Fanatic Feedback – Men Wearing Nail Polish?
 The age of the metrosexual has come and gone. The term “ubersexual” has become the way to describe a macho, stylish, well groomed man. Yet even in a time when it’s become acceptable to find shelves full of product in a man’s medicine cabinet, when it comes to male nails, the evolution has come to a standstill. |
 Yes, there are exceptions to that. I mean, who hasn’t drooled over Dave Navarro (pictured right with Zac Efron) and his black painted nails at some point? But outside the rock world, is nail polish acceptable for a man?
I remember the first time I came across a boy wearing any form of nail polish was during my summer break from college. I worked at an amusement park on Lake Erie called Cedar Point. And for those of you not in the know, it’s kind of a Midwest mecca for young gay men. One of my buddies there, who was very “out” and comfortable with himself, wore clear nail polish and while it didn’t totally stand out, it was considered “different” for the time. Since I thought he was a big ball of fabulous, I never really gave it a second thought. |
 Flash forward to 2007. When one of my male friends found out about my blog and discovered my affection for polish, he jokingly asked me to paint his toes silver. Little did I know, he was serious. In fact, this past summer he borrowed polish from me twice to give himself a pedicure (once while drunk after a long day of wine tasting). Both times he chose dark, grungy “masculine” shades; a gunmetal gray from Sleek UK and Sally Hansen Stormy Blue (pictured left). And while it might not have been his intention to use the polish as a chick magnet, it certainly did get girls talking to him. |
Then a few weeks back, Darren Garnick, a reporter for the Boston Herald, contacted me about his experience getting a fish pedicure, wanting my feedback on his choice of polish (pictured left). As I told him for his follow up humor essay, he certainly didn’t half ass it when he chose OPI Osaka-To-Me Orange for his pedicure shade. Not necessarily fall appropriate, he would have been totally “in” this past summer when bright orange was all the rage.
Coincidentally, since hearing from Darren I’ve also received quite a few emails from men that enjoy wearing polish on their toes. The consensus seems to be that for most of those men, they wear the polish only for their mate, not in public. That it’s a bonding thing for them and their partner but that they’d be embarrassed to wear color in public.
So while it’s become perfectly acceptable to see a man getting a manicure or pedicure with no polish, color seems to be taboo. What do you think fanatics? Can men wear lacquer? When is it OK? What guys can pull it off? Does it only work in the rock scene? Can they wear any color or only black and gray? I’m sure there are some lurking male readers that would love to hear your thoughts.
images: AllLacqueredUp.com, WireImage, BostonHerald
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
I like guys wearing black or dark nail polish if they’re going to do it every day. Other colors are good if you’re going to a club.
Penn of Penn and Teller wears nail polish I think, and several musicians do, so it’s definitely becoming more common to see.
My husband wears black, but he also loves China Glaze’s Lubu Heels because of the red flecks for costumes and clubbing.
For me it depends on the color, like Phyrra I say dark or black. When I was in LA on my way to Paris, I was standing in line at security behind the hottest guy I had ever seen in my life. When I saw his toes were painted black, he got even hotter.
1. He has nice toes for a guy
2. I think boys-n-polish is a no-no
3. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my fellow fanatics a very Restful, Peaceful and Love Filled Thanksgiving!
God Bless you all!
I like my men manly- Lift heavy things, play football, grunt alot manly. While my partner looooves himself a hand or foot rub as much as I do, the one time i tricked him into polish he freaked. I had been giving him a pedi when he fell asleep. When he woke up he was sporting a dark purple sparkle by OPI that I can not for the life of me remember the name of. I enjoyed practicing my skills on feet other than my own. He on the other hand refused to leave his room even to go get the polish remover from the bathroom. It was mildly amusing for me but kind of annoying to him
Yeah sorry no. Polish on guys is defintly a turn off. I don’t think it works on anyguy anywhere anyhow. Not sexy. I think it would make the guy seem effeminate and personally I want my guy to be manly.
I also saw Darren’s “Fish Pedicure” article and I was totally amazed at the flourish of comments on his blog, as well as many others (mostly nail polish blogs). The comments came from both men and women, and a surprising number of them were very positive about men wearing nail polish!
not surprisingly, there was also quite a bit of support expressed for men getting pedicures too, probably because most men’s feet don’t typically get much care or maintenance.
I have actually been wearing my toes polished since my wife introduced me to this about four years ago. I had for some time taken an interest and appreciation in the many cool colors she paints her nails with, and one day she just suggested that I try it. It worked for me, and we both liked it, so I was instantly hooked (unlike your husband)!
Why shouldn’t men wear their nails painted? It certainly is not going to change their sexual preference. Besides, it is quite a bit of an improvment over what most men’s nails look like.
Obviously, my wife and I are in favor of it. I honestly hope your post encourages more men to try it too. I can say that it’s been fun for my wife and I to do this together.
Painted nails on rock guys looks interesting to me, but I don’t think I’d appreciate my husband doing it (and he would not, as the engineer type that isn’t his thing or his fashion sense). However, more men should get pedicures – feet don’t have to be scary and nasty. Even a bit of time with the pumice and cuticle remover at home would be such an improvement for so many!
Pedicures and manicures, yes. Polish, no. And this is very sexist of me, but both the guys in the photos have girly feet. Nice feet, of course, but girly just the same.
I suppose it does depend on the color. There was a guy in my class who was so comfortable with himself that he wore a bright hot pink (He’s not even gay) I guess I don’t mind unless the color he’s wearing is nicer than mine D: I tried Kaleidoscope on my boyfriend :p
I don’t really think men and colored polish go together. I view nail polish as make-up, and I think that make-up is for women. It’s like seeing a man with bright red lipstick!
But if men want to wear polish, I say go for it! I myself don’t like it but that’s just my opinion. I believe people should do whatever makes them happy (as long as you’re not hurting anybody of course
)
My husband had a few too many beers one night and fell asleep on the sofa, so he ended up with bright red toenails, the day before his jiu-jitsu tournament! That was fun!
He’s a rather manly man, but I introduced him to a nail buffer, and he really liked how it made his nails look. However, he chews his nails down to the quick, they wouldn’t look good painted.
It’s cool though, men who wear polish. I dig it!
I have to respect any guy willing to paint his nails. It’s something they’re likely to get a lot of crap for from peers, so to do it anyway implies confidence which is always attractive.
As to whether or not I actually not the polish rather than the attitude it alludes to, it depends on whether it’s done well. Same goes for makeup. I love both polish and makeup, so if I see it done well on a guy, it’s going to attract my interest. Not necessarily in a “oooh that’s hot!” sort of way but a “oooh that looks nifty! I need to get that color for myself!” sort of way.
I think it’s interesting enough and I encourage people (of either gender) to do what they enjoy and feel good about.
HOWEVER, my personal preference is a big old “NO”. It’s just too feminine in my opinion, for men to wear nail color. I would be a little weirded out if my husband wanted to get his toenails done, but I’m into the very “guys guy” sort of men.
Both of the photos immediately made me think of women. That is not a slight to either man, but that’s the honest truth!
I think that rockers and artsy types can get away with it. But that is about it!
Wow. Let me first start by admitting that I’ve had nail polish on my nails before. I was a young piano player who had a very bad habit of biting my nails. My fingers were a mess and my then girlfriend suggested that letting them grow and applying clear nail polish was the way to go. Of course my male friends let me have it for days but till this day I have good looking finger nails (though without nail polish).
This brings me to my point, I think only there are only two instances where nail polish on a man is acceptable. One is to restore your nails to a degree of health and two is because you work with your hands in a way that brings attention to them and so you have to take extra care of them. In both instances clear nail polish is the way to go and that’s only if you’re desperate cause my finger nails look great without it and that’s been the case for years now.
I get the whole relationship bonding thing but sorry there are other ways to bind that don’t require becoming a “gurlyman.” Have some pride and backbone and say no guys. Damn. Bond through shopping together, talking, being in each others presence, spending quality time together and etc; whatever but let her do her nails with her girlfriends and keep it moving. Next thing you know bonding is going to requre wigs, dresses, panty hose and lipstick. Ugh!
Will the wimpification of this nation ever end?
I appear to be in the minority here, but I think (black/dark) polish on a guy is *HOT*, and would love for my husband to rock it! Unfortunately, he’s a professional and also unwilling.
I blame Spike (from Buffy) for my male-polish lust.
Umm..no. I have to be the girl and only girls wear colored nail polish. Hope you and yours have a beauty full Thanksgiving!
I don’t care about the color although hot pink might be little weird. I think it’s the shape that’s important and men definitely should not wear it long and squaoval like we do. They should develope a masculine way to wear nail polish (other than manglaze). Like one stripe of color in each nail would be cool. 10 years ago, men earings weren’t accepted. Now, it’s like a requirement for a badass image. SO I’m optimistic about men mani/pedis in the future.
p.s. I’m addicted to your site. You are solely responsible for that B I got in Economics. (haha jk)
Men with well groomed feet and hands- YES!!
(In fact…feet that don´t get cared for are just nasty.)
Nail polish? NO!!! Total turn-off!
That´s MY personal preferance.
I am a man, and I wear polish from time to time. Why not?
I am not gay, and it usually never gets seen. But its fun and interesting.
Wearing OPI “Can you dig it?” now.
I think too many women are jealous that men can take care of themselves too.
Why ever not? If he likes it, and it makes him happy, it’s all good, whether he’s a rocker or a computer geek.
I saw all the more power to the boys who want to look fabulous!
I think more men should get manicures and pedicures, there is nothing wrong with looking after your hands/feet. However I personally don’t like polish on mens toenails, to me it’s horrible, especially bright colours.
But I have to agree with Trina, sometimes black/dark polish can look incredibly sexy on a guys fingernails (I also agree that Spike on buffy rocked that look and also Dave Navarro in the blog) I think they do have to have the whole image to with it though. It would not look so great on my guy unless he was dressed the part too.
Hm, I don’t have a problem with polish on a man, whether mani or pedi. Why should we females have all the color fun? I just want it to look like he takes care of his hands and feet.
Think back to Renaissance dress for men … and you know women swooned for Henry the VIII, a guy that loved his frilly bits.
I don’t think we are making guys wimpy or feminine when you tell them, “You don’t have to be so aggressive. You can express yourself in other ways.”
Likewise with gals when you say, “You don’t have to like pink. You can enjoy watching or playing football.”
I think these extreme gender stereotypes hurt rather than help. Manly girl or girly man, what does this actually mean? That someone isn’t following some traditional role that someone else wants them to follow.
BTW, I should mention that I am a biologist and have a bunch of species examples (i.e. birds, ungulates) where the males are much more exuberantly plumed than the females.
