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Unn Inger Oreberg

Size matters

A investigation into women’s plus-sized footwear, and the

increase of women’s average footwear size during

the 20th century.

Unn Inger Oreberg

P11241524

FSHN3301

BA (hons) Footwear Design 2014

De Montfort University

Tutor: Ruth Jindal

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Unn Inger Oreberg

This essay will investigate the topic of plus-sized women’s footwear. Through investi-

gating how the average size of human bodies have increased in height, weight, and body mass,

and how the apparel industry has dealt with, and kept up with this increase, this essay will draw

parallels between the clothing and footwear industries. The increase in height, weight, and body

mass will be investigated through Saint Onge et al.’s (2008) study into how the size of Major

League Baseball players have changed over time, and by looking at how the vital measurements

of the British housewife has increased from the 1950’s to 2010. Through reporting on how the

apparel retail industry has had to change to fashionably dress larger bodies, for instance by

expanding the range of sizes for their mannequins (Hall, 2012; Lloyd, 2013 and display cases

(Whittle, 2010), to reflect the size and shape of the population, the possibility for similar ac-

tions within the footwear industry is explored. The average size of feet was investigated through

a questionnaire, where the participants were asked about the size of their own, their parents,

and their grandparents’ feet. With 213 participants, the questionnaire generated footwear size

data for 655 women, born between 1900 and 1999, and the result illustrated a defined increase

in average footwear size during the 20th century. Furthermore, this essay will investigate how

the public and media views women with plus-sized feet, as well as report on the result of a

questionnaire where 47 women, with plus-sized feet, were asked about their feet, their choice

in footwear, and their opinion on the footwear industry. Meanwhile, this essay will also illus-

trate the importance and impact footwear has on the female psyche, and personal development

(Gamman, 2001), although footwear shopping usually is viewed as a superfluous recreational

pursuit. Lastly this essay will explore how the footwear industry views and caters for plus-sized

footwear, and the future of plus-sized footwear.

To determine whether the potential average footwear size increase is an isolated event,

other human size dimensions have been investigated, for the potential increase context. First of

all, the average human height has been increasing over the past 140 years, and the improvement

in diet and living condition has been suggested to be responsible for this increase. The low point

in human height was the 17th century, when the average stature in French men was a measly 5ft.

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Figure 1: Graph showing the change

in average height among Major

League Baseball players born be-

tween 1869 and 1983.

Saint Onge, et al. (2009) Mean height

by year of birth in 5-year intervals,

Major League Baseball players, U.S.,

1869–1983 [online image] Available

from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

pmc/articles/PMC2692043/bin/ni-

hms100899f1.jpg

Figure 2: Graph showing the change

in average weight among Major

League Baseball players born be-

tween 1869 and 1983.

Saint Onge, et al. (2009) Mean

weight by year of birth in 5-year in-

tervals, Major League Baseball play-

ers, U.S., 1869–1983 [online image]

Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.

nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2692043/

bin/nihms100899f2.jpg

Figure 3: BMI among Major League

Baseball players born between 1869

and 1983.

Saint Onge, et al. (2009) Cumulative

percentage of body mass index (BMI)

by year of birth in 5-year intervals,

U.S. Major League Baseball play-

ers, U.S., 1869–1983. [online image]

Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.

nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2692043/

bin/nihms100899f3.jpg

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4 in. (Kolmos, 2008). As a modern scale, using data from Major League Baseball’s (MLB) official

encyclopedia Total Baseball, Saint Onge et al. (2008) reported a 3 inch increase in average height

amongst players born between 1869 and 1983. Similar finding were also found in both weight

and body mass (using BMI calculations). Respectively there was an 27.0 lb. increase in weight

and an 1.6-unit increase in BMI. It can be argued that professional sports players shouldn’t

be used to gauge the average height, weight, or size of humans, but MBL players are not se-

lected because of their physical characteristics, and therefore the statistical significance can be

transferred to the general population. Similar increases have been noted by the Natural History

Museum (2013), who reported that the average height of 21 year old British men increased

from 5 ft. 5 in. in the 1870s to 5ft.

10 in. in the 1970s. However, it is

not just the size of men that have

been accounted for: In 2011, Al-

exander et al. reported that weight

and height of women in the United

States of America had increased by

24 pounds, and approximately one

inch, between 1960 and 2002. The

main bulk of this weight increase

had happened during the 1980s and

1990s. By 2002, these changes had

resulted in an average weight of 163

pounds, and an average height of 5

ft. 3 in. Even the average body meas-

urements of women has expanded

over the years: In the 1950s, the av-

erage women had the vital statistics

of 37-27-39 (bust, waist and hips in

Figure 4: Change in women’s vital statistics from 1950’s to 2000’s.

Lambert, V. (2009) How women’s bodies have been transformed in

the past 60 years... with huge implications for our health [online

image] Available from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/arti-

cle-1213475/Whats-happened-bodies-Womens-figures-transformed-

past-60-years--huge-implications-health.html

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inches), and by 2010 the measurements had expanded to a less curvy 38-34-40 (Andrews, 2010).

It is not just the general size that has been increasing, but also the average size of human heads

has grown significantly bigger since the mid-1800s. A press release from the University of Ten-

nessee (2012) reported on research done by the forensic anthropologists at the university. They

determined that the average male skull has increased by 8 millimetres in height, and 200 cubic

centimetres in volume, between the mid-1800s and the mid-1980s. The corresponding increase

in women was 7 millimetres in height, and 180 cubic centimetres in volume. This means that

there was a 6.8% increase in skull height. Compared to a 5.6% overall increase in body height,

and the fact that the femur length only increased with about 2%, one can wonder whether the

average size of feet have increased in a similar way.

With the awareness that both men and women have increased in body size, it is good too

look at the plus-sized apparel market, to see

how the apparel industry has coped with the

size increase. According to Alexander et al.

(2011), 64% of women in USA are considered

to be overweight, but only 17% of the wom-

en’s apparel market is aimed towards plus-

sized women. As the average body size has

expanded, so has also the portion of the age-

ing population increased, and with it has the

spending power of these women increased:

“In fact, plus-size sales were up 1.4% for the

year ending as of April 2010, while sales for

women’s apparel overall dropped 0.8%”. This

illustrates that demand in the plus-sized

women’s apparel market is growing, but

that the apparel industry is not keeping up

Figure 5: Debenhams mannequins in UK size 16 and 10.

Hoskins, R. (2013) The new mannequin and the size 10

model wearing the same dress [online image] Available

from: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/11/06/article-

2488259-193B872A00000578-47_306x423.jpg

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with consumer needs. Women classified as

plus-sized spent $18.6 billion (USD) on ap-

parel in 2008, but, still, many designers and

manufacturers are hesitant about taking the

plunge into this size category. There are some

designers that offer plus-sized apparel in their

collections: Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and

Calvin Klein have put plus-sized fashion on

to the market in their bridge lines, but they

do not offer the same size range in their top-

tier collections (Donahue, 2012). Plus-sized

women are like other women: They want va-

riety and quality in the clothes they are pur-

chasing (Warren, 2011; Donahue, 2012). The

speciality retailer Talbots, a Massachusetts

based “a go-to destination for classic style,

great colour, impeccable tailoring and personalized service” (Talbots, 2014), has argued that the

plus-sized woman is a consumer worth pleasing as “she focuses more on full-price shopping, she

spends more than average when in store shopping, and she buys more items and more expensive

items overall” (Alexander, 2011). On January 26th 2007, British health officials demanded that

high street shops should put in an effort towards making their models mirror the wide range of

size and shape among British women, and limit the use of stick-thin models. Most mannequins

are a 5 ft. 10 in. tall, with size 10 measurements. The size of these mannequins does not reflect

the average size of British women. The same year, the Spanish government urged its fashion

retailers, such as the internationally known Zara and Mango, to increase the size of their manne-

quins, in an effort to combat the spread of anorexia (Smithers and Finch, 2007; Lloyd, 2013). In

August 2010 Displaysense, the leading UK mannequin and display case supplier, announced an

increase in requests for display cases accommodating larger clothes (Whittle, 2010), and in Feb-

Figure 6: The plus-sized mannequins from the Swedish

department store Åhlens that went viral in 2013.

