If you're a small footed guy, you've probably been in a situation when you were confronted with a kid who was bigger than you. These encounters are awkward at best and usually very embarrassing and potentially humiliating.
Tell us your story, whether you were the smaller adult or the bigger kid!
For me, the first real encounter happened when I was 19. I was having dinner at a family friend's house and they had invited another family I hadn't met before. When I got there I took off my shoes and noticed the same shoes I had were already sitting there, but obviously much bigger.
ReplyDeleteIn the back of my head, I was wondering who they belonged to.
I got to know the family over dinner and talked with their 13 year old son. When they were getting ready to leave, he calls out to the house that someone else has the same shoes... uh oh...
I am basically forced to fess up they're mine, and he flat out asks me what size they are. I tell him, size 8. He beams with pride, saying he has size 11, no doubt ecstatic he's bigger than a college guy.
All in all, I escaped pretty unscathed from that encounter, but it's still burned pretty well into my memory.
Any other stories? So hard to find this sort of tale.
ReplyDeleteI sort of do...but maybe more of an illusion of small/outsized? But in the end perhaps the same result/minor humiliation... So a couple of years ago I was in a sneaker store that had both adult and boys size Jordans. There were sections for pre-owned Js but they were separated...the GS sizes were with the kids shoes. I knew that some Js had the GS sizes that go up to 9.5 (I usually wear like a 10.5 or bigger but the Js often run big and a 9.5 can often fit me quite well) so I was looking in the kids section and found a pair of the J6 Hyper Roses in a 9.5 that looked cool and actually fit perfect. I was trying them on when I heard a teen (he must have been 13-14 (know he couldn't have been older because he made comments about being in middle school) and maybe slightly taller, but he was really built for his age and probably at least 30 lbs more muscular, and I'm a skinny 140lb runt in my mid 20s, so that sort of added to the humiliation) telling his friend about me, he says laughing "did you see the dude in the kids section, he has tiny a** feet, they look like a size 6 or 7 (more laughter)". It was a little weird because the shoes I was trying were a 9.5 but the GS sizes are narrower and maybe a combination of that and the way they were tied (whoever wore them before me must have had super wide feet because I had to tie them pretty tight to keep them from falling off) contributed to them looking small. I later saw that the teen who commented was getting a size 13. I almost didn't get them after that but I wasn't going to let some young teens deter me so I got them anyway. After I got them home, looking at them in the mirror, epsecially from a distance, I swear they could have passed for a 7! I wore them for a while but I did get comments about them looking really small at times. Oh and the other thing...I took out the insoles (I always replace them on pre-owned) and notice the foot print went slightly beyond the end and whoever wore them before me's foot was like a half inch longer than mine, they must have measured like an 11 (I measure 9.5 but usually wear a size 10.5 or bigger in most shoes)... So someone with feet that were a size to size and a half bigger than mine had also worn these and people probably thought they wore a kids size 7!
ReplyDeleteAwesome story. Even though I've seen it, I still find it hard to believe that 9.5 is a GS size. They still make smaller men's sizes, but I wonder when shoe manufacturers will just eliminate men's sizes below 10.
DeleteYeah, and there is an interesting history behind the GS sizing going up to 9.5. I read it was originally done so that women with larger feet (which would be up to an 11 in womens) could wear the GS sizes. So I guess that could provide additional size humiliation where they could be considered a "women's" size (along with the fact that clearly women's feet are growing bigger too!), though I know a lot of sneakerheads who will cop the extended GS sizes and think nothing of it. But even though my feet measure 9.5-10 on the shoe device (and one should generally upsize about 1 size for sneakers) I still have always felt subconscious about the size of my feet. This is probably also partly because one of my feet is about a size bigger than the other, so one of my feet actually measures like 8.5-9. When I wear flip flops or sandles I always feel like my feet look small, which may also be partly because I have short toes. I also feel that, while my sneaker size of 10.5-11 or so is "normal", that I wear my shoes with more room than a lot of people. I think I size correctly but there are people who wear the same sizes who's feet are much bigger, so that doesn't help me in feeling subconscious. I often worry about comparing feet with someone who wears the same size, that their feet will end up being bigger. But on the flip side I also know there are people who clearly wear their shoes a lot bigger than me. I knew a dude who was like 5'8" who wore a size 12 and literally you could tell that his toe barely made it into the toe box, he had like 2 inches of room (clearly trying to pretend his feet were not small, probably due to all the pressure over big feet being associated with manhood).
