When I was age eight my shoe size was a woman’s size eight. When I was nine I wore a nine. The year I turned ten guess what size shoe I was rocking? The following two years I continued the trend and by age twelve I had sized out of every shoe store in the entire world. (at least it felt that way)
Little bit of a history lesson for you: the shoes in 1987 weren’t fashion forward. They were plastic, neon, or canvas. And they weren’t available in a size above ten for tall gals.
I wore men’s shoes. Yup. Unfeminine, uncute, unplastic shoes that I had to get from the section of the shoe store where my friend’s dads shopped. Loafers. Seriously.
Then the 90′s happened! Have you heard about the 90′s? It’s the decade where plaid flannel was invented! The 90′s told us girls that we didn’t need to be girly girls to be feminine. You know what happened to me in the 90′s? DOC MARTENS.
Suddenly it was absolutely permissable (and expected!) for me to don “boy” shoes. Everyone was wearing chunky boots and memorizing their unisex/ European shoe size.
The summer before my senior year in high school I found a pair of plaid Doc Martens in a shoe store in Scotland. It was love at first sight. I practically lived in those boots. The week before my high-school graduation all of the senior girls got a note that instructed us to wear white shoes with our caps and gowns. I had a total panic moment because I couldn’t just run into any store to grab a pair of shoes. I pleaded my case with my school administrators and it was decided that I could wear “the nicest shoes I owned”.
Well wouldn’t you know my nicest shoes were my plaid docs…
I am a bit jealous of all of you big foot gals growing up now. There are SO many stores that carry shoes in our large sizes. Then there is the internet where you can find so many cute and adorable shoes. The fact is – there are options now so you don’t have to tell the world that you are ok with wearing men’s loafers just because men’s loafers are the only thing available to you.
I still cringe that the shoes I wore to my prom were men’s penny loafers that I spray painted to match my prom dress. Oh how I wanted to wear some killer heels. The good news is that when I went away to college in New York the next year I found out where the drag queens shopped – we totally had the same shoe needs (and foot size).
About Dresden Plaid
I also had a pair of Doc martens that I wore constantly in high school (mine were plain black though), and for graduation we all wore white dresses rather than caps and gowns. So I found a pair of white Doc Marten-like boots instead of heels. I was the only girl at all the parties who didn’t have to change her shoes or run around the dirty floor barefoot.
Love the plaid – and I’m so happy that they are making great shoes in larger sizes now because there is a really good chance that my daughter is going to have big feet too – she’s 5 and already wearing a size 1
Twitter Name: lonek8
I have big feet also. I wear size 12 shoes. And normal size 12′s won’t do. They have to be wide width also.
Do you know how many shoe companies made wide width big sized shoes fifteen years ago? About one. Maybe two. My shoes weren’t selected because I found one I liked the look of. They were chosen because they fit on my boats-for-feet without squishing my toes.
Luckily, nowadays, more shoe companies cater to those of us with wide, large feet. I can actually choose which shoes I want based on looks. Granted, it tends to be “which of these 3 shoes looks the best”, but at least it’s a choice!
Twitter Name: TechyDad
Word, Sister! Had a size 10 in the 8th grade. Doc Martens and mens “skater shoes” were a lifesaver. Last year, my foot magically grew another half size. Stop the insanity!
My husband wears a 13 & has passed on that blessing to my daughter. She just turned 3 & is wearing the size of 4-5 yr olds.
Your plaid Docs set you apart & amped up your coolness. Love it.
Twitter Name: robinplemmons
Dresden, you are SOOOO cute in that graduation pic. I think I remember those shoes :-)
I loooove that picture of you with your shoes.
Twitter Name: herewegoajen
I lived in my docs my junior and senior years. I was only a size 8 but I loved the look and it went perfect with the phase I was in:) Docs Rock and I am so sorry that you had such a hard time finding shoes in high school. I am particularly sad about the prom shoes because I remember how awful teenage girls can be about fashion:( It seems you weathered the storm and became better for it.P.S. Only the coolest of the cool girls wore DOcs!So you were in good company, my friend!
Twitter Name: Truthfulmommy
My shorty self wears a size 9.5 wide, yo. Impossible to find. I mostly wear fl flops and sneakers.
Twitter Name: thedgoddess
My feet are biggish for my height, but I’m even bigger in, uh, other areas. On the prom topic, I had to have my dress made from scratch because there was literally no dress in the mall that I could get to zip up.
And then I got all angry and political and composed a letter about the disconnect between standards of beauty and fashion’s offerings, and how Barbie wouldn’t have been able to find a prom dress to fit her chest either, even though my bra size is much bigger than hers.
I’m 5’2″ and currently wear a 9.5 wide, 10 if I can’t find a 9.5 wide. I loathe shoe shopping. I was an 8.5 until I had kids. It seemed like I gained half a shoe size every other pregnancy or something.
What I like the most about this post is the smile on your face as you walked across the stage in your Docs. That smile and those shoes say everything about the confidence that you exuded (even if you didn’t feel it 100% inside).
Twitter Name: JWMoxie
oh how I know your pain. And even now I have issues finding comfortable cute shoes to wear, they all seem to stop at 10. Sadly my younger daughter has my feet, and when she complains about her lack of options I remind her of when I wore men’s loafers for years because I had no other choice.
Twitter Name: DExtraordinaire
When I first started reading this post I thought, wait you could have been wearing Docs. I love the picture of you!
Twitter Name: Unknown Mami
I have big, really wide feet and loved reading this. I wear a size 10….and my feet are too fat for cute shoes. sigh.
Twitter Name: erinmargolin