The Old Women in the (Size 11) Shoe

So I bought these the other day.  I loved them with the intensity of a thousand burning suns from the minute my eyes alighted on them at Nordstroms.com until the minute I tried them on.  I lunged at the UPS man when I saw the truck pull up (who doesn't track their packages so they know the exact minute they are going to land on the doorstep?)  He, reasonably, took a double take.  It probably had nothing to do with my manically gleaming eyes and weird pajama outfit plastered with baby cereal goo. 

However, something happened in that second I tried them on.  They were a bit short.  Not squish my toes into them short but just a bit where you notice something is a little off.  Now they are sitting in the box waiting for me to make up my mind.  Do I still love them? Or am I just waiting to print out the return shipping label?  Either way, I'm not wearing them and I'm a bit depressed about it. 

I have a weird relationship with shoes.  I love shoes.  I get really giddy when I go into a shoe store, like I’m about to find a real treasure.  But more often than not I come out disappointed.  I’m a size 11. I’m lucky to even see one box that says 11 much less find that ever elusive *perfect* pair of shoes that will make me feel powerful, sophisticated and glamorous (I know it’s a tall order!).  I have, however, found some online stores that cater to the girls with big feet but who still want classy, girly shoes.  Sorry – no Crocs allowed!  

As in my Tory Burch dilemma above, the only bummer with online is that you can’t try then on.  Most online retailers, however, have really good return policies.  Zappos and Endless are the best I’ve seen so far – it’s free to ship and to return! Best deal EVER!    Here are my favs:

1.       Zappos  - Every single shoe imaginable.  Free shipping and returns! Woo-Hoo!

2.       Endless – has oodles of cute shoes for those of us with slightly larger than normal feet and also, ladies…free shipping and free returns!

3.       Long Tall Sally – stylish shoes for those with feet size 9 through 13! Wowza!  Drawbacks are they run out of sizes pretty quickly and they do charge for shipping.   I’ve been pleasantly surprised every time I’ve ordered.

4.       Barefoot Tess – I’ve personally never ordered from here but I have been tempted many times.  They carry sizes 9.5 to 15.   The prices seem a little steep but when push comes to shove and you need a size 15 I’m thinking you’ll pay a little extra.  Hmm?! 

Other brands that I love that usually make size 11’s:  

Sam Edelman – find them here, here and here (among other retailers).

Tory Burch – find her shoes here, here.  They run a tad small, as I mentioned.

Bandolino – find them here and here.  I have several pairs of their heels and can wear these ALL DAY LONG.  Perfect heel height, and padded inside foot bed.  Highly recommend!

Nine West – here.  I see Nine West in almost every shoe store I go into but can never, ever find my size.  Online is the way to go here. 

I'm sure there are more out there that I'm missing.  If you have a favorite, please fill me in! 

Happy Shoe Shopping!