Big Feet

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I am really struggling at the moment to find nice shoes in my size. I was always a 7/7.5 but since having children I am now in an 8. It used to be a 41 but now that is too small. In some shops they class uk8 as 41 but I'm sure that used to be 7.5.
Does anyone else have the same problem? I look at all these tall models and think surely they can't all have small feet but yet they wear beautiful shoes. I have whole shops I just can't shop in anymore because the biggest size is 41.
Any tips on where to shop that goes up to a 42?

I'm a 42 too, not a 41, this never used to be a problem for my size 8 (42) feet but has been past few years. I always go to Marks and Spencer or clarks as know they will fit, so maybe not quite the style you want, I tend to wear boots alot

Ohhh zolando - even trainers!

Ok ladies, I have a pair of gorgeous high heeled suede sandals they have peep toes and laces so can be as tight or loose as you like. I have black, also did red, purple and a sort of beige but lovely. They are a size 8 and I got them in Primark.

Well its nice to know I'm not alone.
Lots of advice, thank you all. I will take a look at Crispin's, I've never heard of them.
I have some R&B shoes but they don't do all styles in 42. I agree about Tory Burch, and I suppose most American designers.

It's the inconsistency of 41/8 and 42/8 which drives me mad.
Humm1ngb1rd thanks for the links. Interesting reading.

It's the inconsistency of 41/8 and 42/8 which drives me mad.

I think my shoes range from 41 to 43... Keeping track of which brands run small or large can be hard work.

Crispin’s are a specialist shop for high-quality large sizes. The website can come across a bit granny-ish but they do have a lovely little shop in Marylebone. All the stock is kept there too and the staff are v helpful so it’s well worth a visit.

Oh, Magnus has a shop just a few doors down and the quality is ok but it’s cheaper the fits aren’t quite as good as Crispin’s.

Another person with long (42) narrow feet. LK Bennett do a lot of 42s, as do a lot of office and aldo styles. You just have to experiment I’m afraid. The other thing that’s quite good is buying second hand designer - vestiaire collective have lots of bargains in the right sizes

Does anybody buy men’s shoes? I’m an 8 and wouldn’t think twice about it for trainers but I’m in the market for some casual brogue type shoes and wondering if I’d look ridiculous or if anybody would actually notice?

Does anybody buy men’s shoes?

Have you tried any on? I find they’re much wider than women’s of the same size + not shaped to flatter the foot.

@JoJoSM2

Does anybody buy men’s shoes?

Have you tried any on? I find they’re much wider than women’s of the same size + not shaped to flatter the foot.

No not yet I was just searching on ASOS and it brought up men’s shoes and women’s and some of them I struggled to see a difference. My feet are quite wide so that may be a benefit rather than issue if they are wider.

I take 41 more consistently than any UK size - it can be 7, 7.5 or 8 depending on brand. Pretty sure Clarks do a true 8 and there are always lots of 8s and even 9s in my local TKMaxx, various different brands, although a lot of them are insanely high heeled! Oh, and Pavers, although a lot of their shoes are not leather.

I am also a size 9. A proper, wide 9. Am dreading the thought that my feet could go up a size if I have a baby but will cross that bridge when it comes (although a life lived in Ugg Boots is a long held secret fantasy, tbf).

I second LK Bennett for bigger shoes and also Hobbs. All my shoes come from these two shops. I’ve also had success in the past with Office and M&S (seem to be getting bigger - the only shop where I ever wear an 8).

Does anyone know how French Sole sizing comes up? I’ve always wanted a pair but slightly baffled by their website - it says they go up to a 44/UK 11 and I just find that hard to believe! Am assuming they run very small and would love to know what to order for my wide size 9 feet to avoid the inevitable return orders...

On a tangent, I haven’t worn ‘proper’ shoes for the whole of lockdown and my feet have never been happier. I normally wear flats anyway but wearing trainers all the time has done my feet a world of good... I think all standard ‘smart’ shoes are a bit small when you have wide size 9 feet!

Sorry for hijack OP 😬

This is interesting because I know for sure that I my shoes were size 41 when I was younger.

I now wear a 40 and my feet haven’t shrunk.

I can also get away with a 6 - 39 EEE fit.

@JoJoSM2

Does anybody buy men’s shoes?

Have you tried any on? I find they’re much wider than women’s of the same size + not shaped to flatter the foot.