I think it makes them less masculine. It’s a metrosexual look to me and I’m definitely not attracted to metrosexuals. It’s a turn off.
I don’t seem to understand why the dynamic has shifted.
There was a time, not that long ago, when there were certain items of clothing that were “forbidden” by the opposite gender. For instance, women were not allowed to wear jeans or pants. Men were not allowed to wear t-shirts. Now, we have a bright new world in which anyone can do pretty much anything they want–in a fashion sense–and get away with it. Women wear jeans, men wear skirts (although, admittedly, not as often) and I see no reason why anything should be taboo at this point. Women fought valiantly for the right to wear whatever they wanted, so why should men be denied the same rights? If men want to wear skirts, pantyhose, nail polish, makeup, heels, or whatever, who are we to say that they shouldn’t? I think it speaks volumes about the character of this country and this world that we are able to make decisions based not entirely upon what will bring us the most social indifference, but what we like. I personally am a very happily married man (to a woman) and I regularly wear nail polish on both fingernails and toenails. I have not encountered many objections to this, aside from the occassional snicker from the girls in the mall or a curious onlooker, who simply asks me why (to which I answer why not?). This is not a cry for help. I have no desire nor intention of purusing a life as a woman. I am not gay. I do not see it as a “fetish.” I am simply comfortable enough with who I am to let myself be myself. And it’s a shame that everyone doesn’t hold themselves to those same standards. Stop worrying about what the world thinks of you and start worrying about the fact that one day you will be dead. Enjoy the things that you enjoy today. And damn the consequences.
For something as seemingly innocent as nail polish, this subject has brought forth an impressive diversity of opinions.
For what it’s worth, I have always been intrigued by nail polish. I love the way women wear it, the wide range of seductive colors, the glossy finish, the shape of their nails and how it makes their fingers look long, feminine and very attractive.
That said, I would not be opposed to considering this further with the right woman. The quality of the relationship would of course play a part, but if she found it attractive that I wear nail polish, it would be an interesting and different direction that I would be open to exploring with her.
I can understand why some women would not be as excited about this, if it was ‘right’ in their situation. But I also applaud the many here who have expressed their open-mindedness and think that it might be intriguing to try.
This is probably one of the more controversial, yet compelling topics I have come across in quite a while. It is an inspiration to read your comments and understand that we all have different ways to express ourselves, and we all fit.
Oops, I guess one word left out can change an entire meaning…
I meant to say that if it was not ‘right’ in the relationship, I could understand why this would not work.
Well, for those who think that nail polish is an indication of sexual preference or orientation, look in the mirror first. As many have indicated; in the world of nature, it's usually the maile who is the more brightly colored one. This of course is to attract a mate and the female is less spectacular as a defense/safety mechanism for the offspring.
Now, I'd like to add my voice, as a mature married, straight male. I'm closer to retirement than not and have had mani-pedis for about 20 years now. I'm not gay, not a cross dresser, no fetishes, but probably a metrosexual – id that means taking care of myself so that I don't look my age. Business is brutal and finding myself already the recipient of age discrimination, looking my best and yonger than my real age is a necessary survivla skill. It also feels good to see an attractive, yonger female glance my way with a smile. I'm fit, play rough seniors ice hockey, shovel snow, cut the lawn and garden, work on my car, scoop out cat litter and many other so called "manly" things. I had several girlfriends before getting married 15 years ago. Guess what? I love having both hands and feet professionally manicured. As someone who teaches in front of audiences/classes, having a nice manicure provides confidence and a 'polished" and finished look to professional attire. I've never had a single comment. The wife of my barber and my Mom have said my nails look great. My wife likes it as well. She doesn't think the glitter polishes work so well for, and I agree. I told her though that I'd wear a very glittery polish for going out on new year's eve
Generally I wear clear but lately have used a very very sheer pink polish, OPI hearts & tarts. You have to look very close – I mean VERY close to tell it's something other than clear. It provides a very nice, even lustre, only a hint of color and only in direct sunlight can you see the extremely subtle sparkle. I've tried about 80 OPI and China Glaze for fun, in the house, but only wear the clear, sheer ones out. Monthly professional mani-pedis are a treat. Feels great. Why should only women get to pamper themselves? Is it manly to be getting grey, saggy, dry and rough skin everywhere, chipped, dirty and rough nails? Is that manly? My gawd, those of you who think that a man is defined by his rough hands, etc, are so archaic in your thinking that you're missing the big picture. As a previous post clearly said, we'll all be dead at sometime in the future. How we conduct ourselves in our life, how we treat others, the quality of good work that we do, how we care for those less fortunate is how we will be remembered and how our "image" and respect will be garnered – not by nail polish.
I *love* men in nail polish! I’m glad to see so many polish-wearing guys commenting on this topic.
It’s disturbing to me the number of people whose gender stereotypes seem to be stuck in 1950. “Manly” versus “girly” – ugh, really? My DH is traditionally “manly”, and yet he has gold toenails and paints his nails green for going out. Several of my exes paint their nails.
I think it’s an excellent social signifier of someone who is less worried about silly socially-assigned gender roles and more interested in trying new things – nothing is sexier than a man with polish.
wow didn’t realize you have many male readers here, way to go cincy!
hmm never thought about my preference before. i’ve never met a man wearing polish here in asia, but thinking of my SOs, i’d probably wouldn’t mind if they wear it…
My mom (an ex-manicurist) has occasionally painted my stepdad’s toenails. He’s not really a self-indulgent type, being a traditional quiet old school Korean man, but he rocks the pedicure (in his sandals!) all summer long.
I think it’s trendy for me to wear nail polish, as long as the color is masculine. Reds and pinks, no. I love that steely blue color on toes. I asked a few of my gay guy friends and they were not down with wearing nail polish. They thought it was only appropriate if the guy was into drag.
For me, it all depends on the event a guy is attending or the type of work he does.
Polish or no polish, I wish more men were into getting manicures, that’s for sure!
Oh, goodness. Major typo alert! I should have typed the following:
I think it’s trendy for MEN…
(I’m not a guy.)
I don’t understand why so many people are against this. Men started with long hair, and then pierced ears (now on both ears), so why not nail polish or anything else for that matter.
I have been wearing polish for years and years, always on my toes, sometimes on my fingers.
I am married and straight and just enjoy the look.
I think anyone should be able to wear whatever they want regardless of gender. Granted one big problems many may have is that clothes are cut for certain body types however there has been a few attempts on the runway to put a guy in a skirt, or a pair of heels.
By the way – nail polish was actually started in ancient Egypt times as a sign for the MALE who is in power – in those days, a pharaoh or other leader/king. This is even depicted in the movie 300 and a few other’s i’ve seen.
The concept of the polish was to show that they are in power and don’t have to do any work.
The the girls took it over, like they do most fasion items such as heels (also designed for MEN in the 1600′s)
I have been painting my toes on and off for about 8 years . for the last 6 months they have been painted all of the time.have been using blues blacks maroon and purple and the people i have showed think they look good and it does work on a guy and i am going to keep them painted all of the time when i dont have polish on they look boring and when they are painted they look good .
I’ll never understand the belief that a man wearing nail polish = wimpy.
One, what are you saying about women, when we wear nail polish all the time?
Two, how does putting on a nail colour connote a physical weakness? Is it like kryptonite?
Like all things, I think it depends on the person and what colour the person is wearing, and how they carry it off. It’s not for all and not all should try it (nor would they want to) but it seems a bit silly to me to have a problem with a guy wearing nail polish if he liked wearing it. How is it hurting anyone? In fact, he’d probably have to put up with a lot of flack from other guys so more power to him.
I think it takes a certain type of guy to wear nail polish. On my boyfriend, it’d just look ridiculous (and he would kill me for putting it on him, because he wouldn’t ever do it himself), but I can think of a few guys that could totally rock it.
I am all for men getting manicures and pedicures!
I know they sometimes are hard on their hands, so a manicure can go a long way in helping to keep their hands in good condition.
As far as the pedicures go, most men do not really pay much attention to their feet. And when they wear sandals, and everyone can see their rough callouses and crusty, yellowed nails, it’s just gross in my opinion. Pedicures should be required by their g/f or wives!
And I can’t explain it, but I really like the look of a guy with deeply-colored polished toenails. It just finishes off their strong, manly image in my opinion.
I have seen this in magazines, and I saw a guy with deep blue toenails in Las Vegas last summer, and it looked totally great on his tanned feet!
I have discovered that there are more men trying this look than you would expect, but you don’t notice it until you start looking for it.
I am going to tell more of my male friends about this blog and encorage them to try it. I think it’s about time guys show a little ‘color’!
I love dark polish on a guy. Dave Navarro could wear red for all I care, he’d still be HOT! I remember back in the early/mid
90′s when Hard Candy first came out and they had a line specifically for men. Dark shades and even slightly different packaging. If I remember correctly Antonio Bandaras wore it.
Now polish on boy toes? Not sure, I hate feet to begin with but the polish would hide the narnar toes. On the fence there, but on the right hands, me likey some black polish.
I also remember back in the Glam Rock days when guys wore polish. What can I say, I love a pretty boy LOL
What with the possibility of painting nails to match their favorite team’s colors, I wonder why men don’t do it more often.
I feel that if a man is comfortable with wearing polish, whether on fingers and/or toes then who gives a crack of what others think. I wear polish on both and I am not gay. I am partial to dark colors, even shades of purple, red, brown/plum, blues, green, etc. My friends, family and wife thought I was becoming a picther & catcher but then saw that I do take care of my hands and feet more than I have done in the past, and must say that they look better than some of the ladies/women that I have met. I would actually like to meet others with the same interest that do not blame their nail painting on booze or kicks! I wera it 24/7.
I love independant men who have enough self-confidence that they do not need to give in to what others think they should do.
The man I am currently dating gets regular manicures and pedicures and his hands and feet look terrific! He has tried colored polish before and it totally rocks on him! He wore a charcoal/silver shimmer on his fingers at party last New Years Eve and I thought I was going to have to take him home early because the other women there were going crazy on him over his boldness!
He’s worn silver, charcoal and deep blue on his toenails before, and so far, I like the blue the best.
Men should not be afraid to try this, unless maybe they are not ‘man’ enough!
I love men who wear nail polish, and I am not just talking about the celebrity guys you see on the web and in magazines.
Living in California, I see more men wearing their nails (mostly toes) polished and I think it looks soooo sexy and hot!
I don’t think it’s for women only, why should it be?
sent from: fav.or.it
I am really glad to see a lot of women approve of guys waring nail polish! I am a guy who likes to look after my nails and I love nail polish. My wife is cool with it as long as the clos aren’t too girlie. I tend to ware pale or natural cols mostly. I wish it was more fashionable for guys to do this so that I can ware it all the time…
At least most of the women here that say men shouldn’t wear it see it as a sexist comment. When you get down to it, it’s nothing but paint! Personal preference that you don’t like it? Cool. Saying men shouldn’t do it? Sounds like a “women shouldn’t wear pants” argument to me!
