You’re Big Footed And Tall Too? Well Then You Share My Woes!!!

How hard it must have been for every woman in the kingdom who tried the glass slipper Cinderella left at the palace, twisting the foot hard and squeezing, hoping it would fit, but it wouldn't. I sympathize. Seriously, now I understand that pain and can relate to it, because, that’s exactly what I do, whenever I am out shopping for footwear. It’s no joke; the endless number of sexy designs and even more of those pretty colours that I have to let go unwillingly. The embarrassing amount of skin that peeps out of a peep-toe and finally, if a size would fit, those extra inches called “heels” that need to be peeled off! My footwear shopping woes are endless.

Yes, I need Euro 42 or 43, which is UK size 9 or 10, or 28 cm to fit in comfortably. I am 5 feet 9.5 inches tall, so forget about the word heels. I have been walking on flats, all my life!

Today I must have visited some 8-10 online shopping websites, looking for bellies of my size and I ended up with just one site offering my size and 18 shoes to choose from. When I remove the heels and concentrate just on flats then I am down to 14. Well, this is so not fair! When a regular size woman gets to pick from a number of websites and thousands of collections (from a single site), I am left with just 14? How choosy can you get with that number? Don’t even begin to think. I am happy today there was at least 14, I have had days when it was just 1 or 2 – if this is not heights of torture what is?

Shopping in offline stores is much worse. I make my pick, try it on, admire how pretty it looks on my feet and then that uneasiness creeps in, where the toe nails and fingers scream out loud, “We are suffocated” – poor things have already suffered enough! Letting go something that you liked so much can be heartbreaking. So these days I have made it a point to check one thing as soon as I enter a shop, “What is your largest/biggest size?” Unless it is 9 and above, I don’t even bother going inside, why waste my time and theirs.

So, I’m here letting my frustration out loud and clear... for that momentary peace.

You can’t be big footed and tall at the same time – Yes! If you are big footed and short, you still have a wider rage to pick from, but if you are both that’s just too unfortunate! Neither is a condition you can hope will get better with time; you got to live with it your entire life.

Forget about toe nails; they aren't going to get any better – Learn to live with that discolouration because your toes will remain punctured inside short size shoes; not to mention the blisters and bunions! Although your brain sends out the signal that the size doesn't fit, you feel confident and comfortable with size 8, because your mind doesn't want to believe the truth.

Those pretty girly designs and colours are just not meant for you – Accept it and move on. Your size is not normal and people do not make pretty things in abnormal sizes. Period!

Get used to some indecent “skin show” – Wear those flat bellies or peep-toes, it is going to expose skin much more than it is supposed to. If it is the toe-cleavage with more skin in bellies, it is literally fingers peeping out in peep-toes. You just can’t get the proportion right!

Pointed shoes? Hell No!  - In your size it is going to look absurdly bizarre. I always wonder why do they make it in such sizes and make us look like clowns!

Browsing showrooms for hours, you will end up in men’s or unisex section – You are not wrong, that’s exactly where your size is kept; because girl’s size hardly grow bigger than 8.

Even if you do not want, you end up wearing high branded stuff – We know we aren't showing off, but only those brands seem to stock our size. At least they do, probably, tall international models have big foot too???

Eventually shopping for footwear becomes a nightmare – Yes, with all the above problems and more, you cannot hope it to be a cake walk! How many times have I taken a decision not to shop at all?

Lastly to my fellow big footed and tall friends - I am sure that there are more woes people like us have to bear. But let me tell you, you are not alone! If I can stop with a piece of advice; love and take care of our current pair/s of footwear, because you may never know when next you will find one that fits your size.

Nevertheless, I am grateful to those stores that still keep one odd piece that fits my size. How much ever I crib, I know that 14 to choose from is still better than nothing at all. So, I have placed an order for size 42 ballerinas today. I’ll stay hopeful until I try it.