Damn! Nobody carries under size 6 in ladies shoes anymore!

[Digit]

I have been FINALLY getting some interviews lately, after submitting resumes since July.
My old black shoes were worn out and I went to the local mall thinking I could pick up a pair at Hechts. Hmmm, they told me they don't carry anything under a size 6....Dillards, same thing, Belks, ditto. I also looked at Payless, and they didn't have anything that would work.
Since I need a total knee replacement in one knee, and the other one is compromised, I can't just buy a cheap pair of shoes.

I ended up having to go to frigging Nordstroms 25 miles away just to get a size 5 and they cost me $109!!
Oh, and they are just CLOGS! I hope I get a job before I get the credit card bill!

So, reading another thread in the Lounge that now they are offering size 00 in ladies clothes ticks me off. I KNOW the average size of a woman in the US is MUCH larger than that, yet they are opening a new market for that size.

Grrrr

[SoCalDem]

1. Order online.. great prices and sometimes even free shipping

My husband wears a 10 A...try finding that size in a mens' shoe section.. we always order online, and save money too:)

http://www.zappos.com/welcome.zhtml?0225

[Digit]

3. How would you know how they fit?

I would never have ordered the shoes I purchased since they comes in whole sizes only and I normally take a 5 1/2. I tried on a few pairs at Nordstrom's and either they were too big, or the arch hit me in the wrong place.
Men's shoes just don't have the variation that women's shoes do.

[SoCalDem]

4. If you find a brand that fits you well, and find some, try them on

for size.. It might be worth a try :)

[grace0418]

25. Zappos.com is the best website ever.

You don't of course know whether they fit unless you know the brand/style and know for sure what size you take. BUT, Zappos has FREE return shipping. Meaning if you try the shoes on and they don't work out, you won't pay a cent to send them back. Plus there's no tax and free shipping to you (they always act like the free shipping is a special that's ending soon but really, shipping is always free). In fact, almost every time I've ever ordered from them, they've given me overnight shipping as a bonus. One time I ordered my shoes at 3:00 p.m. on a Monday and the box arrived at 10:00 a.m on Tuesday.

I have hard to size feet (in the other direction, I'm 10.5 WW) and zappos is my savior.

[amitten]

2. I hear ya. And there are many people who need size 5-5 1/2...

Like those of us that don't happen to have fat feet (I do think America's obesity problem has fueled the need for bigger shoes).

Also, what about all the many Asian and Mexican women all over the country who happen to be more petite? There is a market for smaller sizes that gets ignored.

[Pithlet]

5. It's not obesity.

Both my sister and I are tall and thin, and we have big feet. Mine weren't so big until I had kids, though. I went from an 8.5 to a 9.5-10 after two kids, which is common. My sis wears a size 11. Shoe size is determined more by genes and other factors. Gaining weight won't add more than a half size or so, if that. If you're a size 5, you aren't going to go up to a size 10 because you put on a few pounds.

[amitten]

13. I think obesity could certainly push a person from 5 1/2 to a 7.

It happened to one of my friends. The heavier she got, the bigger the size.

That's not to say that all large-footed people are fat! It's just that smaller shoes are RECENTLY much harder to find, and I think that could possibly be attributed in part to America's RECENT, uh...growth. Americans are getting bigger all the time.

[barb162]

10. It seems every store I shop has either 6's or 10s and nothing

in the middle when it comes to the clearance sales. My friend who is a 6 gets all these great shoes on clearance.

[Withywindle]

6. I wonder how vanity sizing fits into this...

I used to wear a size 7, or so I thought, but almost all the shoes I've bought in the last five years or so have wound up being 6's. I don't think my feet have shrunk as I got older!

[hopein08]

7. I remember hearing that size 5 1/2 in women's is the same as...

or close to either a 3 or 3 1/2" in girls. Perhaps you could find something there.

[Digit]

9. I know you mean well, but I need them for job interviews

and it helps to have a bit of a heel, hence the clogs.
I am 4' 11"

I do appreciate the input though, and next time will have more time to explore more options.

