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small feet awareness

My small feet...in Scotland
So, I have small feet.  When I meet someone new, unfailingly they remind me. "Geesh!  You have small feet."  "What size shoe do you wear?"  To my dismay, this is the ultimate ice-breaker.

More often than I would like to admit, I have had to tell someone under the age of ten years that I wear size 3 in children's shoes.  Even more embarressingly, they usually reply with something along the lines of, "I wear size 6!"  In fact, this happened just today.

You can see why what I am going to say now makes sense for someone who loves shoes.

I absolutely loath shopping for shoes. 

It is a degrading experience for me to wander into the children's department in Nordstrom or Target, but it is all I have.  It was one of my darkest hours when I went into Stride Rite while looking for comfortable shoes for my trip to Europe a couple of summers ago.  Stride Rite, you guys.  You can't come back from this stuff.

When I have my sister with me, I use her as a cover.  "Do you like these, Kendal?" I ask from across the shoe display.  I hold up the 3248039th bedazzled sneaker I have encountered in my quest of age-appropriate shoe options while I quickly scan the scarce selection of "classy" kids shoes.  When I am with friends, I usually just avoid shoes completely or talk loudly about trying to find my sister some shoes for her birthday.

Oh goodie, these come in my size!
 I am surprised I haven't chucked a pair of sparkly, glow-in-the dark, or heavily beaded shoes across a store yet, or better, through a glass window.  Maybe that would make me feel better.  I could even sing,

"I bust the windows out your store
and no, it didn't make my feet larger
I know I'll always have these tiny feet
but right now I just want to scream"

(Okay, I have been watching a lot of Glee.  Just watched this episode the other day.)

Because of this, it has always been a dream of mine to start a line of shoes for fabulous women with small feet.  "Equal opportunity for Cute Shoes" would be our motto.  Part of me wants to make the shoes specifcally for sizes 3-5 so that, you know, those normal-sized people can feel the disappointment in spotting wonderfully adorable, lovely shoes (see below) and realizing that they don't come in their size.  Whoops.  Sorry!

I'm so mean.  But it's something I feel passionately about for some silly reason.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a friend who has the same issue, both with clothes and shoes. She wears (like you) a size 3 shoe, and has to get most of her clothes at various children's departments: Gap, Hollister, H & M. I can only imagine having to go through the constant searching for something that fits but is age appropriate.

If I ever become a shoe designer (you never know lol) I'll make sure they're made in your size too :D

Anonymous said...

You and your glee. Hahahaha. "I bust the windows out yo store..."

Anonymous said...

Hi! It's unfair that women with small feet sometimes have to visit the kids' department to find a pair of shoes that fit. There must be more options in small (and also large sizes). Of course it feels better to try the shoes on in a shop before buying them, but I must say the internet online shops have a lot more to offer. I can recommend a new site with recommendations of online shops selling small size shoes (among others, also large and wide shoes and clothes in petite, tall and plus sizes). The address is http://www.sizes4you.com.