"Well if you wanted to wear shoes, you shouldn't have grown such large feet, should you!"

[rheasilvia]

I don't like buying shoes. This is not because I dislike shoes as such, but because I am: a) female, b) tall, and so c) don't have dainty little size 38 feet (if I did, I would tip over). You'd think this wasn't a totally surprising and unique condition, but the manufacturers of women's shoes beg to differ

Comments

[solo]

Have you considered taking them to a shoemaker to see if anything can be done? I know it's an old-fashioned concept, but...

Cannot comment on the expensive boots: I'd fall over in heels like that. :-)

[akk_]

As I replied on DW: If in need of winter boots *and* are forced to order expensively online: http://www.arcus.fr/gamme.php?rub=CHH&sai=H210 ;) I never had a pair of Gabor's that made it through one year.

[rheasilvia]

Thanks for the hint! The link doesn't work for me, but I googled; at first glance the Arcus boots don't appeal to me, but I'll see if I can find a pair I like. Though the ones I've seen seem to have a really bad profile... maybe not ideal for ice and snow?

I never had a pair of Gabor's that made it through one year.

Hm, I have several very old pairs of Gabor shoes...

I wouldn't buy these particular Gabor boots as practical winter gear for hiking or any such purpose, anyway. I just think they look pretty, and will be fairly warm. :-)

[rheasilvia]

Unfortunately, it's not the kind opf thing a shoemaker qould be able to fix - the top of the shoe is scraped raw. Can't really be replaced in any pretty way. Wahhh.

I mean, I can still wear it. It just won't look as nice. *sniff*

The heels don't scare me. I don't wear heels often or with particular intent, but I do have shoes that have them, and I always take a weird kind of joy in being *even taller*. In your face, guys who look scared when I stand up. *g*

(Yes, there are such guys. Guys are such shy and fragile creatures! Srsly.)

[teenygozer]

Suggest you do a search on eBay to see if the same boot is available -- I lost my perfect winter coat on an airplane once and found the exact coat in my size on eBay, being sold by a woman who was moving to sunny Florida. (No, she wasn't selling my coat back to me, it still had the tags on!) You might find your boot there, and for a good price.

Those are lovely boots! Maybe they'll go on sale in a month? You know, when you don't really need them anymore? ;)

[rheasilvia]

Unfortunately, I don't know the name of these boots - or even, argh, the brand. It doesn't seem to be written anywhere on them, and I don't remember...

Maybe they'll go on sale in a month?

It's possible! Or else they'll be gone in my size. :-) They usually are... I'm not the only woman with large feet around, after all, and we all share the same shoe problem.

I think I'll just order them. If I don't like them, I can always send them back...

[executrix]

About 15 years ago I wrote a book about different kinds of businesses, and in researching the Shoe Store chapter I found out that when shoe stores order a particular style, they get a fixed assortment of sizes, and the assortment hasn't changed since the 1940s, so there are more Size 6s and fewer 10s and over than the actual customer footage would suggest.

[rheasilvia]

That explains a lot! It probably used to be like that here, too. 15 years ago, certainly! I had even MORE trouble back then.

Now, there are more stores that carry an at least halfway decent assortment of large sizes for women; I know of several storews that make a particular point to have large sizes available. No idea how they order them, though... and the demand is still higher than the supply. One saleswoman told me that they have a large customer base of large-footed women, many of whom know exactly when new shoes will be delivered, and come in that day on the spot to have first pick of the models...

[ky_rin]

those boots look really good. they have grip, the heel's not ridiculous, and they're pretty to boot XD BUT OH GOD SO EXPENSIVE, I WOULD BE AFRAID TO WEAR THEM OUT T_T

/useless comment

good luck!

[rheasilvia]

I... just ordered them.

Argh! I know, they are oh god so expensive! But they ARE damn pretty.

I'll just try them on. Maybe they're ugly live anyway!!! And then I can just send them back. Errr.

good luck!

Thank you! I got the least pair in my size - so I did have good luck so far. :-)

[imifumei]

I know that boat. I am totally in it. I wear a 9 1/2 (like a 41) but in extra wide. It's tough finding cute regular shoes that are wide enough, let alone anything specialized like boots.

I'm really sorry that your brand new ones got ruined so quickly. :/ I don't envy that position, but I do have to say those boots you linked are adorable. If I had the cash and lived in the E.U. where I could probably get them shipped for a more reasonable price, I would totally be into buying them.

Have you looked into a cobbler/shoe repair?

[rheasilvia]

Argh, yes, I know many people who have trouble finding shoes because of wide or narrow feet. It looks like shoe manufacturers pretty much completely fail to take actual feet into account...

Oh god, those boots are horribly pretty, aren't they? IO, err. Might havce ordered the last pair in my size yetserday evening. They'll probably arrive tomorrow or the day after... *weeble*

Have you looked into a cobbler/shoe repair?

Unfortunately, it's not the kind of thing a shoemaker would be able to fix - the top of the shoe is scraped raw. Can't really be replaced in any pretty way. Wahhh.