I am a heterosexual married male that has worn nail polish for the last 15-20 years. Most of that time it was in private, but now I wear color on my toes 24/7 and have acrylic fingernails. Why not wear color? What is SO bad about painting your nails? It hurts no one and is an extension of your personality. Do whatever makes you happy and don’t waste your energy worrying what everyone else thinks. Step outside the norm, and break the very old societal rules. Women were so up in arms that society told them not to wear pants, and look at them now telling men that they cannot wear nail polish or anything else that society deems as to be feminine.
I will say, as a seventeen year old straight male, that I find myself enjoying painting my finger nails. Of course, I choose black or (sometimes) white, and yeah, I guess I’d fit into a rocker stereotype, since I do play guitar and have long hair.
The way I see it, is, its different. It makes my hands stand out, it contrasts my skin color and adds to my look, so why would I not do it. Sure, it may not be “manly”, but I more than make up for that with the music I play. Hell, I where eyeliner too. I think makeup can work as an extension of your personality.
If you’re a guy and want to wear makeup, thats all you. I personally love it, and so does my girlfriend.
Manicure for men I think is ok. Just as long as there are no polish involved. What’s wrong with a guy who’s got clear shiny and short nails just like any men have? Sure there’s nothing wrong with this. It even looks very neat looking compared to a man’s nails that are not manicured. This is why men should have their own ped/manicure salon too.
I’m a 14yr old boy and i too wear nail polish.. i don’t show it to many people but i have been doing it for a very long time now(about 5 years) and i’m very good at painting my toe nails:) I absolutely love it! Yet i’m not the least amount of gay!! That is my greatest fear in life…(gay poeple) but i don’t hate them or anything, like that one person said above about you only live once. I have had my nails painted so many different colors, such as blue, black, pink, red, orange, clear, all sorts of sparkles and what not, neon green/yellow, brown, purple, grey, white, and gold… I love it!!!!!!!:) and i’m not too afraid to wear it in public anymore.. Sometimes i have worn my toenails painted clear, yellow, green, and other not too noticable colors to the swimming pool. When i’m at friends houses i wear my nail polish proudly, as i do at my house:) i also have a foot fetish.. I will wear any color on my finger nails anywhere. The reason being is that i can put my hands in my pocket:) but at the mall and other places i just don’t care, it’s really fun if you get into it
I am a 48 yr. old, straight male who enjoys wearing nail polish. I am curious where it is said that only women can paint their nails? The stereotypical world has put certain things in our head during the aging process that makes people acquiesce to certain domains … thus, we get discrimination at many levels. Myself … I tend to think outside the box and to hell with what the world thinks! I wear orange, blue, purple, pink, green … etc, etc. Society is so damn closed minded on so many subjects that it takes people like me, and others, to affect change.
I, too, am 48 yrs. old and cowboy’d all my life. I grew up on a 500 acre ranch, herded cattle, broke horses, mended fences and became a licensed, professional a/c, heating, electrician and plumber. At 47 yrs. old I was declared legally blind and couldn’t work. Out of shear boredom I began painting my nails, fingers and toes, and realized I like the way they look. So WHY is it only for women? It appears that the world thrives on closed-minded degenerates and their lackadaisical opinions!
I must say that I am rather impressed at some of the comments made here, especially by other men. There is some wisdom in them I believe. I must confess to you all that I am a 35 year old married male who has been from one extreme to the next in my life and my wife has stuck with me through a lot of it. To make a long story short, I found a huge interest in women’s pantyhose at age 10 which led to full blown crossdressing by 18-20. I brought it with me when I was married, thankfully my wife stuck with me. After heavy struggle, I came to the realization that I had no desire to be or look or mimick a woman. I only wanted my right to wear things that are normally associated with their gender now. I found that I do not have to dress as a woman to get my right to wear those articles of clothing back. If anyone wants to hear more you can email me at abburke51@yahoo.com. Anyway, men used to wear skirts or robes and actually it is healthier for them in their groin department as it helps the temperature for maximum fertility. Men used to wear hosiery, paint their nails, makeup, heels and lace, etc. as posted here. Someone asked, what makes people think only certain things are reserved for either sex. Most of it is the pressure of society and not sound authority. I became a real question a few years ago which makes God and His Word the ultimate authority in my life (which for those of you who say you don’t believe, God is still your final authority, you just do not realize it) so I am subject to Him. What does God say of these things? The only thing I can find that is remotely relevant is Deuteronomy 22:5 and the talk of vanity in Ecclesiastes. I am trying to be short here so you can read that for yourself. I seriously do not see that God has a problem with it unless it becomes a priority higher than Him or what He commands you. Now, for those who choose not to believe, think of this logically. I know it is hard for Americans to think or read sometimes but bear with me. Nail polish really got popular again in the early 1900′s. It is basically paint, just like you might paint the walls of your house with, only slightly modified. Ladies, is the surface of your nail really any different from a male? Males is yours? Can you not both apply this paint to one just as easily as the other? At what point does it become masculine or feminine? What is the difference between masculine and feminine? I am thinking reproductive organs and hormones mostly, which also controls the shape of the body.
As with all things, some items look better or worse depending on preference, shape, size, etc. There is no such thing as gender when it comes to color. I have seen some very “manly” guys wear pink shirts and it looks good. I personally still wear polish, especially on my feet and found that a french style with white tips and a nude shade over the nail bed seems to be the most flattering. I know I have received many compliments from women. I had one woman give me a sort of negative response and I believe it was simply because she was jealous that my feet looked better than hers which she told me. I love colored polish, especially black, browns and blues yet doesn’t seem as flattering on my feet but like it on my finger nails. However I do not wear colors in public out of respect for my wife. People tend to be very social and only do what the herd allows, which I think is a tragedy. Someday she will learn this in time. From my experience, most women do not like it because of jealousy or it is not socially accepted. The rest do not like it simply because it is not their preference and that is fine.
One more thing and I will go. This is for all the men and the women who think that they should follow the typical male stereotype. Most men follow the stereotype that they should be manly and rugged, never groom themselves, dress like a slouch, interest themselves only in sports, hunting and drinking. While there is nothing wrong with sports, hunting or drinking if all in moderation, there are better things to occupy your time. While you are indulging in such things, you are missing the fact that you are probably neglecting your wife or girlfriend, your civic duties, and being robbed blind. I consider a real man as one who reads a lot to educate himself in important matters such as spirituality, government, world events, etc. Because you are not concerning yourself with important subjects, men who are and have found themselves in power are stealing from you, even your rights to wear nail polish if you like. Also, if you think women should have to dress up, wear makeup, etc to impress you then why shouldn’t you do the same? I am sure women are tired of guys running around in old t-shirts with baggy pants or shorts and tennis shoes. If you have long hair then take care of it for God’s sake. I once read that the last thing to go in a free and open society is the art. I think nail painting is also art and expression. We all know the world is getting bad and one can see a pattern even in fashion. Systematically in the past couple hundred years men and women have been taught that men have to be very ‘manly’ in that they have to dress and be rugged, not groom themselves or express themselves, stay tight lipped and even be violent. This is not healthy spiritually or physically for men. Such ways I believe are agitating men whether they admit it or not, causing more unrest and uncertainty. Do not be social but rather individual. Does not even nature teach you that males are very expressive, colorful and creative? I urge you to be real men, creative, inventive, thoughtful, read, study, learn, take care of your household and your body, be individual. It is OK to hunt or watch sports. It is OK not to as well.
I am sorry for the long post but so much more could be said. If you want to paint your nails then just do it.
I know I commented once already, but I’ve been fascinated and thrilled with the discourse that has taken place in the comments on this post. And I can no longer hold this back:
“I would just like to say
that it is my conviction
that longer hair and other flamboyant
affectations of appearance are nothing more
than the male’s emergence
from his drab camouflage
into the gaudy plumage
which is the birthright of his sex.
There is a peculiar notion that elegant plumage
and fine feathers are not proper for the male,
when actually
that it the way things are in most species.”
Maybe the average man in the street could get away with a bit of clear polish but it also depends on the length of your nails and the environment to which you work in.
I’m a 15 year old black gay guy and I sometimes paint my nails clear I have tried black yet but I want to. I remember being at the dollar store once over the summer and a white guy in his late 30′s early 40 came in he was wearing shorts and flip flops and his toe nails were painted like the American Flag. I like in Akron, Ohio btw
I’m a 35 old italian guy, married, straight and liberal…usually in summertime i love painting my toenails.
My fav color is black, but sometimes i wear blue, burgundy or brown…depending on the match with my clothes and my flip flops
My wife is a very supportive girl and consider this a normal practice.
Somebody looking me like an alien or a gay, especially in Italy…but i don’t understand why we need a trademark…
When i’m on holiday in Spain or Greece…i’m totally free..
I love my appearance and my body..and i think this is a sign of freedom…why not?
I'm 38, and have been wearing dark polish on and off for about 10 years now. Women seem to notice it and approve, and other guys just look at it strangely. Living in Chicago it's not too uncommon to see a heavy metal dude like me wearing it even though we look really, really roughneck sometimes.
The only time polish looks crummy on dudes is when they intentionally scratch some of it off. I think if you're going to bother with it at all, make it look decent.
My preferred colors are both OPI, 'Light My Sapphire" & "Midnight In Moscow", since they both look totally black, but are blue and red, respectively. Very cool stuff, but you probably already know that.
Men who have an open mind enough to wear nail polish on their toes are much more attractive and mature than those who are afraid to show a little style and creativity IMHO.
I love a guy wearing a pair of nice leather sandals and his toes polished with a nice deep color.
Why don’t more men try this? Are they afraid of something, what a few closed-minded people might think? C’mon guys, we are living in a time where anyone can show their creative side and be expressive.
We all know how poorly most men’s feet are cared for, so why not go get a pedicure and add a little color too?
I am all for it!!
With the increasing popularity of men wearing sandals lately, I have begun to notice the generally poor condition most guy’s feet are in. Men should definitely take more care and pride in how their feet look if they are showing them openly!
It would not hurt for them to go get a pedicure and get those ugly nails trimmed and callouses smoothed down so they look at least acceptable.
As far as men wearing polish on their toes, I think it can work. I have never really liked black or other very dark colors on women’s feet anyway. I think it makes our feet look heavy and less feminine.
A guy with polished toes might be a nice improvement!
