For as long as I have been buying my own shoes I have had great difficulty with fit. I have bought more shoes in the wrong size than I can count. Something about shoe shopping gives me the creeps. I don't know what it is exactly.
Take for instance my stunning leather and denim ballet flats from Louis Vuitton. My husband bought them for me a few years ago. I had to have them, they were so gorgeous.
Tried them on in store they seemed comfortable. Wore them once for 20 minutes and realised they were too small. So small that I felt like one of those poor little girls in China hundreds of years ago with the foot bindings on my poor tootsies.
Two sizes too small. Of course being leather soled they were scuffed and couldn't be returned. My husband, then boyfriend, kept asking why I hadn't been wearing my new shoes. The gorgeous generous gift he had given me. So I squished my feet into the size 36 flats and I limped around town until the blisters were on the verge of sending me to an early grave.
So now my pretty little shoes sit on a shelf looking fabulously lonely and I flap about in some cheap ballet flats from witchery that aren't even leather lined. My friends have done well out of my shoe buying. I have given away more shoes than I have kept because time after time I buy shoes that don't fit. It is so bad now that I have not bought a new pair in over a year. The last pair I bought was from Kmart. Mens size 10 thongs. Why? Because I was 35 weeks pregnant with blood pressure so high that I was carrying 12 kilos of fluid squelching around in my feet and ankles so bad that only massive mens thongs would fit. My best friend who I love dearly kindly referred to my massive swollen feet as canoes. Nice. She has some nerve, she has inherited lots of my tiny shoes over the years.
My latest problem is that I need to buy new shoes for my daughter and I have started getting that same anxious feeling I get when I need to buy shoes for myself. Oh dear I can't pass this condition on to her. She has perfectly lovely feet I am so worried I will buy her the wrong sized shoes as well. Until now she has mainly worn Pediped shoes and Tip Toey Joeys. I counted and she has 33 pairs of shoes already. Almost as many as her father who is a complete shoe nut. They are adorable little baby shoes made for the most discerning little feet. Now that she is finally walking at 14 months of age, she needs some proper shoes. No more soft soled pre-walkers.
I am in a right tizz about it! I have spent this morning trawling the web for info about the best thing for new little walking feet and I found some adorable little shoes but panicked at the online checkout and didn't buy a single pair. This is exactly what I do in stores when buying my own shoes. I try them, prance about the store then at the last minute I pull out. The poor salesgirls look so deflated. I'm sure many shoes stores in Sydney have photos of my face up in their staff rooms. "Time Waster" I'm sure the heading says...
My little girl in her first shoes:
Did your feet get worse after pregnancy? I've ended up with one foot a whole 1/2 size larger than the other. Stupid shops won't split pairs.
ReplyDeleteShame, neither foot is a 36 ;-)
You know I really don't know since I haven't even bothered to buy myself a pair since the little one was born. Not sure if one is bigger than the other but I do think they are both a bit longer I think my feet are flatter. You know I gained just short of 30 kilos when I was pregnant Kathryn? All that weight on feet that were not used to such a heavy load I think made them even flatter!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean Carolyn. I have bought far many more pairs of shoes than I have ever actually worn. They always seem great in the shop but within an hour I know if I've got it right or made a terrible mistake.
ReplyDeleteI love shoes but I loathe buying them.
They say in the uk that they shouldn't wear proper shoes until they have been walking at least 6 weeks carolyn. so hold off for a while.
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely milestone though. this age is just great
My feet went to a size 11 from a size 10 before pregnancy and so finding shoes is even harder for me now.
ReplyDeleteRaya has quite large feet for her age - she is in a size 4 shoe already
Simone I decided I'll just get some more Tip Toey Joeys since they are good for the first few years anyway. At least I know they are good for her long thin feet and the quality is the best. Now to decide on a model she doesn't already have... Hmmm Chelley what a nightmare now none of your old shoes will be comfy. I don't know if her feet are big or small for her age. She has just outgrown the Brazilian size 18.
ReplyDeleteOh I am the same... I am a chronic buyer of too-small shoes, and my friends and mum have all reaped the rewards. And now I need to buy a whole new shoe wardrobe as my feet have gone up a whole size since having kids, and I am terrified that all my new shoes will be the wrong size too. I did splash out on a pair of made to measure boots last week, rather exxy but at least they will fit perfectly- perhaps you should get some custom made too! It will solve your fit problems...
ReplyDeleteCherry
I prefer to get shoes half a size too big, and then I whack those sticky gel heel cushion things in the back. They don't squish my feet then! Not so good when the sticky heel things fall out though ....
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