Big Feet, Big Shoes

Do you have a problem finding good shoes because of the size of your feet? Thousands of women have hobbled through life in too tiny shoes, unaware, embarrassed and underserved by a shoe industry that largely failed to make stylish footwear big enough for their feet. The mainstream footwear industries are now waking up to a full footed demand for upper-end shoes sizes 11 and above.

At the same time, sales are booming at online niche outlets that only sell hip, larger shoes, challenging industry business models and prodding manufacturers to make more. Behind the boom is the ever expanding American foot, which is growing bigger than ever before. More than a third of American women today wear a size 9 or larger, triple the number who did 18 years ago.

Seventy percent of shoes are sold to the under 30 set, who’ve been disappointed trying to buy sizable strappy stilettos at the local mall. The internet has flooded frustrated yet fashion conscious full footers with new options proving that demand for chic, large styles exists. No one is entirely sure why feet are expanding, but they are. The average women’s shoe sold last year, a size 8.5, was nearly double the typical 4.5 sold in 1900, and a full size bigger than the average sold a generation ago.

Americans are, on average, an inch taller and 25 pounds heavier than they were in 1960, and extra weight, podiatrists say, puts pressure on feet, stretching ligaments and causing feet to spread. Americans are also living longer, and feet can expand with age as arches fall. In addition, children are growing faster, thanks to improved nutrition and health care, and they shun the hard leather loafers of their parents’ generation, wearing less restrictive athletic shoes that give their feet more room to grow.

The size hike could also reflect that for the first time, people are simply reporting their sizes accurately because they are finally finding shoes that fit. The new generation could avoid a lot of the damage that too tiny shoes can cause, preventing the corns, bunions and mallet toes that can deform feet in ways reminiscent of ancient Chinese foot binding. Some 80 percent of all foot ailments are in fact shoe-related and doctors estimate that American women spend more than $3 billion a year on surgical foot repair.

Still, the footwear industry has long balked at producing bigger shoes. Unsure that the oversize market would support their investment, manufacturers are hesitant to spend money to make large shoes and retailers worry that they won't able to unload them. Luckily there are many online retailers that cater to men and women that need larger shoes.

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