I’m definitely a fan of men wearing their nails polished! I know a few guys who wear it from time to time and I think it’s ‘hot’! I especially like the look of a guy with his toenails polished a deep color, like black, dark blue or dark maroon. Oh yeah!!!
C-mon people, nail polish, or ‘paint’ is certainly not going to change a person’s sexual orientation! If a guy is interested in having his nails painted, then he should have every right to do it. Maybe it’s just an experiment for him to see how it feels/looks, or maybe he’s just more creative/expressive than most guys. I think it’s great that more men are breaking free of the ‘grunge’ look and taking steps to be more ‘colorful’!
sent from: fav.or.it
I receive pedicures and manicures every two weeks. Love the feel of the pampering that you receive and I always finish off with a nice colored polish.
I am part-owner in a nail salon located in the upper Midwest. My partner and I recently decided to attract male clientele because we see it as a very important part of our growing business. Men can certainly benefit from well cared-for nails, it helps improve their image and level of professionalism.
And yes, men can and do wear nail polish. Clear is more common on men’s fingers, but we have had requests for pretty much any color by men on their feet. I don’t know whether they wear is openly or just privately, but it is no longer a surprise or ‘odd’ that a man will have their toenails polished with color, usually a darker color in our experience.
For those who do not care for this, I would only say that the trend for men to remain the unkempt and grungy of the sexes is changing in small increments. Polished toes and sandals for men is becoming more common.
sent from: fav.or.it
I guess I had been intrigued by the look of nail polishes from way back. And I even experimented with it off and on like many others. But it wasn’t until my wife suggested I try it that I really got hooked. She knew I liked it, so she thought what better way to see if it ‘worked’ for me than to give it a whirl.
So, I now wear my toes painted pretty much all of the time. I pretty much stick to colors that I consider to be more masculine looking, and so it works for me. My wife likes it and I receive positive comments from others too, so I don’t really feel there is anything odd about it at all.
sent from: fav.or.it
Dig It! Cool article. I don’t know why some people still freak out over a dude wearing nail polish. I’ve seen the rockers doing for going on 20 years now (like when the dudes in Motley Crue were doing it, like Tommy Lee and Nikkie Sixx) – and now, even the extreme sports people are into it – the ultimate fighter Chuck Liddell does it!
I’ve been wearing the stuff ever since I’ve been ten or so, and fully intend on doing so forever. I think it’s very cool, and so does my fiance. It’s really all about a freedom issue – I dig it – I don’t care if anyone else does or not – I’ll be damned if I’ll let some snively-assed-critical-whiny people try to sway me – my self-confidence doesn’t need any propping-up from anyone. I like it. If some don’t – tough. Nail polish for dudes is here to stay!
posted by ‘SlayerRocks’
Not such a big deal. I surpised my wife with a pedicure, scheduled during her lunchbreak a few days ago, just because I love her and wanted to do something nice. Anyway I’m at the spa setting up her appointment and while talking with the owners we (myself and them) talked me into a pedicure. A few years ago I picked up a wicked case of athletes foot from my martial arts class, and my feet have never been the same since. At the end of the pedicure I was offered clear or color. My response, “Ummm….” She says, “You’d look good with color.” BAM “burgundy frost” toes. At the time I was wearing my sandals, I’m across town and had errands to run – I’m in public with painted toes.
The first person that I saw who noticed was the guy at Home Depot that was helping me get stuff to fix my sink. He looked down at the bottom shelf saw my toes, immediately looked back up at me, looked down again, looked back up, paused for a moment and then continued talking like nothing happened. I found that pretty amusing.
The next person was the mother of my daughters best friend. I was picking up my daughter from school and of course best friends come out together. While the kids were exchanging pleasantries, mom and I were as well. Of course we have to look down at the kids, and I saw her notice. There was this pause then she says, “Who painted your toes?” I tell her the story, and she gripes the only way she got her boyfriend to go with her for a pedicure was to pay for both of them, and he wouldn’t even get clear polish.
Anyway, after the pedicure, I went to my wife’s job (to tell her what she was doing for lunch – pedicure), Wal-Mart, Home Depot, the post office, tax preparers office (to pick up paper copies of our taxes), dry cleaners, daughter’s school and a gas station (which I had to enter, because the credit card reader on the pumps didn’t work).
All in all, it was a rather exhilarating day – the pedicure rocked, the guy at Home Depot was entertaining, daughter’s BFF mom was supportive, and who ever else noticed didn’t say anything (no pointing, gawking, laughter or fashion police raid), my wife and I LOVE the way my feet look and feel.
Women have kept this secret long enough, I’m a prison guard (on my feet all day) a monthly pedicure is now a must for me, color will definitely be an option.
Just wanted to share and encourage. Guys; it’s your life, your body – tattoo, piercing (pretty much permanent), toe color (change at will).
My BF just tried this for the first time – and it looks great! He and I never talked about it before, so I am not sure what moved him to do it, but he just said he thought it might look ‘cool’. He got them done with a gray-silver color and it totally looks just right on him.
This really works for guys!
My BF just tried this for the first time – and it looks great! He and I never talked about it before, so I am not sure what moved him to do it, but he just said he thought it might look ‘cool’. He got them done with a gray-silver color and it totally looks just right on him.
This really works for guys!
Wow is all I can say that this topic just seems to go on and on. I have been painting my nails for years and yes I use every color in the rainbow. For the last three years I have been going to a manicurist and have given her free reign on both my fingernails and toenails. I have had acrylic fingernails now for the three years and I do wear them rather long. I only have a clear gel coat on them but every once in a while she paints them in different colors. My toes on the other hand have been painted for the full three years now and she makes sure they are very well decorated. I have gone to wearing toe rings with them and an anklette. Feminine yes but I love the look. I am married and straight but I love the look.
I really don’t see, why guys can’t have their toes painted. I like to have my feet pampered sometimes. We enjoy it together with my wife, any colors go. It’s pure fun. Unfortunately, i still don’t have the guts to show it in open.
So, mates, don’t even hesitate, if you ever consider to paint your toenails.
right now i’m wearing vanilla bean color on my toes, it looks a lot better than nothing and i have sexy feet for a guy.
sent from: fav.or.it
I’m 42 and I’ve been getting a pedicure with polish every two weeks for about 4 years now.
The first time I did it, it was with a (female) friend who bought me a pedicure/facial/massage package at the local spa. The nail tech and I had a really great conversation and talked briefly about nail polish on men. At the end, blushing, I asked if she could put polish on my nails and she gave me a coat of super-sheer pink.
Since then, I’ve gone back to the same woman and gotten much more adventurous with my color selections. I’m heterosexual, but I have kind of a strong feminine side and getting pedicures feeds that. As a result, I tend to get fairly girly colors. I think it was at least a year before I got anything but sheer pinks. My selection is broader now.
I really like the experience of getting a pedicure almost as much as I like wearing the nail polish. My nail woman (the same one) is really a good conversationalist and she teases me about my girly nails, which is great
It also just feels good! In addition, I’ve always had problems with my feet.. toenails growing in weird directions, all kinds of crazy stuff.. and I haven’t had a single issue since I started getting pedicures, so there’s actually a significant comfort/medical benefit for me.
I’ve dated a few women since I started getting pedicures and the reactions have been neutral, to “that’s kind of cute”, to my current girlfriend’s view – she looooovvves it.
I have gone out in public showing my nails, but only rarely, and then just with really sheer pinks which you wouldn’t expect to get noticed generally. I kind of doubt I’d ever get to that level of comfort, especially since I have no interest at all in “masculine” colors like silvers or blacks – that’s just not what makes it fun for me. I work in a very manly-man environment, and have very manly-man friends. I doubt many of them would find bright pink toenails to be all that cool.
But I’d recommend trying it once to any guy, just for the humor factor if nothing else. Remember, life is about collecting as many diverse experiences as you can so you have something to think about when you’re 95, wetting your pants, and drinking carrot juice through a straw.
I have enjoyed coloring my toenails and have worn anything from pink to red to charcoal gray. I'm not afraid to show it and have even gone to church with sandals on. Obviously no one there would dare make a peep. God is watching! Taking care of my feet has been a joy and color has only made it better. So much better that I've even created a blog about it to help encourage men to try it. It's only paint. It journeys through my first clumsy attempts to the different colors that I've tried. If it's allowed to post it here, check it out at http://9prettypiggies.blogspot.com.
Personally, i think it depends what kind of guy it's on. if it's on some big, old macho dude then no, especially if theyre old. but i'm only fifteen and quite skinny, and i paint my finger nails bright blue, green or black. i guesse i can get away with it because i'm young and what not, but from reading the other comments, i can see this whole "gender roles" manly stereotype thing is still there from the male counterpart, even though it's acceptable for a female to go around dressed like a boy ? well, i could argue about this all day, but i wont.
This is a good point. We see girls in blue jeans and t-shirts every day and no one ever makes any fuss about it, so it is reasonable that it might work the other way. I myself like some deep green polish.
I am a straight male that wear nail polish on my toes all the time. used to be, i didn't let anyone see. Now I don't care. I never wear the "manly" or dark colors. Reds, pinks, berry and lighter purple is about it. When I am on the beach, I get a few looks. In town a few looks and yest no one has tried to be disrespectful to me. A few have looked at them with disgust and some may have wanted to say something, but hey, they didn't. The ladies seem to like it and the nail tech says she is thrilled that I get them done. She wishes it would catch on soon. Most nail people are not used to it but know that it is more popular in other parts of the country. Maybe someday, everywhere…kind of like the ear ring in the 80's.
I've honestly thought about this for years. During the fall there are a lot of holidays where a masquerade party can be a great excuse to get everything done, even if only for a weekend. But the rest of the year it's just the standard manicure & pedicure with no color on either fingers or toe, just a low-gloss clear polish.
Since my my right thumb splits from the tip back toward the nail bed, I'm about ready to go for gel to make it stronger. If it works I'll get gel on all of them.
As for the toes, at next pedicure I'll let the tech do them in a medium/dark blue. Actually, some of the OPI colors are VERY interesting.
And BTW, I'm just a regular guy with a techie engineering job.
I'm almost 40 and I'm just starting to wear a shade of nail polish other than the clear coat. I have a cute face and am looking to wear braids again. I'm going for an androgynous–or even a feminine–look, but I'm straight, and that's the way I'm gonna stay. My wife didn't seem to mind it. If she did, she would've said something about it by now. I say if a guy wants to do it, do it! I'm no less of a man for doing it. Besides, I'm getting too old to worry about what other people think, because, at the end of the day, I gotta be myself.
I have a great respect for women who are confident enough in themselves that they do not feel their femininity diminished by a man who chooses to wear nail polish or make-up. This response however, is aimed mostly at those women who feel it's not 'manly' for a guy to wear nail polish or make-up. For context though: I have an outtie, I'm straight, and I regularly wear both nail polish and mascara. I'm also told that the overall effect is quite masculine.
