Wide, deep shoes for just 11 dd- size 4 and a half..!

[SirVixofVixHall]

DD is having a growth spurt, she has only recently turned 11 but in the last 4 or five months her feet have gone from a three and a half to a four and a half and are creeping towards a five. I'm finding getting shoes for her a nightmare! It has always been tricky, as she has wide feet with a high instep, but at least by throwing cash at the problem and hunting far and wide I could find something for her. Now there seems to be nothing. She can't wear almond-y toes as her feet are wide at the toe joint and they squash her toes in (I've just taken her for a check as I was worried she might have the beginning of bunions) and for her size, all the shoes seem more teenage and pointed. She needs new school shoes, everything. I want shoes that are age appropriate and that aren't too fashiony so that they are suitable for soft growing feet. I used to get a mix of Angulus and Startrite but there is nothing in her size. Girls feet seem to be getting bigger generally, she is not alone in her shoe size among her peers (I was 16 before I hit a size 5). I live in the middle of nowhere which makes it harder. So any tips as to brands or styles v gratefully received.

[exexpat]

DD has wide feet and high instep (and was size 7 by age 11). For the last couple of years of primary school she wore Sketchers (variations on this style, which we found in various shops), then first year of secondary she needed lace-ups, and the only ones we could find to suit her foot shape were by Hush Puppies, I think. Her feet have now stopped growing, and she has moved on to Doc Martens.

[Shortandsweet20]

Clarks have some great deep styles in and they accommodate for wide fittings.

[JamieFraserssporranwarmer]

I have always had that trouble. Teddy and Muffy have a sale on at the moment with up to 70% off but it will depend on your budget. They seem to have a couple of style in a size 5 wide fitting that might be suitable for school (I only have boys so no good on what is "in" for girls these days!). They have an excellent returns policy too!

[SirVixofVixHall]

I've looked at Clarks but the few shoes available in her size are mostly too pointy toed/teenage or simply don't work on her foot. I've never looked at Sketchers so will check out those and Teddy and Muffy who I've also not heard of. I did ring up Startrite and ask for them to think of extending the size range. So many of their shoes stop at a 12 and a half, whereas my dd2 is only 8 but a size larger than that. I want simple Mary Jane or lace-up styles, but the brogues in Clarks are almond toed and I can't find a plain buckle up Mary Jane anywhere. Startrite only have one style in her size, a velcro mary Jane but it doesn't fit her. She is living in either Ugg boots or a pair of Petasil lace ups, and has Petasil lace ups for school but they are the ones that I think are squeezing her toes, they are too slender beyond the toe joint.

[SirVixofVixHall]

Tried googling Teddy and Muffy, can find Ted and Muffy, but they seem to be only adult shoes? Can't see any childrens?

[JamieFraserssporranwarmer]

Sorry, should have been clearer. They are adult shoes but there looked to be a couple in the sale that would possibly fit the bill for school shoes in size 5 wide fitting. There are some loafer style and some brogue lace ups and for non school some pump types.

[Wardrobespierre]

DD is 8 and wears a 4. She also has a high instep and wide feet. She lives in Doc Marten's.

[jaykay34]

My DD is 13 and has size 6.5 feet. They are really wide and she has a high instep.

They are not great quality - but I have got her loafers, chelsea boots and brogues from New Look in the wide fitting. They last for long enough. She won't wear Clarks as she thinks they look old fashioned.

She mainly lives in her Nike Air Max 90, as she finds trainers more comfortable. They are bloody expensive but I picked some up in a sale - in boys junior size so it saved me about 40 quid. She also finds that Vans are more comfortable than Converse.

[gruber]

Skechers. I have bloody annoying wide feet and I have a very comfy 10 year old pair. Another try, maybe bit granny-ish but might do something suitable wide enough is Hotter. (Quick look and it is very Granny!!) but they do an extra wide fitting which may help?

[leadrightfoot]

Van Dahl but the styles may not be to her taste

[Judydreamsofhorses]

I have your daughter's exact feet - it is a nightmare, because anything wide enough tends to be too pointy at the toe, and I find even "almond toes" squish my poor feet. I now have to see a podiatrist regularly because I have horrible corns on my little toes where there are pressure points. I live in Chelsea boots, and find the wide Clarks ones are best (I have several different but similar pairs), but I'm always on the hunt for something better. I did buy some wide fit from Ted and Muffy but they weren't wide enough! There's a website called Marisota which is for plus-sized clothes that might be worth looking at, I've got shoes there previously which have fitted, although not exactly my most stylish. (Be careful if you order there, I now get absolutely inundated with their clothes catalogues and am not actually plus-sized, so it is v annoying!) ASOS also do some wide fitting stuff, and the filters on there are really useful for narrowing (ha) it down, and I also find Topshop's footwear can be good.

