How to show your painted toes or fingers in public as a man

Something I've read many times in online discussion groups about men painting their nails is 'How can I go out in public with my nails painted without getting ridiculed, pointed at etc?'  So here's my answer-

My normal male look with painted toes

Just do it.  Ok, that sounds overly simple, but it really is that simple.  But let me expand on that a little.  The first time I was brave enough to go out in public with my painted toes showing I was SO NERVOUS.  I just knew that everyone was going to notice, point, taunt me and laugh at me.  Heck, I thought I might even get in a fight over it.  So I went out trying to avoid people (at Wal Mart no less, lol) and was constantly ducking into another isle, turning away from others and I kept looking around to see who was noticing.  In other words, I probably looked like I was there to commit a crime, lol.  And guess what, I found quite a few people looking at me as if to figure out what I was up to, because I looked like I was up to something wrong.

Then I came home and removed the polish and didn't try that again for months.  It actually took me years to realize, thanks to the internet, that there were a lot more guys who painted their toes or fingers than I ever imagined.  So I started getting braver and would let my friends see my toes painted, and some made little jokes about it, but most thought it was cool that I was brave enough to do something like that since I obviously liked it.  But I still rarely went out in public with them showing and was mostly a closet nail painter like I'm sure many of you reading this are.

Fast forward a couple of years to my 2nd wife who always told me I should just do what made me happy.  Problem was I had a very conservative cowboy father who ridiculed any guy with an ear ring, long hair, etc.  So there was no way he would think it was alright that I painted my toes.  But then in 2007 my father passed away and I began to realize how short life was.  I started thinking differently about a lot of things and realized I needed to live my life the way I wanted to and not the way I thought society wanted me to.  So I began going out in public with painted toes and decided to act normal, and not look around to see who was staring, pointing etc.  And guess what?  I noticed that VERY FEW people noticed at all, and NO ONE ridiculed me, or any of my other fears.  Yes, I still looked, but just casually and out of the corner of my eye, but mostly I acted like I wasn't doing anything wrong.

Now it's been around 4 years that I've been doing this, and I wear open toed sandals 99% of the time, so everyone can see, and I still haven't had one single real negative situation.  Yeah, I've had a few negative comments, but it's all been from women who say something non offensive like 'I don't get it, but to each his own' or something similar.  But I've had WAY more positive comments, mostly from women, but a few men too.  The women think it's very cool that I'm brave enough to do this and you wouldn't believe how many have said that they wish their significant other would try it so their feet wouldn't be so crusty and yucky.

And my current wife loves it.  She much prefers that I have my toes painted and thinks they look boring when not painted.

So how do you get away with it in public?  Just do it.  Really, it's that simple.  Just go out in public and don't act like you're doing anything wrong.  Walk with confidence and others will see you as a very brave person, and many will be jealous that their boyfriends or hubby's don't do it.  And I can guarantee that many guys will be wishing they were brave enough to do it themselves.  And if you catch someone staring, SO WHAT.  Lifes to short to go through life trying to please the world.  If you do that, you'll fail so why not please yourself.  Painted nails can make you feel good about yourself, and they are just fun.  Many guys are amazed how good their toes look painted and can't stop looking at them, so just do it, you'll love it.

But, let me add a few more tips to pulling it off successfully in my little list -

1. Do a VERY good job of painting your nails including all the proper prep, filing, callous removal etc.  A poorly done pedicure/manicure with color just looks like lipstick on a pig.  If you can't do a great job, go to a nail salon.  The 1st time you'll be nervous, but it will be no big deal after that.  I've gone dozens of times and often chat with women next to me who think it's very cool and wish their hubby would try it.
2. Dress in your normal male garb.  If you're also into some feminine clothes or shoes, great, me too, but if you don't want to stand out, dress like a guy who just happens to paint his toes.
3. If you're in a relationship, go out with your wife/girlfriend as people pay less attention to you when you are with a woman and you can feel more confident that others wont label you as gay if you're not.  Note that I have nothing against gays and have gay friends, but if you're straight, it can suck to be labeled as gay just because you wear nail polish, though I don't know of any situation where that has happened to me, just saying.
4. Hold your head up and act confident.  People perceive us the way we act, so act confident and if someone notices they'll just think you're a confident guy who paints his nails.
5. When you're new to this, pick a fairly neutral color like dark blues, greys, browns etc. Stay away from reds, pinks and bright colors.  Later, as you gain confidence, you'll find you can wear most any color without turning heads.  I wear reds and pinks in public with no problem.

