Little ankles, bigger feet - please help my shoes fit

February 11, 2005 9:52 AM

I have narrow ankles and fairly "large" feet (I have to wear size 10 shoes in order to have a comfortable fit). But because of my narrow ankles, I am having a hard time finding shoes that fit. I have tried thicker socks, a couple of different lacing techniques etc but nothing seems to help. My heels always move inside the shoes! Please help me!!!
posted by ataraxian to clothing, beauty, & fashion (9 comments total)

Heel (achilles) inserts seem the obvious answer to me.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:08 AM on February 11, 2005

You could visit a podiatrist, though that is expensive if not covered by your insurance.

Another option would be to go to a Birkenstock Specialty Store. The one in my area has a podiatrist on staff. They commonly serve diabetics with swelling feet, etc, so they usually have quite a selection of narrow and other sizes. They are also usually a full service shoe retailer, so they can modify shoes to fit and actually know how to fit shoes, unlike Sportsmart or similar places.
posted by easyasy3k at 11:12 AM on February 11, 2005

Perhaps you are flat footed. Orthotics will correct the (lack of) arch in your foot and will make your shoes fit better. Dr. Scholl's products for arch pain might help a little. But as easyasy said, you should consult a podiatrist if at all possible. As I understand, depending on the severity of your circumstances, failrue to correct can lead to some very PAINFUL knee/joint/back problems later in life.
posted by fourstar at 11:47 AM on February 11, 2005

If your heels are moving back and forth, it doesn't seem like the size of your ankles is the problem - it sounds like you're buying shoes that are too long for your feet, because the correct size wouldn't be wide enough for your feet. If this is the case, try on some wider shoes (most higher-end shoe shops can help with this). If you're looking for sneakers, New Balance are wider than most.

My feet are big (size 12), but narrow, so I sympathize.
posted by sluggo at 12:04 PM on February 11, 2005

Have your feet gotten significantly wider as you aged? That is a classic sign of flat feet. If so, you might as well get orthotics now before things get worse and the pain starts setting in from something like plantar fasciitis. Some form of orthotic or footbed should help with the sizing in any event.
posted by caddis at 12:19 PM on February 11, 2005

I would recommend finding an old-school shoe store -- the kind with the extremely knowledgable old shoe salespeople who really know their stuff. They'll fit you and let you try on a zillion shoes until you find the right one. These still exist in many parts of the country. If you can't afford to see a podiatrist, these folks, if you can find them, can probably help you out. I have weird feet, and I have managed to find a shoe store like this in most of the places I've lived.

The problem is in finding them. Look for a shoe store that specializes in walking shoes, that carries a lot of brands like rockports, birkenstocks and Dansko clogs. If you call them and say your feet are, say, two different sizes, or that you have seven toes on one foot and they don't sound all befuddled and freaked out, you might have found the right place. Good luck to you.
posted by jennyjenny at 12:23 PM on February 11, 2005

Try the lacing technique for "heel problems" on this page.
posted by callmejay at 12:34 PM on February 11, 2005

I have a similar problem in that there's a bone that sort of sticks out of my feet on the little toe side. I could wear EEE shoes but they only really fit in the toe area, so I normally wear D or E. The downside of this is that my shoes wear out on the side in the area of the bump.

When I was running a lot, I went through a number of running shoes before I found Saucony, which are wide in the toe area but fairly narrow in the heal area. They aren't stocked in every mall shoe store, so you might have to hunt them down.

Given your description, though, it sounds like you really don't know what size shoe you actually wear. As stated above, a trip to the podiatrist should be on your list. If there is a specialty shoe store in your area (one the specializes in hard-to-fit or extended sizes) they will probably measure your feet for free, at the cost of you trying on shoes. They can probably also provide you with specific brands to look at, since each manufacturer uses a different last (the form that they build the shoe around) and some might be more appropriate than others.
posted by tommasz at 1:08 PM on February 11, 2005

You probably need shoes made on a combination last - maybe a 2A toe with a 4A heel. There are also pre-pasted inserts that you can put into your shoes to fill up some of that extra heel room, and provide "traction" so your shoe will not slip. Look for something like a Dr. Scholl's (spelling?) display in a drug store or supermarket and check out the various things there.
Failing those solutions, there are shoemakers who measure your foot and build shoes to fit. Your last is recorded and used next time you order. For such custom work you will pay custom prices, but the comfort might make it worth while.
posted by Cranberry at 1:11 PM on February 11, 2005