Shoes for Teens & Pre-Teens
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Shoes for Teens & Pre-Teens
June 2007
I am having trouble finding shoes for my son (12 yo), now
that he is too big for Kid sizes and not big enough for
Adult sizes. He'd wear about a 6.5 or 7, but I haven't
found anywhere that actually carries that size. Where do
you go for shoes at this stage?
dp
Shoebuy.com and Zappos.com both offer lots of choices in
6.5 to 7. I wear a 7 and have never had a problem finding
a fit. Try Nordstrom if you want to get an accurate
fitting. Not everything comes that small, but a lot do.
Our son is 13 and we had the same problem with shoe size -
he was between kids' and mens' sizes for awhile. We ended
up having to look in the women's department for sizes that
would fit him. He prefers Merrells and sneakers, so it
wasn't too difficult to find styles that were not feminine.
Good luck.
Julie
Go to Zappos.com. You can search for shoes by size, and they offer all
kinds of sizes. Free shipping and returns.
Shoe Savvy
Yes, size 6 1/2-7 is a very difficult size to find. We mostly shopped
at Copelands at that stage; you can try sketchers. We used to look in
both the boys and the adults sections. And know that his feet will get bigger,
sooner rather than later!
now we wear the same size
We hear you! Our almost 13 year old is having the same
problem. Also I remember a friend complaining about it 5
years ago when her boy was the same age. We lived in New
York then, so I guess this problem is old and at least by
coastal. So far we discovered that for the sneakers the best
selection is in the Sports Authority store in Emeryville.
They have a lot of different brands and styles to choose
from, but all are full price (around $45 and up). The Big 5
store in El Cerrito has some of the cheaper styles in the
6.5 or 7 men sizes but the selection is limited. We found
sandals in Target and leather shoes in Payless Shoe Source.
For hiking boots we had to go with the ladies brown
Timberlands from Shoe Pavillion. In general, many ladies
styles of athletic shoes are completely unisex looking. Ask
your son, he may be fine with it. We are now near the end of
this tunnel and finding more and more choices as his feet
get bigger. Good luck and this too shall pass!
yglad
A great place to find shoes for boys (& girls) of all sizes
(and they always had 6.5 & 7 when we needed them) is Vans.
There are outlet stores in Petaluma, Vacaville & Tracy,
where the prices are considerably less than other stores or
online. At any of the stores, if they do not have the size
you need, in a shoe that you like ask for them to look
online. If you then order the shoe in the store they will
wave the shipping.
natasha
July 2004
I am looking for a recommendation of a knowlegeble salesperson
that can give good advice on fit for larger size women's shoes.
My daughter is a tall, lean and athletic teen with above average
(size 10) but narrow feet. She lives in flip flops but now has
a need for more formal shoes to wear with nice slacks and
dresses. We really need some help with fit and comfort while
still staying in a young woman's style range. Stores like
Nordstrom have a wide range but we haven't found a salesperson
that seems knowlegable on fit and can make constructive
suggestions. Just like you need a really good person to help
fit a bra, we need a really good shoe person.
anon
I have a size 10-10.5 shoe and have found some success with
Dansko and Birkenstock brands. These shoes are both extremely
comfortable and fashionable (yes, it's true!) If your daughter
likes clog styles (although many different styles are available)
Dansko is the way to go and Birkenstock makes narrow styles for
almost all of their women's shoes. Both brands list their sizes
in European numbers. Usually the line of thinking is that you
add 30 to whatever size you currently wear and that is your
European size. Your daughter would be a 40. This does'nt always
hold true however,(I wear a 42 in Dansko even though I am a size
10) so I would recommend trying on the shoes to find out her size
for each brand. Many women's shoe stores in Berkeley and Oakland
sell these brands. There is a Birkenstock store in SF and an
outlet at the Gilroy mega-mall as well. Trying on the shoe
before you buy and getting an exact size is obviously especially
important if you buy online where you can find these shoes at a
significant discount. Try www.danskooutlet.com or
www.footprints.com (look in their ''closeout'' section). Also,
your daughter might prefer something a little ''hipper'' like Steve
Madden (store at the Emeryville mall) or John Fluevog (store on
Haight street in SF). I've found size 10 shoes that fit me
perfectly from both of these stores.
Good Luck
Kristi
I am 5'10'' and wear a size 11 shoe. I also have a narrow foot.
I don't have any recommendation for a ''professional'' to assist
you in finding great fitting and looking shoes for your
daughter. I don't think ''professionals'' in retail exist
anymore. Nordstroms is your best bet for selection in large
sizes. I also shop at the Nordstrom Rack -- they carry larger
sizes, and you can just pull shoes off the rack and keep trying
them on until you find a pair that fits that you like.
Sometimes 10 1/2's fit me best. Sometimes I can find a narrow
size. My advise is to have her just keep trying on shoes. If
she finds a pair she likes, buy 2, or one in a different
color. Mervyn's also carries size 11, and I have bought
several casual-type shoes there. Over the years I have bought
several pairs from catalogs. The reality is that your daughter
will never be able to just go into any shoe store and have any
shoe available in her size. She might as well get used to
having to make an extra effort to find great shoes in her size.
Kathleen
June 2004
We're having a tough time finding basketball shoes for my
daughter. She doesn't really fit into men's shoes (too wide).
Other than Sportmart, anyone know of a store that stocks women's
shoes? Footlocker, Athletes Foot and the other 'mall' type
stores don't stock them. I've called some smaller sporting goods
stores and no luck. We're willing to go anywhere in the bay area
to find shoes. Help!
vr
I have had this problem for 30 years! Lady Foot Locker and
sometimes www.holabirdsports.com are all I've found.
--Liz
I've had hit-and-miss luck with Lady Footlocker, but now buy
pretty much all my shoes from zappos.com. Their pricing is
good, but the best part is that they offer a 365-day return
policy (so if you get them home, don't like them, or they don't
fit, return them!!). And THEY pay for the return shipping.
What's not to like? Just checked and they currently have 22
different styles of women's basketball shoes. Darn, the ''Reebok
WNBA Isolation'' are awfully cute...
Teresa
Try See Jane Run on College near Zachary's Pizza (Forest street?)
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