Silvekroon, R. (2010) Plus-sized mannequins from Swe-

den [online image] Available from: http://i.perezhilton.

com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/plus-size-manne-

quins-sweden__oPt.jpg

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ruary 2012 they reported a 16% increase in sales of mannequins sized size 12 and above (Hall,

2012; Lloyd, 2013). At one point the demand for plus-sized mannequins outstripped the supply,

as the company went from 4.600 units ordered to more than 5000 units ordered yearly. The use

plus-sized mannequins caught the public’s eye in March 2013, when the image of plus-size man-

nequins from the Swedish department store Åhlens went viral (Bindley, 2013; Lloyd, 2013). The

image was first believed to originate from an H&M store, and when that claim was dismissed

from the H&M head office, the viral image was deemed to be a hoax (Bindley, 2013; Lloyd, 2013;

Porter, 2013). The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet soon after reported on the true origin of the

photo, and quoted Åhlens’ acting Chief Information Officer, Therèse Johnsson Sundberg: “We

have for several years had mannequins in various sizes, because all our customers are different.

It is quite natural for us to reflect what the society looks like” (Roström Andersson, 2013). With

the viral craze caused by the Swedish mannequin photo, and the increased awareness about the

plus-sized consumer, it is evident that there is a trend towards a shift in the apparel industry in

the direction of including more plus-sized clothing at all levels in the apparel market.

Some of the most detailed records about footwear size averages are Army records, and

the American Army record show that since the late 18th century, the average footwear size worn

by male recruits have increased from a size 38.5 to a 43 (Howard, 2002). Sales figures from the

British department store Debenhams, from 2009, revealed that the feet of British men had in-

creased by one inch over the previous 50 years (Josef, n.d.). Similarly, the footwear size of the av-

erage American woman has also gone up. Back in the beginning of the 20th century, the average

female footwear size sold in America was size 32 -33, and by the mid-20th century this figure

had increased to 35.5. In the 1970s the average American female foot size was 38, and now it

is between a size 39 to 39.5 (Pollak, 2012). Recently there has been an increase in the demand

for plus-sized footwear. Debenhams has seen that the number of requests for traditionally large

sized men’s footwear has gone up more than the request for traditionally smaller sizes has, and

that the larger men’s shoes sell out quicker than they did only 25 years ago (Josef, n.d.). Accord-

ing to a NPD Group study, reported by Osterman in The Baltimore Sun, the women’s plus-sized

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footwear section has also increased in volume: Back in 1987, only 11% of women were in need of

footwear in a size 39.5 or higher, but only 15 years later, in 2003, 37% of women did (Osterman,

2003). Back to Army records: In e-mail correspondence Rear Admiral Morten Jacobsen (Head

of NDLO Naval Systems) in the Norwegian Armed Forces, reported that the footwear size dis-

tribution among the personnel in the Armed Forces had shifted towards smaller sizes over the

past decade. The Norwegian Armed Forces has no separate records on men’s and women’s foot-

wear, which implies that both men and women wear the same footwear models with no gender

difference, even though there is evidence that the shape of men and women’s feet are sexually

dimorphic (Fessler et al, 2004b). The reason for why the data from the Norwegian Armed Forces

differ from all the data previously mentioned, might be related to that the share of women in the

Norwegian Armed Forces have increased in recent times. Rear Admiral Morten Jacobsen also

added that it seemed like the share of men with smaller feet had been increasing. The footwear

size that is distributed the most is continental size 43, but there are a little less footwear in sizes

above 43 being distributed, and a little bit more of footwear in sizes below 43 distributed.

In a small, non-representative survey, the participants were asked about their own, their

parents and their grandparents footwear size. The results is limited validity, due to the fact that

90% of the participants were of varied Caucasian decent, and their location was limited to main-

ly 3 countries (38% from Norway, 29% from United Kingdom, and 23% from United States) and

small numbers from other countries (3% from Canada, 2% from Germany, 1% from Spain, and

1% from Sweden). The result might also be of limited validity, due to the self reporting of sizes.

Since footwear sizes differ slightly from manufacturer to manufactures, there are problems with

converting footwear sizes between the different footwear sizing systems (McLaren, 2012). There

is also chance that the participants did not know their own true footwear size (Rosemire, 1999;

McLaren, 2012). With the participants also reporting on their relatives footwear sizes, there is

a chance that the data from the older generations were not reported correctly, partly because

the age group born at the beginning of the 20th century are deceased, and partly because of the

fact that as people age, their feet expand both in length and width (Jacobbi, 2004). The data was

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used to work out how the average footwear size changed during the 20th century. There were

213 respondents, giving the size data for 655 women born between 1900 and 1999. All the data

points were separated in to decade sections, and the average (mean) was calculated. The aver-

age size for women born between 1900 and 1909 was 38.90 continental European size, and for

women the following decades’ averages were 38.61 and 38.29. This displays a decrease, which

might be caused by the hardship caused by the first World War and economic depression in

the 1920’s. There was an increase in the 1930’s (38.73) and 1940’s (39.17). In the time after the

Figure 7: This graph is showing the result of the footwear size survey, illustrating how the average (mean) has

changed from each decade between 1900 and 1999. 213 people responded to the survey, resulting in 655 data points

for women. The graph is showing a slow increase in average size until the end of the century. Further data from this

survey can be found in Appendix 2.

Oreberg, U. I. (2014) Average female footwear size graph.

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second World War (1950’s), when food and

supplies were rationed the average footwear

size decreased to 39.13. This is an negligible

difference, and after the rationing had end-

ed, the average footwear size was increasing

again. The average for women born in the

1960’s was 39.63, in the 1970s 40.15, and in

1980’s 40.42. The average for women born

the 1990’s shows a decrease to 39.04, but this

decrease might be explained by the fact that

the respondents born towards the end of the

decade are only now reaching the end of their

teens and puberty.

The twitterspshere is a source for air-

ing many opinions, and the opinion on size

of women’s feet is no exception. Tweets such

as “Sorry, ladies, don’t hate me, but women

w/ feet bigger than a size 7.5 are a turn off.

Just met a woman who fits my size. I fit a 10,

dog” (The Truth, D. M., 2014), “Women with

bigger feet hit harder... & It hurts too. Don’t

pillow fight with her if she wears anything

bigger than size 7 bro” (Ramos, 2012), and

“#honestlyhour God damn I hate women

with big feet. Size 7 and under only please.

Any bigger and your entering the king Kong

zone” (Stackhouse, 2011), it is clear that the

Figure 9: In many ballets, Cinderella’s stepsisters are

played by men. This one is from The Queensland Ballet’s

2013 production of the ballet, directed by Ben Stevenson.

The tall step sister is portrayed by Matthew Lawrence.

Men often portray the stepsisters to illustrate their unla-

dylike manners and unattractive features.

Kelly, D (2013) Matthew Lawrence as the Tall Stepsister in

Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella [online image] Available from:

http://dancelines.com.au/li-cunxin-launches-artistic-di-

rectorship-stevensons-cinderella/

Figure 8: Cinderella’s stepsister’s big feet would just not fit

into that dainty glass slipper.

Disney (1950) Cinderella’s stepsister [online image]

Available from: http://thejunoesque.files.wordpress.

com/2012/03/cinderella_stepsister.jpg

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Figure 11: Percentages of male participants in the Fessler,

et al. study choosing each of the five foot sizes (1=small-

est) for the most attractive female stimulus (top), least

attractive female stimulus (bottom).

