Size 14’s Are Not Always Correctly Sized?

Shoe Lady:

Lava Ivory silver metallic sandal. You advertise that the shoe can be purchased in a size 14. A few yrs ago, I  purchased the Cloud fit flat in a 14 and found  out that it was sized correctly . So, before I waste time ordering that sandal, I need to know if it is a true 14.

Cassie

 

Dear Cassie-

I just checked.  The Lava silver sandal, I assume you mean the Barbara, is not available in size 14.  If it was, it is now sold out.  I’ve been asking Lava to make larger sizes, like a size 14.  But I don’t think they have yet.
I assume in your email you meant the Fit In Clouds brand shoes?  And that you meant it was NOT sized correctly?
They are a new brand and I, for one, am eternally grateful to the owner that he was willing to go to his factory and have them try to make a size 14.  The factory had never done it before.  Most factories refuse.  But the owner of Fit in Clouds prevailed. (They are a completely different company than Lava, by the way.)  It took a season for them to adjust the fit, with lots of conversations with me and with DesignerShoes.com customers.  The reason it is hard to find size 14 shoes is because brands don’t know how to size them correctly.
And…. I’m just sayin’ here…. when a brand actually DOES TRY to make a size 14,  it is better for us larger footed folks if we encourage and guide them, not criticize and scold them.  Just sayin’.
Consider throwing some kudos to Samanta and Barefoot Tess and Forgotten Soles and Maasai Sandals for the efforts they make to bring us more size 14‘s.
The Shoe Lady

8 Tips to Get Her “Groove” Back

For The Shoe Lady-
I am 56 years trying to get my groove back. I wear 13ww or 14 in size I am 6’1″, 245lbs need shoes! I want to look good and sexy as well. don’t like real high heels all the time, but would like 3″ heels. need all kind of sandals regular and sexy. love all kind of boots please help.

********
Dear Shirley,

Your note has been forwarded to me, The Shoe Lady, and I find it to be a totally delicious invitation to advise you on all kinds of aspects of your life. The Shoe Lady likes to think that she knows more about advice giving and feels hemmed in by the assumption that she should limit herself only to shoe advice. So we will start at the top, work through the middle and end up with shoe advice. Here is your 8 point plan to get your groove back (a goal that I agree with completely).

1. Sleep. You are at that age where you may find yourself waking up at 3 AM and staring at the ceiling. 7+ hours is very important to avoid dark circles under the eyes and maintain your charming personality. Don’t do sleeping pills. Ask your doctor about warm milk, cold bedrooms, hot baths, gabapentin, etc.  Dana red patent pump by Samanta bft1168elizabethwedgemintgreen004 bft1191avalonsilver012 bft1177belizeneonmagenta013 Minnie_3133_1 propet_megan_pew_1
2. Hair. Find a friend or a professional or a professional friend that can advise you on your face shape and whether you will look better with hair pulled back, cut short, chin length? Get a good cut styled to flatter your face and your body size. Consider color. Personally I believe everyone looks better with a streak or two of purple in their hair. But it may not be for you.
3. Posture. Get those shoulders back. Stand up straight. Are you sure you are only 6’1″? Try for stretching to 6’2″. Related to posture, keep your joints limber so you walk and move smoothly. We’re talking gym time here. Yoga time too. Pilates. You get the picture.
4. Clothes Style. First assess your body shape. I’ll make it easy. Do you have a waist or not. If you do, consider styles that accentuate that. If you do not, consider straight tunic tops and light weight jackets that go to your hips.
5. Clothes Color. Have your colors done. Are you a summer? sping? fall? winter? Find your most flattering colors. Wear those only, especially near . Favorite color not on the list? Buy your shoes in that color.
6. Personal Style. Now assess your personality. Are you happiest in colorful clothes? Monochrome? Long flowing skirts? Tailored slacks? Pick a personality and dress to it. Have fun with it. Make sure you pick styles that are cut in a way that is flattering to your frame then play with color and style.
7. Food. Just like we’ve always heard, what we eat matters to how we look. Get enough calcium and enough oils. The mediterranean diet with fish and olive oil is a great choice.
8. Shoes. You thought I ‘d never get here?!
A. Shoe Size. PLEASE read my article about How to Measure your Feet. It is entirely possible that you are a 13WW or 14M, depending on the shoe shape. Most people do range over 2 to 3 size/width combinations. But I fear it is very likely that you’ve never had the chance to try on more shoes than the rare size 14. Let’s find out your best size and work from there.
B. Shoe Style. Now we are getting your groove back. Like your clothes, your shoes should match your personal style, what you feel comfortable in. We don’t want you trying to look like someone you saw in Vogue. We want you to look like a happy, healthy, groovy YOU. For every day wear shoes, for a woman approaching a certain age, I think it is important to wear shoes that you can stand in for an hour and walk in for at least 10 blocks. Look for thicker soles and heels that are under 1.5 inches. You can make them fun by getting colors, experimenting with contrasting colorful solids or print tights or socks. Look at Propet or Barefoot Tess for sizes 13WW or 14. For sandals, try Forgotten Soles and watch for larger sizes arriving soon in the Maasai sandals. For special occasions when you want the glamorous groovy, look at Samanta. The platform soles are easy on your feet, but the high heels should only be for special occasions. For cocktail party dressy, you will find a great selection of lower heeled strappy sandals and dressy slingbacks with Colorful Creations and Annie. Please write back in boot season and I’ll give you more suggestions. In general, find 13WW here and 14M here.

