If you wear big shoes, it’s probably been very tough for you to find shoes that fit you. We’re not concerned with style and comfort just yet, only with the logistical nightmare it can be to find shoes that actually fit on your feet at all. Of course, you’ve probably made concessions over the years in terms of style and comfort just to be able to walk out of the house with shoes on your feet at all. There are probably many reasons why it’s always been difficult to find shoes in larger sizes, and here are only a few of them. By the way, we did mention it’s probably tough for you to find larger shoes, right? We’re not even concerned about a size 12 or 13. We’re talking huge, like size 16 men's shoe’s or bigger. Truthfully, some of you reading this may never even have seen a pair of size 16 men's shoe’s on the rack in an average department store, having instead to rely on other methods to find shoes you can wear. That is if your shoe size is only that small. How difficult it is to find men’s shoes in sizes larger than this only the people with feet that large can possibly know.
Apparently, over the past few decades, Americans have seen a trend that, for better or worse, gives them larger feet. The role that things like diet, lifestyle and footwear play in this is somewhat unclear. What is clear is that on average, Americans have larger feet on average than they did 100 years ago. Americans have gotten taller and heavier over time, so it’s been suggested that our feet are changing in league with that trend.
Whatever the reason for the shift in the average size of feet, it’s not debatable that it’s basically impossible to find size 16 men’s shoes or larger models. Forget the online market, where it’s still tough to find shoes, but it’s just about basically impossible to find shoes of this size or bigger in any given store, which is still how a lot of people shop. The crazy thing is, since people need larger shoes, why won’t stores stock them?
The first answer would be that they wouldn’t sell, and while it’s true that retailers might be concerned about the volume of sales, it wouldn’t be fair to say that they wouldn’t sell any, since people need them. Another theory is that the manufacturers just don’t produce them in the sizes that people need. In fact, many shoes aren’t even produced in a size larger than 11, requiring a prospective buyer to place a custom order to get shoes made in his or her size. Perhaps the issue then is that manufacturers, and maybe retailers too, just aren’t willing to front the risk to stock items that they’re not confident will sell in a volume large enough to justify the investment. All that means for anyone who needs shoes in larger sizes is that it’s ridiculously difficult to get shoes that fit, which isn’t much consolation, considering the lengths to which they have to go in order to find shoes that will work for them.
So then if you need size 16 men’s shoes or larger, as the case may be, what is a typical shopping experience like? Your first option is to roll the dice on a brick and mortar retailer. If you’re lucky, every once in a while you’ll stumble upon a gem in some clearance rack. But the problem is the likelihood of finding shoes in your sizes decreases with the number of sizes that they just aren’t likely to have on hand. The first problem is the fact that they just won’t regularly stock shoes in your size, plain and simple. The second problem is the fact that if you need size 16 men’s shoes, you might stumble upon a treasure trove of size 14s, or if your really unlucky, maybe a stray pair of size 17s. And, worst of all, that says nothing of what the shoes are. You may have just found a pair of slippers in a size too comically large for you when you needed dress shoes or sneakers. It’s the perfect insult to add to injury, which is something we didn’t even think of when considering why it’s so hard to find shoes. Maybe it’s all a prank.
Either way, that basically crosses brick and mortar retail shopping off the table of any reasonable shopper with size 16 feet. You could spend lots of time milling through the aisles of department stores or even shoe outlets, but you probably won’t come away with anything really valuable unless you’re quite lucky. Even so, luck is no way to manage your life. You need another option.
You could just custom order every pair of shoes you think you’ll need directly from the manufacturer. That guarantees you’ll have the style you want, you’ll be able to pick things like color and features so that you’ll get the style and support you need from your shoes, and you can actually get the models you want. There’s only one caveat: it will cost an arm and a leg. Actually, there’s more. It will be time-consuming. As they say, time is money, so you can chalk that up to two arms and legs. Also, it will take a while for you go get what you want. And don’t even think about returning a custom order. All of this couldn’t be less easy!
Well, of course, there is one more option you might find yourself willing to investigate rather than simply consigning yourself to a lifetime of discomfort and aggravated medical conditions arising from constant use of inadequate footwear in all scenarios. You could shop right here at XLFeet.com, since, after all, our entire business is outfitting people like you who need size 16 men's shoes (or some other hard to find size or width.) Well, that’s most of our business. Some of our business is actually making sure the customer gets what they wanted and in the style and with the features they needed. That means no unheard-of brands from across the galaxy and no fly by night customer service. Honest to goodness shoes in the size you need for comfort and style without having to give up either. And it’s not like we run on overstock or just whatever we can find. We have shoes from the brands you want to pair with a suit or go tackle a mountain waiting right here for you on our pages. As tempting as it is, you stop filling out that custom order and cancel your plans to mill through the aisles of some department store in a mall for the rest of the day. The shoes you would be looking for are already waiting for you right here.
No Concession On Style
One of the aggravating things about finding clearance or overstock shoes that just might happen to fit you well enough is that you have to take what you get regardless of what you’re looking for. That means if you’re shopping for a wedding and you were looking for a nice pair of black leather wingtips or cap toes to go with your tux and all you could find were rubber boots, you’re out of luck. Well, we guess if those boots were at least in your size you wouldn’t be entirely out of luck. In fact, you’d kind of be in luck. But the point is you’d be wearing a tux with rubber boots to a wedding. Give that dream up and find the styles you were looking for all along here at XL Feet. Don’t settle for shoes a half size or several sizes too small, and don’t be the guy wearing white sneakers with a suit because that’s all you had. Don’t settle for black if you wanted burgundy or brown leather, either. Get what you came for the first time. Since this is likely a new experience for you, you might as well get the shoes you want - get several.
Comfortable, too
Shoes For All Occasions
So you can finally have access to the shoes you need for all occasions without ever having to make concessions for stylistics appeal or the function of the shoes. What will you get first? A pair of slippers for the house? A pair of hiking shoes for the trail? A pair of gym shoes that doesn’t restrict your circulation and fall apart within five weeks? Finally, a nice pair of leather dress shoes that you can be proud to pair with your finest attire? Don’t choose between these options, get them all!
If you need dress shoes for formal occasions like parties or just to wear to work on the daily, get them right here at XL Feet, and don’t settle for any old thing. You’ve probably heard of Florsheim, respected by many critics as one of the finest producers of top quality shoes in the world. That’s right, find them right here at XL Feet, or if for some reason the excellence of the designs you’ll find here by Florsheim just doesn’t suit you, go with a pair of Dunhams or Steve Maddens or a pair by NunnBush. Or get several pairs since you can do that now. It’s really up to you.
If you need gym shoes so you can finally run or lift weights without fear of injuring yourself or destroying your shoes, get a pair of sneakers from XL Feet that actually fit. New Balance, Saucony, Spira, Reebok - we have it all. We even have specialty athletic shoes like golf shoes and cleats. Whatever your sport, you can take it up again while adequately shod. The sky's the limit now.
