Not long ago Kim wrote out the heart felt plea to fashion designers and it really got me thinking about my feet.
Your feet? You are probably asking. Yes, my feet.
My feet are a size 11. In the eyes of moderatelypriced shoe designer, I don’t exist.
I could understand if my feet came in a size 14, but a size 11 isn’t really a stretch when most shoes come in sizes up to 10.
Also, when shopping for said moderately priced shoes and you don’t carry an 11, please never ask me if a size 10 will do. It won’t.
While we are on it, please carry more than one pair of shoes in my size, as there are more than one of us that have a size 11 foot. Please don’t tell me when you bring out the three pairs of shoes that you actually have in my size, that are dog ugly by the way, that I should be lucky that you carry anything in my size at all. Don’t tell me what size my shoe would convert to in men’s sizes, I don’t want to wear a men’s shoe. Most importantly, please don’t exclaim about the largeness of my feet or ask me why my feet are so big, it just makes you look like a jerk.
I am not the only person out there with this problem, of that I am sure. Trust me, moderately priced shoe designers and sellers, if you designed/carried many pairs of 11′s and possibly other sizes they would sell, we would buy them. We would buy lots.
Stand up with me, sisters of super-sized feet. Stand up and let us proclaim to the shoe industry that we do exist and we won’t shove our poor feet into smaller shoes anymore! Who is with me?
About Heather Durdil
Jessi, She of the Used to Be Size 10′s, But Now Size 11′s concurs. I never knew how good I had it.
Twitter Name: ladyjess78
Let’s add those of us with teeny tiny feet too! I wear a size 4.5- 5 and they’re narrow… nothing cute ever comes in my size. I could wear children’s shoes but really I’m 25 I don’t need a unicorn jumping a rainbow on the side of my shoes anymore.
Twitter Name: unknwndreamer
Amen! Size 11 since the sixth grade. I would love to walk into a store and buy shoes without having to check what actually comes in my size, first. And if they were cute? and proportional? Whoa, I would probably fall right over. Have you noticed how many shoes in size 11 are all out of proportion compared to their smaller size counter parts? They just do not look right on the foot. Fix that, too, please manufacturers.
6pm.com……..lots of shoes, size 11 included, and moderately priced. Worth a look.
Twitter Name: Lisa Buerkle
Amen! I often could use an 11 1/2, but those are IMPOSSIBLE to find.
8.5 AAA here. Most shoes don’ t come in narrow, and even if they do, they’re still too wide since they’re usually A or AA width.
I also hate it when shoe salespeople ask if a different size would do. They never do that when we’re clothes shopping. No, I can’t go down a size. Squishing my toes is not the answer to my lack of width.
Twitter Name: kirstenl4w
They do if you’re of a strange bra size! I’m small band, large cup, and the number of times a salesperson has tried to convince me the DDD fits…
I’lll join ya, only one store in my town has size 11 and I don’t wear heels which leads me to only having 2 pairs of shoes a pair of runners and a pair of holey’s. My other big problem is I am only 5 feet tall so with size 11 shoes I joke with my firends I have clown feet, this being short also makes buying hard because all the nice boots well they make them for taller people.
I have inflicted the big feet upon some of my children. My best friends reaction when the twins were born (and they were tiny and early) was “Do you see the size of their feet?”
11 here too! I feel ya! Zappos always has my size, I just wish there was more selection.!
I was a size 11 in 6th grade. Then a size 12 thru most of my adult life. Then I had a kid. Welcome size $%^&* 13. Wide. The great news is if I want to wear patent leather platform stilettos with a six inch heel, the transvestite community has got me covered.
When a clerk asks if another size will do because they don’t have mine, I want to reply “Sure. By the way, I don’t have the $50 bill I need to pay for these shoes. Will a $20 do?”
Twitter Name: MamaKaren
I wear an 11, too! Let me introduce you to my best friend: http://www.zappos.com . Search by size, width, style, and/or color. They have a great selection and offer free shipping both ways–and often upgrade it for free, too. You can take your time trying them on and mail back whatever doesn’t work.
Yeeeeeessssss! I am a size 11 and for once I would like to buy my shoes in a real-life store instead of online or payless. And it looks like my poor daughter will be following in my giant footsteps and I feel bad for her. She is not even 4 yet and already wearing a kids size 12. I hate that I have to prep her to search for her size instead of looking by style first.
Twitter Name: krisy0987
Thank you! I hate stores that always give me the excuse “We only get one 11 and one 5 and a TON of everything else.” That’s great, but it doesn’t help me.
Hell to the YES! 11-1/2 to 12 here, depending. Start up an official petition, I’ll sign, I’ll donate, I’ll protest, whatever you want. Stop the injustice! Yes we can!!!
I’m with Virginia in the kiddie shoe department, so from the other end of the spectrum, you have my complete sympathy and understanding. It’s kind of embarrassing when your dress shoes come with thick non-skid soles, velcro straps, and other “safety” features.
Twitter Name: an_bhean
YES! I wear a 12 and both my daughters wear 11. Target has some cute stuff in 11 and they’ve got them online. But generally I order from Zappos or 6pm.com (off price sister). I occasionally use Barefoot Tess, but they have alot of pricey stuff. I am lucky to live near a Nordstrom Rack so that’s one of my main places to score stuff in store without breaking the bank.
AMEN! I wear a 9 1/2 to a 10 1/2, and nothing is proportionality in a big size!! its cool shoe designers, i want my foot to look stupid in this shoe. that and after a 8 1/2 thats it. no more half sizes in the store. like i want to buy something that i cant try on to make sure it even fits!
Oh, yes….. I’ve been there. “Will a 10 do?” “Sure, bring me an axe and I’ll chop off my TOES”
Or, “We don’t have that cute/sexy/good-looking shoe/boot/sandal, in your size, BUT we DO have these honkingly ugly pumps! In TAUPE!”
I don’t want UGLY, or BOAT-shaped; I am NOT over 85, and I have not had a style-ectomy. I just want nice shoes – maybe even a CHOICE of nice shoes – in an 11. Please.
Size 9.5 here, and I can tell you, they just seem to pick the prettiest half of their inventory and discontinue it above size 8. I don’t know why. I was trying to buy snowboots a couple months ago, and going, “Ooh, this one’s cute! Aaaaand it only comes up to size 8.5. Ooh, how about this one? Nope, that one only goes up to 8. Goddamnit, the only ones left are the ones that look like the Michelin man’s severed feet and the Ugg knockoffs!”
I feel that way about pants. YOu know, not all of us have 45 inch legs, you pant maker people. You know?!
Yep, I too was previously in the ‘size 10 styles suck’, but joined the ‘OMG wtf size 11′ club after having a kid. Actually, I’m a 10 1/2 but apparently every shoe comes in a half size but just skips from 10 to 11. *sighs* Of course it does. To add to the shoe horror is my genetically thick calves, that even when I was skinny couldn’t fit into knee-high boots. So these two things pretty much knock out 75% of anything fabulous.
I mostly shop online at payless.com and DSW.com for my shoes because I feel like I’m making the walk of shame into to the deep dark recesses of the last rack in the store that holds size 11. Even worse is I’m only 5′ 6″ so it’s just mortifying trying on shoes with the super tall women in that section. I think Nordstrom Rack had size 11, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been there, but oh the shoes there are so fabulous. For those elusive knee-high boots in my size, torrid.com. Thank god for the Internet or I’d be barefoot and not-pregnant.
Twitter Name: jennsplace