So guys, get out there, hold your head up and you'll find that the issues you perceive are much more in your head than in reality.

Any other guys want to relate their experiences here?
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What colors of nail polish are acceptable for guys to wear?

I see this question fairly often on mens nail groups and thought I should address this as per my views.  It's funny how programmed we are to colors fitting certain genders or certain colors mean we are gay or whatever, lol.  I'm guilty of it too, to a lesser degree.  I mean we all grow up hearing blue is for boys and pink is for girls right?

My pink nail polish

But why is that?  Well, I think pink is a softer color so is more closely related to the softer side of women, but does that mean pink is ONLY for girls?  Heck no, it's just a color.  I wish society would quit labeling colors as being masculine or feminine.  Color is just color and if you like it, wear it, whether it's clothes, or nail polish.  We should each choose colors that make us happy, or feel good and quit worrying about what others will think.

Oh, I know, that's easier said than done sometimes, but I try to follow that philosophy and I have several pink polo shirts which my wife agrees look great on me.  I have a couple pairs of pink socks which I love, pink undies (mens actually, but it's rare you find them) and I sometimes wear pinkish colors on my toes.  If my wife & I saw a pair of pink panties I liked I wouldn't hesitate to buy them if I thought they would be comfortable and fit properly, but that's a subject for another time.  But like color, panties are just a label which is why so many women are wearing boxers these days.  But I'll address that issue in another post.

Color is a very definite part of our lives and each of us has favorite colors or tones and no matter what color you choose, someone will think that color is gross, or not their favorite, but does it really matter?  No, it really doesn't.  Life is to short to live your life the way others think you should.  It's your life, do what makes you happy.  If you want to paint your nails pink, go for it, if you prefer purple or green, do it.  It just might put a smile on your face and make you feel good inside.  I know that having my toes painted a pretty or cool color does that for me.  Actually, when my toes aren't painted, they look boring and are almost depressing.  And if some narrow minded person on the street scoffs at it, SO WHAT?  It's their loss in my opinion.

So what does everyone else think about this subject?
Until next time, keep painting your nails and living life,
Guy

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Another positive comment today

Just thought I'd share this short story about another situation today where I was out and about, working, and wearing sandals with my toes painted a nice blue when a woman noticed them.

My blue toes

It was pretty cool but it went something like this.  I do construction work and am self employed so we run ads on craigslist for all kinds of things including handyman work.  Well we got a call today to repair a broken door knob so I met the lady who is the property manager and proceeded to fix it while she waited in the apartment.  As we were wrapping up she asked me if I got pedicures or if I did my own toes.  I told her my wife & I get pedis when we can afford it but right now we do our own.  She thought it was cool especially since she's also a nail tech at JC Penneys.  I point out this story to show that 99% of the time women think it's very cool that guys wear nail polish and it makes you feel good when someone notices.

And just 2 days ago, a similar story.  I showed up to bid a job but due to a mix up, the male I was supposed to meet wasn't home, but his mother was.  Her little white dog ran out to greet me and she looked down at him and spotted my painted toes and asked where I got the blue from.  She commented that she just had to mention them but thought it was no big deal and thought it was cool.

Guys, I could tell you dozens of stories like this as women often comment on my painted toes, and 99% think it's very cool and often wish their boyfriend or husband would try it.

So if you're still worried about going out in public, just try it.  But there are some pointers in pulling it off successfully.  Mainly, act normal, like you would without painted toes.  Act confident and most will think it's cool, and those that don't probably wont say a thing.  I've never had a really negative comment of any kind in about 3 years now.

Get out there, be yourself and live life the way you want to!  You'll be addicted to it once you do, trust me.

