topic Re: Why, why, why? in Shoes

Why, why, why?

this is my nic — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 20:39:37 GMT

I tuned into the Fly London show hoping to find a pair of sandals. Once again, NO NARROW widths! I looked at QVC on-line and searched for sizes. They have medium and wide widths only. Really? Are there more women with wide feet than narrow? I'd thought there was a more or less equal number.

The town I grew up in had a population of less than 10,000. We had a very nice department store which sold narrow width shoes in addition to the other widths. If they were able to sell those shoes, surely QVC can do so.

I am going to check other retailers to see if they sell this brand with narrow widths.

Re: Why, why, why?

Foxxee — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 20:58:12 GMT

@this is my nic

Welcome to the narrow club. Evidently, most women in the U.S. have medium and wide feet.

QVC does carry a few narrow styles, but I found the heels are too wide.

A few of Fly London's Softinos run a little narrow.

If you have narrow heels too, look for shoes made in Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal.

Re: Why, why, why?

this is my nic — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 21:06:51 GMT

@Foxxee

I am shocked that there are evidently so few of us with narrow feet! As I stated previously, the dept. store in my small hometown sold narrow shoes so evidently there were enough women who needed that width. Now, a big company like QVC can't sell them.

BTW, I checked other shoe retailers for Fly London and Fly Flot and there were no narrow widths. I need to wear socks with medium width shoes! Not always a good look!

Re: Why, why, why?

KentuckyWoman — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 21:19:52 GMT

I feel your pain. It used to be you could walk into any shoe store or department store and find plenty of narrow width shoes. I have no idea what happened. If you go shoe shopping these days and tell them you need a narrow width, they look at you like you are a freak of nature. I know lots of women who have narrow feet. Narrow now days is a 2AA. I can remember they used to offer 3AA and 4AA narrow widths. It is frustrating. I don't think manufacturers even know or care that there are those of us who struggle to find fashionable shoes in narrow widths.

Re: Why, why, why?

Foxxee — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 22:28:25 GMT

@this is my nic

I think it has a lot to do with weight gain. We are a heavier country. Most people's feet get wider when they gain weight. I hear many requests for wides when at one time that was rare.

I read women's average dress size recently changed from 12 to 14. Average height 5'4".

Some of it could also be, as we age, our arches fall causing flat feet that not only causes lengthing of the foot, it might widen them, too. We have a lot of aging baby boomers, but I am one of them and while my foot size has increased, the width stays the same.

QVC introduced a new brand recently that came in narrow. During it's initial presentation, most of the narrow sizes sold out. So, there are women with narrow feet who watch QVC.

Re: Why, why, why?

Kachina624 — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 22:13:12 GMT

@KentuckyWoman wrote:
I feel your pain. It used to be you could walk into any shoe store or department store and find plenty of narrow width shoes. I have no idea what happened. If you go shoe shopping these days and tell them you need a narrow width, they look at you like you are a freak of nature. I know lots of women who have narrow feet. Narrow now days is a 2AA. I can remember they used to offer 3AA and 4AA narrow widths. It is frustrating. I don't think manufacturers even know or care that there are those of us who struggle to find fashionable shoes in narrow widths.

@KentuckyWoman. I have to disagree. For years I wore a AA width and had a terrible time finding shoes and I lived in Houston, a large city. The was one small shoe store that sold them and I ordered a lot from Massey's, a catalog. The department stores, namely Dillard's and Foley's in those days, never carried narrow widths.

It was a happy day when my feet flattened out and I "graduated" to a B or medium width.

Re: Why, why, why?

this is my nic — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 22:28:19 GMT

@Foxxee

Foxxee, do you recall the name of that brand?

Thanks!

Re: Why, why, why?

Foxxee — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 22:29:50 GMT

@this is my nic

I can't and it's driving me nuts. I have been looking to tell you the name. If I find it will let you know.

Re: Why, why, why?

Grouchomarx — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 22:32:05 GMT

It’s kind of how I felt several years ago when I went to my local Lord & Taylor and suddenly could not find the petite department, which I shopped in frequently. When I asked a sales associate she told me it’s gone, they removed it. They expanded the plus size department, taking over where petites used to be so it was gigantic. I guess the world is catering to bigger not smaller, for both clothes and shoes.

Re: Why, why, why?

Foxxee — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 00:23:31 GMT

@this is my nic

I am unable to find that shoe. I know it was a line QVC never carried before. A flat like loafer, a little over $100. It might have been only one style offered as a test and sold out. Very nice shoe.

Looked on HSN, too, to make sure I had the right retailer. No luck there.

Zappos online sells narrow (AA).

FitFlop's ballet sneakers fit me pretty well...had to go down 1/2 size. They run on the narrow side. HSN sells them.

If you see shoes you like, read the reviews. If most say the shoes run narrow, you could try them.

I think Clarks has a few styles in narrows.

Others to look into that make narrows. Vanelli, Amalfi, Sesto Meucci, Via Spiga, Cole Haan, Naturalizer, Pikolino. QVC sells Vanelli and Pikolino, but not in narrow.

Look on ebay for brand new narrows at low prices. Make sure the seller accepts returns. Ask the seller to measure the outside sole from heel to toe and the width at the widest part. Compare to your foot size (measure standing on a ruler) taking into consideration the outside sole measures a bit larger than your foot. This way you will know the shoes are not sized wrong.

All of the narrows out there need to hound QVC and HSN to carry more.

Re: Why, why, why?

Desertdi — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 08:56:41 GMT

Have you looked at Zappo's and other on-line retailers?

Re: Why, why, why?

KentuckyWoman — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 17:39:51 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@KentuckyWoman wrote:
I feel your pain. It used to be you could walk into any shoe store or department store and find plenty of narrow width shoes. I have no idea what happened. If you go shoe shopping these days and tell them you need a narrow width, they look at you like you are a freak of nature. I know lots of women who have narrow feet. Narrow now days is a 2AA. I can remember they used to offer 3AA and 4AA narrow widths. It is frustrating. I don't think manufacturers even know or care that there are those of us who struggle to find fashionable shoes in narrow widths.
@KentuckyWoman. I have to disagree. For years I wore a AA width and had a terrible time finding shoes and I lived in Houston, a large city. The was one small shoe store that sold them and I ordered a lot from Massey's, a catalog. The department stores, namely Dillard's and Foley's in those days, never carried narrow widths.

It was a happy day when my feet flattened out and I "graduated" to a B or medium width.

We had no problem when I was growing up. There were many shoe stores in the downtown shopping area and they all carried narrow widths. Those stores went out of business years ago when they started building malls. Our local Dillard's used to carry narrow widths but no more. I have to purchase from MarylandSquare, Naturalizer Online, or Zappos. They all have limited narrow widths and not really all that fashionable. My narrow foot and high arch haven't changed all that much. I simply can't wear a meduim width.

Re: Why, why, why?

chrystaltree — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 18:48:47 GMT

QVC isn't a store in a small town, QVC sells nationally and I'm sure that the number of women who wear W widths greatly out numbers N widths. I get several shoe catalogs and there are lots of W widths offered but not nearly as many N's. That can only mean the demand is not there. Having said that, yes indeed. Check online to see if the Fly London does offer the same shoes in N on their own site or elsewhere. I wear a W and I've done that and found what I was looking for.

Re: Why, why, why?

sunshine 919 — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 23:05:40 GMT

I usually look at reviews and see which shoe runs narrow. I just received the Yuna and it does run narrow. I am not sure why there are not more choices for narrow feet.

Re: Why, why, why?

this is my nic — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 00:19:53 GMT

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I used to find lots of narrow shoes at Talbots, now they just have a few.