To think it's not unusual for a woman to have size 42+ feet ...

[bricka]

... and yet so many shoe ranges only go up to a size 41! Why is that? I've had problems buying shoes ever since my early teens. I rarely own more than 2 pairs at any one time, because finding shoes that I like, and which fit, is so difficult. If size 42 (or more) isn't unusual, then there must be a big untapped market out there.

rude
Of course 42 doesn't need a drag Queen store, it's a perfectly normal shoe size if you've ever been in a shop

The comments on here are awful this is why I tell people irl I’m a 7 as I’m too embarrassed to admit to being an 8 as I know how nasty people can be as if anyone can help what foot size they are

Why would people be nasty to you about your foot size? Why would anyone ask, for that matter?

I think certain women enjoy the ‘I’m so tiny and cute and I’m going to innocently take the piss out of taller/larger women then give a tinkly little laugh’.

Have you read the comments on here? Drag queen? Manly? Heifer? 😕 and yes when I was dating men did ask my foot size so I always said 7...

Yes, of course. Other sizes have the same problem. But it can be more frustrating if you're an EU42 because usually you can't just send them back and ask for a bigger size, because UK8 is often the upper limit on the product page.

I had this problem yesterday. I ordered some UK8 Josef Siebel shoes from a third party retailer - they sent me a 41, not a 42, so I returned them. But I can't order the next size up as a replacement because UK8 is the largest size in their listing (and the UK8/EU42 are out of stock on Josef Siebel's own website, and everywhere else I've looked).

Size 43 here - usually rely on Next, Toms (great sandals!), Veja. Also Long Tall Sally (online). Have got my eye on some Otto and Ivy shoes but I live overseas so it’s a risk to get them shipped over here as will be a pain to return if they don’t fit. ASOS also has a lot of size 43 - I usually just filter by size and browse.

I'm sure you feel very at home in the children's section.

Clearly @Marvellousmadness isn't a "normal woman's" (🙄) size either.
Normal sized women don't wear children's clothes and shoes.

I have posted on previous threads about shoe size. I am a size 9 EEEEE. I have always hated shoe shopping and even now, so few manufacturers make anything suitable. There was a time when all I could find were mens canvas boat shoes and I am sure there are plenty of women like me. Unfortunately, that then leads to the 'no call for that size' message that is then used against us. Unfortunately, due to an accident a few years ago, I cannot wear heels. I would love a nice pair of shoes for an upcoming family wedding, but having searched and searched, I am resigned to wearing one of my existing pairs of 'granny' shoes, which whilst not attractive, at least fit me.
As for the 'innocent' comments about not knowing women could wear a size 8 (or above), using words such as heifer to describe us, or suggesting we go to shops that cater for transwomen, how rude. It is hard enough as it is when you have such difficult finding a shoe that fits, let alone looks halfway reasonable, without having to read such unthinking, unkind comments.

UK8/EU42 is above average, but its not enough above average to be considered unusual, as demonstrated by the many responses to this thread. It may have been more unusual in the past, but we're all getting taller (especially in areas where there is migration from countries with greater average heights) and feet are getting bigger too.

Yeah to me it's like going OMG, 5ft 11, and a woman?! Yeah it's taller but it's not circus height

So when you said "everyone you know" has smaller feet you mean your mum and sisters and people that you live with. Hardly a large sample and not surprising that close female relatives and those you share shoes with are a similar size to you.

@Wouldloveanother spot on!

I love it when people say 'everyone/no-one I know has/does/is X, Y or Z' because the only thing that is known is that no-one could possibly make that statement and it be true, even if they are talking about their immediate household or close friends.

Yeah, this is weird. I am only 170cm 5’7” ish and I have size 39.5 or 40. Absolutely loads of women are much taller than me and must have bigger feet.

It's just simple economics isn't it? I would imagine shoe shops stock the sizes they know will sell. 42 is larger than average but not super rare so that would explain why some mainstream shops stock them and others don't or that the ranges are limited compared to commoner sizes. It's kind of on the cusp between bog standard and specialist, much like 36 at the other end of the scale. Not common enough to justify everyone stocking it in all their designs as they wouldn't sell enough but sufficiently common to make it worthwhile carrying some stock. If there are a lot of people struggling to get this size then get writing to the shoe companies and I'm sure if they are persuaded that there really is a market demand then it will get easier to find what you need.
And everything is relative. I wouldn't say it's "difficult" to buy shoes if you can get served in a high street shop at all, as I can only dream of that, but of course compared to someone who is a size 5 or a 6 it is more challenging. It's an occupational hazard of being in the tails of the normal distribution for anything unfortunately. I'm at the other end of the spectrum - EU size 33.5 is my ideal, and there are other fewtures of my feet which means shoes for me are too weird for anywhere mainstream to stock. Apart from trainers where I can sometimes get away with size 36 and thick socks all my shoes are bought online and tend to be ridiculously expensive. My aunt had all her shoes made as her feet were even smaller than mine but I can't afford that. It's a complete pain in the backside, but it can't be helped.
I can empathise with the negative comments though. I inwardly roll my eyes every time someone makes the same "witty" comments that I've been hearing regularly for the last 40 odd years, suggests I try heel grippers or tells me that I am lucky because kids' shoes don't have VAT on them. But I have (mainly) learned to let it go over my head as it's not worth investing the energy in.

There used to be a shoe factory in the next town and they also had a shop. They sold ladies size 1 to size 10. Unfortunately they are now closed. My dm wore size 8 and had loads of shoes which were unworn because they felt OK in the shop but when she got them home she found they didn't really fit.

Marvellousmadness · Today 13:30
Try drag queen stores

Have you any idea how insulting that is? Or are you always that rude?

I’m off to visit my daughter in the Netherlands next month. Last time I went I felt distinctly average height (I’m 5’8) rather than tall. So may tall women, especially the younger ones. I can only think there there must be a good range of size 42 shoes there, so plan to stock up a bit when I’m there!

Can I get anyone anything while I’m at it? 👡🥿👠👟😃

Probably already been mentioned but I'm a 35 or 36 and a lot of brands don't start until 37. Yes it's an absolute pain in the backside being outside the standard sizes.

Did you actually read my post when I said 'Shoe manufacturers seem to think that if you have big feet, you must be a massive heifer'?

I do not personally think you are a massive heifer. You presumably are not a massive heifer, because typing with hooves would be impossible.

I'm an 8. I sold a lot of heels that I wasn't going to wear again on ebay, all bought by men.

Northernsoul the men who bought your worn heels might not have been a size 8. They might not have got them to put on their feet. Sorry.
There have been threads on here about selling your old shoes on Ebay.

I'm a 43 and don't struggle to find shoes at all any more. Mainly get my shoes from next, they go up to 44 in women's with some shoes. Yes there aren't as many as if I was a 39 but still more than enough. I've also got shoes from Dorothy perking and new look too. The only places I find where they don't go past a 7 are smaller boutique style places.

Years ago it was awful to get shoes and I remember being 15 and having to wear mens shoes to school it was awful.