a few questions about feet size in mtf transition

[Ataraxia]

Hi all.

I just had a few questions about this. I know that as transgender women, we're prone to having larger feet than your average female. I myself wear a size 11.5 (US) womens, but can squeeze into an 11 and sometimes a 10. So a few questions I had about this:

• Is it ever an issue when it comes to passing? When you're at a shoe store, for example, and the attendant is helping you pick the right size. Do they ever say "are you a man?" or something like that?
• What stores do you shop at to get nice shoes your size? I have a very hard time finding places that sell shoes big enough for me and when they do, they're either sold out, or they don't have as good a variety.
• I've heard some people say that they may go down a size after HRT. Is this true? How is it possible??

[suzifrommd]

I'm a woman's 12.

Impossible to find shoes. Only one shoe store in our area has a selection of shoes in my size, and their shoes are pretty low quality (but cheap, so perhaps shouldn't complain).

The store is called Payless. No sure where you are, so don't know whether they would be there.

I've also been known to shop at Nordstrom, which does not have a great selection of 12s but has salesfolk who will find them for you and bring them out to try on. They're awfully, pricey, though.

Never had passing issues related to my feet. People don't gender people by their feet. Chest, hair, face, build, walk, voice, but I've never heard of someone gendering someone based on their feet.

I've heard the connective tissue in your feet (and there is a lot of it there) can lose volume as a result of lower androgen levels. Therefore it is possible that your feet could get smaller. Never seen a study, though.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

I have never had problems with sales people.  I wear an 11-12.  I can get some shoes at Walmart of all places.  Payless has larger sizes.  I have heard the going down a size, but I think that is a myth.

[Carrie Liz]

Yup... no problems for me either. I walked into the store, they asked me what size I was and what I was looking for, led me down the aisle to where everything was, gave me a sales pitch for the sales and the particular brands that they recommended, and that was it. No questions, just helpfulness.

[Jenna Marie]

I've never had a problem with shoe size "outing" me, and I started off wearing about a women's 10 or 11. I found that Sears often had shoes in sizes up to 12, if that helps, and that sometimes getting a "wide" size spared me having to go up a size - as in I'd fit a 10W or 11 medium in the same shoe.

I'm not particularly interested in having an argument about whether I'm lying, but those same shoes I bought for everyday wear at Sears, I now need a 9W instead of a 10W... and the gorgeous size 11 black pumps I bought and wore maybe twice, don't fit anymore. (Neither do my men's size 10 combat boots from before transition.) Depending on the shoe and style, I seem to have lost about a size to a size and a half. My guess is it's related to that width thing again - my feet seem somewhat narrower now, and that may mean that I fit more easily into smaller sizes in women's shoes which assume a narrower foot, like the pumps. I wish now that I'd actually thought to measure length and width of my foot when I started HRT, but I thought it was a myth too. Now I'm kind of annoyed about all the pretty shoes I bought early on and can't wear!

[Lauren5]

Lucky you, I wear a men's 12 or 13, but am currently wearing an 11, and it's a little big, which would then translate into 14, 15, and 13. All of which is impossible to find cute shoes at reasonable prices for, online at least. I wished T wouldn't have made my feet so big.

[Heather]

Lucky you, I wear a men's 12 or 13, but am currently wearing an 11, and it's a little big, which would then translate into 14, 15, and 13. All of which is impossible to find cute shoes at reasonable prices for, online at least. I wished T wouldn't have made my feet so big.

I wear a men's 12 and I can wear a woman's 12 no problem. The sizes are pretty much the same when you get past 11.

[Ms Grace]

I'm not sure if Australian shoe sizes are the same as US but I'm a size 11 men's and the size 12 women's I bought were too big. I bought them online which is risky because you don't get to try first but online large women's shoes is a big business, good range and generally cheaper. I'm fortunate in the fact that, although tall (6'3") my feet and hands are smaller than men my height; my father, who's 6'1" has massive hands and at least two shoe sizes bigger than mine... dodged a bullet there!

[FrancisAnn]

I just do not think you will see any change to foot size, maybe. However I've never had any change or have any girl friends had any real change.

I feel lucky, 5' 9" & 9 1/2-10 US size.

Take care & good luck,

Francis

[K8]

I wear a woman's 11 or 12, depending on how the shoe is made.  My feet are the same size as they were, but now that I'm getting older I find my feet can't take heels anymore.

As for my feet outing me - never.  Even if they suspect I might be trans, they keep it to themselves.  Their job is to sell you shoes (or dresses or blouses or whatever), and they want to help you and to make the sale.

Anyway, there are a lot of cis-women out there with large feet.

- Kate

[Jamie D]

I've never had a problem with shoe size "outing" me, and I started off wearing about a women's 10 or 11. I found that Sears often had shoes in sizes up to 12, if that helps, and that sometimes getting a "wide" size spared me having to go up a size - as in I'd fit a 10W or 11 medium in the same shoe.

I'm not particularly interested in having an argument about whether I'm lying, but those same shoes I bought for everyday wear at Sears, I now need a 9W instead of a 10W... and the gorgeous size 11 black pumps I bought and wore maybe twice, don't fit anymore. (Neither do my men's size 10 combat boots from before transition.) Depending on the shoe and style, I seem to have lost about a size to a size and a half. My guess is it's related to that width thing again - my feet seem somewhat narrower now, and that may mean that I fit more easily into smaller sizes in women's shoes which assume a narrower foot, like the pumps. I wish now that I'd actually thought to measure length and width of my foot when I started HRT, but I thought it was a myth too. Now I'm kind of annoyed about all the pretty shoes I bought early on and can't wear!

