Who is this “average woman” anyway? You ever met her? I’m sure haven’t! I think she’s a mythical creature, like the Loch Ness monster, or Big Foot. Oh no, wait a sec, she can’t be Big Foot, ‘cos she wouldn’t be able to find shoes to fit her.
Okay, I admit it - this is a vent, pure and simple. But honest to god, it drives me nuts that I can’t buy shoes or clothes because I’m not “average”. Hell’s bells, I don’t know anyone average, do you?
I’m not even going to talk about bra sizes. Grrr…
But shoes? Aaaargh! You all know how much I love shoes, but I have small feet. Not impossibly small, mind you, a size 5, or a 35 European. I know other women with the same size feet. My mother’s are a whole size smaller.
Over the years, I’ve developed a kind of slide-over-’em gaze, specially for shoe shops. I give the place a quick once over, never focusing on any one pair, because I mustn’t fall in love and risk a broken heart. Then I brace myself, buttonhole an assistant and ask, “What do you have in a five? Do you have anything in a five? At all?”
In my naivety, when we went to the US, I thought there’d be hundreds of pairs of beautiful shoes, all size five, all jostling on the shelves, competing to come home with me. The hard part was going to be selecting from among the multitudes. I even had my heart set of a pair of cowboy boots - red ones.
Nope. NOPE!
My Beloved bought a faaabulous pair of cowboy boots. Mark Nason, on a sale. They are just gorgeous. *whimper*
But for me? Same old story. *sigh* Yes, I did buy a couple of pairs on a sale, useful, but not special, you know? I saw shelf after shelf of beauties, not a one in my size.
Next time, I’m going to Hong Kong, or Singapore - somewhere where women have small feet!
Your turn. Wanna vent? Be my guest! Go for it!
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I’ve got the same problem - but in the other direction - I’m a size ten. The year I turned 13, I went from a size 6 to a size 10 in 5 months (ouch, ouch, ouch). Shoes my mother bought me at Thanksgiving (last Thursday in November) were a size and a half too small by New Year’s.
The shoe stores don’t carry too many pair of size tens, particularly in the really nice, sexy shoes. When I complained, the clerk said that the transvestites buy up all the big sizes!
A friend who worked in the comfort-shoe business said that more American women are sized 9 and 10 than 6 and 7, which are supposed to be “average,” but since so many women are willing to stuff their feet into a smaller sized shoe for the sake of vanity, shoe companies and shoe stores don’t stock as many 9s and 10s as they need to.
Denise: Next time you come to the US, you need to find a DSW (Discount Shoe Warehouse). Despite the name, it’s not a venue for cheap and poorly made shoes - you can get great designer shoes in your small sizes. In fact, last year, they had a sale on Manolos and Jimmy Choos - but the size range was from 4 to 6.5 only.
Lita, I did visit a DSW store in San Francisco. No dice. Mind you, they did have small sizes - just not in anything I wanted/needed. Pity I missed the sale though! Never mind, next time I’m Over There.
And I thought I had it bad with size 6 shoes Denise… hard enough for with that sized. Though I must admit sometimes I’m a 6 and a half - it really depends on the shoe company — you may be able to find something in the 6’s. Not much in range but….. hopefully, fingers crossed. Maybe a speciality shoe shop? I know my cousin has not only small feet but wide feet too - she has trouble finding nice looking shoes. Since I have a knee problem, I don’t worry about the nice flashy shoes anymore *sniff sniff*. It’s amazing how comfort wins out for me every time!
And you’re right - there’s no such thing as the average woman.
I too have shoe angst. However, I am six feet tall and my feet are a size 12. So when my friends go shop for shoes I sit in the food court and watch the world go by. It’s hard to find good looking shoes much less sexy ones. Oh well.
I’ve been thinking as I read this post and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have trouble finding shoes that fit perfectly. I come from an ‘above average’ family - my oldest sister has the smallest feet and she’s an 8. She probably has the least trouble of all of us. I know women who have to buy men’s shoes to find something that doesn’t pinch. I know one woman who has long feet but they’re very narrow. She has shoes specially made. I have a couple of brands that usually have something that’s comfortable and useful. When I find a shoe that’s comfortable to wear I often go back and buy a couple pairs the same (if they’re available), so when the first pair wears out, I have another pair ready. It means I’m not keeping up with the fashion but I never have so it doesn’t bother me. I’d rather wear something that’s comfortable and suits me. Because it’s difficult to find shoes exactly right, when I do find something I wear them to death. They have to be falling off my feet before I discard them and look for something else.
I don’t know who she is, but she wears my shoes…….I wear a 7-71/2 depending in the make, and I can never find anything I like in my size. They are either all too big or too small. Case in point: recently at Wal-Mart I found some bootie slippers. I looked through them…found a few 5-6’s lots of 9-10’s and no 7-8’s. My mom found me a pair of 7-8 in the color I wanted, tan, the other pair she found where in pink…uhmm she took those for herself. Only two pair in that size in the whole rack.
