How to be fashionable and feminine with big feet

A rounded toe shoe with a uniform color will help your feet look smaller. Like with clothing, black is always slimming; especially when it has a matte finish.

So, not too long ago, I was chatting with a client who happened to have the same size feet as me (Women’s 14/15US). While I had written another blog about finding large size ballet flats, I thought it might be nice to address the topic in a broader sense; so here goes❤️😊✨

Fashion challenges for girls with big feet

One thing that tall CIS women, trans women and gender-fluid women all have in common is the struggle to find not just functional shoes, but shoes that we can be cute in as well. 

As I mentioned before in the ballet flats blog, there are certainly resources out there on the internet, but finding what works for you can be a challenge. Here are a few strategies that I hope can help you along. 

How to make smaller shoe sizes work

Open toes and sling backs can give you a bit more room in smaller sized shoes; while platforms can help to mask the length of larger sizes.

So, if you are above a women’s size 11 or 12 shoe size, (like I am) you know the pain of finding a ridiculously cute pair of shoes only to have the size listing cut off right before your size😭

Thankfully, brands like Onlymaker, LongTallSally, Amazon Essentials and EBay have got varying degrees of coverage. Nike Japan also has some really nice feminine styles and run until 29cm (size 12). Just because a certain pair of shoes stops at a smaller size doesn’t mean all is lost though.

Is it a sling back, slide or mule? If so, often times they can work anyway. Shoe size is measured from the back of the heel to the tip of the toe, but the sling on sling backs often sit on the Achilles tendon; which gives you a bit more room. Depending on the design, getting sling backs (or conversely open toe shoes) can give you a centimeter more to work with. For me, for example in Nike shoes, I wear a 30cm, but if it’s a sling back shoe, I can comfortably go for a 29cm instead (which for Japan is the largest size available for women). 

For mules, which have no back at all, it’s even better. While trying to go 2 or 3 sizes small would obviously leave you with an uncomfortable overhang, one size down often would not. 

Femininely styling athletic shoes

In Japan, Vans are often styled with satin, flower-print or other feminine skirts for a cool contrast.

Another easy option is to go for styles that are cool and fashionable for both men and women, but can easily be styled either way. Dr. Martens, Vans, Nike Air Max 90s or Adidas’ Sambas are all great examples. (I know because I own all of them🤣). 

In these shoes, the women’s version are virtually identical to the men’s, but you can rock them with skirts, cut off shorts, etc, This means you can get the the men’s version in the size that is comfortable for you if you have to, and then just style them girly. 😘🥰💃🏽

How to make whole sizes work

As I mentioned in the blog about sizing your high heels, going for a larger size can make them harder to stay on; but it also means you can pad out the shoe to make it more comfortable.

So another unfortunate issue with getting large size shoes is the fact that in the larger sizes, they often stop offering half-sizes. This is something that I struggle with myself as my size is a 14.5, but even with the brands that make bigger sizes like Onlymaker, my best option is to choose 

between a 14 or 15. I sometimes go for the 14 for high heels (provided that they have a rounded toe and are a bit wider) just to keep them on my feet, but in going for a larger size, it opens up the option of actually padding the shoe to make it more comfortable. Insoles, toe pads,  or pads for the back of the shoe can all serve this double function. I dove in-depth on this topic in a blog about sizing high heels if you care to check it out.

How to style your clothes so your feet don't look big

Long flowing skirts are a great way to mask a larger shoe size

So even after you get shoes that fit, the next issue is how to style them to make them look  proportionately small to your body size. 

Platforms and rounded toe shoes both can work wonders for this. Platforms in particular as they actually change the proportions of the shoe itself and make the length less pronounced. Another option is flared pants and or long and flowing skirts, that cover much of the shoe, thereby shortening the appearance of the length. 

Having big feet doesn't mean you can't be feminine

Just because you have big feet doesn’t mean you can’t look cute and feminine. Take it from me, haha. It’s just a matter of finding the right shoes for both your size and style, and oftentimes that means looking around. Makers on eBay, Amazon, and brands like LongTallSally and Onlymaker not only provide cute women’s shoes in large sizes, but they also ship internationally. Really it’s just about watching the fashion trends, finding what works for you in that context and styling it well. If you do these things, you will be ahead of the game… even when you wear a size 14.5US like I do😅