There seems to be a new trend underway… or maybe it’s a more prominent trend because of fashion blogging shares with us things we’d never have seen otherwise.
The trend?
The too small shoe.
The culprits?
All images via Jak and Jill
Perhaps the worst offender….
There are many things that shock me about these images:
- How horribly misguided women can be about shoes
- What slaves we are to fashion that we would spend such ungodly amounts of money on shoes that don’t even fit us well, or at all
- The lengths and pains we’ll put ourselves through for fashion
To be honest, I know that many women do stupid things for a great pair of shoes.
It’s also doubtful that there is any pair of shoe that perfectly fits one woman, let alone millions. This is probably why, along with bras, shoes are the places where most women are wearing the wrong size. Knowing how to buy for a general fit comes in handy, along with acquainting yourself with your new best friend– a cobbler.
My feet are wide, and it’s not uncommon for most shoes to be a bit narrow. This is an easy (and cheap!) fix with a leather shoe & stretching kit. Princess Poochie has teacup sized feet– but the right inserts and padding can make a shoe a half sized too big (or too wide) a perfect fit.
The first two women could have stood to go up a half size in their shoe. The last one? Where do we begin? A full size up (how painful her twisted toes must feel!) and a bit of stretching could have made it so her feet weren’t sausages squished in a casing….
What’s with this exercise in vanity? Is a beautiful pair of shoes really worth it (whatever “it” may be)?
Lesson Learned? Even the most beautiful shoes can be ruined when they don’t fit right. Do your feet & the shoe a favor, check your ego & vanity at the door, and buy the right size.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
That first picture looks like the shoes are just too high for her and she’s slipping forward too much, she needs pads to keep her in her shoes.
That might be wrong, but the back of the shoes don’t look filled in at all.
.-= Ms Constantine´s last blog ..Musings On Life In The Noughties =-.
Ms C, I totally agree about the first pair! It seems like the back is cut oddly so it can’t fill out– and she should have definitely tightened those straps, added a pad, SOMETHING to keep her feet from pushing forward… as a result, they just look way too small!
Those last ones are ridiculous!
I’ve had a similar toe slippage problem with super high peep toe shoes. My shoe repair man carries these German shoe pads that go under the ball of your feet. They have been a life saver and really stay in place!
They’re the 3rd ones down with the leather and latex foam cushion. Kinda hard to find.
http://www.web126252.clarahost.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2etheshoelace%2eco%2euk%2facatalog%2fFoot_Comfort%2ehtml&WD=foot%20ball%20cushion&PN=Foot_Comfort%2ehtml%23a6117#a6117
.-= Lara´s last blog ..Fold-over =-.
omg, those pictures make me want to gag!!!! but of course, you know that ;)
i do NOT get wearing too small shoes! i mean, i wear uncomfortable shoes for an hour and i want to not stand up or walk around for days afterwards. i can’t imagine walking around like this – i don’t care how “great” they look, no pair of shoes is worth any amount of pain. but then again, i’m an old lady who lives in her mephisto sandals LOLOL
I do have a few shoes that are too big in the back but I hate when you slip forward and get crunhed! Give them back to someone who knows how to wear them properly!
.-= Princess Poochie´s last blog ..Hey, Sparkler! What’s So Great About You? =-.
I swear that a pair of shoes I got last month fit me perfectly at the time and now they’ve grown a size! Ugh. I’m going to put pads in them and see if that helps. :-(
.-= WendyB´s last blog ..Francis for All Ages =-.
I’m totally with you! (as you know, since we discussed this on Twitter earlier…)
I just can’t fathom spending ungodly amounts on shoes (seeing that they’re all from Jak & Jil, I’m going to take a guess and say they’re all $500+…at least) only to have them do that to your feet. The one reason I will shell out for high quality shoes is because they’re usually infinitely more comfortable than cheap shoes. If I wanted a pair of shoes that looked cute and totally mangled my feet, I’d shop at Payless, thanks!
I wish I could find those German shoe pads near me! Ball of foot pads are always a lifesaver. I might have to call around to some cobblers and see if they have ‘em…
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..New items in the shop! =-.
***(Hiding in a corner)*** I’ve actually bought shoes that were too small cause “I had to have them” or they were on sale (oh the shame!) but I never wore them more than once cause my feet couldn’t take it. I’ve stopped buying small shoes, but I may be tempted for shoes as beauiful as those….
I just proved your point, women will do the most ridiculous things for fashion…
.-= Stylish Thought´s last blog ..Christopher Kane for Topshop =-.
So glad I didn’t buy those PLVs too large – you talked me out of spending unnecessary money!
Those second ones are a bit much for me.
.-= Alicia´s last blog ..Birds in Silver Jackets =-.
Eek ! These are terrible! The shoes are great but how painful !! I have tried to wear shoes that are too small before and it’s just not worth it!
.-= anthea´s last blog ..Spend on Trend! =-.
Oh I love this post. You say it well!
.-= Mary P.´s last blog ..I need your opinion, pretty please =-.
Ugh there’s nothing worse than the feeling of wearing shoes that don’t fit properly. I tend to have a problem with the backs of my shoes slipping off narrow heels, so I buy heel inserts all the time. They work like a charm.
I don’t get the toe overflow for street shoes, but for ballroom dance shoes it’s actually deemed acceptable. I’ve had dance shop staff advise me to go down half a size sometimes because my toes perfectly lined up with the toe box of the shoe.
.-= lisa´s last blog ..F21 Finds From San Francisco =-.
ooh i think women have done this since the beginning of shoe sizes… cinderella syndrome…like small feet are beautiful….
now thanks to technology we have the abliliy to see it up close and personal. now that’s what i call progress!
.-= jennine´s last blog ..What’s your thrifting strategy? =-.
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