Ok you size 8/9 shoewearers, tell me all your secrets! :-)

[SnoopyLovesYou]

I've been wearing a 42 for a long time but have only recently decided that I need to start investing in nicer shoes! I'm a reasonably narrow foot and I think one foot is slightly bigger than the other, which makes for even more shopping fun! Do please tell me your online places to browse for modern and gorgeous shoes or your real life shoe shop secrets! :-D

At the moment I have a pair of dressy Jones Bootmakers shoes and all my other shoes are casual (and boring!)

I'm an 8/9 and shoe shopping has literally brought me to tears over the years. It is so disheartening when the 9 doesn't fit and the sales assistant says that maybe you should come back when your feet are less swollen and puffy. One tip is to get them to bring two pairs of the 8/9 out (the shop assistants can get a bit arsey about that) you may notice a difference.

I once got some amazing second hand Ferragammo pumps in a boutique in manhattan (many moons ago!). I was informed by the owner of the boutique were pre loved by a transvestite! They were so comforable and I wore them out. I've realised since that Ferragammo dont often make bigger sized shoes, and I can afford them anyway!

I often get insoles for 9's to get them to fit better, rather than compromise my circulation with an 8. If you do have leather 8's that are a bit tight you can try stretching them them freezer by filling them with ziplock bags full of water

My standby brands:
T K Maxx you can find the odd gem-
Duo Boots- for my standard winter knee/calf high boots I get a few seasons of hard wear out them. Yet to try their shoes

Hush Puppies can be nice but can look a bit blocky and variable in size

Hotter: but they can look like granny shoes that are trying to hard and somehow just look wrong: have sent back most: I have 2 pairs of brogues that I love:

Evans for ballet flats: most of the other shoes there are generally too wide for even my lardy feet

New look for ballet flats too, but I think the sizing is so random- again sometimes the 8 is too tight and the 9 is too big.

Converse and Merrils for trainers and walking shoes/sandals.

I generally avoid Aldo, M&S, faith and nine west because of bitter previous disappointments.

My Current favourites:

I love these and may get them in red and cream

I'm currently in my 3 rd year of these in black in an 8

These are the most comfortable heels that I have ever worn. I can wear for hours and look great when your all in black, I have been told by colleagues that they are very TOWIE, but I love them. Just seen that they are on sale and may get the other designs/shapes

I got these hush puppies in a past season caramel in TK Maxx for £16.99 on Monday: size 9.

Good shoe hunting!

Crispins are great - they only do size 41 up. Bit expensive but they have a sale at the moment. www.crispinsshoes.com/

I envy you size 8/9
I am size 10, and now have knackered toe joints so can only wear flats.

Brandtano do a few cheaper ones, have had nice sandals and boots
Evans are a bit hit and miss, because they are all wide, but boots seem to work for me
I can't buy online as I have to try on, but when I do online searches I always hit the tranny sites!!

Dr Marten (fashion range, nit workboots!)
M&S sometimes, also Next sometimes
Duo
Amber and Jade
Land's End
Just got some Duckfeet boots which I love, but I can see are not every one's taste
White Stuff - where they do an 8 it is generous, although not every style goes to an 8. I collect their wedges.
Birkenstock

Amber and Jade

Fitflop 8 is huge too.

I am a v narrow 42 and I regret to inform you that there is no solution to this that doesn't involve spending loads of money and/or jumping on a plane to somewhere that has more people with bigger feet.

The 2 brands of shoe that fit me best are Calvin Klein and lanvin - ie really fucking outrageously expensive. I look for them in sales/outnet etc and buy judiciously - I find I wear them so much more than any other shoe (lanvin ballet flats in particular are divine, the ones w cap toes look best on long feet).

LK Bennett are ok length wise but I find them to be quite wide - hit and miss with styles. Top shop do some ok stuff too for a 42 (again, depends on style - and the boots have the widest calves on them of all time which doesn't suit me either).

Basically, if you figure this out please let me know!

Oh yes I wear skechers tone-up fitflops and they are officially a size 8 and I am a 10!

I have just discovered a love of Clarks! I got TWO pairs of size 9s in their sale. I go for the wide fitting so my splayed toes (from wearing men's shoes for years) are not squished although my feet are not especially wide just used to sloppy ill fitting on my feet men's shoes

Otherwise I do like a hush puppy and I have a variety of fit flops. Our local Asda stock a variety of cheap and cheerful size 9s that are hit and miss on fit but worth a look.

Likewise I have some New Look shoes that I have managed to find in a bigger store.

I have given up completely on Evans as their shoes are worse than men's shoes for width.

Angel, have you tried Amber and Jade?

Two boots can you tell us more about your most comfy heels pls? Your link didn't work :-)

Amber and Jade. I've never ordered any as they always look a bit unflattering on their website!!! Is that just me? Also I found a pair in a charity shop once and the leather on them was so stiff so that put me off too. Are they ok?

Watching with interest, I need some nice work shoes for when I go back.

Evans shoes are awful if you have a narrow foot.

I too have found some hush puppies in tkmaxx. Also found some Guess fancy heels in there the other day. They're very bejewelled and jewelly and stuff. Not sure if its 'me.' (Used to men's shoes too!!!!)

Do you know what I LOVE? Ankle straps and a small/ medium heel. Can't see any anywhere though!

Thanks so much for all the links above! Keep 'em coming! ;-D

Bikerun yes I did I ordered some heels which were nice but I was in between the size, and some brogues which unfortunately I found quite ugly

I keep looking at the site though!

Ooh actually I have just discovered Lucy choi London - still expensive but less so than others (esp in sale!)

Have you looked at Longtallsally? They have sizes 7-11.
If you sign up to their catalogue/mailing list there is often a % off and free delivery offer.

Angeltulips I am drooling over the Lanvin ballet flats. Mmm!

Hmm I looked at the L Choi website. It says size 8 is the biggest. Not sure if this will be big enough for me. Is it a big 8?

As for LTSally, their shoes aren't even leather. Well the sandals I looked at... So that's no good for me as I need softish leather

As I say, I am a 42 and the l choi 8 fits me comfortably

ALSO (am remembering all my tricks now!) obv no good for heels but order MENS SHOES. There is a us brand called John varvatos that do fantastic slightly effeminate unisex NARROW suede boots & the like. And there are lots of nice flat styles generally in men's shoes - for some reason they don't seem to be as wide, and they're always v well made.

Oh and Joseph azagury also has nice narrow shoes (but you have to go to the store, the website is shit)

I tend to buy most of my shoes on eBay. They're educated guesses really but have got some gems for £10 and £20 this way and get to avoid the disappointment in shops!

Accessorize are good Angel for narrow 42s and they cost next to nothing :-D

I mostly use Clarks which has a limited range of 9s but free post and returns online, so I order 3, pick the best fit then send one or two back. D fitting but I don't find them massively wide. I have also tried Next online but found the sizing inconsistent/shoes less comfy. Same for LTS - I only needed 8 in their boots while ballerina size 9s were on the tight side.

I have also heard of www.after8shoes.co.uk/ for size 8+ and their sister company www.specialfeetures.com/ for narrow feet including some large sizes, but can't vouch for them personally as I haven't got around to trying them yet.

Anybody worn Boden shoes? Are they generally wide or narrow?

Well made? Comfortable?