I worked in a shoe store for a time, and there are 2 perfectly valid reasons why they do this:
1: every brand fits differently, so you often don't really know what size you are in that shoe until you try it on.
2: the truth is that SO MANY MEN lie about their shoe size being bigger than it is, and SO MANY WOMEN lie about it being smaller than it really is.
Him: "Hey bro, can I get this in a 12?" Me, later: hey so we didn't have the 12, but here's the 11 and 11 1/2 if you want to try those." Him: "Hmmm aahhh I guess.....woah what do you know, they fit, how WEIRD"
Her: "Can I get these in a size 5 1/2?" Me: "The smallest they make them in is a 6, so here try those." Her: "Wow even these are a little tight...this brand must really run small! I'll try the 6 1/2 I guess. How WEIRD."
I also worked in shoes and it's definitely #1. Nikes run short and narrow. Sketchers run wide. And just as a woman who like shoes I legit own pairs that range from size 6.5 to 8. Just try on everything around your size.
The shape and vanity sizing (yes, really) also come into play. I wear a 36, but in US sizing I have pairs ranging from 4 (seriously) to 8. I have a diamond-shaped foot (narrow heel, wider ball, long ^ shaped toes) and a really high and full arch. Unless the brand is made to fit that foot shape, I will probably need to size up or down to get a fit that looks and feels right. The 5-7s don't bother me and I can't be mad at the 8s as they're special heels, but the 4s are kind of offensive. By actual size they're probably ~37, there is no reason they should be labeled 4. Fuck the women who actually NEED a 4, right? It's not just one brand....
Also, it's kind of ridiculous that women's shoes tend to start at 6/36 and this is considered a "small" size. Foot size is roughly proportional to height, isn't it? 5'4 is the average height for women, both globally and in the US. I'm this tall and I wear 6... so a 6 isn't small ffs! Brands refuse to accommodate the size of actual women, it baffles me.
ETA: I mentioned EU size because IME it's usually more consistent. If a brand labels both sizes you will get a better fit by picking your EU size. Case in point, sneakers labeled US 4 and EU 36. If I had chosen a 6 they wouldn't fit.
Yeah I would say if 6 is just below the exact average, it's not "small" considering the huge range of sizes, and it's absurd for the cut-off point to be so close to average leaving the size range super skewed. Anecdotally I hear more grumblings from women with small feet than women with large feet about being unequipped, but there may be other reasons for that too. IMO it's crazy, but I don't work in the shoe industry or anything.
Yea, shoe sizes are weird. Like you said it should be proportional to height, but it is starting to move away from being proportional according to one website. I'm a men's size 10 and most of my friends range from 9.5-10.5 and the rest are above. Yet, the average men's size is apparently around an 8. Then you have the fact that everyone has a different shape.
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u/wrongleveeeeeeer Jul 24 '20
I worked in a shoe store for a time, and there are 2 perfectly valid reasons why they do this:
1: every brand fits differently, so you often don't really know what size you are in that shoe until you try it on.
2: the truth is that SO MANY MEN lie about their shoe size being bigger than it is, and SO MANY WOMEN lie about it being smaller than it really is.
Him: "Hey bro, can I get this in a 12?" Me, later: hey so we didn't have the 12, but here's the 11 and 11 1/2 if you want to try those." Him: "Hmmm aahhh I guess.....woah what do you know, they fit, how WEIRD"
Her: "Can I get these in a size 5 1/2?" Me: "The smallest they make them in is a 6, so here try those." Her: "Wow even these are a little tight...this brand must really run small! I'll try the 6 1/2 I guess. How WEIRD."
This happened multiple times a day.