Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set Review

After reviewing the Metallic Shades burgundy bondage toys from Liebe Seele recently, I couldn’t wait to ‘take a step up’ with this next kinky creation from this alluring brand. And I mean take a step up literally; there’s no resting on my heels with these predicament bondage spiked heel roller harnesses. From the moment the team got in touch to alert me about this deliciously cruel new invention I knew I needed to own them. I’m hugely aroused by bondage, and the enforced surrender that comes with predicament bondage in particular. Did the reality live up to the erotically punishing promise? Read on for my full Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set review.

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About Liebe Seele

Before I dig into the Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set, let me tell you a little more about the Liebe Seele brand and business.

Liebe Seele is a Japanese-inspired bondage and fetish brand, formally established around 2012 after its founders travelled to Germany in search of inspiration from the heartlands of the BDSM scene. The name nods to that origin story, pairing the German words for love (liebe) and soul (seele). The brand has built its reputation on luxury BDSM accessories, spanning leather and vegan (PU) leather restraints, collars, cuffs, floggers and more, with a consistent emphasis on striking design, body-conscious materials and that East-meets-West sense of craftsmanship.

I recently reviewed a bundle of Liebe Seele Metallic Shades bondage toys in beautiful burgundy colour, and absolutely loved them.

What Is Predicament Bondage?

Predicament bondage is a substyle of BDSM bondage which goes beyond simply restraining the consenting play partner. At its heart there is an ongoing, challenging choice handed to the one in predicament bondage. Instead of just holding them still, this type of bind puts the person quite literally in a predicament. Their movements have a cost, usually having to endure physical exertion or pain. Sometimes humiliation or being overstimulated sexually. If the suffering is eased by moving in one way, it creates discomfort in another. There’s no comfort to be found, only ongoing suffering at whatever level has been dictated. There’s a constant negotiation between two unpleasant or intense sensations. It’s especially cruel, extremely kinky, and for some kinksters (myself included) it’s incredibly arousing.

I love the dual aspect of predicament bondage, the way it’s as psychologically impacting as it is physical. There’s no passive endurance, instead it’s active and ongoing choice. The Dom or Top doesn’t even have to be engaged or even present (while everyone involved ensures ongoing safety, of course) for the delicious torment of predicament bondage to be ongoing. Once the sub or bottom is trussed into whatever ingenious style is created, they’re the architect of their own ongoing torment. It requires a certain type of cruel imagination to design, and a certain type of masochistic, humiliation and discomfort seeking sub to enjoy. Sadism paired with surrender.

The Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set snared my sadistic streak from the moment I saw them. They’re such a clever, easy to install and portable predicament bondage accessory, as you’ll see.

About the High Heel Ankle Harness Set

The Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set comprises two wearable leather harnesses, one for each lower leg. Leather straps fasten each harness around lower calf, whilst underneath the heel of each foot sits a spiked roller wheel. It’s a multi-wheel pinwheel or Wartenberg wheel. A barrel of tiny, pointed spikes.

The cruel genius of these ankle harnesses is the position it forces the wearer to adopt. If the wearer puts their weight down on their heels, or even lowers their heel slightly, those spikes cause sensation ranging from mild discomfort to severe pain, depending on the amount of weight borne by the roller pinwheels. The only way to avoid the painful bite of the spikes is to remain on tiptoes, weight fully on the balls of your feet, as if you’re wearing invisible high heels.

This high-heel stance is enforced through nothing more than the threat of those spikes in the wearer’s heels. That’s the wonderfully cruel, master stroke of genius with these ankle harnesses, it’s a self-imposed positional requirement in order to avoid pain. Ongoing focus and effort is required to keep away from those spikes, and the result may be no spikes in your heels, but calf muscles can and will tire, eventually. Ingeniously sadistic predicament bondage and so incredibly kinky. I’m in love with the concept.

Packaging & First Impressions

Like the rest of my Liebe Seele bondage gear, the Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set arrived in discreet outer wrap for the post, with the items housed in a shrink-wrapped, attractive black lidded box. This box has a wrap-around cardboard sleeve identifying the product inside, and a handy diagram on the reverse to let you know how the harnesses are attached, worn and used.

Inside the box, the leather and metal harnesses were wrapped in black tissue paper to keep them safe and pristine. I have the silver metal variant; rose gold is also available at the time of writing. The spiked cylinders were wrapped in easily removable plastic for protection during storage, transit and delivery.

Everything felt luxurious, elegant, sleek, and far more expensive than the price tag suggests.

Material Quality: Leather & Metal

Liebe Seele has a reputation for luxurious bondage gear as well as creatively kinky new accessories to experiment with. The quality of the materials used for these ankle harnesses means they’re no exception.