Right now it is blustry cold out, but my feet and ankles are warm.
I’m sitting here reading this and thinking “God what a bunch of wingers us women are…never satisfied,
” No wonder the Male of the spiecies don’t want to take us on.
. Having said that.
Now you’d think that would be easy peasy. Best selections - in any style, any colour, all price ranges and every variety of material under the sun. So what’s HER problem you all are sneering. (I can hear teeth grating….):razz:
I on the other hand am a PERFECT 8.
I have heel spurs, tissue damage and arch problems (have had for years) So I have Orthodics.
DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD it is to find a nice looking shoe that doesn’t look like Uncle Tom’s hiking Boot, that doesn’t let the UGLY little blighters slip out embaressingly on the pavement or doesn’t look like something from a nun’s convention?
AHH to be perfect!!! Happy Shoe hunting Ladies
Well, imagine having runners feet, wide to carry the load. E fitting. There are plenty of running shoes that fit (and god knows I have plenty of pairs of running shoes), but NICE shoes - no way. Planning to raid a speciality shoe shop a few suburbs away that guarantees a good fit while I’m on holidays. Wish me luck…
Sadly, Eleni, I’m on the small side even for a 5. Sixes don’t work.
As for flashy shoes, I still love ‘em and I wear them out for special occasions and my back kills me and I don’t damn well care! 
I’m nuts.
There you go, Clynax, you and I are the perfect illustration of my argument - there’s no such thing as an average woman! Mucho sympathies!
Elaine, don’t you hate it when old favourites die? I have a pair of second hand (foot?) children’s boots I bought at a thrift shop on a whim. Yes, I know, I’m a crazy woman. But they were $10, all leather and flat and soooo comfortable. I’ve worn them to pieces, literally. *mournful sigh*
LOL - sorry, Denise, but I just had to laugh because I have the opposite problem with big feet. Buying shoes has always been a real nightmare. It’s not quite as bad these days because there are a couple of shoe shops in Auckland that cater for large sizes and have cute shoes. Unfortunately, my shoe experiences during my younger days cured me of the “shoe gene”. I never covet shoes.
It was great meeting you in San Fran. I wish I’d had longer to chat and didn’t need to rush off. Next time!
Oh my lord, Meg - it’s you! You’re the average woman, well it sounds as though your feet are. But I can see it’s not all beer and skittles. One good thing about small feet is that you can sometimes pick stuff up on sales. I bought a pair of $350 evening shoes in a charity sale for $5 once. I still wear them, such a classic design.
Though they are beginning to look a little shabby. *sigh*
A nuns’ convention? Oh Mary, that expresses it perfectly. I’m so sorry you have foot troubles, it’s so common. I wear orthotics too - at least in my every day shoes. But not in fancy shoes - I’m just too damn vain, and isn’t that an indictment of me? *sigh* But guess what? I don’t bloody care because I so love pretty shoes. OTOH, I pay for it - my back hurts. *sigh*
As I told DD on the way to get her ears pierced. (For her 12th birthday, at her own insistence.) “You have to suffer for beauty, darling.” After the first ear, she believed me. We had to hold her down for the second one. Poor little love. And now she’s the one with the tattoo.
Fi, mine are like little duck feet - narrow at the heel and wide across the front with short stubby toes. For heaven’s sake, you have to tell me where this shop is. I’ll come with you!
Good grief, Shelley, you don’t covet pretty shoes?
Gosh.
We used to have specialty shops like that too - they did bigs and littles. But they seem to go out of business before I can get to them. Or they have what I call “old lady” shoes. *sigh*
And yes, next conference, we’ll make a time and have a good natter!
Well I always considered myself ‘average’ I was a 7 1/2 right up to having had my kids. These days I’m anything from and 8 to a 9. Yep. My feet got bigger after having had the kids. Either that or the sizings got smaller - which wouldn’t surprise me either LOL!
Ah Lyn, and were you compensated by a corresponding increase in bust size? *chuckle*
BTW, only joking - no answer required!
LOL! Christ no! Like I need any more size up top!!
I’d topple over if they got any bigger .. hahahaha
I wear a 3 1/2 in childrens shoes
. I can wear a very small 5, especially in heels. I think it all depends on the shoe, I guess. I am guilty of buying boots too big and then wearing them anyway. I just stuff the toes. Yep, I stuff! 
Now that’s a good idea, Colleen - stuffing the toes, I mean. I find that if the toes are too pointy (like what they used to call winkle-pickers), they curl up like Turkish slippers. Which would be fine and dandy if they were Turkish slippers.
And I sometimes buy kiddie shoes too. Trouble is, they’re not usually very sophisticated in style. *sigh* But glad to know I’m not alone.
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