DeleteYeah, I've experimented with GS sizes too and know exactly what you mean about them looking smaller, which makes them rather awesome. Size 9.5 would be a little big for me (or my taste, I am a sz 9), but GS sizes that are 7.5-8 are perfect (since a size 7 can be a little too snug to make fit really comfortable). I love that the GS sizes are narrower and to me that makes the shoes look even smaller. A 7.5 or 8 in GS makes it look like I am wearing a size 7 or below. I also love to got a step further and shrink them width wise even more (I have skinny feet so it works well), which usually involves microwaving and squeezing the material so it shrinks. I will also put a small sock in the end to help grow them in length, while I am making them narrower, while having my foot in them. The end resulting illusion works perfect and they end up fitting with ample toe room to be totally comfortable but will look like I am wearing a young kid's shoe!
DeleteI was in a thrift store the other day and I came across the Jordan 6 Hyper Roses in a sz 8 and I remembered your story ;-) They were slightly beat up but in good shape. Seeing them in person you are so right about them looking really small. At first I thought they must be like kids size 5 or something. They are so narrow looking and the toe box is so short. I tried them on and they actually almost fit me big unmodified, which is pretty incredible for a sz 8. I have tied them loose (though incredibly they still look like they are tied tight, lol) and they slip on and off with ease. I actually wish they had been a 7.5 (or even a 7, bet I could fit those too!) so they were a little smaller even but they were still awesome and I had to get them. Got them home and noticed similar to your pair, that looking at the insole whoever had them before me, their feet were pressing against the end. I actually have almost a whole thumbs width of room with them so who ever had them must be like a sz 10-10.5 or something, pretty incredible! I was tempted to stretch them even bigger but decided against it because they are so awesome as is and I don't want to do anything that might make them look bigger! I probably would have overlooked them if it wasn't for your story! Maybe I will post a blog entry about them some day :-) ...well if anyone actually seems it. Seems pretty quiet around in small shoe/foot land :-D
DeleteI should add that these GS hyper roses have to be the smallest looking of the GS shoes I have seen (and GS sizes usually look small, but these take the prize - they really look like a little kids shoe in every way). I have seen/owned other GS shoes and these are far smaller looking than anything else I have seen. The fact they fit me big for the size just makes it more awesome. I showed them to a friend (who knows I like to wear small shoes) and he's like "dude did your feet shrink or something". So even for me (someone who loves wearing small shoes) these look extra tiny! :-)
DeleteThat sounds awesome and I'd love to see pics. I'm a little bit worried that those size 8s would fit me loose and make it look like size 5 or 6 shoes were too big for me!
DeleteHeh, I am sure they would fit you really huge since you are a size smaller than me and they already almost fit me big. I will try to post pics/story soon. I just got back from vacation :-)
DeleteI glad I could be inspiring to your small desires SmallSneakersRFun, lol :-) Yeah the GS Hyper Roses looked like kids shoes in a 9.5, I can't imagine what they would be like in an 8! Would love to see the pics.
DeleteSorry for taking forever, I was lazy and just now snapped some pics. Probably due to perspective they look smaller in person than in the pics. The last pic shows the 8Ys next to my size 7.5 adidases. As you can see the jordans are clearly narrower and shorter than the adidas, but the jordans fit me bigger! Tied the way they are they are super loose and will almost fall off me. I really love these jordans. They totally look like I am wearing a young kid's shoes.
Deletehttps://imgur.com/a/eZws9VD
Wow, that last pic of them next to the size 7.5s is crazy. The jordans are dwarfed in every way, length and width by the adiadas.