Fessler, et al (2004) Percentages [online image] In: Avail-

able from: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/

s10508-005-3115-9

ideals from Cinderella has taken it’s own

modern twist. In the traditional fairytale, the

stepsisters chopped off the toes or the heels off

their feet to fit into Cinderella’s dainty glass

slipper. The best way to describe how they are

depicted in Disney’s 1950 version of the story

is “clod-hopping, clumsy, flat-footed” (Lyon,

2001, p 292.). In the West, the directors of-

ten cast the roles of the stepsisters by men in

the ballet scored by Prokofiev, as to instantly

imply that they were “mannish, unattractive

oafs” (Lewis, 2010) with a lack of self-control

(Cinderella, 1950). Studies have determined

a sexual dimorphism in foot length (Fess-

ler, et al, 2004b), which tells us that there is

a difference between men and women’s foot

size. In a study by Fessler, et al (2004a), the re-

searchers determined that men deemed that

women with smaller than average were more

attractive. This was a trend that was signifi-

cant in most the cultures investigated (Iran,

Lithuania, Brazil, USA, Cambodia, Papua

New Guinea, and Tanzania). The cultural em-

phasis on the correlation between small feet,

sexual desirability, and high birth is evident

in both Western and Chinese culture, but the

significance was of a greater influence in Chi-

na (McDowell, 1989), when the tradition of

Figure 10: The image set Fessler, et al. used to determine

that men found women with smaller feet more attractive.

The size of the feet in the images to either side of the base-

line was changed +/- 10%.

Fessler, et al. (2004) Stimuli [online image] Available

from: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-

005-3115-9

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foot binding was still legal. The sexual attractiveness of the size of small feet (Gamman, 2001, p.

102; Turim, 2001, p. 61; Probert, 1981, p. 7; McDowell, 1989, p. 26) is one thing, but at the other

end of the scale, there is the plus-sized foot. Plus-sized feet are often associated with clowns and

hicks, and it is often one of the physical features that allows us to laugh at them. This is because if

“our feet are just inches smaller than theirs, we can, in relief, laugh at them knowing that we got

class and they don’t” (Lyon, 2001, p. 293). To live up the ideal many women attempt to deceive

the eye with a trompe l’oeil, by wearing footwear that are too small for them (McDowell, 1989, p.

26). This is a pattern not found in men (Fessler, et al, 2004b), because women usually find men

with larger than average feet more sexually attractive (Fessler, et al, 2004a).

Women are often described as crazy when it comes to shoes (Lewis, 2010), but when it

comes to women with plus-sized feet, it is a

harder to be just as crazy as the average sized

woman: The average size range that is acces-

sible in most shops goes up to 41, and as soon

as the foot size crosses that threshold, it be-

comes harder to acquire footwear in fashion-

able styles. Many women with plus-sized feet

are pointed towards the men’s department to

find footwear to fit, but they react just as any

other woman who accidentally strays into

there “she yawns, and then beats a hasty re-

treat” (Jacobbi, 2004). This is because the de-

sign of men’s footwear often does not fit the

requirements of a fashionable woman. Even

to plus-sized women being fashionable, is not

about wearing the clothes and shoes that fit,

flatter and feel comfortable, but about look-

Figure 12: Gabourey Sidibe often wears footwear from

the plus-size footwear brand Barefoot Tess, and she

shared this image on twitter, to show her excitement for

the possibility to purchase fashionable footwear in the

right size for her plus-sized feet.

Sidibe, G. (2014) Shoe Parade with @Barefoot_Tess !!!! I’m

thinking black. It’s what a Supreme might wear. #Girlystuff

[online image] Available from: https://twitter.com/Gab-

bySidibe/status/428285223021715457/photo/1

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ing different from others (Gamman, 2001). Many women are willing to suffer through the use

of ill fitted footwear (McDowell, 1989), because no matter how uncomfortable they feel, the

footwear “lift the spirits, delight the soul, and give confidence to the insecure” (McDowell, 1989,

p 15). Footwear does not only convey style and fashionability, but there is also a possibility

that footwear convey “taste, social status, cultural capital and information and self-regard. The

footwear inform others about our idea of beauty, character, and sexiness. They are more than

the foundation upon we stand. They are the foundation of our sense of self. They can convey

wit, irony, fashion sense, seductive intent, aggressiveness, boldness, and other elements of self.

Our soles are the mirror of our souls, We feel and act differently in different shoes” (Belk, 2003).

This notion is only theoretical, as there is not much data available to support this claim (Gillath,

et al, 2012). When women aren’t allowed to express themselves through the medium of foot-

wear, as is what is happening when women have feet that do not fit into what is available in the

standardised high street size range, it has a negative effect on their self-regard. 82% of women

with size 42 and above say that the size of their feet make them ashamed, and that they believe

it makes them be perceived as masculine (Andrews, 2010). With these women left out of the

standardised size range in high street retail shops, they often resort to online shopping as the

go-to place for footwear. Online shopping is not all that easy all the time, as 50% of those who

shop online admit that the size they wear differ from brand to brand, and 28% say that they

have problems when they order clothes online. To make sure that what they get is the right size,

80% order multiple sizes. When orders of multiple items occurs, there will be a returns: In 2010,

clothing worth £128.9 million were sold for home deliveries, and out of that £39.1 million of it

was returned as a result of consumers trying the goods at home before they decide on buying

(Fordie, 2011). Similar numbers can be expected for footwear, as the sizing of footwear differs

from manufacturer to manufacturer (McLaren, 2012).

In a questionnaire of 47 females, born between 1999 and 1947, with a foot size between

40 and 46.5, there was a great consensus that the small selection of shoes in size 42 and above

affected their self-esteem. 55% of these women were Norwegians, 27% British, and 14% US

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American. There were a distinct difference be-

tween what the women felt about the selection

of footwear available, depending on where

they were from: The women from the United

States were the ones the most happy, and the

Norwegians were the most unhappy. The main

complaints were from those living outside the

urban area’s where there are less shoe shops,

and the main issue was that whole selection

of plus-sized footwear available could be dis-

played on one single shelf. Most of the wom-

en, 30 year and older, agreed that the selection

had improved a lot since their teens, but there

was still a lot of room for improvement. There

were some theories to why there is a smaller

selection of plus-sized footwear, but it often

came down the economy of it: With fewer

women with feet larger than women within the

standardised size range, many designers, man-

ufacturers, and retailers do not see it as eco-

nomically viable to produce and stock larger

amounts of shoes in these sizes.

There is enough data to support the

need for larger sizes, but the footwear manu-

facturers and retailers are often hesitant about

adjusting their production and inventory, not

unlike how the apparel manufacturers and re-

Figure 13: Typical display of plus-sized footwear in

the Skoringen footwear shop in Haugesund, Norway.

These are all the footwear in size 42 to 44 available to

women. A large part of this is comfort or unisex foot-

wear, from brands such as Ecco, Rieker, Tamaris, Marco

Tozzi, B&co, and Klaveness. This image was taken dur-

ing the summer season, on June 24th 2013.

Oreberg, U. I. (2013) Skoringen plus-size footwear se-

lection.

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tailers were hesitant to the need for plus-sized

apparel after the increase in women’s size be-

came evident (Osterman, 2003). Footwear

shopping is to many women an exercise that

pleases them, soothes their ego, and underpins

their self-esteem needs (Gamman, 2001), but

as the selection of footwear gets scarcer as siz-

es grow bigger, women are deprived of the joys

of footwear shopping. This is an issue women

with larger sized feet often encounter, as plus-

sized women’s footwear often is hard to vis-

ually separate from men’s footwear, as they are

mostly variations of traditional male footwear

with low to medium heel heights. In 1999,

10% of all Americans could not walk into a

high street shop to purchase regular footwear

that fitted (Rosmire, p. 9, 1999). This is in part

due to larger feet, and when retailers only

stock a small amount of larger sized women’s

footwear, that stock will sell out rapidly (Os-

terman, 2003). The retailers are holding on to

faulty notions of what the average footwear

size is (Josef, n.d), and therefore they do not

adjust their stock to accommodate more plus-

sized footwear. The retailers and manufactur-

ers who are reluctant to cater to the plus-sized

women’s footwear market, are missing out on

a large market share. Unlike the footwear in-

Figure 14: Typical display of plus-sized footwear in the

Mani footwear shop in Haugesund, Norway. These are

all the footwear in size 42 to 44 available to women. A

large part of this is comfort or unisex footwear, from

brands such as Ecco, Rieker, Tamaris, and Klaveness.

