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For those of us with gorgeous, size 40 and up feet, finding a shoe that fits has, in the past, meant settling for what’s available. In 2021, fashionable shoppers are starting to make noise. As a size 42, finding the best footwear has required elaborate planning, like customizing existing options or commissioning cobblers to stretch archived Alaïa that ultimately ended up on TheRealReal. According to the industry’s models and stylists, it doesn’t get easier when you’re a star: “When I started modeling I thought, ‘I am finally going to be among other amazingly tall women, and I’m sure that means most of them will have big feet like me!” recalls New York City model Alexis Ruby, who found that wasn’t the case. She describes trying on shoes at shoots: “It’s always, ‘Are you sure it won’t go on any further?’ and never ‘Let me find you a bigger size.’”
It’s an attitude that can leave a mark in multiple ways. “I still have scars from my first fashion show season,” says Hamburg-born model Sophia Ahrens. At work, “my feet were always too big,” and while she notes that putting sample shoes on was always “a real struggle,” getting them off was even more dramatic. “There were a couple of times where people were literally pulling the shoe whilst I was holding onto a chair to get them off.” IRL, she’s always searching for the perfect, unbasic heel. New York stylist Donte McGuine, often seen working (or just lounging) with the cast of Gossip Girl, loves elevated proportions as well. “As a young, curious, closeted gay boy, I admired my mom’s heels, and when she wasn’t home, I would go into her room and close the door,” remembers McGuine. “I would force my wide, athletic-teen foot into the front of the shoe, leaving the rest to hang on for dear life.” Now, he’s found options (below) that work for a men’s 11.
“Just like wearing a larger dress size, it’s a constant compromise on what you want versus what your options actually are,” says Manhattan-based model Georgia Pratt Holiber, who’s launching fluid-size garments via Hilda Ereaut this fall. “My shoe size has always affected this part of my personal life.” She says that heels are often boring, vintage women’s options are almost completely off the table (“I’ve spent hours on eBay to find a few needles in the haystack”), and one has to get creative when shopping. “For work, I have definitely missed out on jobs because my shoe size is an issue!” she says, noting that she’s often squeezed into what’s available. London model Jess Cole agrees: “Not being able to find shoes that fit has been an issue,” Cole says. “I wrote an op-ed about my experiences for British Vogue a couple of years ago highlighting the issue,” she says, noting that while she’s seen the fashion world’s clothing sizing has become more inclusive, footwear is moving slowly. Shopping recently, Cole encountered multiple stores that didn’t carry above a U.S. size 9. “Every time I go onto set, I dread the conversation about my shoe size and how I am made to feel freakish for being just shy of six feet and having feet that are proportionate to my height,” she says. Plus, can’t a babe have a chance to express themselves? “Why is the freedom of expression, comfort, and the choice of style still only reduced to a select number of sizes?” Cole asks, and logically so.
Until the industry as a whole starts riding the size-inclusive footwear wave, we’ve gathered a range of pairs—from fashion-forward heels to chill flats and cozy slippers—that are leading the way.
Mach Mach
When Pratt shops for heels, the options “quickly narrow down to a strappy black stiletto once you go over a size 11,” and that’s not her style. Luckily, Mach Mach’s dreamy collection of pearl-strapped, PVC crystal options brings more than boring basics to the table in sizes up to a 42.
Prada
One of the many reasons Miuccia Prada’s footwear is so beloved is that the house has long offered sizing beyond size 40 and even 41. Consider it a first stop for crystal block heels and Clueless-worthy patent Mary Janes.
Ugg
“Not only are Ugg shoes comfortable, they have extended sizing,” says McGuine of its all-gender options across the board (including the latest Telfar drop). “Working on set once with basketball legend Dennis Rodman, he needed a size 14 shoe—Ugg provided multiple styles in a size 14. It was amazing.”
Rick Owens
While Mcguine likes Rick Owens’s culty platform Chelsea boot, he does admit it “feels like I’m walking on stilts.” Still, the brand “just extended sizing on this year’s drop,” which includes a Birkenstock collab that offers a more grounded option.