Men’s shoes are often too wide/wrong shape, but I have occassionally boys shoes, Next do their boys shoe quite big. Nice brogues.

Fed up with it, especially as I reckon many of the tall models must have long feet too.

I knew a few models in my younger days, and many were a size 10 or 11.

Men’s shoes are often too wide/wrong shape, but I have occassionally boys shoes, Next do their boys shoe quite big. Nice brogues
Oh that's a good tip, I might try those. I have bought men's brogues before because I have wide feet but mine are just wide at the toes (bunions) and the men's shoes are ok there but too wide around the ankle.

Does anyone know how French Sole sizing comes up?

I’d say about the same as LK Bennett.

Crispin’s also stock large sizes of Pretty Ballerinas if you’re after some nice flats.

@JoJoSM2 Thanks

Monsoon Accessorise go up to a 42. I find their shoes quite generously sized.

Nowadays, 41 seems to be accepted as a size 7. In some brands and styles I need an 8, but mostly I would buy size 7. My feet are riddled with arthritis so I need to allow a bit of room for swelling.

www.monsoon.co.uk/womens/shoes-accessories/shoes/

I'm a definite 9, not a hope of getting into a 42.

Zalando have become my go-to place for boots, shoes, trainers and sandals. Absolutely loads of choice, good filters (so you can search for leather inners) and they get things out to you fast. Never had an issue with returns either.

I'm with you OP - I've had size 8 feet since I was 10 and have never had a choice of shoes when out shopping, despite being continually told 'it's a very popular size' (so stock more of them then!!!). I am now a 41/42, depending on the shop. I largely buy online - waste of time trying to buy anything in shops - but find choice still limited. I do have success in Clarks, which does some styles in a 9, also Russell & Bromley which does some styles in a 42, as does Hobbs: I have picked up new shoes on eBay from these shops to save costs. Shops to avoid are Dune - a size 41 has never fitted me there. Winters tend to be spent in Timberland boots, R&B boots from eBay, and brogues from Clarks: summers in brogues (for work), trainers and Birkenstocks so, despite limitations, I've found a range of shoes which fit/suit me.

I got so annoyed with sizing inconsistencies across different retailers a while back that I even did a spreadsheet of UK/EU conversions in different high street shops! Sad to say most of them called an EU 42 a 9... except as PP mentioned, Next, M&S and Clarks.

The issue seems to be which last the show was made on, as the different sizing schemes don't map onto one another precisely. I know I am reliably a 42 or 43, but a UK 8 or 9 can vary so much more than the EU sizes do. It's infuriating.

Trainers/Birkenstocks aside, the vast majority of my shoes are from Next, with a smattering from M&S, Clarks (mostly old though as they never seem to do their nicer styles in a 9 these days), FitFlop, Toms. If you have the budget, Air & Grace have gorgeous things up to a 43.

Also try US brands, a lot go up to a US 11 which should be equivalent to a 43 (but isn't always. I've just bought a pair from Free People which were described as a US 12 but have turned out to be a 42!)

This is so strange. I’m an 8 and I remember getting frustrated in shops because they have none (one assistant told me they got one size 8 in each style and when it was gone it was gone but they got hundreds of 6s which were replaced if sold). But I haven’t now bought shoes in a shop for years and I have no problems.

I have shoes this year from kurt Geiger, Jones the boot maker, Lacoste, Boden, a few pairs from designers sales at Brandalley and the Outnet. I search for my size first and see what they have rather than see a pair of shoes I love then be disappointed.

I’ve been a size 8 since I was 10 but often struggled with an 8 as my right foot is more 8.5 and I had to get 9’s as a teenager which was a nightmare but Dolcis used to have loads of 9’s and I miss that shop.

I have ruined my feet by squeezing into too small shoes over the years and since I had ds in 2003 I’ve never wore heels again. I love the summer as wear lots of sandals and flip flops etc and hate my feet being stuck in shoes/boots during the winter.

George at Asda sells 8/42 and 9/43 and have some really nice shoes, as do New Look.

The amount of 8’s I’ve tried on over the years that are more like a 6/7 is ridiculous. My feet are wide and since I’ve put weight on I’ve found they swell in the heat. I actually dread wearing proper footwear when the weather changes.

My ds (17) has huge feet, size 13 but my dd (9) is only in a 3 and I hope and pray she stops before 8 as I know how hard it is.