The black leather has that gorgeous tactile allure that so many kinksters, like myself, find irresistible. Classic black, thick and brooking no argument, but supple and with a smoothed edge finish. You can tell it’s real leather from the feel and the scent, and the fact it doesn’t feel fragile in the least. The straps will ‘stand up’ to many years of tugging, adjusting and fastening, if you’ll excuse the pun.

Each of the metal buckles fastened extremely securely and I have no worries about them coming loose or detached from the leather harnesses.

The multi-wheel pinwheel that goes under each heel is gleaming in silver metal, finished very well and each mini-wheel turns and rolls without issue. Like a barrel of spikes, each roll on the cylinder moving independently of the others. The spikes are sharp, but not needle sharp. They don’t pierce skin upon light or even medium contact, they just deliver precise to intense discomfort, obviously depending on how much force you exert on them. As long as you keep up on your tippy-toes, you’ll be fine. Which is, you know, the entire point.

Any Locking Mechanism?

The ankle harnesses buckle up with the three metal buckles that fasten around each calf. They don’t lock on, there’s no locking mechanism or buckle styling to allow padlocks to be attached. However, the ankle harnesses are still extremely difficult if not impossible to escape from whilst worn, despite that.

Due to the roller pinwheel at the base of each harness, worn underneath the foot, it’s difficult enough putting the harnesses on. I mean from a comfort point of view. I need to be sat down to fasten them and sat down again when removing. Because I’m on tiptoes, as if I’m wearing invisible high heels, when I’m wearing them, the barrel of spikes under each heel is kept in position. Underneath my foot. Any escape attempt would require the balance and stability that comes with having my weight on my heels, and that’s obviously impossible when there’s a spiked cylinder under each one.

With the rest of my body in bondage, or even just my wrists cuffed and out of action, escape from these ankle harnesses is physically impossible. Even without them being locked on. The lack of padlocks or ability to add padlocks doesn’t take anything away from how deliciously evil these harnesses are when fastened into place and endured.

Sizing & Fit

Here’s where I ran into my first issue with the Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set. The sizing. Due to the straps being made of supple but ultimately non-stretchy leather, they have a natural limit when it comes to the circumference of calf they’ll comfortably fit.

For anyone trying to work out whether these will fit before buying, here are the actual numbers. Each calf strap fastens across a range, measured here from the loosest hole to the tightest:

• Lowest strap (the one closest to the ankle): 8.25in to 11.5in (21cm to 29cm)
• Middle strap: 9.25in to 12.25in (23.5cm to 31cm)
• Top strap: 9.8in to 13.2in (25cm to 33.5cm)

The top strap is the one that decides it for most people, and it maxes out at 13.2in (33.5cm). My own calf at that point measures 13.9in (35.3cm), and I can still just fasten it, because skin and flesh compress while leather doesn’t. So treat 13.2in / 33.5cm as roughly the firm upper limit, with a little give for soft flesh on top. If your calf where that top strap sits is much beyond that, these sadly won’t fit you comfortably, if at all.

A few other measurements that might help: each harness runs about 11in (28cm) from the under-heel roller up to the top strap, the lowest strap fits comfortably around my ankle which has a circumference of around 9in (23cm), and the spiked barrel itself is 3in (7.6cm) long and about 1.25in (3.2cm) across, so you can picture how much spiked surface sits under each heel.

Although I don’t have the world’s biggest legs and calves, I have what I’d call curvy legs. They’re not skinny or stick-thin, and I’m fine with that. Helps that I used to ride horses regularly. I can only just about do up the top buckle on these ankle harnesses, so people with wider legs will likely be disappointed. In my opinion, the harnesses suit slimmer legs best, which is unfortunate to say the least and could be very triggering, in terms of trying to maintain body confidence and positivity, at the worst.

If the harnesses will fit your legs ok, it’s worth noting that they should be done up as snug and securely as possible to stop any slippage down the legs. Although I found them to be inescapable whilst worn, it’s possible to get the harnesses to slip down the legs a little, causing the straps and the under-heel spiked barrel to have more freedom of movement, which isn’t the secure predicament bondage anyone using these harnesses wants.

Putting The Ankle Harnesses On

In an ideal world, you won’t be securing these ankle harnesses to your own legs. As an aside, it’s a wonderful feeling being put into bondage by a Top or Dom, whether unique bondage accessories like this, or traditional ankle and wrist cuffs, or being a well-behaved rope bunny for some gorgeous Shibari creations.

