I hate
shopping for shoes. Yes, you heard me correctly. I am a woman and I hate
shopping for shoes. Don’t get me wrong, I love shoes. I love buying new shoes. I love finding a pretty pair in the store that make your calves look killer
and prancing around the store in happiness. But I hate shopping for
shoes because I have big feet. The shoe world is not kind to women with big
feet.
Many shoe
stores don’t carry big sizes at all. Department stores are the worst. I haven’t been able to buy shoes at a place
like JC Penny, Macy’s or Belk since the 8th grade. While there are some stores who make an
effort to carry a wider variety of sizes, pickings are slim for those of us in
the 11-12 category.
One such
store is the Payless in my neighborhood. They are at least kind enough to
recognize that big feet need to be shod as well. However, the store is separated by size and
the 11-12 section is in the farthest, darkest, saddest corner in the entire
place. I guess its best that they keep us away from the people with average
size feet. No one wants to see the sadness that happens in that far back
corner. We’ll get to that in a minute. First we must take the journey to that
corner.
As you enter
such stores you start out hopeful. Hey, look! There’s my size…way back there.
You look at the shoes in the other size sections as you pass. You can’t help
it. They’re so pretty. Electric blue pumps? Of course I need those! But then
you start to notice something once you pass the 9s. The shoes are getting less
and less cute as you go. Then you think of your past shoe shopping experiences
and realize that you are once again on the trek to the back corner. Where ugly
shoes go to die. Because if it isn’t bad enough that most people don’t even carry
your size, now you realize that of the
pairs they have for you to choose from here only two are halfway
presentable. No, I don’t want the granny orthos or the leopard print platforms
with a purple heel.
So you find
yourself sad and forlorn as you face your options. You even try to squeeze into
a few 10s, knowing full well that it’ll never happen. You’re walking around in
them actually saying to yourself “I could get away with these. Maybe hammer toe
won’t be so bad after all…” (Side note, it will be awful. Take a look.) Once you’ve
moved on past denial you become angry. You begin to curse all shoe stores and
shoe makers in general. Then you realize that they don’t even make half sizes
past a size 10 and you get even more enraged. Because we all know that once you
get past a size 10 your feet only grow in whole sizes. After a quick tear or
two you finally enter acceptance. You pick the least ugly pair of shoes you can
find, call it day and go look at the purses. Purses fit everyone and they make
us all feel better.
So in
conclusion I would like to say something to the shoe stores:
Dear shoe
stores,
Why do you
continue to hate on ladies with big feet? We still need to buy shoes. Our money
is still green. And here’s the kicker, we like to shop for shoes just as much
as any other girl. So why then do you
continue to not carry our sizes? If one of you would catch on we would flock to
you in droves. We would march to your store in our tattered black flats that
we’re still wearing because we can’t find replacements. Then, once we arrived to purchase our new
black flats we would become giddy with excitement and buy lots of other shoes
that we don’t need or have the money for.
We would buy the electric blue pumps and the red sling backs. We would
love you and spread the word of your greatness and never leave you. If you
build it, we will come.
Sincerely,
Molly, size
11.5
P.S. pay attention to us because it hurts worse when we kick you.
