Small men's shoes?

[kyril]

I need new shoes, and I'd really prefer not to have to shop in the women's section. Unfortunately I can't order online because I have sensitive skin on my feet that develops horrible blisters if my shoes don't fit exactly perfectly right or are too stiff or lined with the wrong material. So I need to buy shoes in person, which has been a miserable experience since I hit my early teens; my feet got to about a size 6-6.5 men's (US) and stopped there. I never grew into my size 7s, which seem to be the absolute smallest size sold in most stores. The largest boys' size seems to equate to about a size 5 men's, so boys' shoes are out. I'm in shoe limbo and my soles have holes in them that water soaks through and I live in Seattle and it's winter.

So does anyone have any suggestions of actual brick and mortar shoe stores that sell smaller men's sizes (or larger boys' sizes would work too)? I'm willing to pay extra, I just need a good selection in appropriate sizes.

[sneakersjay]

No idea.

I have the same problem buying shoes for my daughter. She wears size 11. 

We like Zappos.com.  PIA if they don't fit and you have to send them back.

I also recommend trying on tons of shoes.  In some brands I'm size 7, others I'm size 8.5 mens.


Jay

[kyril]

Yeah...I keep thinking about Internet ordering...but then I realize that when I go to buy shoes at an actual store, I usually try on 20-30 different models in 2-3 different sizes each before I find the one pair in the store that I'm actually going to be able to walk in. I think it would take me well over a year to complete that process by mail, and I imagine the retailer would likely get a little pissed off after the 5th return or so.

[Ender]

If you don't mind work boots, I have just the solution.  Check out Walmart (they'll be the cheapest) or any store that sells work boots (Brahma, Stanley, etc).  Walmart has Brahma, and they stock size 6-12.  Workboots tend to be made in a larger size range, I guess in consideration of women or small guys who also might have to wear them.  The shoes are unisex, but the styles look masculine.  Most of them have steel toes, and there are a couple that look like regular sneakers.  The steel does make them a little heavier, but nothing bad.  I like 'em and found them comfortable.  Worth a try.  They're also pretty reasonable on price ($20-25) and long-lasting.  I put mine through the mill (hiking, climbing rocks/waterfalls, working in the woods, mixing concrete, occasionally dropping heavy stuff on my toes...) for three years before they finally wore out.  In every Walmart I've seen, the workboots are on the back wall in the shoe section.

Also, give Payless a try.  I'm having a hard time remembering if 6 or 7 is their smallest mens' size...  I wear 8/9, so I don't recall exactly, but I remember they stock a couple sizes smaller than what I wear.

[kyril]

Yeah, I do still have boots from when I was in the military. I'm really looking for athletic shoes now though - those are the ones with holes in the soles. A store that also sold skate shoes would be a bonus, but I'm not too terribly unhappy with women's Vans (had good luck finding very unisex ones that fit), so it's not the end of the world if I have to stick with them.

Payless is no good - I did at one point about a decade ago find a location that did have the smaller sizes, but they had a really limited selection, all brands that don't work well with my feet. I usually have to get the expensive ones, but I can and will pay for the right shoes.

[Myself]

6.5 US men is 38 EU? I never had problem getting shoes when I was buying normal sports shoes O_o but hey I never grew out of "boys sport" shoes back then anyways. I buy 38, 39, 40.. depending on the shoe. but I moved to girls shoes now (lucky EU sizes are the same for both species!)

sneakersjay, size 11 women USA? is it like size 44 EU or am I just thinking big? O_o

[sneakersjay]

My son wears 6 - 6.5 and has had no problems finding skate shoes.


Jay

[kyril]

Any idea where he buys them? Just regular chain stores?

[sneakersjay]

Any idea where he buys them? Just regular chain stores?

He gets them at Kohls or Bobs (local chain store) primarily.  Has also purchased some in skate shops.

[kyril]

Thanks!

[zombiesarepeaceful]

I've never had this problem...my problem all my life was that my feet were large and I couldn't find women's shoes in my size (which excited me more than you can imagine). There is a shoe store around here, called Reyer's, they carry shoes in every size imaginable. Maybe google shoe speciality stores in your area?

Or ask some cismales with your shoe size how they buy shoes...I know plenty of cismales with small feet. 

[kyril]

I wish I knew guys with small feet...all the guys I ask are completely baffled. I have to explain to them that they must have gone through a phase where their feet were bigger than a 5 and smaller than a 7, and ask them what they did - then they all get that same flash of recognition as they explain that they went through those sizes in a matter of a few weeks, around the same time that they grew 3 inches in a month and started developing muscles.