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. I am also 4'11" I wear a size 5 1/2 wide which is hard to find.

[hopein08]

27. No problem, but when you do have more time...

I think you will be shocked at the heels on girls shoes lately. I've seen probably third grade girls with heels as high as mine, albeit the chunky heels are much more common than stilettos.

[Nikia]

14. I thought the sizes were continuous

At least that is how it seemed when I was growing up. There are the little sizes that I think go up to 12. Then 1, 2,3, 4,5,6,... I believe that I wore every size as I grew until size 7-8 that I wear now.
It seems like children have big feet now, but they do grow to adult sizes so there should be something along that bridge.
I don't know what business you are in, but I have never worn shoes with a heel to a job interview. There are some interviews that I would have been unsafe if I had.

[Digit]

17. When I say "heel" I mean a small wedge of a heel

It is supposed to be easier on the knees. Hence the clogs I ended up buying.

[sasquatch]

8. I wear a size 18 Mens in Nike's, did you find anything in my size

:D

[Digit]

11. Yep, at Nordstroms

Two different pairs of Nikes, plus some other size 18's
http://search.nordstrom.com/SearchResults.asp?CatLevel=&Brand=&CatID=6000012%7CMen%27s+Shoes&CatID2=&ShoeSearch=true&sizename=undefined&size=18&widthname=&width=&BrandLabelID=&Color=&pricerange=&searchtype=advancedsearch&Submit.x=29&Submit.y=9

Will that be cash, check or charge?
:hi:

[qanda]

12. I used to wear a 5 1/2 and then I had kids

Now I can wear a 6 and sometimes a 6 1/2. Have you tried Marshalls, Burlington or Value City, they usually carry the smaller sizes.

[MaggieSwanson]

15. Try TJ Maxx...

They have a nice selection of size 5s here in Iowa. I only know this because I have tried to squeeze my 6 1/2 feet into a few adorable pairs...

[applegrove]

18. They sell manufacture shoes in bell curve like fashion. Lots of

average sized shoes of a style (7, 8, 9) - and few odd sizes. An often stores choose to ignore the "other end".

Fact of the matter is that some cities are smaller than others. Feets that is. Sorry if you are out of the norm. Shop online. Cause you'll just be driven up a tree with how you are ignored. Or move to a city where women have the same shoe size as you. Either one.

[JI7]

19. have you tried ordering online ?

i know it's difficult because for different brands or different types of shoes you might need different sizes. at least that is the case with me. and you don't really know for sure until you try them on.

but looking on the internet is another option.

[Bunny]

20. Try zappos.com

They are fantastic - they have shoes in sizes as low as Womnen's 3! They have great customer service and very fast (and free) shipping. If you ordered a pair today, you would probably have them by Wednesday. If the shoe doesn't fit, they include free shipping for returns. You really can't lose. I've got several pairs of shoes and boots through zappos.com, and I've always been satisfied.

[a kennedy]

21. I'm a 6.5 AAA shoe gal......

I have to buy on-line all the time....I go to Zappos, no sales tax, and free shipping and the shoes come in 3-4 days or sooner!!

[rhino47]

22. My husband wears a size 14 D I buy his shoes off ebay.

Only one pair I bought did not fit him.I resold them on ebay for actually more then I paid for them.

[samplegirl]

23. Tell me about it.

I wear a size 5 sometimes 5 1/2 and I swear they
think everyone has Karen Hughes size feet. Length
and width.

[eyesroll]

24. For casual shoes -- try kids' shoes.

I wear a 7 ladies, and I can sometimes wear a 5 or 6 kids. This doesn't work for interview shoes, of course, but I have a pair of Nikes, a pair of tux shoes and a pair of boots that are all kids.

[Digit]

26. Thanks for the info on Zappos.com

I checked out their site and am thrilled with the selection!
The shoes I purchased at Nordstrom's were Dansko, and I see Zappos carries that brand also (also the exact same shoe).

I am one very happy camper now!

Thank you all for all of the suggestions!

:hug: