Hi folks, After Angie’s post on SoleBliss and Calla, I am giving these brands a try. I have always had wide feet, but in middle age I now have a (small) bunion on one foot that puts me mostly in the WW or EE rather than W or D range. It’s become harder and harder to find stylish shoes that fit. Munro and Easy Spirit are two of the only brands that work at all. Boots and booties, a fall and winter staple, have been especially difficult.

I pre-ordered some new fall items from Calla and will report on them once they arrive. For now, this is about SoleBliss. Unfortunately, the report is not a good one. I had some suspicions about SoleBliss because I wrote them asking if their shoes would fit my feet at 4 inches across at widest point. Their answer went on about their fabulous “deep” toe box which I found odd—it’s not like my feet can fold up like an accordion and be accommodated by depth! But they have shoes and boots they call Extra Wide that they claim will fit wide feet with bunions. Some are quite attractive, though a bit less so in person (and these shoes are pricey). I was so excited by these Roxy white boots as it is almost impossible to find wide-fitting white boots. Despite being called “ivory,” and looking ivory on the site, they are more of a light pink. But more concerningly, neither they nor the Tilly black suede were actually “extra wide.” This was obvious immediately looking at them, and they were painful on my feet. So back they go, alas!

Now, Calla has an actual foot measurement guide and according to it, I am a mere wide in their eyes and not even an extra wide. So I am trying a few of their styles and as I say, will report back! Wish me luck. Their shoes are not cheap either, but if they are really well-fitting and stylish I will be thrilled. More soon!