I have to point out something which I feel is of vital relevance to this discussion: The Feminist Movement. Put simply, the feminist movement was/is about women wanting to be free to choose the course of their life for themselves. Ie: The right of a woman to work if she wishes; To marry when and who she chooses, or not marry at all if she prefers; To have children only when she wants them; And to have equal rights, equal freedoms, and equal opportunities to those that men have. I believe that as people, women deserve that kind of freedom, and I believe that a woman's choice to excercise that freedom doesn't make her any less of a woman in the eyes of a well-adjusted male.
Something else I believe, is that men deserve that kind of freedom too. I also believe that a man's ability to exercise that freedom in what is an essentially homophobic, masculine-centric culture, is a sign of his inner strength and confidence. What I cannot believe, is that any truly well-adjusted woman could consider such a man to be anything other than 'manly', whilst simultaneously exercising her right to choose the life of anything other than a subservient housewife. To maintain such a view would be hypocritical.
There's no justifiable reason why women should be allowed to wear makeup and nail polish, and men should not. It's not 'equal freedom' if the choices of one gender are more limited than the choices of another gender. I'm sorry ladies, but if you want to exercise your equality and still be considered women, then you have to be willing to let guys exercise their equality too, without attaching your personal judgements to their choices. Of course, I'm not saying you have to like it, either. But in light of the ideology that has given you the so-called 'equal freedom' you now enjoy, such double standards are simply not acceptable.
I have been getting pedicures for a couple of years. I never got polish until recently. I was sitting in a chair next to a woman that was getting a French Pedi. I thought it looked great. I told my tail girl to give me a French Pedi also. I have gotten several French pedis since and love the way my toes look. My wife also loves my new look
I wear nail polish and my girlfriend loves it, i think its more acceptable in the younger adults 18-30. there is no reason why men shouldnt wear nail polish, unless they cut their nails too short or something like that.
Wow TJ, your comment really hits the mark!
Thank you for saying what I and I'm sure other men feel about this, but we could not say it as eloquently as you have!
From my teens to 32, I hid my affinity to wear acrylics and nail polish. Mostly because I wasn't sure of the outcome if people saw me, all lacquered up. From 32 on, I've worn acrylic nails and toes full time, usually polished in shades of red, pink or purple. I just turned 41. Do people stare? Sure. Many of them point, crack jokes, giggle, etc. Do I care? Now, I don't, because I came to the conclusion that life is too short. I wish I found the courage to do this in my twenties. I have a steady job, lots of great friends, I'm getting married in a few weeks, and everyone who meets me, never forgets me. Right now my nails are Tammy Taylor pink and white, (with deep smile lines) and my toenails are longer than most, polished bright orange. (I just returned from the Bahamas) My nail tech tells me I'm her only male client who wears acrylics, and she takes extra special care in making sure my nails look fabulous 24/7. So if you're a guy out there, and you want to flaunt your colors, just do it! Honestly, no one cares, and once you get over your insecurity, LIFE is a joy!
TJ – your comment is almost 100% on the mark! Equality is and should be for *everyone*.
I do take a bit of umbrage, however, to your comment about a woman choosing to be "anything other than a subservient housewife".
I'm a pretty hardcore feminist. And a (college-educated) housewife. My husband and I came to the decision for me to take this path *together*, because it suits my peculiar sleep schedule (I'm nocturnal) and interests, and because my taking this role allows him to excel in a career he cares far more about than I did my previous "work".
Nothing about what I do is subservient, except that I am "serving" my needs and my husband's. If anything, it is far more liberating than any work I ever did outside the home. And if someday my husband wants to switch roles, I will not begrudge him the experience.
All that aside, I paint my 4-year-old nephew's nails (mani and pedi) whenever he wishes. And I let him and his sister know as often as the subject comes up that they are free to express themselves however they want in my presence, barring screaming fits and brattiness. I wish more women could feel confident enough in themselves as people that they didn't feel the need to exclude men from areas of potential common interest.
My nephew is just as deserving of being allowed to enjoy nail polish unjudged as any woman is to live her life as she pleases. And I dare ANYone to try and tell me otherwise.
So tell me, what colours does your nephew prefer?
I’ve been wearing mainly reds since I was about 12,(about 40 years).
I wish you had been my aunt, your open mindedness
is most refreshing.
Trina said…
‘TJ – your comment is almost 100% on the mark! Equality is and should be for *everyone*. I do take a bit of umbrage, however, to your comment about a woman choosing to be “anything other than a subservient housewife”. I’m a pretty hardcore feminist. And a (college-educated) housewife.’
Thanks for your response Trina! I enjoy discussion on these and similar issues, and appreciate the opinions of those who can share their views respectfully. I also think it’s great that you’re encouraging self-expression with your niece and nephew, particularly at such an important stage of their psychological development.
There is one thing I would like to note, however.
Please don’t mistake my use of the term ‘subservient housewife’ as an indicator of my personal value system. I actually dislike the term itself, as it tends to convey latent assumptions about perceptions of power disparity between the commonly accepted gender constructs of ‘man’ and ‘woman’; assumptions which I do not personally make, hold or share. However, despite my personal dislike for the term, I also felt it provided an appropriate context for my argument, within which I could illustrate the hypocrisy displayed by those who claim to hold feminist values, yet whom also expect males to adhere to the outmoded societal gender norms that they themselves have rejected. Thus, I rather deliberately made use of the term to point out this hypocrisy to those who blindly toot on the feminist horn, in the hopes it will compel some of them to educate themselves about the limitations of the more popularised versions of feminism.
That said, I must admit that my own understanding of modern feminist theory is somewhat limited – owing mostly to the incongruence I have observed between the apparent self-concepts of certain people in my life who identify as feminist, the lifestyle values they seem to espouse in their day-to-day lives, and the various feminist ideologies they claim to base their values on. I certainly don’t begrudge the right of anyone to identify as a feminist, but at the same time I find it difficult to take anyone seriously when they cling with chauvanistic fervor to an ideology which has been bent, spun, twisted and mangled into little more than a justification for those seeking personal gratification at the expense of others, no matter how noble the origins of that ideology. In this regard, many feminists even today seem to hold values that are more or less equivalent to the values of the patriarchal system they are in the process of deposing; values still based entirely on perceptions of the innate worth of each sex, with the only notable difference being a reversal of polarity of that perceived worth.
On that note, I do find it interesting that as a person who claims to hold values of equality, you would choose to take offence at the satirical use of an outdated male chauvinistic term to highlight a modern female chauvinistic attitude. Granted, the term is a loaded one in feminist circles, but as I mentioned above, its purpose was to illustrate a blatantly hypocritical belief commonly accepted as ultimate truth by many members of the mainstream feminist movement. In that sense I was using the word ‘subservient’ as an adjective to qualify the more general concept of ‘housewife’, not to imply that housewives are or should be subservient. Thus, my use of the term ‘subservient housewife’ was intended to describe a certain kind of housewife.
The circumstances you specified that led to your own current marital situation are a product of mutual agreement stand in direct contrast to the role concept I was referring to. Your circumstances have resulted from the respectful negotiation of roles between yourself and your husband, and you expressly state that these role choices meet the needs of both yourself and your partner. Your tone suggests that factors of dominance and subservience did not enter into the equation; that your mutual decision was born primarily out of collaboration rather than from conflict. In that context, the term I used does not and was never intended to apply to you, nor does it apply to others in a similar situation.
It saddens me that after so many decades of active development of feminist theory, this still has to be explained. I hope it clears up any misunderstandings about my position regarding this topic though.
Wow, awesome attitude Trina. I sincerely wish there were more women who thought like you!
Hey folks, just passing through… I'm still getting pedis with polish, wife still thinks it's cool, I'm still straight, I'm still watching inmates in prison… I've had nothing but positive comments from everyone I've met except for a couple of "hood rats" I encountered while at the museum with my kids. I stared'em down New York style and continued having fun with my kids. I've had women approach me at parties and tell me they were jealous of my feet (I honestly only agree with one, the others all looked way better than me)… Shopping for my wife today, had the manager at a beauty supply store tell me she felt bad that my feet looked better than hers (she had on boots, couldn't tell you how her feet looked). How real is this trend? BB Couture has created a line of polish "Just For Men". If you're looking to see the colors or pick some up, visit http://www.overallbeauty.com and tell'em I sent ya.
I'm a 29 year old male and Ive been painting my toenails with dark colors for years. I've never worn it in public, just because of what others think. I'm glad I've come across this site because it really opened my eyes. I know I shouldn't care what others think, but that's hard sometimes. What really matters is what I think, and I think it looks badass! So I'll be sporting it out this week!
I am SO pleased I found this site. I thought it was just me!
Like so many here, I’m Straight and married. A couple of years ago, my wife painted my toenails when I was asleep and when I woke up, I loved the look. She did it a few times then got uncomfortable with it – she was worried I was going to end up wanting to become a woman!
We’ve enjoyed going to spas etc throughout our relationship of 7 years and over the past year we have started exploring this stuff again. Sweaty armpits caused me to start getting them waxed. I love it. I get my back done too. As soon as I can find someone to do it, I want to go for a “back sack and crack”.
At a recent trip to the spa, she surprised me by booking me a pedicure and when I had it, the therapist was almost apologetic that she wanted to put on some clear polish. I just wanted to shout that I wanted coloured, but chickened out! Then, on a recent trip to the US, I popped into a 20-minute spa at the airport and had a manicure and pedicure. Clear on both and the therapist didn’t bat an eyelid.
That’s where I am now. Next, I want to start having my toes painted in a fairly pale colour. The fingers are gonna have to stay clear due to work, though.
I find myself wanting to be a girl. I don’t mean I want a sex change, or even to try and pass as female, but just to experience the whole female pampering thing. Like Aaron above, I want to get in on this. I want the right to take care of my skin. I’d love to wear (very subtle) makeup and to really take care of my skin. Unfortunately, at 44 I think I’ve missed the whole “manscara” and “guyliner” thing – I just look silly (I have tried!) My job means I couldn’t get away with it at work anyway. I also wouldn’t want to worry my wife – I love her too much to hurt her and whilst she can cope with the polish, sharing her whole makeup bag would probably be a bit too much.
Oh well, I can dream.
I’m 34 straight and have a gf who i have been with for 10 years.I’ve been wearing nail polish on my toes & fingers since I was 16 and the clours have mostly been bright red or dark red, but have worn black,dark pink, british racing green,blues or choclate brown and my finger nails are quite long. But I don’t just wear polish out in public with sandles, but with high heels and girlie jewlery and my gf loves the look. I do it all th time as every day fasion and get all kinds of reactions good and bad but not worried about the comments as it is what I like to do and my gf don’t mind and thats fine by me. so if you wont to do it…then go on do it.male and female are not alound any more to be sexist in the work place so why should it be sexist in the fasion world.