This image was taken during the summer season, on

June 20th 2013.

Oreberg, U. I. (2013) Mani plus-size footwear selection.

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dustry that operates within the standardised siz-

ing range, who have experienced a 1-2% market

increase every year between 1992 and 2007, the

plus-sized women’s footwear segment has been in-

creasing by over 10% every year. The retailers and

manufacturers who cater for the women in this

market segment, have through the seizing this op-

portunity, increased their profitability by securing

their share of the $11 billion a year these women

spend on footwear (Pace, 2007). One of the factors

for why some retailers and manufacturers are not

stocking more footwear in plus-sizes, is the prob-

lem of warehousing. The more sizes they stock, the

more inventory they have, and having large inven-

tory increases the risk of financial loss due to not

selling all the footwear in stock. Another reason is

the location where the footwear is produced. With

a lot of footwear being produced in Asia and other

distant locations, there is s production shift, where

it can take many months from an order is sent to

the manufacturer, to the footwear arrives in the

shops. A result of this, is that the retailers hesitate

about re-supplying sold-out footwear, because when the order arrives, the footwear will be out

of season, or out of fashion (Osterman, 2003). So therefore, retailers and manufacturers often

choose to reduce the number of sizes or the number of pairs of footwear in each size, to reduce

cost and increase profitability (Luximon, et al, 2011).

In conclusion, there is a lot of potential in the plus-sized footwear market, and the indus-

Figure 14: This was one of the few plus-size shoes

in a Mani footwear shop in Haugesund, Norway,

that was neither black or a unisex shoe. This il-

lustrates how small the selection of plus-sized

footwear is, and that the footwear available often

is comfort footwear, targeted towards the older

segment of the market. This image was taken

during the summer season, on June 20th 2013.

Oreberg, U. I. (2013) Mani plus-size feminine

plus-size shoe.

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try is slowly realising how utilising this potential can be beneficial for them, both in reputation

and profitability. With the increase in women with plus-sized feet, the share of women who de-

mand fashionable plus-sized footwear are becoming more noticeable, and the footwear industry

seem to be taking notice of this. The plus-sized apparel industry has done a great deal to catch

up with how women’s bodies have gotten larger, and, all in all, the footwear industry can learn

a great deal from them, for instance by listening to their consumer’s wants and needs. With the

right driving force behind them, it is clear that companies that decide follow the women’s plus-

sized footwear route, can receive great economical gain, as these women are known to be more

likely spend money on full price, quality footwear, and are less likely to shop just because the

items they are buying were on sale. As it has been stated previously, when these women mature,

they outgrow the phase where they find their own feet awkwardly large and masculine, and all

they want is the feminine footwear other women can purchase. By taking the footwear these

women want and need into the footwear size range available in high street shops, it is evident

that it will do a great deal to rehabilitate the self-worth and self-esteem issues these women tend

to have. To all the women with plus-sized feet, who long have felt like they have been bypassed

by both the footwear manufacturers and retailers, I would personally like to say that the change

they have been witnessing over the past decades, is probably just the slow beginning. With the

evidence that feet have been increasing in size over the past century, there is a likelihood that

the footwear industry will see the error of their ways, and offer a wider range of footwear in

plus-sizes in the near future, as the apparel industry has done with plus-sized clothing. Until the

day when women’s plus-sized feet can get all the footwear they desire in the shops on the high

street, it is important to remember, as Jacobbi said: “What ever kind of shoes you wear and what

ever the shape of your feet, accept and love them, pamper them with love and pedicures. They

are a pedestal for your beautiful soul” (2004, p 142).

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Appendix 1: Footwear size conversion table

• This is the table used to convert footwear sizes in essay and in questionnaires. This is not a

definite answer to how to convert footwear sizes, but the one that seemed the most com-

mon. As sizes differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, this conversion might not be true

to every brand available. The size information gathered from http://www.walktall.co.uk/,

http://www.dancesport.uk.com/, http://www.safariquip.co.uk/, http://www.clarks.co.uk/,

http://www.barefoottess.com/, and http://www.cinderellashoes.ie/

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Appendix 2: Footwear size averages (survey)

• Questionnaire 1:

• Title: How the average footwear size has changed during the 20th century.

• Questionnaire open: 08.07.2013 - 04.01.2014

• Questionnaire platform: http://qualtrics.com

• Responses omitted: All data points about male footwear sizes.

• Number of responses: 213

• Number of female data points: 655

• Data points collected from women born between 1900 and 1999.

• 90% participants were of Caucasian decent, and therefore that limits how valid the result of

the survey is on a larger scale.

• 38% lived in Norway, 29% lived in United Kingdom, 23% lived in United States of Amer-

ica, 3% lived in Canada, 2% lived in Germany, 1% lived in Spain, 1% lived in Sweden, and

therefore there is a limited validity due to geographic location.

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Appendix 3: Women with plus-sized feet (questionnaire)

• Questionnaire 2: What women with big feet think and feel about their feet, and their shoes.

• Questionnaire open: 05.01.2014 – 07.02.2014

• Questionnaire platform: http://www.qualtrics.com

• Responses omitted: Men, and women with less than an EU size 40 (UK 7).

• Number of responses: 47

Question 1: What year were you born?

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Question 2: What is your ethnicity?

Question 3: In which country do you reside? 

Question 4: What is your footwear size?

Question 5: What is your height?

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Question 6: Do you feel like your feet affect your day-to-day life in any way? (Positive or neg-

ative)

• 1. When I was younger, the pain in my feet from growing so fast centred around my heels

and affected the way I walk up stairs (on the balls of my foot or “tippy-toes” 2. I have to

wear orthotics in my shoes 3. I wear running shoes mostly because they are the most com-

fortable and they are in my size

• Absolutely; negatively.. If I’m on my feet a lot, I need really good support or the pain be-

comes unbearable. at least they keep me standing

• I don’t always find feminine shoes for like a normal day when I go to work and don’t neces-

sarily dress up.

• I do not have a wide variety of “nice” shoes to wear at work. Those Is have often hurts.

Often you’re so happy that you can fit your feet into a pair if ok looking shoes that you buy

them and wares them just to avoid using sneakers and men-shoes

• If I’m not wearing proper shoes my feet will hurt

• I have to wear insoles due to above problem, which dont always fit in shoe styles.

• I have trouble finding shoes that I both like and fit. I can’t wear many styles as my feet are

quite wide.

• Yes, negative.

• Yes, it is negative when I can’t find nice women’s shoes to a normal price, without too tall. It

is negative on the self-esteem.

• Yes, it is painful to walk.

• My feet effect how my shoes wear. They were out much faster than shoes do normal.

• Negative effect on my self esteem

• Only in that they limit the shoes that I can buy.

• Sometimes, i get various aches and pains and I wear out my shoes quite quickly

• Stand and walk a lot, need really, really good shoes to get away with that.

• They hurt after long periods of standing, especially Achilles tendons, but it got a lot better

since I’m wearing insoles.

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• They make it so that I can’t dress as fashionably as I want, because I can’t match my shoes

to my outfits. Converse do not work well with everything...

• Walking long distances can be painful due to flat arches and when I was younger well fit-

ting shoes were hard as I had large feet at a young age.

• Yes! Negative! It’s impossible to find nice shoes in my size. And when I can’t choose “nor-

mal” shoes, just sneakers, I can’t choose my style rather. I can never be a “ feminine lady”

because of my feet.

Question 7: Do you have any health issues or problems with your feet? Please list anything

you would consider an issue.

• Painful toes due to too small shoes. Hard to find large enough sizes. It has become easier to

find large enough shoes. Have toes bent inwards and squashed, due to too small shoes.

• Flatfoot - incredibly painful at times.

• Flat footed, have little shock absorption in both feet.

• Short tendons under my feet, frequently experiencing pain in the soles, problems with

outer toenail (not sure about the proper name for it), high instep

• Flatfooted, and the big toe has started to bed towards the other toes.

