Bigfoot ladies - any hope of buying shoes in Italy?
 

I'm never 100% happy with my shoe selection, so I was thinking of buying a pair in Italy. Is this possible for a woman with size 9.5W (European size 42)? Does anyone have any good suggestions for buying perfectly comfortable, stylish walking shoes while there? I have limited use for dress shoes and already have enough pairs, but would consider those if anyone has any spectacular ideas.

I thought you were asking about special shoes for female sasquatch!

I wear a size 9 - but narrow - and have no problem finding lots of casuale shoes in Italy. Can;t buy the dress shoes there - they're too wide for me - and if going for better shoes (Ferragamo etc) that make narrows - the prices are lower in NYC.

Good luck!
I wear a 10 narrow, and have not had any luck at all finding shoes in Europe.

Maybe it will be easier to find wide sizes, though. I know the shoes there are ALWAYS too wide for me.

U.S. size 9.5 is actually size 40, even tho often mistakenly sold as size 9 or 10 in US shops. Size 10=41 and 42 is actually size 11 (US).

All that being said, these sizes are readily available in both France and Italy (only places I've actually shopped for shoes) in all price ranges. They tend to run on the wide side of medium width which is just perfect for my 9.5/40 clodhoppers! Happy shopping.

I'm just going by the size of the shoes I have when I gave the European size. So either the listed US size was wrong or the European size is wrong.

But I just took my shoe off to check, and today I'm wearing Merrells, US size 10 (women's). These are listed as European size 41. So at least those are correct.

I never realized that women with narrow feet also had problems.

They got to have big shoes for all those grape smashers. BTW, size 10 is a baby shoe up where I live.

It sounds like you need 41 not 42 in Europe. I wear a size 9 in the US. I buy a lot of European shoes and size 40 fits me perfectly. You should be able to find 41 with no problem in Europe.

WillTravel, this is an interesting thread as I have problem buying shoes.
I buy Italian shoes in the US. Italian shoes purchased in the US always fit me perfect including Ferragamos.

In Italy nothing will fit as the shoes are to wide including Ferragamos.

The store in SF advised me that is because the Italian shoes made for export to the US are made narrower than the shoes made for sale in Italy (not sure about the balance of Europe).

I also confirmed this in a shoe store in Rome.

Everytime I am in Italy I try on shoes and have never found any that fit me as they are always to wide.

So, it seems to me that you may have very good luck buying shoes in Italy since you wear a wide.

And won't you have fun shopping!!! Good luck.

You've made my day -- I am so glad to hear my feet have a European flair. I always have known my heart belonged to Europe and now I know my wide little feet do, too!

Kathryn LOL. You do not know how upset and stressed I was on my first trip to Italy. All I visualized was ALL the Italian shoes I was going to buy. The only pair I ended up with were a stupid pair of rather boring sandals. And the first day I wore them I walked out of them. Believe me, it was not the most elegant sight! Ended up throwing them away as I knew I would end of breaking my foolish neck if I continued wearing them, especially on the cobblestones. What a letdown!!!!

So I wish I had your European feet. Of course I could look at it as I sure have saved myself a lot of money.

Take good care.

After long research (because I couldn't remember the name), I found it: http://www.intuneweb.com/garlando/

I had to hunt this down in Milan because my stepmom is 6 feet tall with feet to match! She has now bought many pairs of shoes there and loves them.

There are other large-size shoe stores in Milan, but this is by far the biggest. Garlando also has extra-small sizes.


best regards,
Deirdré Straughan

http://www.straughan.com

This thread is a real revelation to me! I hadn't even considered shopping for shoes in Italy, as I wear a size 5 double wide (I even have trouble finding them in the US). So does this mean that even in my small size 5 that I will be able to find wide widths? That would be great!

Susan, not sure about a size 5 but for sure you will have better luck than those of us with narrow or narrow to medium size feet. Have fun trying shoes on!!!

Thanks for all the info so far. I'm also strangely delighted to have European-style feet.

How about shoe store etiquette? Anything particularly different about Italian shoe stores?

Thanks, LoveItaly, I'll have a look!

I think you shld consider that Milan specialty store. My husband wears size 13, and was told an italian shoe store they usually don't stock over size 10 (american) for men, so I can't imagine they'd stock much for women.

WillTravel, Italian shoes stores have their shoes on display so you can look around to see if anything interest you. It is nice to greet the person in the shop when you first arrive (Buon giorno until after lunch than Buona Sera). The clerk (sometimes the owner is smaller shops) will assist you and of course bring you the shoes you wish to try on, if they have your size of course. I have always had wonderful help with trying to find me a pair that were not to wide. With no luck however, sigh.

It really is a fun experience shopping for shoes in Italy, again especially if you can find what you want and they fit.

Sounds easy enough, LoveItaly. Thanks for the tips. I hate it when I try on 10 pairs and come up emptyhanded (so to speak), but that's a hazard in any country!

LoveItaly,

I am sorry your Italian shoe shopping expedition was such a let down. I hope you'll have more luck shopping at home!

You might want to consider having shoes made to fit. I know of one shop in Panzano; there must be many in Florence and other good sized cities. Hand made shoes are costly, no question, but I am still wearing the ones I had made 6 or 7 years ago and they look none the worse for wear.
In Panzano, the shop is named for the owner, Carlo Fagiano.
Carol L