Forgotten_Soles_Caprie_Black-200x150

Heather, Cayenne Red, Fisherman’s Sandal by Propet

Autumn Red T-strap peep toe platform pump by Samanta

Please do let me know what your real size turns out to be, and if you have any more questions. I wish you the best in recovering your grooviness!

The Shoe Lady

Large Women Shoes

Dear shoe lady,
A desperate call from a plus size lady. I’ve been wearing mens shoes for almost a decade. I can’t even wear women’s shoes anymore because the sizes are too small. I used to wear women’s size 13 until load and behold my feet spread because of my weight which is fine but I learned at a young age to take care of your self and always be professional. I wear size 13 in mens because there comfortable and wide enough not to hurt my feet but there too long in the length.

I am flat footed and I am on my feet eight to ten hours a day and I love to walk. I am starting school again and there are no professional shoes in any store in NYC that cater my size. I swear off spikey heels because of the fear of the heel breaking and me falling. I measured my foot which is 11 and a half inches to 12 inches in length and 5 and a half inches in width. I will love to learn to wear thick heels for the office. I experiment on shoes in the size of 13 wide but they were tight in the width so I’m thinking 13 double wide to 14 is my size but unsure. Shoe lady you are my last hope HELP!!!! PLEASE A DESPERATE CALL FROM A PLUS SIZE LADY.

Dear Shannel-
DO NOT DESPAIR! Here is the goal. Men’s shoes or women’s shoes, we want to get you the right shoes so that you feel terrific when you are at school and at work.

First, I question your measurements. If you wear a size 13 in men’s shoes and you measure your feet at 11.5 inches to 12 inches, then you need to be looking for a woman’s size 15. They are hard to find. But DesignerShoes.com has 131 styles. Trying to fit into a size 13 shoe will be very depressing indeed.

Second, understanding your real requirement for width can be tricky too. A 5.5 inch measurement for width is a WW or extra wide in a size 15. When you narrow it down to WW, there are only seven choices. But width is deceiving. You may need an even wider width if your feet are thick from top to bottom. Or you may be able to wear a medium or wide if the shoe is long enough, and the right style and your foot is flexible. Read more about wide feet here.

Now back to the problem at hand. As much as we don’t like it, a whole lot of us, your Shoe Lady included, have had to shop in the men’s department for shoes sometimes. For work and for school, I recommend finding a shoe with a thick cushioned sole that is wide enough and long enough. Try the Clark by Tamarac.

Tamarac Clark Antique at DesignerShoes.com

Clark by Tamarac is a Low Heel Casual Loafer

I also recommend going to a store that carries New Balance shoes and finding something comfortable in your size. And, one more thing…. in New York City, you may not be able to find shoes in your size, but you can find shoe stores that have pedorthists. Your main goal MUST be to care for those hard to fit feet. Don’t punish them. A good pedorthist will help you understand how to do that. And a pedorthist may be able to help you find some men’s styles that will be appropriate for work and school.

As for those 131 size 15’s – once you have comfortable, every day shoes, then look for shoes for play. There are some very cute ballet flats. In a couple of weeks we will have some “Ugg” style boots in your size. Some of the styles that work may be fabric shoes. Look at the Sanuk styles. Look at the Cape Clogs styles, they are made in Scandinavia with wood soles. We have two styes available now that go to size 15. I recommend the gold –

Cape Clogs Gold Gold at DesignerShoes.com

Gold by Cape Clogs is a Mid Heel Casual Mule

, not something you’ll find in the Men’s Dept.! And look at the new Fit In Clouds line. If the size 14 in that brand works for you, you will have party shoes at less than $30 a pair!

I wish the choices were greater. I know those Shoe Fairies at DesignerShoes.com are working on it for you.

Best wishes in your new academic program,

The Shoe Lady