Love To All XXX
Aaron, I love what you said. I wear bright red on my fingers. I just had a mani yesterday and I love it. I do it every 2-3 weeks. I am 48 straight male that just love the fem side of life.
I’m heterosexual and I paint my toenails/fingernails. I like to stick to a certain blue that I like or a metallic light pink. I have just recently started to wear them out in public and have had some really positive reactions and some odd reactions (generally from uneducated people who look funnier to me than I do to them I’m sure). I just stopped caring one day and hit the road with my toenails painted and pedicured. I go just about everywhere I can wear flip flops to, with my toenails painted. You can see a pic of my toenails on my blog: http://tonisargent.blogspot.com
My guy and I finally went in and had a spa pedicure together. What a difference it made, I don’t know why I waited so long to convince him that he (we) really needed this. I can even snuggle him in bed now and I don’t get all scratched by his rough skin. I encouraged him to try polish too and so he got a dark silvery-gray color applied. Wow, did his feet look sexy afterwards!
That was one of the first things my wife noticed (after the color of course) NO ROUGH, SRATCHY FEET IN BED!!! She loves it.
i wear nail polish on my toes.most of the time.pink and dark reds mostly,i wish i was brave enoght to go get a set of acrylics nails done on my fingers i love to wear femine things.sould i go for it?
yes go 4 it it would be great with acrylics, all though i don’t wear acrylics as i grow my own nails and my gf shapes and paints my longish nails.
wear high heels to with peep toe so u can show your polish of more sexy.
I to get my nails done once a month. The manicurists not only files and buffs my nails but gives a hot lotion massage to my hands. It feels great. The massage lasts about 20 minutes per hand. After which she puts on a nail hardener. The last time she ask me if I wanted to try a new polish for men. She said it accents the nail bed but leaves the nail looking cleaner without the polished look. The polish was a translucent pink color. I allowed her to do it. Upon letting it dry I noticed that it actually looked like my nail beds could be seen but the color disappeared at the tips of the nails where light could penetrate. The nails actually looked healthier then they have ever looked prior. Even though there was a little gloss to them, I liked the way they looked. I showed them to my girlfriend who said they looked fantastic as oppose to what some guys had done with regular polish. A couple of my male friends went and had it done. Their girlfriends were also impressed. Have any of you had a similar experience with this type of nail polish. I don’t know the manufacturer or even if it is available on the open market. (I’ve Looked) She did give me a little in a plain bottle for touch ups, but I would like to buy it.
Well, this guy wore blue nail polish for a day and lived to tell about it:
http://overallbeauty.com/beauty-blog/2010/02/09/nails-tale-true-account-of-a-man-wearing-nail-polish-bb-couture-vise-on-his-hands/
This one is me
The “really tough job” is Corrections Officer (prison guard). Sometimes on my days off I do my fingernails too, but the toes are ALWAYS done.
http://overallbeauty.com/beauty-blog/2009/10/11/got-the-blues-military-blues-nail-polish-that-is/
I Am an 18 year old male and I proudly sport French tips with a lovely coat of clear…. total chick magnet nobody seems to have a problem with them and if they did I wouldn’t care
Hello i am a 27 year old man (straight) and i have been wearing Black Nail polish for about 8 months On and off.
I have a Girlfriend and she is find with me wearing it, She is even talking about doing Other colors like Blue etc etc =P
I just started painting my toes as well.
I really like the look of Nail polish and it’s nice to paint my nails when i am bored “gives me something to do” i don’t keep my nails that long but still try and keep them somewhat long so it’s easier to paint them, Really short nails are very hard to paint LOL.
I think it’s really, really sad that so many young people (I’m talking to you ladies) would be so brainwashed as to think that something as superficial as nail polish has anything to do with the masculinity of, much less the kind of person a man is just because he wears nail polish. Drag out your house dresses girls, put on your pearls and take your little sexist fannies back to the kitchen where you obviously belong. You make me embarrassed to be female and I’ve got 20-30 years on nearly all of you.
nice to have a laddie on r side,sandi great comment
I am a 57-year old married straight male who has dark metallic grey nail polish on my fingers and black nail polish on my toes.
I frequently wear sandals showing my toenails and a jean skirt. I have even worn them to my church’s choir practice, and when I wore the skirt I was the only one who had a skirt on at the time. (I sing bass). The reactions for the most part are very restrained.
The grey nail polish goes well with my grey suit (coat, shirt, pants, and tie) on Sunday morning.
So, guys, if painting your nails floats your boat, by all means, DO IT! We men sorely need to expand our wardrobe options!
I’m a 35 year old married straight man with kids. I wear clear polish on my feet, occasionally on my fingers too when I feel edgy :). I have a few other grooming behaviors that might be considered feminine by many, but I just consider it my right to feel clean and look nice. Why should men stay looking like cavemen to be normal?
I should note I also enjoy wearing shoes in public that are not always considered ‘mens’ shoes. I do it tastefully and blend it in well with my outfit so overall it appears androgynous and most don’t even notice any thing different. So I am told I do not in any way look flamboyant or outwardly feminine, I just feel men’s shoes are boring and I want to wear what I want. I don’t give a damn what others say.
I’m a 30 year gay male and sumbled on you blog by accident. I wear all sorts of colour nail polish when ever I want to. Colour needs to complement my clothes (or not)
I don’t care what other people think or say, there are fare more urgent matters in the world than my nails. If I don’t wear nail polish they are manicured.
Funny to know is that nail polish was invented for men. A lot of people don’t know that. Egyptian pharaos and Chinese Emperors were the first ever to wear nail polish. There is some debate though about who had it first, the Egyptians or Chinese. Matter of fact remains that they were still men.
I like to put in my comment. I never thought of putting on nail polish on my toes but that changed with the world champion ship soccer. I am Dutch, living in Canada for 36 yrs and I dressed up in orange for every soccer came the Dutch played. I told my wife that I wanted to go into the extreme and painted my toe nails also orange. It was weird for a moment but then it started to grow on me and began to like it and still use nail polish to this day, I use clear polish for my fingers. And so, there is not a specific dress code that says only female can walk around with painted nails, not us guys. Having that said I remember when the European Parliament in Strassbourg, issued a degree in the summer of 1966 that women where allowed to wear slacks and not a single person or group complained. We guys we almost have to bend over backwards in order to get some equality. All the above comments are corrects when they said we guys don’t look after our feet as we should and you don’t have to be gay, bi ( I am Bi ) and married or anything else but we are so quick to label a person which is totally wrong.
Thanks.
Tom
I since then backed off from wearing nail polish on my fingernails, after deciding that it was too feminine looking and was too high maintenance. I still have nail polish on my toenails.
If I didn’t have long hair, nor wore skirts, nore wore women’s sandals I think I could have nail polish on my fingernails but as it is it is just a bit much.
Women love it when I wear polish. Whether it is clear or a color they realize that I am taking the time to take care of myself and they show their appreciation. As others have said here when they do not like your polished toe nails the reason is yours look better than theirs. I have been giving myself home pedicures for almost ten years and will continue to do so. To all the men out there I can only say it is a positive experience…You should give it a try!
Why do men need permission from society to wear nail polish? Women don
Very well said more men and women need to thing in this way clothing as well and high heels. I always wear reds or hot pink on my toes and my longish fingers all the time. i also wear high heels all the time and make up also some times womens clothes. i don’t care as I’m not breaking the law and not trying to be a women I’m just being me
Aaron – you are right on. I love to wear a skirt and heels. I shave my legs and feet and I feel good about it. i don’t want to be a woman either but I am just being true to myself and doing what makes me feel good. I also wear woman’s underwear when I can find some that actually fit. People probably don’t understand the male feminine psyche but it is alive and well. Do what make you happy as long as it is not illegal or immorale
I have painted my toenails for about a year and do it to celebrate my feminine side. I am well groomed and have nice looking feet. I am straight and married and typically choose feminine colors as my favorite color is pink. I commend all men who are individuals and not afraid to do what makes them happy. Women have alot of cool stuff ie: clothes, purses, shoes etc. I also carry a coach manbag and have been accused of being such a “girly man” – but that is OK. A pedicure and polish is a treat and if more men weren’t homophobic – they may enjoy there feminine side.
well said homophobic is the problem for sure with lots of men, they need ton understan the female side more and it is not that bad
I say rock on i’m a little scared about coming out of the nail and toe ring closet but there is nothing wrong with it they are my toes so what and all the homophobic dicks out there probably do something considered feminine like holding thier pinky out when they drink so screw em i am a straight male who gets a lil buzz from it
i never wear girls underwear infact i wear no under wear at all. i also use laddies handbags.
i have not that long had this new lazer treatment witch burns the hairs on your body to stop the hair from ever growing again, my whole body was done and i feel great. i have a girlfriend and she always helps me out on my fem side and she wished more men would be less fearfull of their fem side.
I like nail polish on my nails, because I succumb to this weird fantasy of a hot chick wearing it, and pretend that she is in the room with me with those beautiful nails. Bizarre right? It is hard to explain. Other than than that, I don’t get man purses or anything. I guess that’s too feminine. I don’t get pedicure’s, I bite my nails(bad I know)and do mostly manly things. I really dig the painting nails though.
I like wearing all kinds of ‘womens” clothing, nail polish, anklets, toe rings, etc. All considered girly by many but I don’t place labels on things……just like the look and feel on me.
More men should do the nail polish on their toes thing. It looks and feels sexy and whats wrong with that.
My current color is neon blue.
Even as a male, I have taken the time to get routine pedicures,keeping my feet looking fresh, clean, and sexy. For years I have chosen clear nail polish on my toes until recently. I have now chosen opi alpine brightwhite whiteout color on my toes. This brightwhite shows off my tan and draws a lot of attention to my ties & toerings. Great comments!!!! Women love it and it shows confidence. A must guys, you will love the attention. Check out my numerous foot photos on Flickr..you will be impressed how great thus looks on a male..
Can I have a link to the pics of the white toenail polish. I am thinking of doing that myself. Anything that shows off my tan is a good thing!
RJC
I keep my toenails polished 100% of the time and I’m lucky to live in Los Angeles where I can show them off all year long. I also have toerings and an anklet that I wear and I’ve never had a negative comment in the 10 or so years I’ve been doing this. Hope more guys take the dive and do it.
Maybe I just like to be different, but I like the idea of more guys wearing colored polish on their nails. Black seems like an obvious choice but I have tried other darker colors like green and blue and I think it rocks on a guy.