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Won't people stare if a man shows his painted toes in public?

One of the most common concerns I see from other guys who paint their toes but are afraid to show them in public goes along the line of 'I'm afraid that everyone will think I'm a nutjob if they see me in public with my toes painted.  Heck, I used to think that for sure.  I just KNEW that everyone would notice and point and stare.  But yet, I truly believed that there was nothing wrong with it, but I didn't think anyone else would feel the same.

It's actually fairly hard to notice my painted toes

And I set myself up for this staring to happen by going out in public looking Very nervous, looking around all the time to see who might be looking, avoiding people in stores, etc.  And yes, some people did seem to notice, but then it hit me that one reason they were looking was because I was ACTING GUILTY!  Think about it, if you see someone in a store looking around nervously and acting odd, you're going to look at them more aren't you in order to figure out what they're up to.  So if you act this way, you'll be noticed and people will automatically assume your guilty of something.

So Act Normal.  Sounds simple right?  Well, it can be a little nerve racking at first, but once you try it a few times you'll realize it works.  If you act confident and act like you're not doing anything wrong, people won't pay any attention to you.  I go out in public all time time in sandals like those on the right, and with my bright blue or red toes showing and since I learned this secret, almost No One notices my toes.  And those that do just do a double take or something and it's no big deal.  I've been doing this in public for years now and have not had one negative experience from it.  Sure, I've had a few minor negatives, but I've had many more positive comments, mostly from women, but they've been great.

For example, here's a story I posted from a couple of years ago-

Just had a fun comment tonight. My GF and I were in the grocery store picking up a few things when I hear a female voice say 'I really like your pedicure'. Well at first I just figured she was commenting on my GF's toes or someone else's. But as I turned she was looking right at my purple painted toes and again commented on how good they looked and that she loved it. I thanked her and we went our separate ways but it was very cool to get such a positive comment from a total stranger like that, in public. Was cool that she walked up and made the comment even though I wasn't even looking at her and hadn't seen her.

Just makes me more confident that a lot of people actually like it and think it's great that I have the confidence to do it.

And I've had many other positive comments like that, as have many other guys out there who paint their toes or fingers and show them in public.  You DON"T have to be a rockstar to pull this off, just be yourself.

Any others want to share their experiences below?
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An Interesting question about 'Mens' Nail polish

Saw an interesting post recently on Facebook in the 'National Assn of Polished and Lacquered Men' with a question that resembled a question I've seen before.  The question was basically, 'Why do we need nail polish for men, I mean, what's the difference between other nail polish and that labeled as Men's Polish'?  And that's a great question that many people might be wondering.

Well I and a few others answered it and here is my answer as I gave it on Facebook-

It's kind of like buying socks, if you happen to see a pair of socks in a cool color or pattern you like as you're walking through say Target, but they're in the women's section and you're a guy, 99.9% of guys would never buy that pair.  But if they found the same ones in the mens dept, voila, it must be ok so many more would buy them.  Same holds true for nail polish for guys who haven't tried it and gotten comfortable enough to wear polish in public.  If they can see that some polish is labeled as mens, it then becomes OK to wear polish and you can always say, 'Hey, it's a polish made for men, so there's nothing wrong with it'.

Folks, there are MANY more men out there interested in wearing nail polish themselves, but they are too afraid to admit it, even to themselves because we are so brainwashed by society to believe that if the label says it's for women, or society says something is for women, then it's wrong for men to use that item.  Now, there is some logic in labeling items as men's or women's.  For example, obviously men and women have different anatomies and therefore certain items of clothing are made to more specifically fit a person of a certain sex.  Items like bras or underwear are made differently for men than women and vice versa.

Now some guys find those items of clothing so fascinating or they are drawn to the style and choose to wear them anyway, and I'm perfectly fine with that.  Women wear men's boxers all the time, so it's no big deal.  But my point is that many items are labeled by sex simply because of the dept they are sold in at stores, or because the sizing is different for men vs women.  Or it's because of simple profitability because they know that men for example are much less likely to buy underwear with flowers on them, or socks in fun colors or patterns.  And the stores are out to make money so they only market flowery underwear to women and simple colors or whites to men.  It's simple economics in this case. 

