# How often do you wear shoes made for the opposite gender? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 30, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894 "2014-03-30T14:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894/41 "2014-03-31T19:26:47Z")
> [@kiz](#): > > I’ve worn boys’ hiking boots (size 4 or 4-1/2) as work shoes, but not recently. My shoe size has dramatically changed in the last year or so. I was a 6M for a very long time. Now I’m something like a 7W in womens, except that now a lot of wide widths no longer fit because of my bunion and a couple of crossed hammertoes. > > If a boys 4 or 4-1/2 is equal to a women’s size 6, a women’s size 7 would equal a men’s 5? I’ve never seen any size 5s in mens. They exist, don’t they? Men’s typically go down to a size 7, sometimes a 6. Smaller than that are classed as boys. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894/42 "2014-03-31T22:19:02Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > One tip I heard somewhere, which I have never had to deploy, is for women with very large feet to seek out where drag queens buy their shoes. Where that is, I don’t know, but it seemed like the perfect solution! I heard the story told on NPR by a Republican senator or representative. She was thrilled to find a store that sold pretty shoes in her size. > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’ve often thought about this for myself, but I’ve never run in to a drag queen that I could ask. Post a question titled “Need fashion advice” in any forum in the world. In my experience, they love to talk clothes. I’ve had some very good advice. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894/43 "2014-03-31T23:10:15Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > \ > I remember a sales person once telling me that I couldn’t wear men’s shoes because women and men walked differently and that it could cause foot problems. I have NO idea if this is valid or just a goofy thing to say. I think it’s probably horseshit, too - I think what matters much more is how the shoes feel on your own feet. If they feel like they were made for your feet, I don’t think it makes much difference if they’re men’s or women’s shoes. I take out the insoles and put my own orthotics in, anyway. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894/44 "2014-03-31T23:21:40Z")
I prefer boy’s sneakers because I have short fat feet. Well, size 7-ish and bunioned, and most women’s shoes are way too narrow. The toe box will fit better in a women’s 8, but then the heel slops around. Actually, I’d rather go barefoot, but that’s another story … ---
**Author:** ![Sehmket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Sehmket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sehmket)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894/45 "2014-03-31T23:26:35Z")
Back in high school, my ankles would constantly be sore and uncomfortable, so I started wearing men’s shoes, thinking they would help give more space or something. I was at my regular family doc, and she saw me coming down the hall at her, and thought something about my ankle was “off” and asked if it ever hurt. I told her it did - all the time. She referred me to a podiatrist. He finally explained that I was helping my very flat feet in the worst possible way. He set me up with some custom orthotics, and my mom dragged me shopping for some actual decent shoes (Turns out the $20 I’d been getting from K-Mart didn’t meet the doc’s standards), I had significantly less ankle pain (Until I broke it a few years later. Ah, well.). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894/46 "2014-04-01T01:32:19Z")
Wear women’s shoes? The thought has never crossed my mind. I wear a men’s size 11, which is actually a bit small for a guy my size. ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894/47 "2014-04-01T02:12:05Z")
I have wide feet and usually buy men’s running shoes. My everyday shoes are women’s[Eastland Windsor Oxfords](http://www.eastlandshoe.com/product/womens+windsor+oxford.do) in brown. They run so wide, I don’t even have to get the wide width. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894/48 "2014-04-01T10:13:37Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’ve often thought about this for myself, but I’ve never run in to a drag queen that I could ask. When you go into a women’s shoe shop and a lot of the selections are in large sizes, and seem unduly adorned—that’s where it is. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894/49 "2014-04-01T10:55:20Z")
I see a lot of 11s and 12s at Shoe Carnival come to think of it. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894/50 "2014-04-01T11:41:59Z")
My tennies are almost always men’s. I wear a men’s seven in my knock-off Converse as they fit better than size nine in women’s. Plus the men’s dept. usually has normal neutral colors instead of the glowing pinks and zebra stripes they think women want. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894/51 "2014-04-01T14:36:34Z")
How often? About half the time. I’m wearing men’s Rockport oxfords right now. I have wide feet, and a high instep, and some other foot stuff going on. I have a retail job and stand for most of most days. I gave up the idea that anyone would ever say “Hey, cute shoes!” to me a long time ago. I wear men’s oxfords and loafers and hiking shoes. I also frequently wear Dansko clogs which I believe are unisex. I wear pointy toed, thin, soled, high-heeled girl shoes to weddings and similarly special events so, two or three times a year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wear-shoes-made-for-the-opposite-gender/684894.md?page=2)