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.

I’m size UK 10.5

10 its too small so most of the time goes to size 11.

and i’m asian. No other asian have big feet as far as i know 😓😓😓.

Another one frustrated with the 41/8 issue. I'm sure it's New Look and maybe Primark that I've bought size "8" shoes from before and have felt like one of the Ugly Sisters cause I haven't been able to get my foot in them, possibly because I have wide big feet.

It's good to know Sketchers are now doing bigger sizes. I've avoided them for years cause they were never big enough (along with other brands I loved when I was younger like Converse and kangaROOS)

My dad is 6'2" and wears a 13. Not so unusual these days but back in the 80s when I was little, we had to go to Clark's village in Street for him to be able to get shoes. It was such a long drive, and then having to stand around for what felt like hours in the factory outlet shop with towering shelves of shoes all around. I did enjoy the machine though that measured your feet with the mechanical moving blocks 😂

I'm 5'4" with size 8 feet...

My mother was an 8/42 and she had a nightmare trying to find shoes. Refused to wear trainers etc and didn't see why she should have to.

I bet many women have struggled for decades because some gnomes in the shoe industry decided that women couldn't possibly have bigger feet than a 42.

I'm a 43/9. I don't bother with bricks and mortar shops. I buy Josef Siebel from Amazon. They're ok. Not always stylish but at least they recognise that women do have larger feet.

@SNAFU247 well it must be unusual for women to have bigger feet simply because you don't happen to know anyone with bigger feet. 😂

Let's hope you don't work in research or science industries, eh?

I keep wondering when shoes will become less gendered and there will simply be shoes available in a variety of sizes, shapes and width fittings as there is for clothes. My observation of my DD's prom is that fewer than half the girls wore heels with their prom dresses (the rest wore Converse or Doc Martens) so I suspect that lines are blurring already in terms of what people actually wear in upcoming generations.

The Canadian designer I mentioned upthread makes some of his shoes in men's and women's versions. The shape of men's and women's feet are different and require different lasts, but the design is the same.

My DD is a 10! We have a very hard time finding shoes. She usually ends up in men's trainers. Luckily some men's look like women's as men's fashion seems to be getting more feminine! Teens are a lot taller with bigger feet now than when I was one. I can't understand why there isn't more choice or that some brands haven't tapped into this market yet. They would have the monopoly on it. Then again I'm a petite leg and find limited choice out there for maxi dresses and decent jeans / trousers. Any entrepreneurs out there that can set up a decent on trend fashion brand for petite / tall can have my money!

Dd has size 3 feet, that's hard too unless you want school shoes or pink! The typical womens range used to be 3-8 but they are shifting larger (friends in the shoe trade) DD's work boots had to be specially ordered!

@FuzzyPuffling

To stop people buying shoes without vat. My docs are kids ones (boys size 5) half the price!

I have just conducted some very unscientific research on Clarks sale web pages.

I randomly clicked on several pairs of sandals and in every case they were available in size 3 upwards ( for all those whining about small feet) but the 7.5 and 8s we're sold out. And nothing went above an 8.

I rest my case, m'lud.

Were not we're. Blooming autocorrect.

Well you hit the jackpot in life, didn't you? Tone deaf.

Yanbu op i am a size 7 and thata hard enough. Considering that the average. Uk woman's shoe size is a 6. 2 sizes up from that should really still be average

Also a size 42 here.
When I was young and used to have to go to shoe shops it was all "would you like to try a 7?" And "sorry we only had one pair in that size and they've sold out". Now, online, the problem is finding out if the shop does 8=41 (won't fit) or 8=42 is pretty much impossible.

I’m not trying to be contrary but I’m just not understanding why some women have to import shoes from little known brands abroad etc

I was just scrolling boots on Next, if you change the filter to search for size 10 there are 86 pairs.

@Wouldloveanother and if filter on boots goes down to less than 40 styles. A quick browse reveals the majority are walking boots, safety wear and wellies.

Ah yes sorry I just scrolled and noticed that!

I've recently decided to just give up on nice shoes. I used to be an 8 or a 42, but these days that's too small and I have to get a 9 or get men's shoes instead. Some of it is because of calluses and other foot problems that have come from squeezing my feet into too small shoes when I was younger! At the moment I live in Fitflop slippers, Teva sandals, Nike trainers (women's sizes seem to be better fitting than some of the other brands) and hiking boots (men's).

I'm a size 8, so it's hit and miss whether I can find my size in what I want.

Back in the mid to late 90s, before the internet, my friend was 6ft tall with size 12 feet. She used to have to travel to shops that catered to transvestites in order to get the type of shoes a teenage girl would want to go clubbing in.

I also let her know that Evans carried bigger sizes too.

With the advent of the internet, at least there's a bit more choice.

To be fair... OP asked if its unusual. Surely a person's idea of what is normal is based mainly on their own knowledge and experiences? I

Of course I appreciate some people have size 8. But I was stating that in my experience, that isn't usual because everyone I know has smaller feet than this. Now you'll pulled me up on this, of course I shall in future refrain entirely from using my own knowledge and experience to respond to all posts on this forum, and shall invest hours in researching all topics before even considering responding. Thank you so much for making the rules more clear for me.

I'm not sure what's there to get uppity about, but you do you....

It is much better now than it was in the 80s and 90s. Buying size 8 shoes then was very difficult. I find the main problem now is they make the shoes too wide. There seems to be an assumption that if your feet are long, they must also wide but it doesn't work like that especially as those with longer feet tend to be younger (at the moment).

these threads on body measurements or food always bring out the arseholes. 'didn't realise' and 'i thought I was big' my arse.

42 and 43 are not unusual. We have clothes that cater for different bodies but less shoes that way.

Do you actually have conversations with people about the size of their feet?! it's not something I would mention and you wouldn't notice.

I tried men's shoes but too wide.