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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by Leggomylego@lemmings.world to c/mildlyinfuriating@lemmy.world

I was born with feet in the 1st percentile of the population and they stayed that way even despite getting taller. Now every shoe shopping experience is awkward af.

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[-] Zenith@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago

Do you have some sort of growth plate deformity? Do you not have growth plates in your feet? I’m disinclined to believe you’re over six feet with feet even smaller than me, in a size 4 in men’s but I’m a 5’2” woman… get size and locomotion are inherently connected, do you use walking canes or a wheelchair? I don’t see how this is possible if you’re otherwise normal sized

[-] OldManBOMBIN@lemmy.world 163 points 1 week ago

Wow dude, that's crazy. Like, in a cool way.

My great-uncle was very small when he was born - the family story is that he used to sleep in a shoe box instead of a crib until he was almost a year old.

Probably not your shoe box, though.

[-] tautalas@lemmy.world 73 points 1 week ago

Probably not your shoe box, though.>

Oh no, you didn't

[-] Leggomylego@lemmings.world 44 points 1 week ago

Haha bro thanks. And you're right my shoe box would be too small for any baby!

[-] OldManBOMBIN@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

Maybe the one from Slingblade

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[-] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 139 points 1 week ago

I had a girlfriend who had the inverse of your problem — her feet were far too large for shoes aimed at women. She ended up becoming friends with a bunch of drag queens, and finding that the specialist store they got their shoes from was the best place for her

[-] KreekyBonez@lemm.ee 27 points 1 week ago

Peggy Hill!

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[-] Lux 101 points 1 week ago

AFASS - Assigned Female At Shoe Store

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[-] Aeao@lemmy.world 69 points 1 week ago

Do your feet hurt a lot? It sounds like a lot of pressure on a small area

[-] Leggomylego@lemmings.world 70 points 1 week ago

Good question. You would think but my calf and foot muscles are quite strong to compensate for what I lack in foot surface area. They do get sore after a long day but nothing too crazy.

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[-] amelia@feddit.org 51 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

As a woman, I think it's stupid that shoes are gendered in the first place. My shoe size is in the realm that exists for both men's and women's shoes. So in shoe stores I can grab the same sneakers from the women's and the men's section. Just sort the damn shoes by size and let people pick the ones they like ffs.

[-] skisnow@lemmy.ca 25 points 1 week ago

The first few decades of my life I assumed that there'd been all sorts of important orthopaedic/podiatry research done into the difference between men and women's feet, gaits etc that meant wearing sports shoes sold as "women's" would in some way cause my feet long term harm. Nope, it was bullshit marketing all along.

[-] amelia@feddit.org 17 points 1 week ago

I wouldn't be surprised if on average women's feet were narrower than men's, but even if that's the case, just make narrow and wide versions of shoes and let people pick the ones that fit their feet. Surely there are men with narrow feet and women with wide feet. It just makes no sense.

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[-] FermatsLastAccount@lemmy.world 43 points 1 week ago

I'm just confused by why you keep getting your feet measured. I haven't done that since my feet stopped growing, I know my size by this point

[-] drool@lemmy.catsp.it 78 points 1 week ago

How I imagine it:

"I'm size 3"

"No you're not"

"Yes I am"

"You can't be"

"BRING THE DEVICE"

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[-] Leggomylego@lemmings.world 12 points 1 week ago

I only got my feet measured for a new pair of running shoes at a new running store that just opened up. You're right - I don't have to combat the Brannock device on a regular basis.

[-] thegr8goldfish@startrek.website 33 points 1 week ago

TL:DR He says his dong is normal sized.

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[-] menemen@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Why do they measure your feet as an adult? Is that common in the US? I don't think i had my feet measured since I was 15 or so.

Edit: I also want to applaude you for wearing Spiderman socks in this specific post!

[-] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

Cause it takes about 30 seconds and makes sure you actually have the right size shoe.

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[-] vinnymac@lemmy.world 23 points 1 week ago

If your feet stay the same size why don’t you just order online? I know testing them out can be nice, but you can return online orders.

