For those of us with gorgeous feet, size 40 and up, finding a shoe that fits has, in the past, meant settling for what was available. In 2021, fashionable shoppers are starting to make noise. As a shoe size 42, finding the best footwear required extensive planning, like customizing existing options or ordering from shoemakers to stretch archived Alaïa that eventually ended up on TheRealReal. According to models and stylists in the industry, it’s not easier to be a star: “When I started modeling, I thought to myself, ‘I’m finally going to be among other amazing women. tall, and I’m sure that means most of them will have big feet like me! New York model Alexis Ruby remembers, who found out that was not the case. She describes trying on shoes during filming: “It’s always: ‘Are you sure this doesn’t go any further?’ and never “Let me find you a size bigger.” “
It’s an attitude that can leave a mark in a number of ways. “I still have scars from my first season of fashion shows,” says Hamburg model Sophia Ahrens. At work, “my feet were always too big,” and although she notes that putting on sample shoes was always “a real struggle,” taking them off was even more dramatic. “There were a few times when people literally pulled the shoe out while I was standing on a chair to take them off.” IRL, she’s always looking for the perfect heel, not the basic one. New York stylist Donte McGuine, often seen working (or just lounging) with the cast of Gossip Girl, also likes high proportions. “As a curious, locked up young gay boy, I admired my mother’s heels, and when she wasn’t home, I would walk into her room and close the door,” McGuine recalls. “I would force my wide, athletic teenage foot into the front of the shoe, letting the rest hang on for life.” Now he has found options (below) that work for an 11 year old male.
“Just like wearing a larger dress, it’s a constant compromise between what you want and what your options really are,” says Manhattan-based model Georgia Pratt Holber, who is launching fluid-sized clothing via Hilda Ereaut this fall. “My shoe size has always affected this part of my personal life.” She says heels are often boring, that vintage women’s options are almost completely excluded (“I spent hours on eBay to find a few needles in the haystack”), and that you have to get creative. during the purchase. “For work, I definitely missed jobs because my shoe size is a problem! She said, noting that she’s often stuck in what’s available. London model Jess Cole agrees: “Not being able to find suitable shoes has been a problem,” says Cole. “I wrote an editorial about my experiences for British Vmouth a few years ago, highlighting the problem, ”she said, noting that although she has seen the clothing size of the fashion world has become more inclusive, shoes are slowly changing. While shopping recently, Cole encountered several stores that did not carry above a US size 9. have feet that are proportionate to my height, ”she says. Plus, can’t a baby have a chance to express himself? “Why is freedom of expression, comfort and choice of style only limited to a certain number of sizes? Cole asks, and logically.
Until the industry as a whole started to ride the inclusive-size footwear wave, we’ve rounded up a range of pairs, from edgy heels to casual flats and comfy slippers, leading the way.
When Pratt buys heels, the options “quickly boil down to a black strappy stiletto heel once you go over a size 11”, and that’s not his style. Fortunately, Mach & Mach’s dream collection of beaded strappy PVC crystal options brings more than boring basics to the table in sizes up to 42.
One of the many reasons that Miuccia Prada shoes are so popular is that the house has long offered sizes beyond size 40 and even 41. Think of it as a first stop for crystal heels and Distraught– Patent worthy Mary Janes.
“Not only are Ugg shoes comfortable, they have extended sizes,” McGuine says of his all-round options (including the latest Telfar drop). “Working once on set with basketball legend Dennis Rodman, he needed a size 14 shoe. Ugg provided several styles in a size 14. It was amazing.”
While McGuine loves Rick Owens’ cult platform Chelsea boots, he admits he “feels like he’s stepping on stilts.” Still, the brand “just expanded the sizing on this year’s drop,” which includes a Birkenstock collaboration that offers a more grounded option.
Right now, Gucci’s classic leather heels go up to a size 42. In the future, one would expect Alessandro Michele’s push for free speech to create more offers. more extensive.
Note that the larger sizes of JW Anderson’s lace-up ballet flats and chain-embellished slippers are selling fast on platforms like Net-a-Porter and Ssense. Based on our experts’ search for originality, it’s a simple calculation.