• No health issues, except corn under my feet

• I have severely flat feet.

• I have post polio syndrome

• I have bent toes due to ballet at a younger age.

• I have a bad back and joint issues.

• I’m slightly overweight, which is probably the reason why my feet are pretty thick. I also

have to wear insoles because of skew foot.

• Higher arches

• Plantar Factitious

• Peritoneal Tendinitis

• Knee pain/hip pain caused by above

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• Hard skin, blister easily on toes and heels, very flat arches.

• Feet tip inwards due to high arches

• Very narrow feet.

• Bunions, hammer toes

• Wide feet with crooked toes that easily blister. Pain under the foot.

• Feet gets easily tired.

• Opposite of flatfooted , and therefore I have small contact surface with the ground.

• Easily twist my ankles.

Question 8: Have you ever felt self-conscious about the size of your feet? If so, please explain

what made you feel so self-conscious.

• All my Shorter friends have of course got smaller feet, and could wear any shoe the wanted

to.. This hurt me as a teenager when i had to choose is a tiny Collection of size 42 shoes

• I have troubles finding fitting sandals and high heels are pure torture for me. I don’t mind

in everyday life but get pretty frustrated when I’m invited to a wedding or something.

• They have always felt large and wide. Hard to find good shoes.

• Having 2-4 sizes bigger feet than every other girl, and also bigger than most boys when

growing up. Now i don’t care, it’s just inconvenient to by shoes.

• I’ve always had large feet. They fit my body but not the fashion.

• I do a little bit when I go and have a look at the shoes in the men’s department, after seen

what the selection is in the women’s department.

• I do not like my feet

• No fun having to get large shoes. The shoes does not look as nice when they are large. The

models are made to look nice in smaller sizes.

• I used to hate my feet as a teenager and I felt like everyone was staring at them and making

fun of them because of their size, but when I got into my twenties, I realised that the only

one spending that much time looking at my feet was me...

• My feet tend to look big in certain kind of shoes, especially high heeled shoes where my

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feet look huge and kind of masculine. Makes me feel less feminine and not keen on “show-

ing of ” my feet

• No. Given my height, I feel fortunate that they are not bigger.

• OH YES. My parents, and friends have even made comments about my “skis” That perhaps

they should even take the cardboard from a 12 pack of soda and use that as shoes for me.

• Only when I shop for shoes.

• Sometimes when I was younger, an 11 year old with size seven feet was abnormal, but as I

got older, people’s foot sizes grew so mine were no longer massive

• Very self conscious! - growing up I was always the tallest and had the biggest shoe size. I

felt very out of place. Some shoes make feet look bigger which can be a problem, especially

when compared to men of a similar size.

• Yes!

• Big feet in women are odd. It makes it harder to find shoes, and then I can’t share shoes

among friends or family. I have huge feet. But I suppose they are pretty average for my

height. I constantly feel self-conscious though.

• Yes, a lot! Like I said above, it’s difficult to find shoes. My most humiliating moments is

when I ask in shoe-shops for “feminine looking” shoes in the mens section. They always

look at me with the biggest eyes in the world when I tell them what size I wear.

• It was maybe ever harder when I was a teenager, I sometimes had the same shoes as the

boys in my class. Not funny.

• Yes, as I can’t find shoes easily. And so it makes me feel I have abnormally large feet for a

woman. Also, none of my close friends or relatives have a problem with shoe size.

• Yes, couldn’t wear fashionable shoes when younger. Feet always look too long for my

height.

• yes, I think they are the prettiest parts of my body ;)

• Yes, i think they look strange in some shoe types, and I used to be self conscious when

wearing skinny trousers but now I don’t.

• Yes, when I try to find shoes for a dress

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• Yes, when I was younger there were few nice shoes in anything above a 7... in fact most

ladies shoes stopped at a size 7. I have always been met with amusement when anyone asks

what size shoes I take.

• Yes. Because 9.5 is pretty average for my shoe size, but I’ve had to go to stores and ask for

tens and still have them not fit. It’s embarrassing when the highest size doesn’t even fit you.

And half of the time, the shoes make your feet look gigantic, like boats. It’s really hard to

find a shoe that doesn’t make big feet look big.

• Yes. It is not fun to be a 10 years old girl with a shoe size 40... It has been a problem getting

shoes big enough, but nowadays it seems as there are more options and factories make

bigger sizes than just 15 years ago.

• Yes. My feet are huge. Also, I have a few toe problems. I have hammer toes and wrench toes

which make wearing flip flops awkward. It’s also annoying to buy shoes and say what size

shoes I am, it surprises a lot of people, especially because my feet are so narrow. But, I also

never shut up about it. In a way I’m proud, but not really. It’s hard to explain.

• Yup. Girls are supposed to have dainty feet, and mine always feel so big and awkward esp.

in flats!

Question 9: Did you ever outgrow the standard sizing range for footwear? If so, how old were

you, and how did it affect you?

• At about age 18 I went from 42 to 43, having squeezed my feet into too small sizes for too

long. And then it became rather difficult to find shoes. Being a student at the time I could

not afford buying many pairs, so I often bought men neutral shoes at sales.

• A teenager. No fashionable choice of shoes - most shops didn’t stock my size. Had men’s

training shoes for P.E. lessons at school.

• At the age of 11-13 I had to start looking at women’s shoes, which I found highly embar-

rassing.

• It was hard to get shoes when I was young. I had to wear shoes that were made for adults.

• Early teens (early 2000s) the industry was really slacking in making a variety of tennis

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shoes in larger sizes.

• I do not believe so. I don’t fully understand the question. However, most shoes I want to

buy stop making sizes about size 11. Since I am a size 12, it was hard to find a pair of cute

boots with arch support or ones I liked at all. I finally did find one pair on zappos.com, but

I pretty much wear the same shoes every day (sneakers from a running store). I stopped

caring about style as much (at least for shoes) and worried more about comfort.

• I was 13 when I started using size EU 40. By the age of 15 I used size EU 41,5, due to

muscles “caused” by rowing. Ended up with buying shoes that were too small which caused

pain and probably also short tendons

• I was about 11 when I was a size seven. this made it really difficult to find “appropriate”

school shoes that were comfy enough

• I was about 12 years when I outgrew standard footwear

• 14

• I remember having to wear juniors shoes in elementary school. It’s embarrassing.

• I was in tenth grade when I reach my current shoe size. This was seven years ago.

• I was just a kid.. Maybe 12 or 13 years.. i had to by men’s shoes, and i still do.

• It makes you feel like you’re not a woman, so why even try?

• Yes, I wore 42 for many years, but after my first pregnancy they were 43.

• Had to buy men’s shoes when i was 13-14. Growing up in Narvik, where it at the time

wasn’t any ladies shoes in 42, which was the size I wore at the time. This was in the 90’s.

• No, I am just at the edge of it.

• No, I don’t think so but I did have to get specific shoes as a child as my feet are quite wide

• The regular sizes usually go to 41. I think I got to size 42 when I was about 17-18 years old,

but I am not sure.

• Was about 12. Very hard not being able to wear the same shoes as my friends as a teenager.

I still hate buying shoes, because they never have the ones I like in my size.

• Around the time I was confirmed. Smart shoes were a problem.

• When I was younger I squeezed my feet in to size 7 shoes as that was as large as they went

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and when size 8 shoes became the norm I them had a bit more comfort. I can still fit in

some size 8 shoes but size 9 gives me the comfort I have never had in shoes before. I was

approximately 13 when I reached a size 7 and then grew out of that

• Yes, around 14 years old. I didn’t like it!

• Yes, as a child i wore women’s shoes when my peers were still in children’s shoes

• Yes. 9 years of age

• Yes. When I was 10 a size 40 was the biggest size. I had problems when I grew out of those.

• can still not get a size 43 running shoe or hiking boots for women, so I still use men’s.

Sometimes other shoes go to 42-43, or I go to a specialist shop.

• I can not buy a dress and look for shoes to go with it. I just buy shoes whenever I find nice

and big enough. They might come in handy some day. Some pairs have been siting in my

cupboard for a year - and then I was wearing something they could go with.

