My Man Shoes

Dear Friends,
In the coming weeks, as the weather gets colder, you are going to see me sporting these "lovely" MAN SHOES. That's right.... Men's Asics size 8.5. I know you'll be jealous, but please keep your comments to yourself. It's a sensitive topic for me. The really sad part of the whole thing is that I LOVE these man shoes because they actually fit and feel good on my feet. And I have my fabulous sister-in-law Susan to thank. When I mentioned to her that I'm having a terrible time finding shoes that fit, she suggested I try men's sizes. Duh!!! AND.... she told me about a great sale that was going on and she drove me to the store and helped me find the perfect pair. I was outlandishly thrilled to find these man shoes and get a good deal on them as well. So, it's man shoes for me this season. No cute pink stripes or glittery embellishments. But they fit. Thank you for your understanding and for keeping any rude remarks to a minimum.
Sincerely,
Katie

Dear Shoe Manufacturers,

My name is Katie and I used to be one of your best and happiest customers. Size 9. Narrow heel.... not usually much of a problem. I really enjoyed buying and wearing shoes of many different types and styles. I looked for bargains, but paid big bucks for pairs that I really liked. My closet was stocked with so many cute shoes, different colors and styles just right for every occasion.

But, alas, those days have passed. EVERYTHING has changed since I had children, including my feet. You see, my heels are still narrow. But the front of my foot mysteriously widened. No more size nine. Now it's 9.5 or 10. If I buy wide size, I walk right out of them. If I buy narrow or regular, my toes are pinched. I love my children dearly, but nobody ever warned me about this side effect!

I have tried on 8,475,243 pairs of shoes in the past six years and about 17 of those have fit fairly well. Four or five pairs have actually been comfortable. I have walked past shoe displays and actually cried real tears as I longed to wear the latest styles. Although I am a stay-at-home mom, I do occasionally get to go out to places other than playgrounds and grocery stores. And when I do, I like to wear shoes that match my outfit or at least look ok with nice(r) clothes. When I do try to wear such shoes, I pay for it for days with foot and ankle pain.

Dress shoes and athletic shoes are really tough to find. A few years ago I went to a big name athletic shoe store and the associate tried just about every pair in the store on me. I ended up paying BIG bucks for a pair that fit "pretty well." Well, those shoes have reached retirement age and I was pretty stumped about how I would find a better fitting pair. Then, my brilliant sister-in-law made a crazy suggestion. She said, "Have you tried men's shoes?" My response: "Ugh! Ugly! No way.... Ok, let's try it." We went to the mall. The FIRST pair I tried on fit me so great! I literally danced in the store. So now I'm strutting around in men's shoes, but my feet are happy.

It seems to me that I can't be the only one in this predicament. I am not a business-minded person, but I can't help but think that you could be making a LOT more money if you made shoes that actually fit weird-footed women like me. I would be so much happier - and would pay more money - if I could find a cute feminine pair of shoes that felt good. It seems to me that you could just take the same pattern you use to make the men's shoes, but throw on some pink stripes and perhaps some glitter or sequins and mark them for women. That would be awesome!

An entire line of wide-footed, narrow-heeled shoes would be a dream come true!  Please let me know if you can make that happen. I'm sure my husband will gladly raise my shoe budget, just so he won't hear me whine and complain about my feet. I'd be happy to serve as the line's spokesperson, model, or infomercial personality.

Thanks so much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Katie