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!)

If you have narrow feet you could check out James Inglis - they specialise in narrow fitting and import from the US and Europe.

They are expensive but often have sales. Some styles are a bit plain etc but they have a lot of jazzier stuff too.

Here's a link:

www.jamesinglis.com/

www.shoesaleus.com/discount-lanvin-black-patent-leather-lanvin-ballet-flats-shoes-authentic.html

Do these look a little bit dodgy to you Angel?

Snoopy - yep, the sole is different (on real patent leathers you can't see a join on the sole at the back - the leather goes the whole way down to ground level on the outside of the internal heel).

But you knew that already didn't you? ;)

I try on any 8/9 I see! It is disheartening and I think one of the biggest problems is they tend to be too narrow, so I can't get into an 8 but a 9 is often too big. My parents often buy me shoes for Christmas and birthday knowing how hard it is to get.

I used to love my heels even if it did make me stand over 6'! (I guess you're all tall as well?) But when I did my back I had no choice but to go to flats. I don't wear trainers, I don't even own any, I tend to live in boots or sandals if the weather is OK for it.

I refuse to look in the men's sections, which we often had to do as children! Our old MP (also Education Secretary at the time) ended up getting involved when my sister wasn't allowed back to school over her shoes (smart black, just too high on the collar) and told she'd have to get men's. MP wasn't impressed, school suggested to my parents they contact her (all sarky like they wouldn't take them up on it lol) which was foolish because she didn't stand messing.

I don't know the shoes Angel but was a bit suspicious of the dodgy English on the website! :-D

How much do you like to pay for your ballet flats Angel? I see some for £200 and £300?

I'm not wealthy but I think it might be worth it to have some good shoes. And when you have good shoes, suddenly your wardrobe has so much more in it!

M & S have got a few pairs online. Some are ok like the autograph pumps

8.5 - 9

I am a 9 but narrow and shoes are a nightmare.
I've spent £35 this wek alone in postage returning unsuitable shoes to Ketie Long and after 8.

I have very bony feet with enlarged tendons(like a skeleton) and they tend to make shoes rub.

I bought 2 pairs from Crispins last month (£190) and they cripple me...probably end up on ebay.

Go to Holland or Germany when the sales are on

I find Gabor comfy and good quality

I have had joy in Barratts too, although the shoes aren't great.

Hmm Chandon I could do that. When I was in Germany, I found lots of the shoes not very nice but perhaps there are some good German/Scandinavian websites to save us the journey?

Gabor hurt my feet

Don't think there are great German makes, they often sell good Italian made shoes on the continent.

Good Italian shoes are comfy as well as stylish.

To me a place like Clarks is a mystery, badly made , uncomfy and ugly.

So if looking on line I would look for " made in Italy"

Crispins sell gorgeous Italian shoes...lovely quality.
One make is Attilio something something...they fit like a dream for me, but only do odd styles in 9.
I have some of their boots...had them for 8 years.

If you are anywhere near London, take a trip to Chiltern street (W1U)

Crispin shoes is there, as well as long tall sally, and at least 2/3 more shoe shops. Crispin does varying width and i LOVE them. I got a pair of ballet flats in a Chanel style, in the softest leather ever!

My favourite online store is www.prettybigfeet.co.uk/ I have a couple of pairs from there, normally wait for the sales. The ones I got were dansi, a spanish brand and very well made, leather soles etc.

If I buy a 9 and it's a bit big I put a heel grip or two in the back and it usually makes them ok.

I know it's not a 'popular' place but Primark goes up to a 9 in some styles and can even be found in leather.

For posh shoes, LK Bennett's Bury in 42 is lovely and not too high. I have them in black leather and patent leather taupe. Otherwise Clarks really - their 8 is a 42, which is how it should be.

I'm also interested in what Boden 42s are like...

I have size 8 quite wide feet. I find Nine West are quite good for boots, Evans for ballet flats and Clarks for sandals. I find court style shoes the hardest to find, they just all seem so uncomfortable. I quite like wedges, they tend to fit well and support my feet better.

I'm a size 9 and have been for a long time; when I was a teenager I basically lived in trainers because all nice girly shoes back then only seemed to go up to an 8 unless you paid a lot of money. It's nice that more shops now sell size 9s, although I still get frustrated when I find beautiful shoes that I just cannot squeeze my feet into!

My go to places tend to be Next, New Look and Dorothy Perkins. I also like Evans (although sometimes too wide for me) and Clarks. George at Asda do surprisingly pretty shoes up to a 9 at very good prices (I always seem to buy cheap shoes and replace them regularly... maybe I need to start investing in quality!)

Well... some news on the heeled shoe front... Was in TK Maxx today and picked up a pair of gorgeous Clarks black suede heeled shoes with leather interior. Supersoft and not high heel. £25. Woo!

Still got my eye on those Lanvin ballets though! Angel (and anyone else who wants to join in) what length are your feet when you put them on a ruler so we can compare exact sizes. Meant to go into Clarks today and get a width measurement but forgot!

Yeah NewestBride I used to wear trainers only too!

Oh Dorothy Perkins are they good?

So... apart from the M&S ones, does anybody know any ballet flats like the Lanvin ones that aren't as expensive? One day, one day...

I like some of the styles that DP have, I find that I can't fit into their ballet pumps or flats because they are just too narrow for me and a bit tight across the toes but their heels tend to fit perfectly.

Great news about the Clarks shoes, what a nice bargain!