Dear Shoe Lady:
Regarding the comments under your “Hard to find widths” section and how perceptions of widths have changed in the shoe industry: I had to laugh at “people with very narrow feet are now seen as cranky and trying on multiple pairs of shoes and never buying…” We are cranky and never buy because there is NOTHING TO BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Imagine
how YOU would feel if every time you saw a fine shoe boutique you knew better than to go in because all of the shoes were only in med. widths or maybe one or two wide widths. Narrow need not apply. What the HELL are we supposed to wear????????????? bandages??? Yeah, I know …Try Zappos, Marmi, Nordstrom, Maryland Square or Endless…..The narrow shoes look like granny styles. All 12 of them. 900 med widths. 12 narrow. Some boots are ok if you buy very early. Some plain high heels. …but If you want sandals? Better have a good shoe repair guy who can take the straps in. And now we can double the cost of the shoe AND forget about the really cute styles as they cannot be taken in or altered. Only the plain ones with straight across straps. I know it isn’t your fault….but good LORD can’t someone make some stylish shoes for narrow feet? Thanks for letting me vent.
DJ.
Dear D.
I couldn’t have said it better. You are right. The choices are getting more scarce in narrows and it isn’t likely to change. DesignerShoes.com will continue to try to bring you as much choice as we can find. Thanks for venting with us. Maybe it’ll do some good!
The Shoe Lady
ps. I hate to tell you but the good shoe repair guys are disappearing too!
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I know it sounds odd but if you can’t find a cobbler or shoe repair persons that do leather like saddle makers might be able.they usually have the sewing machine. also western boot repair/makers.
There are many good designers in Designer-Shoes.com.I often search it.
Yes, well, you haven’t even addressed the narrow size that DOES NOT EXIST, PERIOD. And that would be the size I am unlucky enough to have – a 10.5 narrow. Go. Look. I challenge you – tell me how many 10.5 Narrow shoes you find out there. And I’m not talking about $300 shoes either, because that’s insane. I’m talking about affordable and stylish shoes in a 10.5 Narrow. Why is that too much to ask? Why do shoe sizes, even if they do happen to come in narrow, jump from 10 to 11? For years I’ve wondered what I did to anger the shoe gods that caused them to punish me with a foot that is IMPOSSIBLE to find shoes for. And don’t even get me started on the pain I’ve suffered wearing shoes that don’t fit just because I need them. Don’t get me started….
My Dear Bonnie-
Don’t get ME started……! ooops too late. Those faithful readers of The Shoe Lady will recall that 1. The Shoe Lady HERSELF needs an 11.5 size and 2. That she is not to happy with the inability of the shoe manufacturers to grasp the basic mathematical concept of a “bell curve”. If, when the average shoe size of women was 6, they made shoes to size 10. When it became size 7, they made shoes to size 10. When it became 8, they made shoes to size 10.
You see the problem. In 2000 over 30% of all US women needed shoes size 10 or above. But over 90% of shoe manufacturers stop at size 10. We honor those that go higher. DesignerShoes.com has made it their mission to whine and stomp their size 10+ feet about this. They won’t carry shoes UNLESS they go at LEAST to a size 12. Thank you to those few shoe companies who will do this. Thank you even more to those shoe companies who make size 10.5 and 11.5. As of today there are 324 styles of size 10.5 NARROW shoes (http://www.designershoes.com/catalogsearch/custom/result/?color%5B%5D=&brand%5B%5D=&collections%5B%5D=&heel%5B%5D=&size%5B%5D=65&style%5B%5D=&width%5B%5D=89) for you to look at. Not all of them may be to your taste, Bonnie. But none of them are over $300. We need to commend those thoughtful shoe folks when we find them!
The Shoe Lady
A place to vent! I am sooooo frustrated and disgusted with the whole shoe shopping process. I can relate to passing by shoe boutiques because I just know there is nothing in there for me. I wear a true 10.5 – reg/wide (reg too narrow, wide too loose). I have bunions on both big toes, plantar fasciitis in both heels, a severe hammer toe on my right foot, and metatarsalgia on my left foot. The kicker is I have to dress up at work. I’m already taller than average (5’9″ – not abnormally tall but taller than most women), so putting on big clunky orthotic shoes with a pretty dress just makes me feel like a lumbering monster playing dress up. It is so depressing. I can’t find anything that is comfortable and affordable – and pleasing to the eye. I’m not that picky, I don’t want to look like I’m wearing slinky heels – I just don’t want to look like I’m wearing two Volkswagen bugs on my feet. I am sick of coming home from work feeling nearly crippled – last night it was so bad that I had burning heat halfway up my leg. I’m crying now because the pain overtakes me and I have a 14month old boy that I want to play with when I come home from work – but the pain is like a flashing billboard in my face.
