If Only I Were A Cobbler...
- What size do you wear? A size 4-5...
- No, I'm a size 3.5.
- Omigod, can I see them (looking under the table) - they're sooooo cute!
Or how about this one:
- Excuse me, what is the smallest size you carry?
- Which size do you wear?
- 3.5.
- Sorry... (looking at my feet in bewilderment) ...we only go down to 5.
It must be a relatively common experience for lots and lots of people. I may be a slightly short Korean (5 feet tall), but there are billions of Eastern Asians out there - not to mention very petite Latinos, Italians, Spanish, Portugese, and some Africans, and all the others, who do not come to mind. Is our money really that worthless that hardly anyone wants to make shoes for us?
A friend of mine recently returned from a vacation to Bangkok - she was so excited: "We had no problem finding clothes and shoes that fit!" (She's a 6-foot tall Dane with matching feet) " - it was great! And do you know what? All the locals were wearing shoes that were way too big for them..."
We live in a sizeist world - even in countries where feet are generally smallish, people are forced to wear shoes that are too big for them. A few weeks back I found myself toying with the idea of buying a pair of shoes that were actually a few sizes too big - but perhaps if I wore an insole or two, it wouldn't really matter... Wrong! I am actually ashamed that it came to that. Why should I settle just because my feet are small? Why is the shoe business, a business that really is built on diversity in form, function, and appearnce, so inflexible? WHERE ARE MY SHOES?
I am a true shoe addict. The lack of choice in footwear size 3.5 that is not over strewn with Disney characters or fitted with velcro turned me into this lunatic, who simply had to buy every single pair of stylish shoes of the right size that she came across. Unfortunately - or from an economic point of view perhaps luckily - coming across such shoes is just not something you do on a regular basis. The selection is about as limited as the average use of the human brain capacity; and the chances of it increasing are probably as far off as finding a human being, who uses all 100% of his/her little grey cells.
In Denmark, where I used to live, there was one shoe store that carried nice, adult shoes my size - it went exclusively online. In Chicago, where I now live, there are none: no store, no shop, no boutique. All I have left is the similarly diminuitive number of online shoe stores that for some reason have specialized in women's petite sizes. However, while I very much do appreciate these few heaven sent online vendors, their very cyberspace nature robs me of the entire shopping experience: no touching the leather, no smelling it, no trying them on - no fun at all!
Perhaps someday - far into the future - clothes and shoes will be like they were in "Back to the Future Part II" and adapt to the person wearing them. But until then I shall continue to sing my song of lamentation: woe to me, woe to my feet!
Links to online shoe stores that carry petite women's shoes my size (3-4 - European size 32.5-34/UK size 1-2) and perhaps your size too...:
Cinderella of Boston - a California based company that has specialized in small sizes. Very reasonable prices, however, the quality is perhaps not always top notch.
Zappos - I guess most people who shop online are familiar with these guys. They have a good selection of Taryn Rose - very expensive but sooooo pretty! And if you can fit into a size 4, they have lots of other great (and more affordable) brands to choose from.
Shoedini - a very good selection of size 4 shoes and boots, however, nothing smaller. They carry the very comfortable Sofft shoes, which I would highly recommend.
Small Shoe Co - based in England, this online store carries classic styles at affordable prices.
Dainty Feet - another English online store that emphasizes classic styles. Splendid quality and good service.
Small Feet - a rather small selection from this English online store, but very pretty and feminime.
Stravers Luxury Shoes - a Dutch company with storefront in Amsterdam and online sales to the world. Specialize in both very small and very large sizes.
Skowolter - my Danish small size shoe shop. They too specialize in small and large sizes. The selection is quite large and very varied. Carry mostly German and Italian brands.
- No, I'm a size 3.5.
- Omigod, can I see them (looking under the table) - they're sooooo cute!
Or how about this one:
- Excuse me, what is the smallest size you carry?
- Which size do you wear?
- 3.5.
- Sorry... (looking at my feet in bewilderment) ...we only go down to 5.
It must be a relatively common experience for lots and lots of people. I may be a slightly short Korean (5 feet tall), but there are billions of Eastern Asians out there - not to mention very petite Latinos, Italians, Spanish, Portugese, and some Africans, and all the others, who do not come to mind. Is our money really that worthless that hardly anyone wants to make shoes for us?
A friend of mine recently returned from a vacation to Bangkok - she was so excited: "We had no problem finding clothes and shoes that fit!" (She's a 6-foot tall Dane with matching feet) " - it was great! And do you know what? All the locals were wearing shoes that were way too big for them..."
We live in a sizeist world - even in countries where feet are generally smallish, people are forced to wear shoes that are too big for them. A few weeks back I found myself toying with the idea of buying a pair of shoes that were actually a few sizes too big - but perhaps if I wore an insole or two, it wouldn't really matter... Wrong! I am actually ashamed that it came to that. Why should I settle just because my feet are small? Why is the shoe business, a business that really is built on diversity in form, function, and appearnce, so inflexible? WHERE ARE MY SHOES?
I am a true shoe addict. The lack of choice in footwear size 3.5 that is not over strewn with Disney characters or fitted with velcro turned me into this lunatic, who simply had to buy every single pair of stylish shoes of the right size that she came across. Unfortunately - or from an economic point of view perhaps luckily - coming across such shoes is just not something you do on a regular basis. The selection is about as limited as the average use of the human brain capacity; and the chances of it increasing are probably as far off as finding a human being, who uses all 100% of his/her little grey cells.
In Denmark, where I used to live, there was one shoe store that carried nice, adult shoes my size - it went exclusively online. In Chicago, where I now live, there are none: no store, no shop, no boutique. All I have left is the similarly diminuitive number of online shoe stores that for some reason have specialized in women's petite sizes. However, while I very much do appreciate these few heaven sent online vendors, their very cyberspace nature robs me of the entire shopping experience: no touching the leather, no smelling it, no trying them on - no fun at all!
Perhaps someday - far into the future - clothes and shoes will be like they were in "Back to the Future Part II" and adapt to the person wearing them. But until then I shall continue to sing my song of lamentation: woe to me, woe to my feet!
Links to online shoe stores that carry petite women's shoes my size (3-4 - European size 32.5-34/UK size 1-2) and perhaps your size too...:
Cinderella of Boston - a California based company that has specialized in small sizes. Very reasonable prices, however, the quality is perhaps not always top notch.
Zappos - I guess most people who shop online are familiar with these guys. They have a good selection of Taryn Rose - very expensive but sooooo pretty! And if you can fit into a size 4, they have lots of other great (and more affordable) brands to choose from.
Shoedini - a very good selection of size 4 shoes and boots, however, nothing smaller. They carry the very comfortable Sofft shoes, which I would highly recommend.
Small Shoe Co - based in England, this online store carries classic styles at affordable prices.
Dainty Feet - another English online store that emphasizes classic styles. Splendid quality and good service.
Small Feet - a rather small selection from this English online store, but very pretty and feminime.
Stravers Luxury Shoes - a Dutch company with storefront in Amsterdam and online sales to the world. Specialize in both very small and very large sizes.
Skowolter - my Danish small size shoe shop. They too specialize in small and large sizes. The selection is quite large and very varied. Carry mostly German and Italian brands.
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