Anonymous

Size: N/A |Age: N/A| Country: Nigeria

Dear Specialty Shoe Lover,

It’s a cruel and unusual punishment to subject a girl to wearing men’s shoes. At ten years old, that was my reality because my immigrant mother hadn’t yet discovered Payless (a shoe store that carries sizes up to 13 in women). I remember sitting in the backseat of our 1996 red Pontiac in tears-gone were the days of pink butterflies and slim, chic footwear. Thoughts of discouragement and inadequacy filled my head and stripped me of feeling that many women take for granted-the feeling of femininity. Standing 5’9, I towered over the boys in my class and weighed a good 15 lbs more than I should, putting on men’s shoes was just adding insult to injury. At only 10 years old, I instantly felt even less dainty and feminine when my mother said, “Maybe we should try the men’s section. To sum it up- shoe options for women with larger feet are important for the emotional development and self-confidence of women.

Signed,

A Girl with Big Feet

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SSLs, I’m so excited to have received our first anonymous footwear story. I know it takes a lot of courage to be this vulnerable and open about what some might consider a flaw, so I definitely appreciate this woman’s courage. If you’d like to share your ‘Sole Spotlight’ story, be sure to shoot me an email.