Gucci
At the moment, Gucci’s classic leather heels go up to a size 42. In the future, one might expect Alessandro Michele’s push for freedom of expression to create even more expanded offerings.
JW Anderson
Notice that the larger sizes of JW Anderson’s lace-up ballet flats and chain-embellished slippers are quickly selling out on platforms like Net-a-Porter and Ssense. Based on our experts’ hunt for originality, it’s simple math.
Nike
“I’ve always been a Nike girl for sneakers,” Ruby admits. “As a ballplayer and track athlete, it was easy to shop in the men’s section for the styles I wanted.” Now, collectible options like Air Jordan 1s and Air Force 1s come in a range of women’s sizes that sell out almost instantly.
Bottega Veneta
Of course, Bottega’s stretchy mesh pumps have become a stylist favorite—especially with socks. Consider a thicker pair and pull on the season’s designer roller skate trend, now accessible to 10+ sizes thanks to the brand. “Get in where you fit in, period!” McGuine advises.
Saint Laurent
Saint Laurent offers most of its women’s shoes up to a 42, and even for models like Pratt, who tires of a basic strappy heel, can appreciate the house’s consistently elevated take on the question: “What would a rocker babe wear tonight?”
Converse
Like many models, Cole prefers Converse anything. The line offers sizes beyond 14 in a number of its platform soles and up to 11 in squishy, comfy heeled boots like its GR 82 style, which comes in a range of colors that often sell out.
Tom Ford
Typically, “it seems that the bigger the size, the more clumpy and dowdy the shoe,” Cole reveals. Not with Tom Ford’s pin-thin, mile-high metallic spike heels, though. They go up to size 42 in a range of shades, from nude to neon to straight-up denim.
Stuart Weitzman
Brands would be wise to keep in mind that brides come in all shapes, genders, and sizes. Stuart Weitzman wisely offers their winter whites up to a women’s 12.
Jimmy Choo
“MyTheresa is a site that I have had good luck with for large shoe sizes,” says Cole of the platform that’s filled with Jimmy Choo options that run above size 42. “I’ve found new brands that I didn’t know of before who offer 43’s.”
Miu Miu
Miu Miu’s fans are among the most loyal in the industry. They’ll dig through archives, they’ll invest in new styles. For crystal-heeled slingbacks and boots alike, sizes run up to a 42.
Zara
“Sometimes Zara will have a couple of nice ones,” says Ahrens of hitting up the store to see how their size 11 range is fitting. She has “a couple of boots and low heels from there” that have stood the budget test of time.
Doc Martens
The beauty of Doc Martens is in its London-cool look mixed with laid-back styles. Brit-born Cole counts them as her favorite brand for expanded options for every day.
Journee Collection
“I discovered this brand through social media while looking for fashion and styling ideas for curves,” says Ruby. “These shoes fit, and fit well too. They’re true to size in the best way—I’m a solid 11 or 11.5, and their boots look and feel amazing.”
Syro
“I snagged my first pair of platform boots from Syro,” says McGuine. “Syro is a Queer POC based shoe company based in Brooklyn, and being a size 11 in men’s, Syro goes all the way up to a size 14 men’s and supports the width of a male foot.”
R.M. Williams
“This boot is the ultimate for me; I have gone through a couple of pairs now,” says Cole of the comfy line that offers unisex sizing and multiple widths and toe shapes. “They are my go-to for casual and more dressed-up occasions, I will love them forever.”
Vivienne Westwood
Jess Cole often finds herself “scrolling through eBay to find secondhand pairs of Vivienne Westwood” since the iconic punk (and first-wave eco) designer caters to sizes up to an EU 44 in buckled pirate boots and flats.
Coix
“I am very fond of this Black-owned brand, Coix,” says Ruby of the line that offers “shoes that cater specifically to U.S. size 10 and up only, and they carry the best sandals and staple heels to go with everything!”
J/Slides
While designer floofy slippers are an of-the-moment splurge, J/Slides makes sizes up to an 11 in affordable, faux material that’s technically vegan.
Topshop
Another affordable line that’s historically carried women’s sizes up to EU 42, Topshop is a favorite of Cole. Even comfy options from half a decade ago, “I hold onto and cherish,” she says.
