Shoe recommendations for a narrow, fussy foot?

Kristin L

Thanks again everyone for the opinions and recommendations on the Sperry Top-siders. I got them and they didn't fit. :(. I'm use to shoes not fitting my high arch, but the normal width was too wide. I bought an 8 and last night tried on a 7.5 in the same style but with was too short. This style doesn't come in narrow and the one that does won't work for me.

Does anyone have a shoe recommendation for a narrow, fussy foot? I'm trying to find a closed to shoe that is comfortable to wear all day if I'm on my feet. I'd like to find one that could be at least a a three season shoe, but that may be asking a bit much.I'd rather not pay more than $70, but I can go a bit higher if I need to.

Thanks!

11 years ago

Shopping

17 replies

Latest reply was from Joy

Parsley

Veteran

Having narrow feet sure does make finding shoes difficult, doesn't it?
Sadly, most shoes that come in narrows are not budget-priced at all.

I've had good luck with Munro, Stuart Weitzman, and Cole Haan for narrow shoes, but none of those are in your price range, unless you are lucky enough to find them on sale.

Good luck!

11 years ago

deb

Veteran

Look at the narrow shoes on the Talbot's site. I also have a narrow foot and have been ordering my shoes from them for years. They also have great sales. On the pointy toe shoes I usually size up and they fit perfect. Check out their sale pages also.

http://www.talbots.com/online/.....rOverride=

11 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

In the moderate price range for long work days, with trousers, I have had luck with Clarks and Naturalizer and Lifestride, which come in N size. Different styles of slip-ons and shootie-type shoes

Recently bought Munro short boots which are nice and sleeker. Munro carries large range of widths and run narrow even in medium, which I needed due to bunion issue,

11 years ago

Missey

Veteran

I have had good luck with Ecco booties(check out 6pm.com), Frye shoes, Naturalizer, and Clarks. I have a narrow foot with high arch as well, I don't often by specifically narrow shoes, but I do but shoes with a narrower fit. Also, land's End makes their shoes in narrow sizing. Good luck!

11 years ago

Kristin L

Veteran

Thanks Parsley, deb, unfrumped and Missey.

Parsely - I had a feeling that the shoes that would work best would be out of my price range. I'll have to watch for them to pop up on sale.

11 years ago

IdaLu

(website)

Active Member

I also have very fussy feet that used to be extremely narrow. Munros did fit me best, and I invested in a closet full of them. Now I have the beginning of a tailor's bunion and my feet have widened some, so I'm having ALL of them stretched A LOT. Also, Keds come in slim and run only about $30.00. THey're apparently VERY fashionable right now, because my college age daughter bought herself a pair! It's deja vu for me because I wore them tons about 20 years ago!

11 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

They're not inexpensive, but Pikolinos are very, very comfy and worked well on my narrow feet. They also last forever -- I only got rid of mine because my style changed -- they were years old and still looked great. Maybe you can find them on eBay, or an online sale?

11 years ago

IdaLu

(website)

Active Member

I'm glad you mentioned Pikolinos, Janet. I've wondered about them before.

11 years ago

Freckles

Veteran

Are you a AA? Are your heels thin or normal for the width?

11 years ago

Kristin L

Veteran

@Freckles - I'm not sure if I'm AA or not. My heels are thin.

11 years ago

Freckles

Veteran

Kristin I'd suggest going to a brick and mortar shoe store and getting your feet measured. Get them to measure your heel width too. For a AA shoe, the heel width should be 4A, if it is more than that you probably have problems keeping them on or blistering. If you are an A width, you may also be able to wear a AA only half size larger. Usually shoes marked as N are not quite an A.

11 years ago

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I am not sure how narrow your feet are, but I have narrow feet, narrow heels and a high arch, and find that Ecco shoes and boots fit me quite well. I have ended up having to size down a tiny bit in the Ecco brand (well, the Euro sizing is also a bit confusing). I used to always wear a US size 8 in women's shoes, sometimes "N" or "AA" if necessary, and if I could get them. In an Ecco shoe, I take the Euro size 38, which I think corresponds to a 7-7.5 or thereabouts, according to their size charts - thing is? Most shoe stores measure my feet at a size 8. Just something to keep in mind if you do try some Eccos on.

