Lymphedema in both feet

Dear Shoe Lady,

I have lymphedema in both feet ,ankles,legs. I have a very real need for width measuring information. not just the ball of the foot but the arch as well. ironically my toes and heels are not affected
and are 'normal'. arch height is not the issue it's the height from floor over top of foot to floor. right now I make moccasins and measure this way [traditional] but mocs don't do well in wet or cold
weather or for dressy occasions!
The site is good for what is in it, but more measuring information in this area would of great help to me and others like me.
thank you

P

Dear Ms. P,

Thanks for your feedback!  There are 28 different "fit" points on a shoe and given the different shapes of feet and different styles .... multiplied by the average of about 50 sizes for each shoe style... well you see our problem.  We do as much as we can to inform customers about how to pick the best shoes for their feet.  I, your humble Shoe Lady, have thicker feet, floor to top of foot, and find it helps to think of shoes not as length and width, but as volume.  So I sometimes need to buy sizes a little wider than my width measurement suggests just so there's room for the thickness or top-to-bottom height. 

 

Please do take a look at the information in our "About Sizes" section on the lower right part of the DesignerShoes.com home page.

Sincerely,

The Shoe Lady

Dear Lady,

Thank you for answering me. I do understand fit points.you should see my closet floor! lol  The collection is a study in width.
I thought I would get XW but I needed more reference for how wide is XW. it's just a number. so even a ball park measure would help. imagine trying to buy a dress and having no idea what a size 2 vs 22 is.
at least if there was a number attached to the shoe you could measure and have an idea of where it is going.
I guess I will have to go to a shoe store with one of those measuring things and see what I get.  or a thrift store for a pair that are close to fitting me-I have no idea anymore if I wear an 8,8.5 or? even if it is a XW. yes I am taking a can of lysol eeewwww but desperate times make people do desperate things.
Thanks again.
p

My Dear Ms. P,

Go to a shoe store that uses a Brannock device (that stick thing) but the width information still may not help much.  Be sure to read our articles on measuring your feet and on Wide feet on our website.

Part of the problem:  your toes could be disproportionately short or long and because true fit goes from heel to ball, not toe, that throws you off when you measure your shoe size from heel to toe.  Another part of the problem:  some vendors make shoes wider by adding extra material on top and some by cutting the sole wider.  And yet ANOTHER part of the problem:  no vendor makes the width adjustment for every single half size.... they add width maybe every size or size and a half.  But you never know when on their size scale the shoe will get wider! 

I have learned to prefer shoes slightly longer or wider that stay on my feet because of slightly modified versions of the "Mary Jane" style strap.

According to our shoe size chart, a woman's size 8.5 could be 3.3 inches (8.3 cm.) wide for a narrow shoe to 4.4 inches (11.1 cm.) wide for an extra wide shoe.  And the wider it is, the more room it will offer for feet that are thicker from top to bottom.

You also might want to find a good shoe repair shop that can give you a little extra width by stretching the shoes.  This is done with a chemical relaxant on the leather and then placing the shoes on a mold for about 24 hours to widen them.

May you walk in comfort,

The Shoe Lady

Comments

[Hendrick Brun Womens Shoes]

Widening the shoes are a great option but remember they should be 100% leather shoes. If only the upper is leather and the lining is PU or manmade material you may run the risk of damaging the shoes