I don't think anyone is lying about wearing progressively smaller shoe sizes while on MtF HRT.  You can lose both fat and muscle tissue in your feet.  Bone structure does not change, so there are some real world limits on what sort of changes you might see.

One other thing to consider is that women's shoe sizes are notoriously inaccurate.  Part of it comes from marketing techniques used by some manufacturers to label larger-sized shoes (based on the standard) as smaller sizes, to appeal to the vanity of the buyer.  One reason to always try on a pair of shoes before you buy them.

[Lauren5]

I wear a men's 12 and I can wear a woman's 12 no problem. The sizes are pretty much the same when you get past 11.

That's good. Unfortunately the really cute size 12 boots I saw were way expensive. I'll do some more searching though. Thanks for the info!

[Jill F]

Widewidth and womanwithin have cute boots up to a 13.  My wife and I both wear a 13, and I know how hard it is to find bigger cute shoes.  They also can be found on eBay, as there is a huge crossdresser market there.   It's yet another challenge for us, but it's far from insurmountable.

[Jenna Marie]

Jamie : Thank you for that. I guess I'm a touch defensive after having people say my experience is clearly impossible and not true.

Good point about the sizes, too. I recently had a nightmare with finding sneakers, having to order them online in a brand and style I'd never worn before, and hope that *this* time the darn things would fit. (In fact, the main reason I believe my feet changed is the shoes I already had ending up too big. Sizes in the stores... yeah, who the heck knows how they compare even to the same shoe or maker as years ago.)

[anjaq]

I cannot comment on 1 or 2 as I did not have that issue, but in respect to 3 I can say that it is possible. Maybe rather half a US size, one Euro size. I was German size 42 before, barely found 41s that fit me. Probably mostly because of width. After a year or two on HRT I could regularly buy size 41, a few times 40 and some times I needed 42, depending on the cut and style. I think HRT reduced muscle mass and changed fat distribution and thus the shape of my feet so that they fit better into thes size41 now. But dont expect wonders from that - One German size is not a lot, I think it is <1/2 US size or so? And with most people I met this did not happen. For me it was great as 42 is the cutoff in regular womens stores so by going to 41 I stepped over the line and can shop normally now

[Just Shelly]

I've never had a problem with shoe size "outing" me, and I started off wearing about a women's 10 or 11. I found that Sears often had shoes in sizes up to 12, if that helps, and that sometimes getting a "wide" size spared me having to go up a size - as in I'd fit a 10W or 11 medium in the same shoe.

I'm not particularly interested in having an argument about whether I'm lying, but those same shoes I bought for everyday wear at Sears, I now need a 9W instead of a 10W... and the gorgeous size 11 black pumps I bought and wore maybe twice, don't fit anymore. (Neither do my men's size 10 combat boots from before transition.) Depending on the shoe and style, I seem to have lost about a size to a size and a half. My guess is it's related to that width thing again - my feet seem somewhat narrower now, and that may mean that I fit more easily into smaller sizes in women's shoes which assume a narrower foot, like the pumps. I wish now that I'd actually thought to measure length and width of my foot when I started HRT, but I thought it was a myth too. Now I'm kind of annoyed about all the pretty shoes I bought early on and can't wear!

I think this may have some truth to it, my feet have appeared to have shrunk some...I think its mostly any fat or muscle that was present before?? I'm not sure though??  The same could be said for my hands! The last time I bought male shoes was years ago in the early stages of accepting myself....I then fit in a men's 7 1/2  Before that though in my pervious gender I didn't much care about my shoe size!! LOL I just figured I was an 8 and that's what I bought.

All shoes are different though....a narrow pump or sandal and a 8 1/2 to sometimes a 9 fits comfortable....most of my other shoes are women's size 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 which would be equal to a mans 6 to 7 ....so who knows!! I feel most comfortable in a size 8W.

Although I do not think the size of someone's feet can misgender someone...I do feel that smaller feet help gender correctly! I still think my feet and hands are big compared to many other women but I find out many times that isn't the case. I was comparing shoes with a women at work when she then took off her shoe to see what size she had on...I commented how tiny her feet were, only to find out she was wearing a size 8 1/2....I had on a 8....strange how one's perception can make something appear differently!

[Eva Marie]

I seem to have lost about 1/2 a shoe size on 4 years of low dose HRT. I seem to fit into most women's size 10 shoes now whereas before size 10 was extremely tight - some size 10 shoes I have are now quite loose. I'm currently on a higher dose of HRT and I'm curious if my feet will shrink further as I go along.

[Jamie D]

Jamie : Thank you for that. I guess I'm a touch defensive after having people say my experience is clearly impossible and not true.

Good point about the sizes, too. I recently had a nightmare with finding sneakers, having to order them online in a brand and style I'd never worn before, and hope that *this* time the darn things would fit. (In fact, the main reason I believe my feet changed is the shoes I already had ending up too big. Sizes in the stores... yeah, who the heck knows how they compare even to the same shoe or maker as years ago.)

The standard is supposed to be based on this doo-hicky:



Good luck with that!!  Right?  I have seen shoes that were off two sizes.

[Shaina]

I really don't think you have anything to worry about when it comes to being "outted" for having large feet. There are cis women who are born with big feet and-if they weren't born with them-you'd better believe they can grow during pregnancy!

[Jenna Marie]

Jamie : I know!! I think "vanity sizing" has crept into women's shoes as well as clothes. Which I guess at least is good for someone who wears a 14 according to the doohickey but can fit into a store's 12.