Manolo the Columnist
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo,
I have very long narrow feet— size 12 AA to be specific. I am also plagued by foot and knee problems such that I am effectively forbidden from wearing high heels ever again. What would you recommend?
Claire
Manolo says, ayyyyyy! The excessively long, narrow feets? You have the Jackie O foot! Or, perhaps more distressingly, the Paris Hilton foot. You are indeed lucky and/or cursed to have such gigantic, elegant, aristocratic and/or skanky feets.
Happily, for the ladies who are not the Jackie O nor the Paris Hilton to have the big foot is no longer the insurmountable problem it once was, as the feet sizes of the mythical Ms. Average Shoewearer have increased over the past three generations to the most impressive eight and the half.
And thus many of the shoe manufacturers have begun to introduce the larger sizes to fit this growing market.
Sadly, to not be able to wear the high heels would be the dreary and frustrating limitation, however, do not worry, the Manolo can help you find the boat-like shoes to fit your feets.
Look, here is the most handsome, low-heeled boot from the Sesto Muecci that comes in exactly the 12AA!
I have big glamorous feet (size 11 and getting larger all the time, it seems) and I recommend the Barefoot Tess website – they have lots of great shoes in larger sizes, and lots of flats! I’m not sure how many different widths they carry, but I think it’s worth checking out.
Ooh, thanks Kimmels! Great website — I have my eye on a pair of grey pumps now…
I also recommend designershoes.com, as well as Zappos and Norstroms online, for the not-so-tiny feet. I wear a 12M and find that some ballet flats actually do not make my feet look gigantic, if the toe is quite round and the toe box comes up high enough to completely cover the toes.
Makes me glad I wear a size 5 even if half of my shoes are the display pair and have price stickers on the sole!
Try Nordstrom, and Massey’s catalog. These are the only consistent sources I’ve found for 11AA, and I usually see 12 there as well. Unfortunately, many of the styles are not my first choice, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers! Ocassionaly, I find something more trendy on Shoebuy.com or Zappo’s (less likely). It’s ever-easier to find longer shoes, but it seems shoe marketers assume longer=wider, and also seems increasingly difficult to find narrow shoes in sizes bigger than 10. Maybe they assume that since more American women are more overweight than ever, the bones in their feet have followed suit!
Poochie, where are you finding size 5 shoes? I also wear that size and find that most places don’t carry anything lower than a 6. or they only have one pair of 5′s and that is gone the 1st day of the shipment.
While the winter seems to be pretty much in remission in our neighborhood, THAT is a perfect boot. Even for we 8 1/2ers. Oh my. And it isn’t horribly expensive. What’s up with that?
Banana Republic carries shoes in 5…
Has anyone been to piperlime.com? It’s a big….shoe…thing….
Thank you, Manolo! You are indeed the shoe genius.
Robyn,
I am obsessive in my search for shoes and I don’t often take the first answer that they will not be available in my size. Most of my shoes have been coming from Zappos and Nine West, but most times if I see a shoe I like I call the main number and have them search store inventory to find a store that has my size. I have often done this with Nine West. However, the other day I called Nine West and they said a shoe I was interested in would not come in lower than a 6, but I ended up finding it on Zappos in my size a few days later! So you never know. Persistance is key in getting that shoe you love/must have.