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Fashionable narrow shoes

MRL

Veteran

Once again I am frustrated in trying to buy shoes. I have narrow feet, not abnormally narrow, but I wear a AA width and have a difficult finding shoes that fit. When i search shoe sites such as Zappos the options in narrow shoes tend to either be very expensive ( Farragamo and Stuart Weitzman are not in budget) or frumpy (Easy Spirit, Clarks, etc).

Anyone have any suggestions? I would love to be able to find a pair of pretty flats for spring.

Shopping

19 replies

Latest reply was from Kristin L

Parsley

Veteran

I wish I had more solutions because I share your pain. I wear a 9.5 N and it is so hard to find shoes that fit well. I end up making do by putting in an insole or getting a 9M. Stuart Weitzman shoes are my favorite, though, so I watch for sales.

unfrumped

Veteran

Naturalizer and Lifestride sometimes have something not totally frumpy. Munro, on sale. Insoles, heel grippers, socks( for boots at least). Strap pt shoes are really hard because I have a narrow heel and " low volume " foot.

Catnip

Veteran

I have the same problem. Currently I wear size 8.5 N, and it is so difficult finding shoes. I also have very fussy feet, which makes it even harder.

I suggest looking at Munro American shoes. You can find them on Zappos and also at Nordstrom. Some of the styles are frumpy, but the Munro designs have been getting better over the past few years. I have a pair of blue suede flats with a slight wedge on order and am holding my breath that they work.

retailgirl

Veteran

I wear a 10.5 N and I feel your pain! Stuart Weizmann and ferragamo are my faves...expensive but worth it! I've had some over ten years. ( cream polish, wooden shoe trees, never wear them in bad weather. )Waiting for a sale is great but usually there is nothing left by the time things go on sale. Another, less expensive brand is Vaneli, try Marmi Shoes online. They have some style. I buy all my shoes online...I can't remember the last time I bought shoes in a store. Talbots has cute shoes and many come in narrow widths. (But they never have my size.)

dicey

On the less expensive side, I have had good luck with Trotters. Some are frumpy, but some not. I live in the Jamie pumps when I travel for work. Amazon has a good selection. Be careful that they often list the European sizes first and an SS is like a AAAA. The only time I ever got shoes that were too narrow! Scroll down the size drop down for AAs.

MRL

Veteran

Thanks,everyone. I will have to take a second look at some of the brands. I have had some luck ordering from Talbots although the selections are limited.

Freckles

Veteran

Is you heel abnormally narrow, high arches, anything else in particular about your feet?
I find the Naturalizer brand has really gone down in quality the last ten years, not a fan anymore. Naot can have cutish sandals. Think brand also, but they are built for a "German" foot so the footbed has the arch further forward and are a bit wider. Munro shoes don't tend to have arch support but their sandals can. Clarke's are wide.
I have a problem buying closed heel shoes and haven't been successful in anything but Amalfi my whole life. Haven't tried the brand since the son took over the business so no telling how they rate, they can be pricier too.

Patricia

Have you tried the Aravon brand. Some of the shoes are a plain but they do have some lovely styles and they are very comfy on the feet. I would also echo the other posts about Stuart Weitzman shoes, they fit my narrow feet well but are pricey.

Mia

Veteran

I used to buy AA width but hard to find. It seems the higher the $$ price the more likely to be narrower. But of course that is no use to the majority whose budget does not allow. I have often wondered if Italian women have fairly narrow feet as the high end brands are quite narrow.

I find Sam Edelman (ballet flats) have done the trick for my narrow heels. DKNY sometimes but I have seen them get wider and quality seems to be declining. Sigh...

MRL

Veteran

My arches are high, but my biggest problem is narrow heels. I wear boots in the winter and sandals/slingbacks in the summer but finding flats or closed heel pumps is a challenge.

Freckles

Veteran

I know the shoe store that carries the biggest selection of narrow shoes here has their sales mid season so you may find something pricier at a good price point by going in and seeing what they have. I imagine your area has more variety and specialty shops also.