Sorry, this is a pretty rubbish post, but I feel your daughter's pain, almost literally and just wanted to offer sympathy.

[archaeoptyrx]

I have a high instep and wide feet too. I buy Clarks "bootleg" Mary Janes in patent and normal leather year on year. They do width fittings and have long Velcro straps to accommodate the instep. Dr Martens Mary Janes and Oxygen shoes and boots fit well too.

[SirVixofVixHall]

I am laughing at Van Dahl, my chemistry teacher, who had feet like small ships, wore those. Aren't they for the more mature lady? Maybe they have changed their styles. But anyway, almost all women's shoes, wide fitting or not, have the wrong toe shape. Clarks do a nice classic brogue, in good colours, it comes in an E fitting, I have some myself, but the toe is too narrow for her. It is too narrow for me (same feet) but my feet aren't growing and I don't wear them for lengthy periods of time. She needs a G or sometimes an H fitting child's shoe, with a wide almost squared off toe box, and they all seem to stop at around a size two. Three at best. Doc Martens won't work, again because of the toe shape- they don't fit me very well so i know they won't fit her. I live in Blundstones, I could get her a pair for out of school but they are really expensive, over £100 for something she will outgrow in months. (or weeks). I also wear a lot of vintage shoes, or Chie Miharas when flush. But she is a little girl so none of those things are any good for her. At 11 I had Clarks sandals, t-bar ones, not open, and lace ups. They all went up to at least a 5 as we had them for school uniform. I had some Hush Puppies that were comfortable, a sort of jodphur boot. Simple open sandals with buckle straps in the Summer. I had smaller feet, but they all did come larger. Seems mad that it was easier for my mother to find shoes for me in the 70s than for me to find them now for my dds.

[Palomb]

Dd is just 11 and in a 6.5. M&S are an absolute godsend :)

[Frogqueen13]

Kickers are fab, wide deep I wear them for work and my 8 year old has them for school

[steppemum]

I don't think 4.5 is that big for her age. DD is 10 and in a size 6.

Dds aren't as wide though.

Have you tried Hush Puppies, or boys trainer type shoes? Dd won't wear the 'girls' styles as they aren't comfortable to play football in, so she just wears the 'boys' ones, which are basically trainers. The side advantage is that they have enough toe room, so don't catch her little toe.

She will be going to secondary in september and will need something than fits in a bit better. I am looking at Kickers, Doc Martins, or Hush Puppies

[steppemum]

also how about Evans? Not sure what size they start at, but they have a lot of wide fittings

[SirVixofVixHall]

She isn't a trainers sort of girl. She wears them for sports, but not out of school. She's in dresses a lot, so trainers don't work. I will have a look at Kickers, but when she was smaller the brilliant woman who I bought shoes from (at The Red Shoes in Crouch End, sadly now no longer) said that Kickers would be too narrow for her, I will have to see if they are any wider in the larger sizes. Angulus were perfect for her feet, but the wider fitting childrens styles stop at a 34 or 36. I've bought her Angulus boots every Winter since she was a toddler, so it is a shock to be struggling to find her anything. Is 4 and a half at (only just) 11 not big then? It seems huge to me. I was that size at 14/15. I'm a five or five and a half now. I'm fairly tall, but I think she will be taller, unless she stops growing earlier.

[SirVixofVixHall]

She is very slightly built and slender everywhere else, but we all have wide feet in our family, DH has just the same feet as me, so we were obviously destined to produce children with feet like snow shoes. I've always found balancing one leg easy though

[SirVixofVixHall]

This www.iglookids.co.uk/igloo-clothing-products/brand-angulus/shoes/angulus-naturally-shaped-last-dolly-shoe-in-black/18983/ is the sort of toe shape that fits her without putting pressure on her toe joint or little toe, or bunching her toes together. It stops at a 36 though.

[Sallyhasleftthebuilding]

Have you tried vans? They come up small in size - but are a decent wide fit black and lace up -

For the record trainers and dresses are very much in fashion!

[fieldfare]

Doc Martens, Mary Jane's just brilliant for dd's feet. Quite pricey but they still look great after 3 month's wear.

[FairyBiker]

Have you looked at startrite angry Angels? They go up to a 7

www.angryangels.co.uk

[SirVixofVixHall]

I hate sports trainers with dresses. . Anyway, she really doesn't wear the kind of dresses that would work with trainers. Actually, even her school PE trainers, which are really good quality ones, are too pointy at the toe to be an ideal fit on her feet. (Asics).

[PutDownThatLaptop]

Kickers are great for wide feet and last ages.