That said, if you do put them on yourself, as I did for the purposes of this review, it’s best to not try it standing up. Kinda obvious perhaps, but worth saying. I found it easiest sat on the floor or the bed, stretching out my leg over the undone straps then doing each one up in turn, bottom to top.

I took some time to note which way round the Liebe Seele high heel ankle harnesses are meant to be buckled. Having looked through all the material, and helped especially by the diagram on the outer box cuff, it appears the buckles are meant to be done up over the front of the legs, not the back. Making sure the spiked barrel was in position under my heel, I could then do each buckle up over the front of my calves, ensuring each one was buckled as tightly as possible to avoid any slippage of the straps during wear and use.

Putting them on isn’t a fast job and I would advise against trying to rush, in case you hurt yourself on those spikes. Take your time and enjoy the process. If someone else can fit them to you instead, all the better.

Restraint Level & Range of Movement

The Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set isn’t a bondage accessory in the traditional way, as I’m sure you’ve realised by now. They don’t restrain the wearer in the sense of pinning you down or otherwise stopping you from moving about. Instead, the bondage element is induced by limiting how you move, affecting your posture and balance, and preventing ordinary mobility by walking on the entire soles of your feet. Every movement is literally underpinned by the fact you have to remain on tiptoes, with a gradual muscle fatigue settling into your leg muscles at the same time.

Combined with other bondage gear such as over door wrist cuffs, suspension bondage, Shibari rope bondage, possibly an anal hook involved in there somewhere, and some well-placed vibrating toys, oof. Is your kinky mind racing with the cruel and humiliating possibilities? Mine certainly has been.

How They Feel When Worn

There are the obvious sensations that come with wearing these predicament bondage ankle harnesses: the kinky endurance factor, the ongoing discomfort of being forced to remain on tiptoes, the immediate pain if I forget and put my heel down on those spikes. Beyond the physical, though, there’s another wonderfully kinky layer. The psychological aspect.

For me, the psychological part of BDSM is just as if not more important than anything physical. The handing over of power and relinquishing control. The immense trust, and the bond this continues to forge. The exquisite relief of full surrender, the resulting vulnerability, rewarded by such intense emotions that it’s like a form of therapy, catharsis. That’s all a full essay in its own right. Suffice to say, here in this kinky spiked foot torture accessory review, that this ingenious creation helps unlock all this potential with the fastening of six little buckles, three on each leg.

Two sensations immediately hit once the ankle harnesses are buckled into place and that roller pinwheel is under each heel.

First, the physical. The leather straps tightly gripping each lower leg, as if they’re being held in a strong Top’s vicelike grip. Testing out those sharp spikes by gently lowering each heel, and the perverse bliss of immediate corrective discipline as the pinprick pain spreads across the sensitive surface of my skin.

Second, the psychological and emotional. I’ve allowed myself to be strapped into these evil contraptions. The person who wants these cruel items affixed to my body has to have a kinky, sadistic streak. Consensual, kinky evil types are my absolute weakness. But being weak at the knees brings immediate punishment when wearing these spiked heel harnesses. My mind is completely focused on maintaining the correct position to avoid that punishment, as well as the wicked enjoyment this brings to the Top. In my case, this is my husband, who is a BDSM Dominant like me. During sex and pleasure I enjoy bottoming to him, and being in kinky bondage, despite being a Dominant Woman myself. I don’t limit the physical and mental erotic sensations I can enjoy. And he’s so very wonderfully and creatively evil. It’s one of his most endearing traits.

For me, the psychological arousal when I’m strapped into these ankle harnesses comes from humiliation. Having submitted my body to being strapped into these cruelly punishing restraints, having surrendered my physical form to this test of endurance, for his enjoyment, his pleasure, performing for him as the audience to my personal suffering show, it makes me leak so much down my inner thighs and my clit pulse so fucking hard knowing how it’s all affecting him.

Then there’s what I look like wearing them, being forced to stay on tiptoe, the historical repression aspects of footbinding and patriarchal enjoyment of women wearing high heels adding a deeper dimension, if you really wanted to analyse the psychological aspect at a microscopic level. My misogyny kink is showing, I expect.

So yeah, the ‘how they feel’ part of this review is two-fold. There’s the physical sensations of wearing leather strapped under-heel pinwheels on each leg and foot. But also the mental endurance and effects of wearing them, which will be as deeply affecting, humiliating, difficult but fulfilling and ultimately psychologically satisfying as befits your unique kink persona.

Videos

Enjoy my two Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set review videos below.

