Posted March 9th, 2008
CONSTANCE WHITE SHOWS TODAY SHOW VIEWERS HOW TO FIND STYLISH
SHOES FOR SPECIAL FEETNBC: Friday, March 2
Watch the clip here! http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041413/ It’s not just Carrie on “Sex
and The City” who has shoe issues. It’s a challenge for any woman - who wears more or less than
the average size 9 medium - to find stylish, comfortable footwear.
Kylie, a model-tall, Chicago high school
student with a size 13 foot, has trouble finding shoes she likes.
But with a little help and research, Kylie
doesn’t have to settle for wearing sneakers everywhere as she’s been doing. The
same goes for Amanda, who appreciates fashion’s new high boots, but says she has
“a terrible time finding boots because I have thick calves.”
Though Amanda’s calves are proportional to her
curvy, size 16 body, the lack of boots roomy enough to accommodate athletic
calves, is a common complaint among women of all sizes.
If you’re having trouble
finding shoes that fit well and look good, the first step is to check your shoe
measurements. Sounds obvious, but many women mistakenly assume they wear the
same size as they did five years ago: No wonder the shoe doesn’t fit.
Pregnancy, athletics, bunions or illness, can all alter shoe size.
Next step, surf the web. The
internet is a god-send for those with special feet. Sites like eBay have a depth and breadth of sizes that is hard to match off-line.
Nordstrom is famous among women who wear so-called “extended sizes”. Many wait
it out for the “Over and Under” sale at select Nordstroms where unusual sizes
are showcased at a discount.
Steve Madden also offers a DYO option. Short hand for design your own, this is truly fun
shopping. Choose from among 30 stylish looks including ballerinas, peep toes
and pumps. Pick a color, a trim and – a size. Medium is the only option for
width, but lengths run 4-12. Prices start at a reasonable $89.95 and the company promises to have custom shoes
delivered in three weeks.
The local shoemaker and neighborhood
drugstore are key tools to assembling a wardrobe of stylish shoes. Why? For
boots that are the height of style but too tight in the shank, have the
shoemaker insert a gusset of leather or stretch fabric into the boot. We had a
pair done for Amanda. The Bandolino boots cost $69.99 from Lane Bryant and the
gusset cost $40 for a total of $109.99. Not bad for boots that are stylish,
comfortable and can be worn for years to come.
Many people do not have feet
that are exactly the same size so even if you wear a size 5, for instance, shoes
may never fit perfectly on both feet. This is where shoe inserts or orthotics
come in. A variety of inserts are available at drugstores these days.
If you prefer shopping at
boutiques or specialty stores, Foot petals “for those who have a love/hate
relationship with our sexy shoes”, according to the company, are fancy shoe
inserts. They offer a wardrobe of options to improve a shoe’s fit. And the shoe
has to fit if so you can wear it.
SHOE RESOURCES FOR SPECIAL SIZES
Your local shoemaker for making boot shafts bigger
Payless
eBay.com
Nordstrom
Steve Madden
Naturalizer
Ferragamo (good for narrow feet)
Stuart Weitzman
Manolo Blahnik
Christian Louboutin
Footpetals
(Constance wore an orange, jersey wrap dress from Stephen Burrows on the segment.)
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