I can’t remember the last time I went shoe shopping in person, because I know my size and which companies I need a larger or smaller size shoe for. Also why would they keep measuring you if you know?

[-] Leggomylego@lemmings.world 43 points 1 week ago

You're right I usually do buy online. I only went in to a fancy running store that just opened up because I do run and was wondering if they had anything other than youth sizes so they had to measure me (and I took this photo because I thought it was hilarious). They did in fact have a better running shoe for me!

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[-] Bosht@lemmy.world 20 points 1 week ago

Dude this is insane. First I feel like you'd be more prone to falling over or something? Like top heavy?? But on the other hand you can probably go up most stairs without feeling like you're about to fall to your death. I have average foot size for my height and all stairs I have to be on my tip toes. Honestly have wished I had smaller feet many times in my life. Thanks for sharing! Not something I ever thought was a thing.

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[-] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 20 points 1 week ago

Skinny 5'3 guy here. I've had that experience buying pants. "Maybe you'll find something in the kids' section".

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[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago

You have different shoe sizes for men and women? WTF?

[-] hedgehogging_the_bed@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

Where do you live that they don't?

[-] weirdboy@lemm.ee 19 points 1 week ago

In Japan everyone knows their shoe size in centimeters. Those stay the same regardless of gender or whatever other crazy unrelated topic to how big something is.

[-] darklamer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 1 week ago

size in centimeters

Measuring like that would be even easier in the US, where the answer would always be simply "one foot".

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[-] bdjukeemgood@lemm.ee 15 points 1 week ago

Well? Is what they say about big feet true of the inverse?

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[-] TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 week ago

my sister's foot size is 12. She has larger feet than me and I'm AMAB

[-] VaalaVasaVarde@sopuli.xyz 13 points 1 week ago

My size (9) is constantly sold out. I was wondering if you experience fewer sold-out issues with your size.

[-] zerosignal@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago

I'm on the opposite end as OP, I wear size 14. They are very hard to find since most manufacturers and shoe stores only go up to 13, and a lot of the ones that go to higher have a very limited selection in larger sizes. I would imagine it's similar at the lower end of shoe sizes.

[-] Leggomylego@lemmings.world 15 points 1 week ago

Yes can confirm it's very hard to find age appropriate shoes in my size. Most are Velcro or have glitter or superheroes on them which is fine - I definitely have some of these as "house shoes" but finding proper dress shoes or boots is very tricky. Running shoes are also difficult to find as I'm below the threshold for women's sizes.

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[-] funbreaker@kbin.earth 13 points 1 week ago

OP is a Rob Liefeld character.

In all seriousness I hope you can find a decent specialty store that will get you comfy/stylish/both shoes.

[-] gon@lemm.ee 12 points 1 week ago

I used to know a guy they called "Princess" because he had slightly smaller feet than average. He was a little short, very manly beard, muscular frame, deep voice. His feet weren't even notably small or anything; he played football and you couldn't really tell they were anything to write home about at all. Because they weren't. He wore a size 40 I think, that's like size 7 US. And yet: Princess.

[-] Leggomylego@lemmings.world 16 points 1 week ago

Yes I sympathize. Kids and teenagers like to pick up on any kind of difference so you can imagine what they made of my size 3 feet even at a time when I was struggling to come to terms with it. It all seems stupid in retrospect like my feet aren't deformed I'm just small pawed and really only a few inches smaller than "normal" feet but at the time it was the worst thing in the world

[-] Deez@lemm.ee 11 points 1 week ago

Get me a small man’s foot-suit, please.

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[-] i_dont_want_to 10 points 1 week ago

So I'm not sure if you know this, but in the US the big kids sizes and the adult men's sizes are the same. For example, a men's 5 is the same as a big kid's 5.

Next time you need to use a Brannock device and you're sized out, have them get the one for the kids.

[-] PrincessTardigrade@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

Have you looked into shoe inserts that essentially reduce the size of the shoe interior? My friend has extremely small feet and faces a similar problem of not finding shoes that are small enough, and I think she's had some luck with the inserts

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this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2025
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