In the first video, I handle the ankle harnesses and those delicious spikes whilst wearing my gorgeous, long, black leather gloves.  I love the contrast between the supple leather and my teasing fingers, and the cruel glint of those sharp spikes:

Below in my second video, you can see the ankle harnesses being modelled on my legs and feet. You can see how I’m forced to stay on tiptoes, as if I’m wearing invisible high heels. Take a close up look at the spikes and how that sadistic cylinder remains against the sensitive skin of my heel and sole:

Safety Considerations

As with a lot of bondage and BDSM gear, the safety aspects of the Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set comes down to how you use it. It’s a good idea to give some thought to safety aspects you can involve in play before fitting them to yourself or your partner.

There’s no quick release on the buckles, and it’s tricky to slide the spiked cylinders all the way up to the back of the heel so it’s off the base of the foot when the leather straps are fastened securely as they should be. If the person wearing them has mobility, muscular, or energy issues, or even if they’re healthy and able-bodied, I’d advise having a quick weight-bearing option nearby that they can collapse on to or at least lean on in an emergency.

Test them out first, without any other bondage gear or cuffs involved. See just how they feel when strapped on to each lower leg, how they affect your weight bearing, balance, movement. How long you can remain in the enforced tiptoe position before your legs start to tire unbearably.

I’d recommend never leaving the person wearing the ankle harnesses alone during a play session. I take my responsibilities as a Domme seriously and I know I wouldn’t feel comfortable if I wasn’t present to take notice of every audible or silent signal from my sub during a bondage scene, particularly cruel predicament bondage. Plus, I just want to be present to enjoy every second.

During any bondage sessions I have a pair of scissors within reach. They turn any form of bondage into ‘quick release’ in the event of an emergency.

As always, have a negotiated safeword or signal in place before you start. But don’t rely totally on your sub’s safe word or traffic lights. If you’re concerned about their physical or emotional wellbeing, step up and take care of them. Stop the action and check on how they’re doing. All kinky play should remain fun and safe for everyone involved at all times.

Care & Storage

Give the leather straps and metal parts a careful wipe down after use, to make sure you keep all the parts clean and well maintained. Usual care rules for leather apply, so keep the ankle harnesses away from damp or extreme heat, let any moisture dry naturally, and store them somewhere cool and dry so the leather doesn’t dry out, crack or grow mould.

Between play sessions I keep the Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set in the black lidded box it came in. Through trial and error I’ve found that it’s not great to leave them lying around on the floor (ouch), and if I put them in a drawer or hang them in my wardrobe the spikes tend to catch on other objects, especially anything fabric like items of clothing. The box is great as it can then be tucked under the bed, in a big enough bedside drawer, or in your usual kink gear bag or trunk.

Read more about how to store all your sexy and kinky gear in How To Store Adult Toys.

Final Verdict

The Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set is one of those BDSM accessories that’s so simple it makes you wonder why no-one’s thought of making it before. It’s that holy grail of predicament bondage: simply designed, made with high-quality materials, conveniently portable, and easy to use, plus sadistically effective during use.

These ankle harnesses turn the wearer’s own body weight into a weapon against them. Their body is the ongoing engine of their own torment. There’s no elaborate suspension bondage or rigging required, as with lots of other predicament bondage setups. You just strap a harness to each leg, add whatever other BDSM gear and bondage accessories you desire, and enjoy the sensations/scene. The enforced tiptoe concept, like invisible high heels, is as clever as it is devastatingly cruel.

Made from genuine, supple and well-engineered leather as well as glistening metal hardware, these ankle harnesses are a bargain for the current price tag of around USD $58, or GBP £43.

These harnesses won’t be for everyone, for a variety of reasons. For a start, the buckles mean that they’re limited to people whose legs will comfortably fit within the maximum buckle fastening measurement. Plus, there’s sustained strain on the leg muscles during use, and the potential for some broken skin on the soles of your heels if you lean on those spikes too hard, so I’d advise caution to anyone just starting out in BDSM and bondage. You need to understand your limits, and I mean physically as well as in kink, and ensure that you think of all the relevant safety considerations before engaging in play.

That said, for anyone who is into predicament bondage, whether you’re at fantasy stage or experienced in the reality, the Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set makes it easy and exciting to try. A kinky cruel, ingenious, and arousing addition to your play kit.

Where To Buy Yours

If you’d like to add this deliciously cruel bit of predicament bondage to your own collection, you can buy the Liebe Seele Leather High Heel Ankle Harness Set directly from liebeseele.com.

The set is currently priced at $57.95 for US customers.
Shipping is $25, so the total GBP price for UK readers comes to around £61 at today’s fx rate.

Thanks so much to Liebe Seele for sending me the above reveiwed item free of charge, in exchange for my fair and honest review.

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