Not as bad as some other folks’ situations, but it’s mine.
I wear a 9.5 narrow shoe and have wide, muscular calves.
I take *very *good care of any boots that I can find that fit, and give my cobbler a Christmas bonus.
They also didn’t have people coming in, trying out shoes, and then leaving to buy them cheaper online.
And yes, a product that isn’t moving or takes years to move is wasted capital.
I did some buying for a little while for a small chain of 10 athletic stores. Buying shoes was always a pain. You’d try to load up on the popular sizes and get just a miniscule amount of those outlying sizes.
No matter what it would always come back to bite you in the ass. Eventually you’d sell out of all the popular sizes and be stuck with those odd sizes.
Even when the shoes eventually become obsolete and get marked down it’s always easier to sell the popular sizes.
So we dropped buying the odd sizes. Sure, you’d get the complaints once in a while but it’s just not worth it to carry even (1) unit of that odd size in 15 different styles of sneakers when you’ll only sell (5) of them that year.
Check out Duo Boots – they allow you to select boot shafts that fit you, down to the centimeter. Also good for women with very narrow calves.
I haven’t bought from them yet (a bit outside my price range), but I have two friends that swear by them.
I’m hoping they can help me find boots that fit – I have 16" calves and 8" ankles. Regular wide-calf boot makers seem to think that if your calves are wide, your legs are thick all the way down.
I run 11.5E/2E, which are relatively easy to find, so I’m no help to this discussion at all.
However, I would like to say hi to friend longhair. Hi!
Tell me about it! Although a lot of stores only carry mens sizes starting at an 8.
Exactly! I have muscular calves from dance and running for years. My ankles aren’t thin, but they aren’t cankles, either.
Thanks for the link; I’ll check it out. I can justify expensive boots because I wear them almost every day for six months.
I don’t think those are supposed to fit on your feet.
Oh, yay! I’m glad you were inspired. The Tony Lamas are breaking in so nicely and making me feel very happy.
Good luck in your quest.
If Keen casual shoes and boots work for you, you might check out Alegria. They are similarly wide in the toe box, and have better arch support than Keens. And they have some dressier styles.
Female, 12 wide.
I feel your pain. Shame we can’t carve up our two pairs of feet and redistribute things so we each have average-size feet.
I simply don’t shop in women’s shoe stores any more. Fortunately I don’t need to dress up for work much any more, and when I do I can get away with slacks and therefore don’t need dressy shoes.
Even Nordstrom rarely has anything in my size unless I order online.
I am seriously considering a road trip to New Jersey to visit Globe Shoes. just to shop. Last time I was there was about 12 years ago when we were in town for a family funeral, and snow was predicted, and I realized I didn’t have boots. I went in with my usual "we’ll see if they have even a single pair that I can jam my feet into without actually breaking a bone and I’ll buy it and I’ll be grateful.
So we went in, and they started asking questions, like I had CHOICES. Style? color? heel height? It was terrifying :D.
I’d actually shopped there before - my husband’s family was local - so I knew to go there.
SAS (San Antonio Shoes) has a decent selection in larger sizes, dunno about short/wide sizes. Their prices are quite high, but they ARE made in the USA. Nordstrom doesn’t carry them any more (sigh). They are, generally, fugly, but when you’re 12W and injury prone like me, that’s not the primary consideration.
Oh hell, the shoe stores around here don’t do that even if you’ve got average feet. You have to go to the counter and beg for one, and use it yourself.
OK, this is at DSW and the like, but still…
I buy SAS shoes at a local shoe store. They are high priced but with care they last and last, and have good support.
I even got a pair of dressy flat shoes there, I simply can’t wear heels.
Female, 9 wide.
9.5AA here. I feel ya, rabbit. I feel ya.
Hell, even without care, SAS shoes last and last. I wore a pair of their sandals all summer for years, and it took them about 8 years to start looking grungy. I also have these loafers for work and wear them all the time. They’re super comfy, and while they’re not too exciting looking, they’re not too hiddy, at least in the croc pattern. (I fully agree with MZ’s contention that SAS shoes are generally fugly. In fact, that understates the case.) Those loafers do come in 12W according to the website.
I can’t agree that they are high-priced, however. I think I paid $110 for the loafers, which is pretty low for a very good-quality shoe.
I agree. My current work shoes are $300 retail (I got a deal on them in trade for shoe repairs for a business owner) but since I’m on my feet for an 8 hour shift having quality shoes that fit well is a necessity.
I look with suspicion on any industry that forces you to buy TWO of something. What if I only want one? It’s a racket, I tell you, a racket, pure and simple. This is why I don’t buy shoes on principle.
I won’t buy walkie talkies for the same reason. No one is going to take advantage of me. :mad:
I’m male. I have size 11 feet but B width. Every pair of lace up shows I have ever worn have the eyelets scrunched together and they are still usually not tight enough. Running shoes are about the best I can find.