? Not your learning about pumps versus stilettos blogs, more like how the shoe is crafted.
3. I want to find the Redwing of heels. I love my Redwing boots, long lasting, all leather, hand crafted, and properly priced. And I want the in person purchasing experience like Redwing - not the chaos of a Nordstrom.
4. I don’t need luxury. Actually, if it exists, I would love non-luxury suggestions.
5. Are there brands out there that surprised you? Maybe there are high quality heel options in places I wouldn’t expect. I don’t need a Redwing experience, it’s just an example of what I’m going for in quality.

Again, this question is less about the different style types of heels and more about the craftsmanship of a heel.