Shoe shopping

[auntiemeesh]

Yea, I did verily do battle with the shoe industry and thusly did I rise triumphant.

Seriously, folks, my feet are just a little bit freakish. Very small (a size five usually, which many shoe brands don't come in), a high arch/instep, and a narrow heel. Trying to find a well-fitted, solid and durable shoe, that is also attractive and in a style/color I like can be a very frustrating and fruitless endeavor, which is why I often just go to Payless and buy something crap. If I'm going to get something that doesn't fit well anyway, why spend a lot of money on it?

Today, however, I bearded the lion in the den, and went to Littles Shoes. They sell mostly sensible, comfortable, but expensive shoes. Merrill, Keen, New Balance, are all well-represented. I nearly despaired today. The stats:

Merrill - one shoe in my size, in stock. Wrong color and style
NAOT - several in my size, but they either didn't fit well (my narrow heel wreaked havoc with the NAOTs), were unspeakably ugly, or unspeakably expensive or some combination of all three.
Keen - Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. I have to give props to the saleslady for thinking outside the box. Keen was a last ditch effort for her, after I'd tried on six or eight different shoes, none of which were even close to fitting or being what I wanted. And when she went back to find a Keen, the only thing she could find in the color and style I wanted was a youth size three Newport. They fit perfectly and are a nice dark brown. They are more sandal-y than I particularly wanted but Littles doesn't seem to sell year-round shoes, at least not in early summer. And, already pretty much convinced I was going to buy them, I then was informed that because they were a Youth size instead of an adult size, they were nearly fifty percent less expensive. Woot!

So I now have new shoes, that I'll be able to wear probably seven months out of the year if I'm willing to wear them with socks in the fall and spring. And bonus, I've been lusting after Keens for several years now, but holding back because I didn't think I could afford them. Now that I know the secret, however, I will certainly be buying more in the future.

Comments

[eve11]

Nice to have your tiny shoe size work toward your favor in the price :) I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to try and find shoes in small sizes. I think my shoe size (7 to 7.5) is the modal shoe size of America.

You need to move to Europe; Europeans have smaller feet than Americans.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Yet another reason to mourn that I didn't get considered for the job in Germany.

[whtmtnwmn.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on your finds--the Keens and the shoe store!

I, too, am on the great shoe hunt, but haven't really been trying too hard. Last week, I tried the sport shoe place, but they literally had nothing in my size (8--too common). Today, I tried to go to our only local store, to find it closed. Someday, when I have energy and money at the same time, I'll have to go to Conway to continue the hunt.

Hope the new shoes take you to fun places!
=D

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Good luck with your shoe hunt.

I have a feeling I'll get some blisters and sore spots while my feet get acclimated to the Keens, but hopefully that won't last long.

[whtmtnwmn.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I really hate to shop, so it might be a while before I set out again...

[arthurfrdent.livejournal.com]

do you happen to have birkenstocks that fit? The reason I say so, is my feet are kinda abbe-something... so some years back a podiatrist recommended not full orthotics [my feet aren't THAT bad] but birkenstock insoles. I have worn them ever since... according to the shoe locator, Littles is a dealer. They may help you in a number of ways but especially because they cup your heel, but also effectively widen it. Usually you try on shoes with the insole in them, and that actively tells you how the fit will be. With high arches, they also step up to the plate to support that... and they come in various widths and sizes from kids on up. they might bridge you to wearing shoes that are easier to find...

Birkenstock Footbeds

on the upside, it would mean every shoe you have will fit pretty much the same, because you just move them shoe to shoe. Downside is $60. HOWEVER. I just replaced a pair after wearing them for 9 years, and I use them in secondary shoes like my sorels...

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link. I've been using Dr. Scholls arch supports, but they don't last anything like nine years. With that amount of durability, the birkenstocks would be totally worth the sixty bucks. :)

[ani-no-mouse.livejournal.com]

COngratulations on winning that battle! Cool new icon, too.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I figured I like shopping and talking about shopping enough that I needed a specific shopping icon. :)

[lyda-pearl.livejournal.com]

good for you. I love my Keens.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I've been seeing Keens on kids and parents at work for about six years or so, and I've always thought they were pretty cool (except when I'm trying to help a small child get his or her tiny feet into an even tinier pair of sandals that don't open anywhere). And the price is a lot better than I thought it would be, so it's a win all around.

[shirebound]

Congratulations!! I wear a size 5 (or girl's 3) also, and it's getting harder and harder to find decent shoes.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I don't have much trouble with running shoes and things like that, because as long as I can lace them up tight, it doesn't matter if they're a half or whole size too big. But slip on shoes are much harder to find in adult sizes and styles. One of the many reasons I don't wear heels very often. Aside from being hideously uncomfortable and impractical in my day to day life, they're almost impossible to find in a size that won't just fall off my feet, lol.

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

I have my eye on a pair of Keens right now. I keep hoping the price will drop but I'm about to bite the bullet and just pay for them. I've been looking at them for two months now. LOL

I'm a slow shopper.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Nothing wrong with being a slow shopper. I, on the other hand, tend to wear my old shoes until they've disintigrated to the point of causing me physical discomfort, and then I need to find new shoes Right Now! Possibly I need to start planning ahead better.

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

I have trouble throwing shoes away. I'll buy more, but I hang on to the old ones. I have a pair on now that have slick soles because I've worn the tread off. They look disgusting but I love 'em.

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

Yay for finding shoes! :D

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

*does the happy new shoe dance*

[lem0nb0mbs.livejournal.com]

Have your tried DSW (http://www.dsw.com/dsw_shoes/customer_service/store_locator.jsp)? They list two outlets in your area.

Someday you might want to make a shopping pilgrimage to NYC. You can't swing an arm around without hitting a show store, and from my experience, small feet are very well represented.

[antbee362.livejournal.com]

One of the pairs of shoes I got about 2 weeks ago are Keens and they were great on my trip. I like to change shoes every day but I wore these 3 days in a row without problem. I hope they work for you.