Question 10: Do you have any issues finding FASHIONABLE footwear in your size? If so,

please explain.

• Difficult to find in stores i Norway.

• Can’t find shoes in high street shops.

• High heels, I struggle to find heels that go further than a size 8 which I can squeeze in to

but obviously it is uncomfortable. Cute little plimsolls or dolly shoes.

• Boots, too. Many are the right size but very narrow.

• Horrendous!

• Either it’s very expensive or in the men’s department.... =/

• Oslo has several shops selling shoes in large sizes. So I have no problem finding shoes.

• I realize my previous answer would have fit this spot well, but I would also like to elaborate

here. I wear a size 11 high heel. It is too small for me, but my heels are quite narrow, so my

feet fit well in these shoes. Also, the force of gravity somewhat compresses my feet so the

size of high heel does not matter. Furthermore, as I previously stated, I had trouble finding

casual everyday wear (boots) in my size. This was remedied, but not without a lot of effort.

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I resigned myself to wearing running shoes every day.

• It’s hard to find going out shoes that don’t look like they’re drag shoes in larger sizes. Some-

times finding a range of colours can be difficult, as a result, most of my shoes are black.

• Yes! Very hard to find fashionable shoes. Mostly just frumpy, masculine shoes.

• Yes, the selection is too small in Norway.

• Yes, there are not that many nice shoes in size 42.

• Yes, especially struggling with finding nice boots with good shaft width, without being too

expensive. Also struggling with finding cool court shoes with a 4 cm heels.

• Living in a small town in Norway it’s difficult. I try to purchase shoes when I travel, but it’s

not always so easy.

• More and more factories make shoes in bigger sizes now, that’s what I feel anyway.

• As mentioned, I cannot count on finding a pair of shoes for my new dress in a shop like

any girl - I just have to look in the closet to see what I have got :)

• No, but can never buy fashionable footwear on sale and never a bigger size than EU 40,

because the stores often don’t buy that big sizes for their stock

• No fashionable footwear i my size ,

• Not any longer as many retailers sell size 9’s. But I cannot get any high end designer shoes

in my size.

• Only selected stores take inn a broad variety of 42 shoes in Norway

• The selection in 40-41 isn’t great. Boots and booties are often frumpy and lumpy.

• There are usually just a few shoes to choose from in size 42. I wish they would take in all

models in 42 as well, but I understand that that is more expensive for each store. So the few

models to choose from in 42 usually are plain and not so fashionable shoes.

• Yes! It’s very hard finding shoes that look good on my feet and are fashionable. It’s impossi-

ble to have both.

• Yes! I wear size 46- and it’s impossible!

• YES! So many times I go into a store and they are either out of my size, or I try it on and

a “ten” is really NOT a ten, it’s more like an 8. And you fall in love with the shoe or boot

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and you get excited when they tell you yes we have a 9.5, and also a 10 just in case, and

they don’t fit. Then they tell you they go up to 11s and you try those ones on too, and they

don’t fit you either. And it really sucks because you found the EXACT shoe you had in your

mind and it’s like ... sorry. No.

• Yes, all the time. The cutest shoes rarely come in a size 11. Sometimes I can wear a 10, and

that helps but choices are still limited.

• Yes, although many shops say they stock up to size 9 they do not have them in shops and

I am often told to look online. Topshop’s size 9’s go from being too big and wide, with the

size 8 being far too small, to be too narrow for me to get on.

• Yes, because I will have low heels, there are few choices.

• Yes, pretty extreme actually. Sandals are hard to find for me, most of them are too narrow.

Even sneakers are a problem because most of the sneakers that look “feminine” are way too

narrow for me. Any shoes with heels are a torture, high heels are impossible for me.

• Yes, the sizes for “fashionable” shoes for women normally stops at size EU 41...

• YES. I cannot even begin to explain how hard it is to find footwear that is in style in my

size. They are either ugly or “old lady-ish”. Finding shoes in stores is hard. Even online you

are a bit unsure of the fit.

• Yes. It is near impossible to find dressy flat shoes, and even a heel is difficult to find.

• Yes. Next sell my size but the quality is poor. M & S have the correct but they are often

shapeless and clumpy. Also, a lot of shops say 41 is a 7 not an 8 and that is the biggest size

they have.

• Yes they do not come in big sizes

Question 11: Do you have any issues finding any PRACTICAL footwear in your size? If so,

please explain.

• Even though my foot is large it’s still feminine. Finding good jogging shoes and aerobic

shoes have been difficult on a reasonable budget.

• I find it hard to find practical shoes that don’t look like they’re either for old women or

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clowns. However, certain brands are excellent at providing practical shoes for my size.

• I sometimes buy men’s shoes that are practical. As sneakers, hiking boots, regular boots for

wintertime, and jogging shoes. So I don’t feel like that is as big as an issue as finding femi-

nine everyday shoes.

• Trainers are alright in the men’s department.

• Trainers and walking shoes are possible to get, but they are often too wide for my feet.

• Klaveness have comfortable and practical shoes.

• My practical footwear I good, because I use men’s footwear

• No, I use mainly boots and steel cap shoes, or different boots and hiking shoes.

• No, I can wear men’s shoes.

• No, I just wear unisex appearing shoes.

• No, not so much. Sneakers and hiking footwear are almost unisex sometimes.

• No, practical and ugly footwear is always available in my size.

• No, then I use shoes for men which normally looks similar to those for womens, but are

available in larger sizes.

• Some times, because I have narrow feet, and the shoes are often made on men’s lasts.

• Not any longer as many retailers sell size 9’s. But I cannot get any high end designer shoes

in my size.

• Not generally.

• Not really. I’ve always found something.

• Not so much, because practical footwear often looks the same for men and women, so i

can just take the men’s shoes

• Not so much anymore, thankfully.

• Practical? No. I typically just buy the same brand of shoes now. TOMS footwear. I know

how it is going to fit. However if I am looking for shoes for work, I typically have to buy

shoes in men sizes.

• Practical footwear for me includes running shoes and cleats. While I cannot find cleats

(boots, shoes for soccer/baseball/football) in my size for women, I buy male cleats. It is an

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issue because they are constantly too wide, but I wear thicker socks. I do not have issue

with finding running shoes because I found a nearby store that goes up to size 13. The rea-

son for this is that the owner’s daughter has large feet.

• Sometimes, depends on the season and the designers.

• Use men’s sneakers and military boots almost all the time, no problem.

• Yes, see above.

• Yes. They are too wide and ugly.

• Yes. Trying to find say for instance running shoes in my size can be extremely difficult. Or

dress shoes. I have a terrible time finding shoes that for comfortably.

• Yes and no. Although I find it difficult to find trainers and running shoes in my size I have

been able to buy male shoes that fit.

Question 12: Are you happy with the selection of footwear available in your size? If not,

please explain.

• Absolutely not. Nothing to choose from.

• As mentioned under Fashionable and Practical footwear.

• As said, most of the footwear is way to narrow or small for me. I just wish for broader

shoes.

• Depends on the brand. Fashion brands tend to ignore anyone size seven to eight and then

have great things for size 9s

• I am not happy with the selection of footwear available in my size. I would like to be able to

wear shoes that I like. This includes wing-tips, leather boots, and nicer sneakers. However,

I stopped caring about style while I cared for my health issues (mainly plantar fasciitis).

• Today I am

• I don’t like men’s shoes

• In general, but it would be nice if all retailers did their whole range up to a size 9 and not

just in flats and what shoes they deem appropriate for someone with big feet.

• More shoes could have been made in a bigger size.

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• No, not cool enough.

• No. In Oslo is the Store sko is only one carry my size, but they are expensive, and they have

a small selection.

• No, usually large shoes are only on a small shelf in the shoes shop.

• No (4 respondents replied this)

• All women’s shoes are maximum 41 or 42, i’m 43-44 and most of them got really thin soles,

which i can’t use anyway.

• No, as many brands advertised at up to size 9 do not actually make certain shoes. I have

trouble finding styles outside brogues and loafers.