I met this really hot girl at a party and she told me my nails looks ‘extreme’ with polish on them. She was pretty extreme herself, but that’s another story…
I wear nail polish in the winter time when i wear shoes. In the summer wearing sandels all the time i cannot use dark colors in public because my wife objects. it’s not embarressing to me but it would be to her. I am also a crossdresser. I prefer women’s panties to men’s underwear because i like the silky feel and the frilley look. I actually am bi-sexual but that’s not why i crossdress. I learned many years ago that i had a strong feminine side and was suppressing it. I had been treated several times for depression. A lady friend helped me explore my fem side and when i stopped denying it i stopped being depressed and have had no problems since. i think nail polish makes my feet look better and i hate ugly feet. i wish society could get over the prejudice toward men expressing their fem side.
My guy is a long haired, motorcycle riding construction worker who paints his toenails. He has his own colours (“ugly” shades of orange, green wash, olive, beige mood changing) but uses mine (can be really pretty or dark) as well if he feels like it. He’s a rare being who really doesn’t care what other people think; he likes seeing colour on his feet, and puts on whatever floats his boat that day. But he doesn’t maintain it at all; he only redoes when half the toes have lost all their paint & they look boring.
It started with this crazy dense holo-glitter confetti polish I got from the dollar store when we were first going out; I was painting my toes & waving them in the air to catch the light, laughing about my Magic Toes. All of a sudden he yelled “I want Magic Toes too!” So I painted his toes (I usually do), and he was hooked. We have pedicure time when his daughter is with us; she thinks it’s perfectly normal for us all to paint toes together!
I flipped out when my husband came home from the salon with dark blue toenails with designs on the big toes…..maybe I flipped out too much
I have been married to my husband for four years. He has gotten “pedicure’s” on and off for years because his feet/nails are so bad. But today he came home from the salon and had “dark blue” nail polish on his toenails with a design on the big toes…I FREAKED out as blurted out “Are you gay?”
Needless to say a HUGH fight occurred as we took off the polish. Am I wrong to have flipped out? He stated he wasn’t gay and that I asked him to have them painted blue…maybe I did as a joke….but NOT for real….HELP…..
What’s the problem? Man puts on nail polish / man takes off nail polish. . . still the same man.
I’ve done nails for years. I’m a short, dumpy, bald, sixty year-old man – but I can dream. . .
Really? WTF is wrong with you? Nail polish is just as much a sign that a man is gay as pants on a woman are a sign that she is gay. Throttle back and take a breath…
What is wrong with YOU? Men trying to keep themselves looking good isn’t ‘gay’ at all. Neither is pants on a woman. You best go back to where you belong–the 19th century!
Man… i really don’t think you understood what he wrote lol.
He said the same you tried to say. haha. Relating the ridiculousness of wearing nail polish to what would be ridiculous to call any woman wearing pants a lesbian.
Would you have him drive an unpainted car? Would you think him gay if he turned his car into a “Fast&Furious” wannabe, with spoilers, ground effects, fancy rims, underbody neon and custom paint? I’m not criticizing you, just trying to suggest that the color on his toes has as much to do with his orientation as the color on his car. Personally, I think the pimped-out car is much more “flambuoyant” than the polished toes.
Offer to reapply the blue. Admire your handiwork. Polish yours blue to match. Accept his color to show that you accept him. Then, when you tire of the blue and pick another, ask him if he’d like to wear YOUR color for a while! Good luck!
I’m not sure if I was completely clear before:
1) The paint on your hubby’s toes was JUST paint – the same stuff that’s on his car…
2) Neither the color of his toes, nor the color on his car, have anything to do with his masculinity – if either affects YOUR ESTIMATION of his masculinity, I suggest that you think a little about how you define masculinity, and how (or WHETHER..) the elements of your definition have any real relationship to whether a man is “a good, manly man”.
You asked him to paint them blue and then you freak out when he does? You really do need help. Make up your mind!
I’m a straight 56 year old male, and I’ve been doing it for years. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with it. How would YOU feel if your husband freaked out the next time you wore something considered male accessories?
I wear clear polish on my finger nails myself… and color my toes. I like the shine on my fingers and love the color on my toes. I’m straight and in the military.
a message for Denise. My children don’t understand this either. However, I have done a lot of research and I think you need to too! Sit down with your husband at the computer and start your own research TOGETHER. I am 68, straight and a Christian and I paint both hands and feet in any color I choose and work in retail with at least my hands exposed and sometimes my feet. Sometimes, I wear sandles to work and get there early and eat my lunch around my fellow employees and then right before I clock in, I change my shoes to conform with the “closed” toe regulation for safety reasons. Some don’t agree, but everything is peaceful. We can’t worry about what people think because if they don’t like the shape of my nose, am I going to run out and have a “nose” job….NO! By the way, nail polish as you know it was invented for men not women. My research revealed that it was invented by the Chinese and that the bright colors was for the emperor and the paler the color the lower you were on the social status. I would suggest something that many couples do. Go to a salon and both get a mani and pedi and get your nails done in the same color. You will feel closer to each other when you share such a “personal” activity together….and don’t worry about other people. Do this for yourselves …. and have FUN!
On the bonus side….when you get home….I’m betting that bedtime will be the best ever. I’ve read too many other couples comments and it happened to every one of them! I won’t ask you to report back because let’s face it…that’s too personal….that’s for you and your husband!!!!!
Go for it……and you’ll see I’m right.
I am 26 and live in Idaho. I have wanted to wear nail polish forever but i’m afraid i’ll be laughed at by my friends.
Philip, do what you want. I too am in Idaho and know that most people are narrow minded here. Just do your thing and when it really comes down to it, the people are not gonna remember you in 20 minutes anyway. If they are true friends then they will accept it. I am lucky to have found a wife that accepts my nail polish wearing.
I had a mini.reunion.with my best friends from high school. I was worried how they would react to my painted toes. It was no big deal. If they are true friends they will.accept it.
i am a married white male with two small kids and i too have also started painting my toenails and find it very stimulating to look down and see my toes painted instead of just drabe toes
I just had a mani/pedi and for the first time had them use color on my toenails. Orly Candy Cane Lane Red to be exact and I really like the look.
I met my current girlfriend (now fiance) while wearing nail polish on my bare feet. I have worn it for two years and it has always went very well, nobody has ever doubted my manliness just because I wear nail polish on my fingers and toes in plain view in public, likely because I am much larger than them and most people know better than to insult somebodies manliness when they are bigger than you. Now me and my girl do our nails to match. Right now we are sporting a lime green, it rocks.
i really like the bright nail polishes for summer and just bought one in bright yellow,but am afraid to wear incase people laugh am usually quite confident in what i wear but not sure about polish
After having hid my interest in nail polish since I was a kid, I started wearing my toes painted openly. Not everyone I know understands or likes it, but thats ok. I do it for my enjoyment and to express my individuality. I even got tiger stripes at my last pedi. I think it is better than getting some Tattoo that you will regret. All I need is some polish remover and it’s gone if I want.
I am a pretty masculine guy, but I do have some feminine tendencies. I am totally straight as a nail(I have no reason to lie on the internet). I have recently tried wearing nail polish on my toes (currently hot pink) and I love it. It took a lot for me to go out in flip flops, but it came down to me thinking, well what the f**k does it make you know? I am who I am. The worst someone might think is that I’m gay, which isn’t really that big of a deal is it? I don’t have anything against gay’s, so why should I be worried someone may mistake me as such? I also like ladies undies and pj’s as they’re super soft and feel nice. I am still experimenting with polish on my fingers, but not sure I’m ready to go out with that quite yet, but tryin to stay strong!
Hay Jason, get out there & do the nail polish on fingers, it’s not all that bad. i’ve been dong it since i was 16′ i’m 36 now. i love wearing high heels of all kinds, even high eel sandles. i wear a bright red nailpolish all the time, on my hands & feet. but simetimes i may wear, other reds,pinks,blues,greens,pureples,white,bight yellow,black,browns. also my nails are 6mm olnger than the tip of my fingrs. i also have had false on before but nothing is better that the real. one last thing i’m not gay in any way & my girl friend thinks that more men should do it & they should have moe free fasion choice like the girls.
BYE FOR NOW!
I only have one thing to say about men wearing nail polish… I love it!!!!
I wish it would get really popular so I’d get to see it more often.
I totally embrace the idea of men wearing nail polish as I am a guy and I do it too. I still live with my parents right now(just graduated high school last month) so for right now I am sticking with the clear nail polish on my toes because it is not easy to notice and because if my parents found out that I wear nail polish I’m sure that they would disown me and by the way I’m not gay. whoever said that guys that wear nail polish are gay lied. I would totally wear the colored nail polish if I didn’t live around such close-minded people although I would stick to guy colors black, blue etc. Although I find red appealing as well.
Hey!so just to get to the point… i am gay but who cares. I don’t do anything but paint my toenails that might be considered fem. I am not flamboyant or have a high voice lol. Not that any of that is bad,its just to further my point that i am a manly man but have some soft edges.I love painting my toenails because it gives me a rush because i know that i am walking on unmarked grounds for guy and don’t care because it makes me happy :)(run on sentences i know sorry.) I am 17 and my sorta family knows that i do or once have painted them before. I don’t know if they still do but my mom dose for sure and she don’t care but looks puzzled and never talks about with me. never have seeing it herself just smelling it in the air and a confession from me once confirmed it. me and my family dont have a close relationship but if they ever found out i was gay i would never see them again. or never see again. sorry about my story it has little to do with topic. so i like to wear guy colors or what i consiter guy colors like, dark’s, blues, greens, white, black, dark purple. those are my favorites although i only own gunmetal by Sally Hansen and some white. the other colors are done by sharpie lol. but its all good
do what makes you happy. its called the per suite of happiness and don’t let people take that away ever!
when i grow up i will finally be able to show off my true self
Well I think this is great. I’ve wanted to wear polish all my life. I’m very stright an only enjoy women. I’ve only worn it openly now for about 6 months.I also enjoy wearing other women’s items. But the closed minded people just dont understand. It has nothing to do with being gay. It’s all about how it makes you feel. My wife an I get our toes an nails done together an it’s great.
I’m married and I wear toe nail polish I don’t think there is anything wrong with it I wear all different colors like blue with glitter, orange, yellow, pink, purple, green and red I pretty much paint them any color I havnt seen anything that says a boy can’t wear polish if you check some major polish companies you will find that they have a whole line of colors for boys and I hate it when people say it makes a boy gay to wear nail polish I am 100% straight and married my wife loves it that I wear polish
I have a feeling i’m going to do this. I was only looking for some support for what I was thinking of doing. But after reading all this, I’m really ready
I have to wait until payday thou (smile)! I am a straight older african american male and I want my nails to be the same size and all the same color. So I’m having this done. Any other men should get it done, cause i’m going to.