I don't think they're lying or exaggerating because I saw my friends have that same growth spurt when I was a kid. I just got left behind.

[Arch]

Maybe you are shopping at the wrong place. If you want athletic shoes, have you tried someplace like Foot Locker that does nothing but athletic shoes? You might also have luck at upscale department stores. Or, try the stores you usually shop at, but ask for them to special order. There's always custom, but that costs a lot of money.

I have the same problem with shoes as far as comfort is concerned. The only shoes I wear now are Rockports. They don't give me blisters or tear up my poor tender feet, and now my heel doesn't wear a hole in the inside back of the shoe. I used to have to buy moleskins to put over the hole so the hole itself wouldn't give me blisters. Gah.

Once you find a good shoe, buy another pair. Once you find a good brand, stick with it.

BTW, you can find men's 6 and 6.5, but I don't think most stores carry them on the shelves.

[kyril]

Yeah, I have my preferred brands (Asics and Adidas for athletic shoes, Vans for skate shoes which are what I wear normally). But those are the brands I wear in women's; the men's are shaped differently, so I might end up with different ones.

If what you say is true and the sizes do exist but aren't stocked on the shelf, that's about the worst thing I could hear. There's no reason the 13s should be out there but not the 6s. I hate asking store clerks for stuff - between being shy, not liking to inconvenience people, and the fact that my voice doesn't pass at all, I really dread the thought of having to have a clerk bring out every pair of shoes I might want to try on, especially if I'm asking for men's. I just want to go in to a "Joe's Shoe Emporium" type environment and be left alone.

[Arch]

Kyril, I know where you're coming from, but it looks like you're going to have to go through some unpleasantness to get what you want.

I suggest that you go to the manufacturers' sites and see what sizes they have in the styles you like. Use the conversion charts for the exact size and half a size up and down. Take notes, and take the notes with you when you shop. For example, Nike claims to have 6 and 6.5 in all the styles I browsed, but the Adidas selection looks to be more restricted. Other brands might be similar. So it might help if you knew which sizes are actually available from the manufacturer in the first place.

If you can, take a trusted friend on the shopping trip. It can help a lot.

I used to buy men's shoes all the time when I was clearly living as a female, and nobody ever said a word except one sales guy who balked and told me that women's shoes are a better fit for women's feet. I told him that I had always found men's shoes more comfortable because my feet are atypical, and I said that I hated women's styles and wouldn't wear them anyway. Then I told him to bring me the style I wanted in a men's seven and a half please, and he shut up and did what I asked.

It might have helped that my then-partner (a guy) was there with me, but I was so NOT going to buy women's shoes that I had no trouble at all asserting myself. If the clerk had hassled me a second time, I would have been out of there.

Good luck on your mission. Let us know how it goes, okay?

BTW, most stores I shop at will order the shoe you think you want, with no obligation to buy. You can then try it on. If it doesn't fit, order the size you think will fit.

[K8]

Just a note from the other side of the aisle.  Both of my wives had wide feet.  My first spouse wears 6.5 women's EE.  She often wears boy's work boots.  My second wore 4 women's.  Both would often shop in the boys' sections for shoes.

As I was growing I don't remember my feet ever being a size where I couldn't find shoes.  It is hard to believe that there's a size gap between boys' and men's.  In my little town I can't find (women's) shoes that fit me, so I go to the next town.  Perhaps you just need to go to a store in a different town that carries a wider selection.

(Sorry for the intrusion.)

- Kate

[myles]

I live in Portland and am in the same situation as you. I get most of my shoes at Nordstrom Rack, where all the odd shoes (read small!) go to be sold. They have all kinds. I am sure they have one in Seattle so check it out.
Myles

[Adio]

I just browsed the Adidas store online and they have a ton of men's shoes size 6 and 6.5.  I saw some flipflops that went all the way down to a 4.   There were a few shoes that started at a size 8.5 (like the Samba Classic, the regular Samba shoes go down to a 6) and some that had gaps in sizing.

Check around the local department, specialty, and athletic stores.  If you know a manufacturer makes the size you want, just ask for them to order it.

I also second Zappos if you change your mind about buying online.  Their men's sizes go down to a US 3 I believe.

[kyril]

Yeah - having the store order my size is the same problem as buying online. even if I'm not obligated to buy and I can have them sent back, it's just not worth the trouble of doing so possibly dozens of times.

[Nick Aiden]

What I would suggest is to go to the nearest shopping outlets near you and check the shoe stores. The outlets all have what wasn't purchases in regular stores from last season's merchandise. So you'll find a lot of shoes really small and some really big. That might give you a better selection, and you can find good shoes for less money.