I too would like to weigh in on the “can’t find narrow shoes” issue. I need a 10.5, AAAA, plus an AAAAAA heel. I can get away with AAA, but everything but the most expensive shoes (and not always them either) doesn’t have a narrow enough heel for me. I have found 10.5 AAA, and some AAAA or SS on several American shoe store websites, but they don’t ship to Canada. I have managed to purchase 2 pair from Designer Shoes and I am so delighted with them and the price that I almost weep when I can’t find anymore. If this keeps up, my plan to to claim my shoes on my income tax returns, as I have to spend way more for shoes than an average size person. I’m going to call it a disability, because believe me, most of the time it is!
I’m one of those cranky ol’ southern ladies with a size 11 AAAA foot. Can you guess why I’m cranky? The last pair of shoes I ordered were Amalfi/Rangoni’s in size 11 AAAA. They were not cheap shoes and they weren’t made in China. When they arrived they were beautiful, well-made, stylish shoes. However, they were not true to size–they fit about like 11AA, heel slipped –just a general mis-fit. Unfortunately, shoes are just not sized as they once were. Most shoes that I order in size 11 AAAA are too wide, even with innersoles and heel grips. My dress shoes that truly fit are about 20 years old and were made by Selby which is no longer in business. New Balance makes one athletic shoe in 11 AAAA but I need a 12 AAAA in that for a fit–and they are ugly. Nevertheless, I have four pair of them. I think your description of women with very narrow feet is condescending,unkind,and insulting! I think I’ll hjust go eat chocolate!
Dear Southern Lady,
It is so contrary to southern manners to call someone condescending, unkind and insulting. But I’m not southern and have been called worse so I’ll stand here on my two big feet and take it. Ouch.
You are demonstrating my point though. People with extra narrow feet have their nerve endings more readily exposed to all those little shoe manufacturing errors and they are much more likely to feel the pain than those of us with thicker padding.
When I started in the Shoe Biz women who wore Selby’s hated the fit of Rangoni’s and vice versa. People just have differently shaped feet and those companies had different approaches to shaping their lasts. Remember the Princess and the Pea story? If you don’t, it involved the Princess on top of 10 mattresses on top of a pea and she complained about the painful bump in the bed caused by the pea. AAAA’s feet are like that Princess. Your pain is real. But us common folk with (as my mother would say of mine) “peasant feet”, aren’t likely to notice.
The shoe industry has not been a friend to narrow footed women in recent years. Makers of extra slim (AAAA) shoes have gone out of business. Those that remain are forced to make choices about materials to keep prices within reason. But we are on a hunt for some good, comfortable, attractive AAAA shoes. It will never be as good as it used to be though.
But then you could probably say that about almost anything.
Save some chocolate for me please!
The Shoe Lady
Dear D,
I bought a pair of special occasion shoes that are width adjustable. The brand is Angela Nuran. Added benefit, they are really comfy too.
Betty F.
I’m jumping on the narrow foot cranky train! I wear a 10 1/2 or 11 AAAA…although lately I’ve been going for the 3A instead, since, as someone else said, those of us with narrow feet get foot pain…I have no fat on my toes to cushion the rubbing and pressing of the shoes, and so many of them HURT! The 3A’s do seem to be working a little better as I think the older I’ve gotten my foot has widened a bit. I also have flat feet. Ugh. i have some hammer toes due to wearing shoes in my younger years that didn’t fit right since I couldn’t find my big size. I have a constant corn on one toe that just won’t go away because of shoes that don’t fit right. It’s bad enough that my long narrow skis at the bottom of my legs are ugly, it would be nice if I could find more NICE, COOL shoes that fit to at least make them look nice! I love the winter season since I don’t have to show my feet, but how I yearn to wear the open toe shoes of summer so my bony toes don’t hurt! And don’t even get me started on fashion boots! The calves are wide enough in my size to fit an elephant’s leg! I could fit 3 of my calves into some of them! Back to the shoes, I’ve had luck with the Ros Hom’s and Vaneli’s but that’s about it, but like someone else said…they are so plain. Plain Jane pumps, no funky shoes for me. Maybe all of us narrow-footed women need to bombard shoe companies with emails about making cool shoes for us. I did find a nice pair on DesignerShoes over the summer, but I so wish I could wear a shoe from just anywhere! I feel your pain, my sisters.
I would almost pay any price for good quality comfortable 10 AAA’s or 10 AAAA’s. I would have them made if I could but have never found anyone who will do so for any price (yes you can get western boots made, but not womens pumps). I have a closet full of expensive shoes which I can’t wear. Not every shoe can be a “sitting shoe”, eventually we have to get up and walk somewhere. For my sisters with like problems, sometimes I have had a bit of luck with shoes that are designed for dancers-they tend to be adjustable-but these of course these tend to be fancier than would be appropriate for work.
I need size 6.5 AA or AAA shoe and I can never ever find them. I wear shoes that hurt or shoes that flip and slip. I have battled this allllllll my life. My sister has the same problem. I go to the shoe store and the attendant looks at me like I am some kind of circus clown – a freak of nature. I love shoes but this is one pleasure I simply can’t enjoy.