I have openly worn my toes polished for eight months now. I have no regrets. It is so freeing to be able to were whatever color strikes my fancy. No more fear or feeling guilty.
I have been doing my toes for about 20 years, since college. In the past few years I have been wearing sandels and flip flops and not really cared what other’s have thought.
I have not had one bad reaction yet and in most cases have recieved good comments and acceptance. My wife also likes it which is a huge bonus of course.
Colors of choice tend to be blues, silvers, dark greys, dark purples and even some dark reds when I am in the mood. I have wore some other more femme colors like pinks and lavenders but I don’t tend to enjoy those colors as much as a shiny silver!
The more people see painted toes and fingers on guys, the more accepting it will be, just like earlings and long hair!
well, just jumped into this pond and had my first pedicure. Certainly won
I got clear the first four visits. It has been color from there on. I love blues and greens. I now get nail art sometimes. I look forward to my pedicures. I also started because I am diabetic.
I’m a 51 yr old man with grown kids and grandkids, always wanted to try it, but wasn’t until I started talking to a shrink about something else happening in my life did I get the real feeling that I could wear toe polish and not think there was something wrong with me.
I started with clear and then frost then a skin tone pink, now gray and green have come into play.. I think it looks great and have had some very nice comments from people I have stopped me while out just to say something about it.. I only wish my wife would not be critical about it. She still hasn’t seen it, Men if it’s what you want to do, do it.. If you have good looking feet and the strength in who you are go for it.. I hope it takes off.. I really like it, looks good and clean.. good luck
I just painted my toenails as an experiment for my women & gender studies class, but I like it and so do my wife and daughters! I’m gonna keep it up. I got some stares out shopping today and I just think it’s ridiculous. Who decided painted toes were feminine? It’s freakin colored paint on toenails… why does everything in this society have to be gendered?
hey Mike. Good for you. I think the big deal is that if anything is outside the norm, whatever normal is,:) then I think people don’t understand it and make unnecessary judgments, and I think they also fear others who do have the courage to be different. There’s also perhaps an aspect of hating another because they see them as having the courage to do different things while they do not. perhaps it evokes an inferiority complex somehow, even subconsciously and that’s why they’d deride those who dare to be different.
So like the Hippocratic oath, “First, Physician, do no harm”, I say do what you want as long as nobody else gets hurt then there’s no reason for not doing it.
I have no idea who it is though that decided what;s fashion, what’s acceptable, what’s not etc. I think it’s a cultural myth of some sort.
The first guys wearing earings took alot of heat. If we persist and more follow, the norm will shift and it will be accepted
I agree Jim. I think there’s alot of guys who would like to do this. It looks cool, but are just afraid of comments about their sexuality preference or other odd comments. They just don’t want to deal with them.
There’s a huge shift going on in our culture today, ideas of what is gender specific are changing. Girls are free-er to do what they want, but those rules haven’t been relaxed for men yet. I think of nail painting as just something to differentiate from everybody else, I don’t want the permanence of tattoos, nor do I want rings and studs in my body. I really like the use of color.
Well guys, my wife has excepted the polish on my toes and we actually went out with my toes painted, and guess what, no one noticed or cared.. Not that I cared if they did, but it’s part of my wifes fear.. (what will people think) I have tatoos, I have a ear ring when I feel like wearing it.. I spike my hair when I want to.. Why not color your nails when you want to.. Men bring out your true colors.. wear them on your nails.. Glad I found this site..
That’s great Todd. I’m glad your first venture out was uneventful.
The coolest thing happened this weekend, my wife actually painted my toes for me.. Seamed a little weird at first then became somewhat exciting.. SH 460 wet cement is a nice color gray, BB makes a bunch of cool colors for men as well.. Thanks for the site and the support..
Good for you, Todd! I had the coolest experience this past week on road trip with my elderly dad. I told him I’d had myfirst pedi and don’ t be surprised to see colors on next. He said it was just paint and would look a helluva lot better than those stupid tattoos. LOL! I’ve also been painting my fingers clear with a slight pink cast and love it. Some have noticed but not one comment. It’s just body art to me now.
Just for you guys, went on my first trip out in a pale pink pearl blush with sandals. Cooler out today, could have done shoes, but nope, put the sandals on and went grocery shopping.
Nice shine to them, not overly ostentatious. Just a nice overall color. Compliments my skin tone I think. And it does make the man’s feet look better too.
I think in general people will have their own judgments but will keep them to themselves. That’s a good thing and way of being in today’s world to be sure.
Hey guys, Went to the largest mall in our area with my wife last weekend, in Gunmetal blue toenails and flip flops, got some looks and smiles from both men and women.. Felt good to be walking around in the world the way I want. If it bother others don’t look is my thought. I really hate to think guys who want to do this don’t because of what others “might” think.. I was afraid of that, but not anymore.. As I said earlier on this site I’m 51 and straight with grown kids.. Who really knows how much time you have on the earth, would have hated to be on my death bed and said to my wife “boy I wish I would have painted my toes just once”.. lol not that its that important, but its something I wanted.. Men do want you want life it to short..
I wear nail polish, thongs (showing), heels, skirts, bras, you name it and im strait …. Only men could do this … Any other thong go-ers? whats your stories?
Today I picked up a deep pearl chocale brown from Sally Hansen. What a cool color, almost a deep chestnut brown, called Coco a go-go. Nice coverage 2 coats. Also freshened up my pink pearl with a deeper mauve pink called shimmering nude. Blends really nice with skin tone and has a metallic sheen to it. But I;m thinking these may be too light now for fall anyway. Then again, it’s getting past sandal season anyway.
Married, hetero, three kids and cats/dogs/mortgage and everything.
I’ve been taking care of my hands and nails since I was a kid and loved the 80′s. You could wear nail polish, eye makeup and more and nobody gave a fig.
So now, I am mid forties, decided to grow my hair out (brush cut for 20+ years), keep my nails clear lacquered (hands) and my toes a fantastic deep metallic cherry (good enough for a mustang, good enough for toes). I also paint my wifes toes and fingers (she’s not a polish type) and my daughter. She goes to school telling her friends her dad gave her french tips.
I still cover the feet around most family (rednecks) and only go full dark on my hands around halloween (did black and red reverse french tips with gold glitter overlay this year).
Is it hard? Yes. Is it scary? Sometimes. It says more about the stage of society we live in than the choice to wear polish itself. Our primary fear is being “assaulted and ridiculed” by homophobic men (and women). That means the real problem is homophobia and a general “hatred” of the feminine. Imagine what it’s like to be actually gay. That fear you feel is just a whiff. To help youself, help others first. Be there to support their community and help end the problem for EVERYONE.
It’s time to stop beating up on the feminine and glorifying the false machismo associated with masculinity. My masculinity is based on my understanding of the feminine. Does my wife approve? She doesn’t need to. Anymore than I dictate what she wears.
BTW, it was funny. I’d been coloring my toes since late summer and then I did the brown that I bought, and my wife who notices everything didn’t notice. So then I ask her what she thought of the color, and she kind of was like When did you do that, and I say 2 weeks ago. LOL! She also has a strong sense of what others think but then after that she just said, well, toe color really isn’t a gender is it, and I say no, it’s just color. She’s just not one that likes surprises, she needs to warm up to the ideas, but then she’s cool.
It is amazing how little people look at feet. If your wife could go two weeks without noticing, it is no wonder people rarely react to polished toes on men. I wear all sorts of colors and nail art designs and rarely get a single comment. So now, I wear what I like without worry.
Hi Guys Todd here, been months since I started wearing deeper,darker colors on my toes.. With suprisingly HOT results.. Hit on twice,one by a woman I know in passing and one by a stranger.. Both came to me while looking at my nails.. I turned them away.. Married and would dream of screwing up my years with my wife.. My biggest hold up hold back is my family.. They don’t know about my nails.. I’ve been out many times and been all over the place including my Dr.s appointments and no issues, but the kids and other family members are a concern for me still..
Fifty years ago it was still frowned upon for a woman to wear pants and 150 years ago, western society was still questioning the wisdom of educating women. As Frank Zappa said, “without deviations from the norm, progress is not possible.” We humans are creatures whose history is one ‘deviation’ from the status quo of the day leading to the next. The history of the high heel is evidence of that (look it up) If a man could come back 200 years from now and found masculine men wore lace pants, and femme men wore denim, I bet it would not take long for him to chuck his wranglers and wear what he needed to fit in where he felt he belonged. I publicly wear color on my toes, I wear pink, do yoga and Pilates, my mobile has a colourful cover instead of the heavy duty ‘manly’ black and metal ones many rugged types carry. I’m occasionly told these things I do are ‘girly’, as though my doing them demeans someone elses misguided and fragile construct of manhood. I don’t give a damn what people think, it is just pigment on my toes, and pink is a reflection of light as perceived and processed by our brains. I like tonail polish. If you are a person who has a problem with it, accept the fact that your opinions are just that and get over it. After that, step back and consider that playing the rolls of man and woman are both societally imposed drag performances and because we tend to follow suit to blend in and appear ‘normal,’ our intricate cultural act is not evident to us and we mistake it for being natural; the way things were ordained and are ‘supposed’ to be. Whatever.
Not sure if anyone is still commenting on this because I just found this today but tomorrow I’m going to school with painted nails for the first time. I’m nervous someone’s gonna say something or call me something (I’m made fun of alot and picked on just cause I’m skinnier then the other guys) I used pure ice black polish on my finger nails. Always liked the look of black nails.
Good for you Nat! Wear what you want and be who you are. There will always be people who pick on others but you just have to rise above. Having the courage to wear polish at such a young age just shows how in touch you are with yourself. I wish I was that secure with myself back then.
I wish I knew more people like me in my area but I don’t and most of the time I’m alone (cause my friends at school kinda pushed me away and ignore me) so I don’t have much support
I think that people are people, who each possess a spectrum of fe/male attributes, habits and opinions.
I think each individual should be able to say, if they want to, that they enjoy having shiny, colourful, sparkly nails, regardless of external fe/maleness.
I have been wearing polish on my toes for 41 years and love it and always will..clear on fingers to stop them from getting stains in them..late wife was jealous because she said mine looked prettier than hers…I also wear 3 toe rings and an anklet with 2 charms.. have gotten nothing but 99 Percent positive comments and looks and it feels great…this is in michigan
and yes I was one of those that started wearing an earring when I was 16 in 1970 when everyone harrassed you about it..I still wear it
everyone just needs to come together and DO IT!!!
then things will change