But where we get our values mixed up, or we're basically brainwashed or confused is when we see that an item is sold in the women's dept or that mostly women use an item (or so we think) and we draw the conclusion that items like that are ONLY for women and that's it's wrong for men to use that item.  That's really not logical thinking.  I mean think about it.  If a sock manufacturer found out that men would buy socks with cool colors like red, lime green or with kittens on them or something like that, they'd have a line of socks like that labeled as MEN'S in a heartbeat.  So labels are not rules about which sex can wear or use something and which can not.

Nail polish is much the same way.  Society associates nail polish as being feminine because it's mostly women that wear it.  There hasn't been many lines of men's nail polish simply because nail polish companies felt there was not enough demand, period.  Not because it's wrong for men to wear nail polish.  But over the past 10 yrs or so there have been MANY more men trying nail polish on their fingers, or toes, or both and discovering that it's just fun, and looks good.  But the problem was, they always felt like they were probably the only guys in town who were into it so they never let on to anyone.  Yeah, rockers could do it and it was ok, but for an average guy to try it, god forbid.  They figured people would stare, ridicule, possibly physically harass them or they might get fired at work, etc.  Or they were afraid it would somehow diminish their manhood and make them a sissy.  Geez people, it's only color.  What makes a man a man is more about the persons actions, and what's in their heart and soul, not whether or not they have color on their toes or fingers. 

Then a strange thing happened..... The internet.  Suddenly there was this new way of finding out that there were a lot of other guys who like nail polish as well.  Damn, there was actually quite a few guys out there.  And then it began to grow.  Slowly at first, but as more and more of us bought computers and learned how to surf the net we began typing in search terms like 'men with nail polish', or 'Guys who paint their toes'.  And wow, we started finding groups and forums and such with other guys who also painted their toes, or fingers.  For example, I have a group on Flickr with almost 300 members titled the same as this blog at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1113911@N20/ . Through the internet we found out about a few brave guys who actually went out in public with painted toes and flip flops, and it was no big deal.  Plus we saw tough macho guys like UFC Fighter Chuck Lidell get into the ring with his toes painted pink, or blue or whatever .  Not just black, he went for pink too.  So some guys thought, if a tough guy like that can do it, so can I.

Going out in public with my painted toes

Soon more and more guys started doing the same thing, myself included, thanks to guys like Toepaintguy on Flickr, or St Louis Punk-Rocker.  I saw that these guys were painting there toes and going out in public and they loved it, and a LOT of women loved it.  They were not getting stared at all the time, they weren't getting harassed everywhere and it wasn't the big deal I thought it would be.  So I tried it and it was the same for me.  At first it was a little uncomfortable, but soon, I felt more awkward without polish on my toes than with.  And yes, I got a lot of positive comments from women about my painted toes.

Well now there is a lot more guys who are into nail polish and some companies have taken notice of this and developed a line of polish just for men.  The reason is simple, like explained above, if you label it for guys it suddenly becomes OK for them to try it.  I mean hey, they would label it for guys if it wasn't ok, right.  And I think it's great that they have.  They understand that they have a possibility of expanding their market if they can reach the men.  And the best way to do that is to have a line just for men.  Now men who were uneasy about trying it can buy the 'Mens' line and feel more comfortable about it.  I have to admit that a number of years back a company called Hard Candy came out with a line of polish called 'Candy Man', and I thought COOL, now it's getting to where it's OK for men to wear nail polish, and I bought some.  Mind you I already had other NON mens colors, but this was cool because there was polishes that said they were for men. 

BB Coutures 'Military Blues' polish for men

Since then I've come to realize that yes, polish is all the same whether labeled as for men or not.  And so I buy whatever line of color suits me, although I love to support companies who promote polish for men like BB Couture.  By labeling some colors as mens colors it will encourage more men to try nail polish for the first time, at least in public.  This way they can always say 'Hey, it's a men's nail polish I'm wearing'.


