I always hear, "You're feet don't look that big." I suppose it's because I'm 5'8 ½ and blessed with long legs. Since I wear size 11 shoes, I know first hand how frustrating it is to go shopping for shoes. You spot a pair of "must haves." Mustering up as much of hope as you can, you approach the sales clerk and quietly ask "Do you have this in a size 11?" The clerk heads to the back only to come out empty handed. Disappointment, anger, envy and general disdain for women with smaller feet sweeps over you like a flood. Just as you're about to walk out the door, you overhear a lady ask the clerk for the exact same pair of shoes in a size 8. The next thing you know the size 8 lady glides by you with her new shoes. Yes, that's how the "other half" live. You wonder if designers and retailers even know we exist.
Finally, shoe designers are taking note that women with big feet want gorgeous shoes just like their tiny footed sisters. Since I wear size 11, I can tell you that we don't mind spending money when it comes to buying a pair of shoes that are the perfect fit and style. While some manufacturers and retailers are still reluctant to cater to the oversize women's shoe market, others realize there is a real need to provide quality, stylish shoes for full-footed women. Retailers and manufacturers who service the $11 billion a year oversize women's shoe market realize there is a great opportunity to increase their visibility and profitability.
In the last 15 years there has been a dramatic increase in the size of women's feet. The women's plus-size shoe segment of the market has been growing at over 10% a year in the last 15 years, while the women's shoe industry has been experiencing a rate of 1-2% a year. Statistics show that 12.3 million women in the US can't find shoes that fit correctly. They're either too small or too tight which forces many women to look for shoes in the men's shoe department.