Growing up with long feet was tough to say the least. Like many little girls, I loved dressing up in my mother’s many shoes, aspiring to one day be able to fill them. I was never able to fit my mother’s shoes as I grew. I got a little older and took on the biggest challenge of my life at the time, “big school”. Grade school was a whirlwind experience, and a rapidly changing body didn’t make it any better. I’ve always had long toes and super Narrow feet (I’m talking AAAA). I can remember my childhood photos as a toddler with me wearing such long shoes while being so short. In 3rd grade, I can vividly recall the day when I first traveled with my dad to an older women shoe shop, Easy Spirit. The goal was to buy brand new tennis shoes because my feet had grown to 8.5. In middle school, I can distinctly remember going to the restroom along with my other female classmates when a female classmate teased, “Amara, look at your long toes. Your feet look like Daphy Duck!” That Daphy Duck reference has stuck with me till this very day as I sometimes imagine myself as one of the female duck characters in Disney’s Aristocats movie.

It was during 7th grade that my feet finally stopped growing to my current shoe size, 11. At that time, I hated shopping for shoes and pants because I’d grown taller than the other girls. Shoe stores never had my size and my pubescent hips never fit into ‘Girls’ pants. What made it worse was the bullying that occurred during this time as well. While I loved fashion, the fashion world seemed to hate me, which really affected my self-esteem.

To this day, I am still a little insecure as I enter shoe stores. Most places that I go while shopping never have sizes beyond a 10. However, I’ve learned the “tricks of the trade” so-to-speak when it comes to shoe shopping. With this, I’ve completely grown into the more confident woman I am today. I am now living the “Fun, Fierce, & Focused” life. Of course, I still love shoes, so I’ve allowed my love for fashion and footwear to motivate me in creating this platform to demonstrate how to have it all: fit and fashion. Join me as I explore all things in women’s specialty (Queen size) footwear! Together, we will change the footwear industry forever!

Your Friend and Fellow Specialty Shoe Lover,
XO Amara Nicole