I think they are cut larger in terms of length, but are particularly suited to narrower heels, and seem to have good arch support for those with higher arches. Something to try on in-store when you get a chance, and then stalk the sales.

I don't always need to look for a shoe that specifically comes in narrow widths - more often than not, I end up buying brands that seem to work on my narrower feet (eg. Ecco, some Clarks and so on).

What style of shoe/boot are you looking for this time around?

editing to add: I would get yourself to a dept. store or brick and mortar store with lots and lots of shoes to try on, and try on a whole bunch, without worrying about the price tag just yet. The idea is to get a list going of which brands fit you well and in what size. That way, when a good sale does pop up (online or otherwise) you'll be able to pounce on it without worrying about how it fits. I was dealing with 'fussy foot factor' myself awhile back and had no idea which brands fit me best, so I went trying on all kinds of things, while taking notes.

Hate to say it, but you'll end up discovering that certain brands just won't work at all, no matter what size they are, narrow or not. Some will fit better in a slightly smaller size, and some will work better in a half size larger. I ended up with a little list in my purse that listed the brands that fit, and in what size. Sounds crazy, but I can wear three sizes (7, 7.5 and 8). All depends on the brand and fit.

What do you think of going on a shoe-trying-on expedition - just for fact-finding?

11 years ago

Freckles

Veteran

One more thing. If your heels are narrow your socks might be too big making your heel feel as though it is slipping out of the boot, etc when you wear socks. You might want to try buying a pair one size smaller. I find this especially with wool or cashmere since they are such a soft slouchy fabric.

11 years ago

Kristin L

Veteran

Thanks for the advice.

@Freckles - The kicker will be getting on the the SA to actually talk to me. I live in a college town and most SA don't seem happy to help.

@velvetlychocolate - I'm looking for a three season closed toe shoe that it comfortable enough to be able to walk around in all day. And preferably a shoe that doesn't look old enough that I'd see my mom or grandmother wear. That seems to be the hardest part. The shoes fit what I'm looking for look too mature for how I want to look. I'll start trying the brick-and-mortar stores.

11 years ago

Anonymous

I too have narrow fussy feet. I just bought walking cradles from zappos.

http://www.zappos.com/walking-.....nt-leather

I usually wear a size 7.5-8. The 8 narrow's in these are too long, but oh my goodness are they ever comfortable. I found some on amazon too but some of the reviews werent very good so I think they might be seconds. These shoes were $130 so higher than you want but you never know you might be able to find them elsewhere. I am not sure if I would wear a long skirt with them but would wear shorter skirts, jeans, and capris. They do make my feet look bigger than they are but that might be because they are 1/2 size too big. I just ordered the smaller size so I hope they work out.

I tried the narrow Sperry Top Siders and they hit my ankle bone in a weird spot.

Next I tried trotters:

http://www.zappos.com/trotters.....ure-silver

8 N fit awesome. I think I like them but they just seem so heavy and stiff. I don't think I am keeping them.

My favorite pair of boots are Born. It seems like that brand is made either really wide or narrow.

FYI - I have tried on 2 pairs of $300 shoes and they were not comfortable at all. Stuart Weizmann and I can't remember the other pair. I thought I was missing out because I needed to spend more money but that was not the case.

11 years ago

maryshoe

Member

The last – the mold used in manufacturing that shapes the shoe – is the key to an excellent fit for women with narrow feet. A narrow last caters to slim feet, ensuring a snug and comfortable fit.

8 months ago

Joy

Veteran

I used to have AA narrow feet until pregnancy with big babies changed my foot size. Nordstrom shoe salesmen measure that they are still narrow and suggest inserts or risers to fill the gap. They are right but that is a lot of work. I regularly use inserts to even out the size of my feet. The right foot is 1/2 to a whole size smaller than the left. I buy to fit the left then pad the right shoe to fit.
I recommend Volconics as narrow shoes that work for both feet. I have their slippers and would buy them again. They look like suede loafers lined with fleece. That way they fit both feet.

8 months ago

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