A Cinderella Search for Small Shoes
Finding unusual sizes and widths in women's shoes is possible and fun. These tips could end your search!
Did you ever try to squeeze your foot into a shoe that was too small? A visit to a typical shoe store leaves us feeling like Cinderella's sisters, cramming a foot into a shoe that just doesn't fit. Unfortunately, most shoe manufacturers think one width fits all. The standard width in women's shoes in the U.S. is a B. Ouch! Some of us need C, D, EE or even wider shoes.
Eureka! I have found the answer! And no, you are not relegated to wearing only athletic shoes. A good company I buy from is New Balance. They have a great selection of shoes in different widths. We're all familiar with their athletic shoes, but did you know that they also have a dress shoe line called Aravon?
This line also has many sizes and widths available. Another U.S. shoe company that offers a great selection of styles and sizes is Munro American. These two shoe makers that have wide shoes in small sizes. Just try to find a 5D in an average shoe store. Some other good choices are the European companies that typically have wider, walker-friendly offerings such as Birkenstock, Dansko, Ecco, Mephisto, and Josef Seibel. Naot is an Israeli manufacturer of comfort shoes.
Where to find these, you ask? Some of these brands may be found at stores in bigger cities and sometimes in specialty stores in small towns. There are also online retailers that have customer reviews on various models. Those are helpful when buying without trying on because the reviewers will say if a model is true to size and width and also tell what they like and dislike. Any buyer can write a review. I like Sierra Trading Post and Zappos. Manufacturers also have online sales outlets so you can order directly from them. Another source is Ebay, where you can buy new or used.
Wherever you buy, be sure to check out their return policy. Stores, whether online or brick and mortar, allow returns. That's not always the case on Ebay. At times, some Ebay stores don't allow returns. So be careful and read the fine print.
There's no excuse for wearing uncomfortable shoes with so many options available. I'm sure there are others so do your own search. Go online and Google to your heart's content. These are a good start for you. So get out there and shop! Find your Ahhh moment.