• No, it’s terrible to find a shoe that actually fits. All the cute ones go up to 9. Then we get left

with the boat shoes.

• No, I wish I could choose the same as size 42 or smaller.

• No, there could be more.

• no, to small variety of shoes in size 42

• No, very bad/no selection. Lucky if I find one pair that fits.

• No, would like a wider selection of fashion shoes in bigger sizes

• No. Always have to stick with Jeans and T-shirts due to lack of dress shoes.

• No. It’s impossible for a woman to find nice shoes in my size. Even on the internet!

• No. Not at all.

• The only brand of shoes that I actually enjoy buying is Vans. They are comfortable and

have a variety of sizes. A lot of places don’t seem to even care about any other sizes besides

what is average.

• No. See answer to fashionable footwear question.

• No. There is more of a selection for shoes inn sizes 6-9. It is unfortunate, but it is what it is.

There isn’t many girls my age with feet as large as mine and honestly it sucks, but there is

nothing that can be done.

• Not really, they need to supply more bigger size shoes.

• Not really. I would love more flat wear in my sizes; I’m already tall so I’d like a cute shoe

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that didn’t add any height, and for a reasonable price!

• I don’t think there is a lot to choose from, but then I don’t shoe shop that often.

• Yes (5 respondents replied this)

Question 13: Have you ever bought footwear that was too small for you? If so, why?

• As a child I probably bought footwear which was too small to fit in with the fashion.

• Had to get something nice for a party.. I ended up bare footed...

• I have never bought footwear that was too small for me at the moment of purchase in an

in-store purchase. My mum has bought too large footwear for me and when online shop-

ping, the sizing is almost constantly too small.

• i needed the shoes asap, and there was no pairs available in my size

• Yes, because there wasn’t anything in large sizes, and I don’t want to wear men’s shoes.

• Yes, especially on sale.

• Tight shoes yes, “they will always stretch a bit”.

• I did it earlier, but now? NEVER!

• Many times because I was desperate for occasion shoes, but I’ve never worn them again.

• No (6 respondents replied this)

• Occasionally, usually by mistake thinking that when the shoe stretched, it would be fine.

• Try not to do it, but sometimes I fall into temptation because they are nice.

• Slippers - just for indoor. Occasionally heels, because they only had a size smaller and there

was nowhere else that had big size shoes.

• Earlier yes, but not anymore.

• Try not to.

• Yes! If they stop on size 45, I would rather wear shoes that are too small than not wear

shoes at all.

• Yes ,- hoping some deg I can use them

• Yes, because at times that was all that was available and I suffered the blisters and pain so as

not to feel left out whilst a teenager and young woman

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• Yes, because the size that actually suited my feet looked too big and masculine

• Yes, I wanted the shoes very much, but they didn’t have it in my size. I wanted to see if I

was able to use one size smaller, but figured out after a while that I wasn’t...

• Yes. Because I had no other choice. I would be going barefoot if I did not.

• Yes. I really, really, really, loved those shoes and figured I might be able to wear them in and

make them fit. It didn’t work out. I still have them. They’re incredibly dusty.

• Yes. No other choice when growing up.

• Yes. Wanted the shoes to look smaller. Before internet stores.

• Yes because it was the biggest available

• Yes but not intentionally, I bought a pair of pumps which fitted me in the shop but after

wearing for one day, I realised that they were pinching my toes and ended up being quite

painful

• Yes I have. Cause I was in a hurry and all they had was to small of shoes.

• Yup. Because I was stupid and they were cute.

Question 14: Have you ever bought footwear that was too large for you? If so, why?

• Good shoes, cheap. And you can always put a sole in them.

• Ha ha, NO!

• I don’t usually buy footwear that is too large. I buy footwear that is too wide because it is

easier for me than trying to find a woman’s size. (I have bought men’s sizes, which are too

wide). Lengthwise, I do not believe I have ever bought footwear that is too large.

• I have because sizing has been wrong.

• I have had to buy larger boots and flip flops so they actually go onto my foot. I have wellies

which are too large if not worn with thick socks.

• Yes, because I was desperate for shoes. The heel is usually too wide.

• Yes, It is not always easy to order online.

• No (14 Respondents replied this)

• Not bought, but borrowed.

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• Only footwear for winter. I just wear them with multiple/thick socks

• to fit an insole in, sometimes i need a size up from my standard shoe size

• To fit extra pair of socks, it can turn -30 on the coldest winter days!

• When I was younger, to have a little growing room. Also for about 10 years my feet were

two different sizes, which as you can imagine, was a total annoyance.

• Yes, because it was the only one available on my budget.

• Yes, because my feet were in between two sizes.

• Yes, by mistake.

• Yes, my current boots are too large because I found a pair that they had in my size online

and I read that they fit small so I figured I would get a ten, but they actually fit like a 10, so

they are a little too big and I can’t return them because I ordered them from a website. But

they will be perfect for winter when I have to wear thick socks so it’s actually ok.

• Yes, when I order my size on the internet.

• Yes. Because they didn’t have my size and I was in need of shoes.

• yes but again not intentionally, one of my feet is slightly bigger than the other and this can

cause problems depending on where i shop

Question 15: Why do you think there is a smaller selection in bigger sized footwear?

• Because it’s harder to make a bigger shoe look dainty and pretty.

• Because most people (women) wear size 38-40.

• Because of lower demand for bigger sizes than EU 40

• Because of the earlier statistic maybe?

• Because the marked is smaller?

• Because they appear to not be in demand. And people with big feet do not generally like

shoe shopping as it is embarrassing asking for a size 9 in women’s shoes.

• Because we are not so many with big feet

• Bullying maybe?

• Companies target their main audience and forget/neglect those on the edges.

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• Customer demand.

• I have never thought about it. I think it might be because the manufacturers of fashion and

trends do not think about larger people.

• Expensive to manufacture. Quality is beaten by price.

• Fewer people. It’s a bell curve really. Most feet fall in the middle

• Fewer people have big feet then the average man and woman. Although there are more

people than earlier with bigger feet, both men and women.

• Because the shops don’t see that there is a market for it, and it isn’t profitable.

• For the same reason there is a reduced selection for larger bodied ladies... because design-

ers do not value anything outside of their idea of ‘normal’. The larger sizes in shoes sell so

fast that you have to get there as soon as a range is launched so there must be a market!

• I don’t think there is I think that more people are that size so it sells out quicker

• I think it’s because they don’t make as much money off the larger sizes.

• I think part of the issue is that the smaller sizes are the bigger sellers, and then when people

like me see a larger shoe that they love they snap it up, and they don’t make as many in our

size so by the time we get to the store our selection has been picked over, or they simply

don’t make them in our size.

• Just to be cruel..

• Less customers

• Maybe it’s the same phenomenon with clothes: Women tend to buy smaller clothes because

a) they don’t want to feel... You know, “fat” b) they sit tighter, thus looking sexier because

showing curves, maybe it’s similar with shoes, especially b)

• Money. Simply put, shoe companies are not going to waste money in a demographic that

they either believe does not exist or actually does not exist. I do not know of anyone with

larger feet than I. It might cost more than the return they get in making shoes that size.

• Probably because it doesn’t look nice. Not that many people with big feet, and therefore

they want to use the shelf space on the stock that is profitable.

• Smaller selection of people

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• We are probably outside the norm, and not that profitable.

Question 16: In your opinion, what can be done to improve the quality of the selection of

shoes available in bigger sizes?

• A second unit, for width

• The shops should stock more pairs. it is possible to get, but you have to be there early. It

seems like there is a standard quantity in each size in the stock the shops orders.

• By realising that a large amount of people actually needs size EU 40,5 and bigger, and also

by making bigger sized footwear for women still look feminine even though they are big

• Generally make more if the shoes go bigger in size - not stop at size 40-41

• Greater array of sizes, to include everybody.

