I'm just curious, which is more comfortable for you to wear?
For me, oddly, I am most comfortable in 4" heels, and actually spike heels are easier for me than chunky heels are. The more I wear them, the fewer cramps I get in my calves.
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Flat feet, no arches
So, duh, flats.
Oh, and still not happy that I wear size 9 US either.
9 us?
smaller feet than mine, I wear a 10. for shoes.
for clothing, a teen queen shop [ Ardene's ] I fit their extra small, which would be a size 00. :/
Stupidity is a capital offense. A summary not indictable.
I should be around an 8 US honestly
And since I wear work shoes a lot, a larger foot just exaggerates it that much more. I am around 172cm tall. And I am very much on the slender side. Walking without shoes, they spread like pancakes on a griddle so I cannot walk bare foot on wood floors, hurts very quickly. Even in 2 inch heels I can barely survive 2 hours in them. God forbid what my feet would be like if I was overweight (quite the opposite, I weigh like 50 kg.)
So, not even ballet flats. Certainly I have no trouble finding shoes in my size, but I am pretty much restricted to lace-up styles.
shoes
Its been easier to find heels in US size 11 or 12 (no 11 1/2 made) than flats for me. Most have been 4 inch, a couple 3 inch, only one pair had a square block heel.
Bit difficult finding size 14
Bit difficult finding size 14-15 heels :/
Try www.sexyshoes.com
They are also trans friendly I think. The hint is that they have a shoe chart cross-referencing men's shoe sizes to womens.
I've tried their shoes but my flat feet can't handle tall heels.
maybe, but it can be done
http://modelexpressvancouver.com/Model_Express/HOME.html
they generally only carry up to size 10, but will order in larger sizes. Their main customer bases are strippers and trans.
and the elderly Chinese couple that run it are truly nice people. :)
I went in looking for a simple pair of knee high boots, in black leather, the only ones they had on display were patent finish, not what I wanted. I mentioned that and she heads to a stack of boxes and pulls out a special order pair, that had been to small for the customer, so I got a pair of size 11 knee high leather boots for $79 CDN + taxes.
Stupidity is a capital offense. A summary not indictable.
What complications...
I had t o look up the US system to compare it with ours:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_size
We also have shoes sold in the Western Europe sizing, so it does get confusing. As far as I can see, my feet come up as 10 1/2 in the US women's non-athletic shoes sizing system (8 1/2 UK) but different makes do different actual sizes for the same number. I have a pair of cheap heeled court shoes from a supermarket that are marked as size 8, but which fit me. I have a number of shoes from Evans the 'larger lady' shop, some of which I had to change.
Size 9 pointed toe court shoe, 2" heel--fits.
Almost identical shoe with almond toe--too big
Ankle boot for winter--too big at marked size 8!
Round-toed heeled court with MJ strap size 9--perfect fit
The same goes for a number of flat shoes. No alternative but to sit and try the damned things on, which can lead to odd moments of hostility.
Comfort? I find standing in completely flat shoes, such as ballet 'pumps', makes my feet sore. A slightly raised heel, even if only 1/2 to 3/4 inch, is better. I can spend all day in the MJ strapped shoes I mentioned, with a 3" heel, or those 2" heel pointed toes, but I recently did a presentation where I was in boots that had an almost identical foot plan to the pointy-toes and I was in a little pain by four pm. Odd.
Of course, I normally spend all day in either cycling shoes or combat boots, so heels remain moot.
Shoes with heels
I think one of the problems we have to face is that most who have "originally male" bodies are generally heavier than normal females. This is one of those statistical things, though of course there is considerable overlap.
When we wear heels the weight is thrown onto the ball of the foot and for us that weight is much larger than that of the average woman. The pressure on the foot is therefore greater and the discomfort larger.
This means that, although we might wish to wear stupendous heels, we are likely to be less successful doing so than the average woman. The pressure on the foot is much more and the shoes generally aren't designed for it.
I have 3" heels and wear them but not for more than an hour or two. 2" heels, on the other hand, are comfortable and can last all day. Like others, I can't get on with flats at all, although for some strange reason I find no discomfort walking around barefoot.
Like you, I also find shoe buying to be a complete lottery. Trying on every one is the only solution to random sizing practices.
Penny
Cycling shoes ...
