Mainstream women's shoes only going up to a size 8

Me!! I absolutely hate shoe shopping as I'm a 42/9. My mum is a size 😁 and often has the same problem 😕

If anyone is looking for boots, https://uk.merrypeople.com/products/bobbi-wellington-boot-magenta-navy do them in a selection of colours and some of the ranges go upto a UK 12. Although they aren’t the cheapest.

@HelpIcantfindaname Koi go up to a 12, so there maybe some there that she likes.

Mainstream women's shoes also rarely go to true size 3 or lower - if winter boots or trainers can be sorted out with a thick sock, its not the same with sandals. Kinda tired of shopping JUNIOR (kids....) lines, I want proper tarty adult heels :(

My DD 14 is 6'. With size 10 feet. Her school shoes, trainers, & converse are all mens. Plus she has DMs. She doesn't like skirts or dresses so these are OK, for now. But she is starting to get much more into clothes & I have no idea where I will find her pretty shoes. Many of the places who do larger sizes don't have shoes teenage girls would like. And we have to buy online because she, understandably, does not want to be in the men's section trying on shoes.
My feet are 8 or 8.5 & they can be difficult to get sometimes, especially 8.5.

I'm a size 2 but have feet that are too wide for children's shoes (and need more support than they seem to have). It's the worst of both worlds!

Honestly @PoppityBoo try TKMaxx for trainers next time. There were a few 'women's' sketchers in stock in size 9 and I once bought a pair of hot pink adidas ones in size 10!

I’m a 9 sometimes a 10 - i mostly wear my sons cast off trainers

i get work shoes from long tall sally, they are a bit hit and miss though. I miss saxone!!

Omg. Years ago I commented on a business fb post asking if they stocked their nice winter boots in a 10. I got a PM from a man (of course) saying, 'size 10?? Wow you have big feet'.

I used to be self conscious about it, but now I'm the opposite. I stare men down who comment on my foot size and have even told a man he has small feet for a man (after telling me my feet were bigger than his).

I'm 6 feet tall, wtf size feet do you expect me to have?

Size 10 here! I actually made a post the other day asking where my mother (size 9) could try on shoes in person. I just buy men's trainers online.

We were advised Hotter, but they didn't have anything in stock. In the end she got a pair of Sketchers in TK MAXX.

I used to buy from Evans as you could just walk in and find a pair, but that's gone now to.

I had to pay through the nose for a pair of basic boots, double what I used ti pay in evans.

It's a nightmare.

I’m a wide size 3, I pretty much never find shoes that fit me in shops, if they stock size 3 at all they’re almost always too narrow

Administration. Kind of a case in point. Charged too little and stocked too many lines and sizes.

Exactly. You'll sell a lot more of say 30 size 9s online than you would by sending 1 pair to 30 stores and crossing your fingers, plus store items make less profit than online, sad to say.

What happened to Brantano? They used to be brilliant with their affordable shoes in a full range of sizes from a ladies’ size 2 to size 10 or even 11. I bought a lovely pair of size 2 prom shoes for my daughter back in 2012. There are very few people who don’t have problems with their shoes to be honest. I take size 4, sometimes 4.5 but have a very high instep. T bar shoes are best for me but laces and one strap over the top are fine too. My feet fall out of traditional court shoes and slingbacks and Birkenstocks are very uncomfortable. Boots are a nightmare apart from one or two styles in Hotter. To be honest, I think that shoes are designed for the lady who has average width feet and takes size 6. There are very few of them around, clearly.

Stores increasingly have very little stock actually in store - holding only the most common sizes. While there might be thousands of size 9 women nationally, in each town there may only be a handful so its of very little commercial value holding size 9s in store - same for the smaller sizes.

Online you'll find plenty of choice.

There was a brief period in late 90s early 00s where I could walk into a physical shop and try on size 9s. All gone now. Saxone, Barritts, Dolics, Evans, LTS.
I have long since stopped asking in independent shops.

Had a quick look at sale rails when getting my DC shoes this week. Tiny amount of 42s that looked small. Nothing bigger.
No idea what market research mainstream retailers have on foot sizes but definitely an untapped market. They would need to promote new sizes widely. A PP mentioned their company lost money on 9s. If I had heard that they were being made I would have been all over it. I am in multiple FB groups for large shoe sizes and have been for years. Not a peep on there that I remember seeing.

I work in a shoe shop, 8 is most definitely a 42. We are seeing so much more demand for the larger sizes in recent years. And are buying more stock accordingly. Even StartRite school shoes are now going up to a 43, which is great.

Another brand I’d recommend looking at is Josef Siebel. They often go up to 43 and beyond.

Thank you for the Otto and Ivy tip.
I’m a size 8.5. My current favourites are Camper.

@AlwaysFreezing Gabor, Rieker/Remonte, Ecco, Joseph Seibel & Merrell all go up to a size 9 (43) too.

Footwear shop worker here 🙋🏻‍♀️🙃 The issue with sizing comes from the size 40. It’s nearest uk equivalent is a 6.5 but for a lot of high street stores that don’t stock any other half sizes that seems to be a huge hassle so they stock a 40 as a 7, 41 as an 8 etc. in reality they should be 39-6, 40-6.5, 41-7, 42-8, 43-9.

Also, in terms of the stock levels - a LOT of shoe manufacturers sell their stock in size runs, Eg - 36x1 37x2 38x4 39x3 40x3 41x1 42x1. To buy in 5 pairs of size 42s in that style I need to buy 5 size runs which leaves me with 20 pairs of size 38s. So unfortunately, it’s not always just as easy as stocking more of one size. It’s crap, I really do agree. But business wise, selling the 5 size 42s doesn’t make up for the 10 excess 38s that are sitting in the stockroom and will have to go into sale.

But to answer your original Q - yeah, size 8/9 is very common. Also size 1/2! Lots of adults shoe manufacturers start at a 35 (uk2.5). We don’t personally get asked for size 10 as often but definitely happens from time to time.

If you are a UK9/US11 and need something prettier/fancier than Birkenstocks, Converse and Dr Martens, look at ASOS. Saltwater sandals are a generous size too.

In Australia almost all the fashion brands sell that size now, but those are the 2 international ones I can think of.

If you're bigger again, take a look at Cinderella Shoes in Ireland, they have an online shop which has very large sizes - up to EU47 I think.

I'm size 8 (42) in my right foot and 8.5 (43?) in the left. It's a joy (not!) looking for shoes! And my life is further challenging because of flat feet and orthotics. I now only buy specific brands!

I’m a size 7 with narrow feet and there is rarely anything that fits me - everything seems aimed at people with wide feet.

9 since I had my kids. Buy online usually.

The quality difference between mens’ and women’s’ boots and brogues is irritating.
It's not just shoes. Men's clothes tend to be better made too. They don't get clothes with no pockets, fake pockets or those silly tiny pockets barely big enough to put keys in.