So to companies like BB Couture, thank you and we hope you keep promoting your mens line.  And to other companies, you could be missing out on a sizable market share by not letting men know it's ok to wear polish.


Feel free to Follow this Blog and to post your comments on this subject below.  And please share this article on your blogs, emails, facebook page etc.
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Introduction to my Blog

Me leaving for town with painted toes

Welcome to my blog for men who paint their nails, or would like to, and those who support them.  I decided to create this blog because I have been painting my toes for many years, and in that time I have worked to support men's freedom of choice when it comes to whether or not they paint their toes or fingers.

Society has led us to believe that for some strange reason, it is not okay for men to paint their nails. This is all silly thinking as painting our nails does not make us feminine, nor does it change us in any way, it is simply an expression of our sense of style. but for most of us the thought of painting our toes or fingers can be quite terrifying. We believe that if we do so and go out into the normal public, everyone will stare at us, ridiculous, and we may even lose our jobs, friends etc. But friends let me tell you that this is 99% just in your head.

I have participated in many discussions on various forums, websites etc. and the men who have been painting their nails in going out in public four years all express the same basic description of their experience. And that description is that, "it's no big deal". The first few times I went out in public with my painted toes showing, I just knew that everyone was going to be staring at me, making snide remarks etc. And because of this I walked around looking for people to be doing just that. But guess what, NO one noticed. Well I should say that almost no one noticed. I finally realize that by walking around looking for people to be staring at me, I was looking guilty and drawing attention to myself. So a number of people were looking at me, but pretty much no one noticed my painted toes.

Closeup of my toes painted a dark brown

I was still very fearful of being "caught", and was especially afraid that my father, who was very conservative, would find out. So for several years I seldom went out in public with my toes showing, but often painted them at home, and went to work wearing socks and shoes with painted toes underneath. My close friends knew that I painted my toes and had no problem with it. Actually they seem to think it was fairly cool that I was brave enough to do this, and besides my feet just looked better because in order to do a good quality pedicure, I ended up with much nicer looking feet than the typical guy who mostly ignores the condition of his feet.

Then about three years ago, in 2009, I met a wonderful woman who would soon become my wife. And my wife loved the fact that I painted my toes, and was freethinking enough to not let society dictate my sense of fashion, and to just do what I wanted. She began encouraging me to go out in public with my toes showing anywhere, which I did. Now mind you my father had passed away about one year earlier, and at that time I began realizing that life is way too short to worry about what the world thinks about your sense of style or how you choose to live your life. So I began going out in public more and more with painted toes and sandals or flip-flops. And I discovered that if I didn't walk around looking guilty and just acted like everything I was doing was normal, which it was, pretty much NO ONE noticed my painted toes, and the few that did were mostly women and they tended to have mostly positive comments. The few negative comments I received were very minor such as they couldn't understand why I did it. But most women thought it was very cool and many wished that their boyfriend would do the same.

Since that time I spend 90% of my summer in sandals and flip-flops,and 99% of the time my toes are painted. And paint them in many colors from pinks to Reds, purples, Brown's, dark colors, and blues and greens. And in that time I have begun to be somewhat of an activist for men's freedom of fashion, especially the rate for men to be able to paint their fingernails or toenails as they choose. So I have decided to create this blog to further promote those freedom rights and hope that you will gain some insight as to why it's okay for men to have painted nails.

I'll be discussing the fun of painting our nails, why it's ok, some stories about painting our toes, and other things like wearing toe rings, anklets, or colorful shoes if you like, such as the orange ones in the pic above.  This blog isn't about crossdressing or being fem, it's for ordinary guys who just happen to like painting our nails although we may discuss other emerging fashion trends for men.

I hope you'll subscribe to my blog, and enjoy the information that I will be posting over the next few years. Also if you have a Flickr account please join our Flickr group titled "It's okay for men to have painted nails in public"

NOTE: if you would like to follow my Blog, you should be able to click the 'Follow' link in the upper left hand corner of this page, in the Tan blog bar or look for one of the other methods to follow me on the upper right side of the page.

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