Edit: My need for closed heel and toe shoes for trip to Ireland came to naught actually. I bought a pair of Ecco flats and arch supports but the heel still slips too badly and I need to wear moleskin with each and every wearing. Due to this they don't get worn. I tried on every pair of shoes, early in the season, and this one pair was the best. Do try on every pair MJ, even in the same brand different styles can have different lasts making them fit differently. In one of these specialty shops the SA's tend to really know their stuff too. Ask for one whose specialty is and describe your foot. The SA should inspect your foot before she brings you a single shoe. They will then show you what they think would fit so you are not tempted by the plethora of beautiful shoes that just won't cut it.

Suzanne (ambergreen)

Veteran

This may not help at all, but I've noticed that many vintage shoes seem to have been (custom?) made for narrow feet. People used to really take care of their shoes, so there are some remarkably well-preserved pairs out there that are high quality leather and of the kind of workmanship we don't see at reasonable price points very often anymore.

Vintage isn't everyone's style, but it could be a stone to turn.

Hmm: happen to have come across avintagesole.com, which seems to offer a decent range of narrow shoes (looks like vintage deadstock. Nice!). Not exactly "fashionable" I suppose, except where vintage is appreciated. More like quirky...

WCR

Give Delman a try - often very narrow. Elegant and classic - they won't provide the added funk to an outfit, but they fit and are very comfortable!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ugh. I feel your frustration. I do not have a narrow foot -- at least not the forefoot -- if anything, I think it's on verging on wide across my toes -- but I have a medium volume foot, high instep, and very narrow heels, and I can count on two fingers the number of pumps I've owned that actually stay on my feet (and only then with BARE feet -- never when I am wearing hose). Low vamp and even higher vamp flats and most sling backs pose similar problems.

My sole pair of pumps are Eccos -- I bought them 7 years ago and still have them and wear them. But that was a fluke -- because the other Eccos I've tried haven't worked. And I also have a pair of wedges by Vince Camuto -- those ones have elastic around the side and that's what holds them on -- as long as I'm not wearing hose.

It's probably no help, but I've essentially given up on open vamp styles. Even though they are far more flattering to my short calves. Oh, I will try them on if they appeal to me. I'll continue to keep half an eye out for styles that might work. But I won't go into it with a lot of expectation, because so far, I have always been disappointed.

Flats I don't regret all that much, because I don't really like wearing complete flats anyway. But I would like to wear a pump now and again.

My compromise this year is the Sam Edelman Okalas. That ankle strap will keep them on.

Diana (who has similar problems) found success with some Munro slipper flats. I don't know if a slipper flat is your thing, but they were a fall item so might be on sale now.

ETA: maybe my foot is narrower than I think because my favourite bootie is Stuart Weitzman. But not in a narrow width -- just in the regular B width. Such lovely shoes, though -- worth every penny.

Gigi

Veteran

All I can think of is to call Nordie's and speak with an SA and ask which lines or shoes run narrow. I bought some Vince Camuto booties ("Vive") this past year from Nordie's, and they are quite narrow. The narrowness was even noted by Nordie's on their website. So the SAs do pay attention to how different shoes run.

Anonymous

My feet are also pretty narrow, although I can get away with normal widths (maybe I shouldn't, but I'm a size 5 or 5.5, so I'd have pretty much nothing to choose from if I looked only for shoes that came in narrow). I second the recommendation for Sam Edelman flats. Banana Republic flats also seem to run pretty narrow. I also seem to remember that I sometimes see Nine West styles that come in narrow online.

deb

Veteran

Talbot's has narrow shoes online. I have been getting them there for years, Watch their sale and clearance sections because you can get some very good deals there.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I don't have narrow feet, but have found Pedro Gracia and Phillip Lim 3.1 shoes way too narrow for me.

Kristin L

Veteran

I feel your pain. I'm not a true narrow, but my feet run that way. It takes some looking, but I've found some cute Clarks and Borns that didn't look frumpy. Granted, they are few and far between.