... are a bit odd. In the days before clipless pedals I had a pair of racing shoes with no heel, a very curved sole and huge cleats/shoe plates under the ball of the foot. Not very good for anything but actually riding my racing bike :) They were the opposite of high heels, more like high toes. Now I use shoes with a recessed cleat/shoe plate (SPD) and a very small heel (10mm?) which are good for both riding and walking. We even have cleated Shimano sandals for comfortable hot summer riding. And, of course, my partner and I are often dressed in very similar clothes when we're on the tandem.
Those old racing shoes would have made very sexy heels if I'd fitted stilettos and removed the cleat. They were perforated black leather - kinky? :)
Robi
Flats for me
Not so much by preference or fit, but the one request my wife's made of me is no heels. Given that I'm 14" taller than her already (she's 5' even, I'm 6'2"), and that she can't comfortably wear most heels due to an old knee injury, her position is understandable. Sadly, finding cute flats in a US 13W (women's) that aren't sneakers is rather tricky.
It depends...
I've found plenty of comfortable sneakers. I've found quite a few comfortable heels (sandal, boot, pump, etc.). I've yet to find a professional looking pair off flats that were comfortable for my feet. Luckily I'm just under 5' 9" (five feet, nine inches) so even with heels, I don't tower over most people. I also am lucky that I wear a 9 or 9 1/2 size shoe most of the time.
My heels range from 2 1/2 inch to 4 inch (only one pair). The only time I have an issue is when I have to walk a LONG way (20+ minutes), stand for more than 6-7 hours or have to walk on wet earth (a pointy heel sinks into wet dirt quite easily... So, unless you want to "aerate" someone's lawn (and muddy up your shoes) avoid the last one).
High heels
damage feet and posture. I've spent the past forty odd years trying to ameliorate the problems caused by footwear. Anyone who finds them comfortable all day or for walking in is self deluding. They are damaging your feet, anything else is codswallop.
Angharad
Self-Deluding?
I find that flats have such crappy soles and insoles that after two hours I have to stop wearing them. There are better flats of sorts, but the last time I wore a pair out (thrift store find) a replacement pair were in excess of $300. That is seriously out of my price range. By contrast, I can find a pair of HHs with a soft, comfortable insole for a $100 or so that I can comfortably wear an entire shift without my feet feeling like I'd been walking on broken rocks. I recently bought a pair of wedge-heel sneakers (about a 3" heel) that have become my go-to shoes, they are so comfortable. And the mark-down price was just under $50. The only problem I have is taking them off and having to adjust to being 3" shorter!
So, even if I am self-deluded both my feet and me are quite happy with that delusion. This is case where whatever works for you is just fine.
I went outside once. The graphics weren' that great.
ouch, those prices are insane
I rarely spend more than 39.99+tx canadian for shoes.
got a truly awesome pair of sandals for $5.00
and that was in a retail store, not a thrift store. [ well ok Army and Navy stores are a low end retail / high end thrift store, but their annual shoe sale is to die for, over 1 million pair of shoes on sale under $40.00 ]
Stupidity is a capital offense. A summary not indictable.
Depends if they are leather or not
I will not buy man-made heels. My feet are tortured enough and the inability for the shoe to stretch would be a disaster. Don't even get me started about patent leather (real or not.) *shivers*
Flats for every-day, all-day .....
Usually trainers, or lace up flats or boots with a modest 2" heel. However, after dark -
It's a very different story, 6" platforms and sometimes even 7" (only one pair of those,) for going out (usually about 11pm to about 6 am) clubbing.
No self-respecting tee-girl would be seen in less than four inches when clubbing, well least ways not in our gang.
As to shoe size I'm offically 8.5 EEE UK - that's about a 10 to 10.5 USA. I buy them as and where the fancy takes me. I've even gone into a shoe shop in my cycling club lycra to buy a pair to die for that I couldn't resist. (The 7" whore heels as Lexa calls them.)
This is me buying them. And to hell with what other shoppers thought.
If we ever go clubbing together
I'll be the frump in the mid--calf skirt and 2" heels!
clubbing wear
I will choose sexy high heels and clubwear for clubbing
Bev ...
... just wondered if you were wearing the helmet in case you fell off those heels. Sensible precaution, I think.
Robi
Sensible
Especially if it is due to hypoxia. ^_^.
Grin!
Lol