• Have the shoe industry recognize that there are a lot of people out there with big feet and

small selection

• I don’t know - internet shops should be able to sell larger shoes

• I honestly do not know. I approve of the way Converse does things. They have shoes in

many sizes. Honestly, I feel like there is more to the issue than shoe stores simply not want-

ing to provide shoes to larger feet. However, they (random company) could make a line of

shoes for larger feet

• Realise how many have large feet.

• I wish I knew. I’m sorry I’m not more help with this question.

• Make a bigger selection in bigger sizes.

• Make ALL shoes in bigger sizes. Just because I have bigger feet it doesn’t mean I don’t want

to wear Kurt Geiger.

• The chain shops need to stock larger sizes, and the manufacturers in the normal price

range must produce large enough shoes.

• More awareness from fashion buyers that women with larger feet still want nice shoes. The

shops also need to realise that women with larger feet exist.

• More surveys like this

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• More variety & at reasonable prices!

• Open Your eyes, and see that 38 is not the only foot size for women

• People have big feet. If you make cute shoes, make them for the people with bigger feet,

and MAKE MORE AVAILABLE so that we all don’t have to beat each other to the punch

and try and snap up that last pair of incredibly cute shoes or boots, like it’s a race.

• Produce more and marked them.

• Manufacture all shoes in larger sizes, and allow the shops to stock one and one pair in the

larger sizes, instead of having to order whole packages of shoes in set sizes.

• Retailers need to realise that all their ranges need to be produced in a larger range of sizes

as the norm.

• Stop making them look like drag shoes or clown shoes and look at what women with larger

feet desire in shoes

• Test shoes on a large group, and make questionnaire like this

• The shops have to import more shoes in larger sizes

• They shouldn’t advertise falsely about stocked shoe sizes as this gives false hope of finding

fashionable shoes in my size. The brands which create larger shoes for girls need to become

more practical and not stock old fashioned, comfort shoes.

• Thicker soles and larger sizes is a very good start!

• If less manufacturers produces for a larger market, they could produce as many shoes in

each size. The price would go down for each pair. More styles could also be produced.

Question 17: Which brands do you prefer when you go shopping for footwear?

• No specific brand as I have to search for shoes that fit, rather than by brand.

• The brand that fits, no matter quality or price.

• I do not have any preferences, I bought whatever I think is okay. (Not much to choose

from).

• The brand that fits no matter quality or price

• Not sure, I usually just see what fits me best

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• Nike, Ecco, Asics, Vans, Tom’s, Converse, Clarks, Klaveness, Ugg’s, Adidas, Chuck Taylor,

Vagabond, Bianco, Roots, Zalando, Brandos, Lacrosse, Pleaser, Gabor, Hush Puppies, New

Look, Deichman, Office, Topshop, Puma, Rieker, Dune, Next, and Sandefjord Skofabrikk.

Question 18: Which brands do you NOT prefer when you go shopping for footwear?

• All women’s footwear

• Don’t have any brands I don’t prefer. If I find something in my size that fits, then I go for it!

• I can’t remember the name, but I went into a store and not a SINGLE PAIR OF SHOES OR

BOOTS fit me.

• I do not like online sites for larger shoes..

• I would just love a choice to choose from.

• I purchase what I can get.

• Most high street stores such as top shop, new look, h&m etc, they are bad quality, bad for

the feet, and bad design.

• Ugg, Crocs, Kurt Geiger, Carvela, New Look, Steve Madden, Topshop, H&M, and Johnny’s.

Question 19: If you were to design your dream shoe, what would it look like?

• 1 inch heel (I have big feet because I’m tall and I don’t need the extra height). I don’t know

anything about shapes or anything - when I see a shoe I love I just know.

• 7-9 CM Stileto Heel

• 50’s inspired court shoe with 5 inch slightly chunky stiletto with rounded toe and ankle

strap. Deep cushioning on the ball of the foot for comfort.

• A pair of smart but fashionable heels that are easy to walk in with arch support and cush-

ioned pads under the ball of the foot

• As long as it was fashionable and comfortable to wear all day I would be happy.

• A visually slimming (shortening?) flat that worked for business and evening wear, with

cushy support

• Boots that lace up in my size

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• Comfy and good for the foot

• I have never thought of that, but as a female farmer it would be nice with steel cap shoes or

boots that light up a bit! (Everything is black, grey, green, dark)

• Don’t know. I like all kinds of shoes...

• Nice knee high boots, with a wedge heel.

• flat boots with good heel and arch support, sturdy soles (as I wear them out fast) with good

cushioning - basically a pair of doc martins!!!

• Heel height 4-5 cm, a typical pumps heel that is a little bit thick providing support when

walking, the colour should be light grey with a toe shape something between round and

point. It should provide enough support to be able to walk around in them all day

• 5 cm heel. Smart, leather, heel and forefoot cushioning.

• High heel with arch support and soft cushions for comfortable walking

• I’m sorry, but being a lost cause I’m just happy to find something that fits and doesn’t kill

my feet. But as i said thicker soles to improve shock absorption, no more than 4-5 cm

heels, if any heels at all. cushioning in the soles and arch support sounds very nice too!

• I like it simple, so no detailed description for me. Just simple, yet modern. And COM-

FORTABLE.

• I love simple ballet flats and fortunately, they already exist. I do love so many of the design-

er shoes, like Louboutin, but can’t wear them and certainly can’t afford them. So, I’ve never

really thought about my own design.

• It would be an old fashioned brown leather brogue with thick block heels (flat). They

would not have a pointed toe as this is uncomfortable for larger feet.

• Low heels and soles.

• My dream shoe depends on the occasion. If it were a running shoe it would be grey and

yellow, with the designs of a basic running shoe. My dream casual sneakers is either a

wing-tip style shoe (for women) or a tight-fitting (narrow) blue-ish made of some sort of

canvas material. Arch support is irrelevant because of my orthotics. Toe shape: preferably

wide, my toe area in my foot is wide, heel area is narrow. The shoe would have to have laces

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if it were a sneakers because my heels are so narrow. My dream high heel would be a black

peep-toe, I suppose, of around 4 inches in heel height. It would need some cushioning and

arch support because of my inability to wear orthodics with high heels (they usually have

too narrow of a toe). The toe would be rounded for all shoes.

• My dream shoe is a type of leather boot, above the ankle, but below the knee. 2 cm heel

hight, block heel. Round toe, no particular cushion or support. Black. and about 10 cm

from the toe, there would be a round shape (similar to the toe), and the calf would be rath-

er wide. I would wear it every day!

• It would also be nice to have a nice dress shoe, but I have no idea how it should look.

• My dream shoe would look like a skate shoe. Skate shoes are the most comfortable shoes.

• I need great arch support. I love the rounded toe. No heels, want it flat. Purples , blacks or

greys. I don’t want the heel to break down when I try and put it on.

• Nice brogue in my width, padding around the arch, cushioning for all day comfort, not

too tight across the top where the laces are and not too pointy as to crush the toes. Neutral

colours to wear with all wardrobe

• Normal shoes in any way with low heels. Not only nice sandals.

• Not too high (4 cm maybe) nor narrow heel , soft leather, not too pointy, but enough space

for foot and toes, cushioning in the sole, arch support, colours monochrome (black, brown,

gray or red).

• I have never found nice leather boots with a low heel.

• Probably, a boot or a flat shoe. So, no heel, brightly coloured (for summer), fur (boots) for

winter, round toe shape, more cushioning at the heel and the toe and small arch support

especially for the inside of your foot.

• Sexy court shoes, sandals, smart shoes, and boots with stiletto heels, 3-5 cm tall.

• I want shoes with colours!!!!

Question 20: Is there anything else you want to add?

• Clothing has become better.. Why not footwear as well?

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• I’m a pretty untypical women in regards of shoes, I guess. I mostly don’t have more than

2-3 pairs of shoes.

• I’m not spending hours and hours looking though thousands of shoes like other women do

- because I know that I can’t wear any of them any ways. So I’m actually not really interest-

ed in shoes to this day.

• I felt like I wrote so much here. I added everything I can think of. Good luck!

• I think shops should stock larger quantities of bigger sized shoes.

• Sorry for my English. I wish it was better,because I want to say much more

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