DeleteI totally forgot about when this happened a couple years ago (maybe I wanted to forget)...I was at the airport waiting for my flight when a teen guy, looked around 15, walked by with some Adidas running/skate sneakers on that I thought looked cool. He was a pretty muscular guy, compared to my skinny 26 year old 140lb 5'11" frame, but probably a couple inches shorter than me, though clearly a lot more massive. I remembered also thinking that the guy looked like he had small wide feet (I would have guessed US sz 8-9 from a distance). We board the plane and it turned out that the guy is in the seat next to me and I think "cool, I can ask him about his sneakers" (I am a sneakerhead so I am always looking for cool styles). After we are situated and take off we chat a bit and I say "hey man, those are cool shoes, they look comfortable, what model are they?" He says "yeah they are comfortable, I forget but I can check the tag, you can also try them if you want". I'm like "thanks, not sure they will fit me though". He's like, "what size are you". I say "10.5-11". He's like, "dude, these are 12s you should have no problem. These fit snug for a 12 so they'll probably fit you pretty good." He slips his shoes off, as they were tied super loose, and as he does I glance at his socked feet and realize his feet are a lot bigger than I realized. He then hands me the shoe to try on and I do. They are huge on me in every way, length and width. He puts his finger on the toe area to see how they fit me and there is literally 2 inches or more of toe room. He's like "dude, there is no way you are size 10.5-11, you need to get your size checked. You must be like a size 8!" (It's true that I don't measure a 10.5-11, I measure a size 9.5 but I like some extra room for my toes to move around.) He then puts his foot next to mine to compare. Not only is his foot at least an inch and a half longer but it is also super wide (I then realized that his size 12 shoes had only looked small because his feet were so massively wide). He made me feel like I had a petite girls feet in every way. A couple of his friends were also in the seats behind us and one of them looks over the seat to see what is going on (there are other people across the aisle now looking over). The guy says to his friend "this dude thinks he's an 11, look at this (proceeds to compare his massive foot with mine). Both friends are now looking over the seat laughing, making jokes about me shopping in the kids or girls section (teens don't have filters like older people would). He realizes that they probably went too far and is like “it’s ok, my feet are probably on the higher end of average and I might need a 13 soon anyway. I know one other guy with feet almost as small as yours so it’s ok.”. I laughed it off but I just wanted get away...unfortunately there were still 2 hours left in our flight... I don't think I have ever felt so humiliated/embarrassed/diminished in a foot size comparison before.
ReplyDeleteA few more details I left out... The shoes the kid was wearing were the Adidas CrazyChaos. My conclusion was that the kids feet had to be much bigger than a size 12, at least a size 13 or more, and that his comment about the 12s fitting small was not at all that the shoes fit small but that his feet were totally massive and he didn’t even entirely realize it. I am not sure if that Adidas model runs super big, or whether his massive feet had stretched them out (am guessing the latter because the shoes were not new and you could tell his foot had stretched them and was almost bulging out of them). To me his shoes clearly fit me like at least a size 13 or bigger. They were way bigger than any size 12 I have ever tried on and bigger than most 13s, I couldn’t believe how huge they were.
DeleteI would have loved to have been sitting next to this guy while wearing size 7.5 sambas and been totally dominated by his giant feet! I bet I could have been wearing size 7.5 sambas and my shoes would have easily fit inside his huge shoes with plenty of toe room to spare! Next to his feet I expect he would have not questioned for a moment that my feet were not a size 7.5 but rather that a size 9 like the really are. So awesome!
DeleteYou must enjoy self torture! ;-)
DeleteHey SmallSneakersRFun...since you are posting shoe photos, here is a photo I took of the kid's crazychaos shoes I described above. Not a great picture, but I didn't want him to know I was taking it ;-)
Deletehttps://imgur.com/a/WeHpnkM
(Description cut out on me)
Cool, those look like pretty cool shoes and look pretty good size, though hard to really tell from that angle. Is that your leg or the kid's leg in the photo? Too bad you didn't get a pic of his feet too ;-)
DeleteThat was his leg. He had pretty thick legs, he was a big muscular kid for sure. My legs are much more stick like, lol :-D I would have liked a pic of his feet too cause they were pretty massive, but I wasn't able to...was hard enough to get that pic without him knowing ;-) This was after I had tried them on and gotten laughed at, he was sort of dozing at that point, but it was still risky.
DeleteI haven't had as direct an experience, but I have encountered teens who I thought has smaller feet than me (I wear size 9s to but am actually size 8) but ended up with 11s or 12s.
ReplyDeleteSome shoes' aspect ratio is really deceptive.
I have had a few direct experiences (but that's probably partly because I often like talking about sneaker styles with people :-), though only a few like the encounters I described above (though I do have one more story I can share, but a little less dramatic and the person was not really younger in that case). It is pretty rare for it to end with us comparing foot lengths or that I actually try on their shoes, but it has happened a few times. And I agree about the aspect ratio being deceptive. If someones shoes look small I will usually notice and try to size them up, as I am always hoping to find guys with feet that are smaller than mine (to justify that maybe I am wrong about my feet being on the smaller side). But 9 times out of 10 I would say I am usually wrong and the person's shoe size (not always sure about their feet) is not nearly as small as I thought. Often it is more at a distance they they will appear small and then if I get closer it becomes obvious but I have been way off even with people sitting next too me. Even with young/small kids who are maybe 11-12, I can mistake a 9-9.5 as being a 6-7 or something, maybe it is just expectation? So yeah, it can sometimes be really deceptive. And the illusion has always been that the shoes are bigger than they appear and not the other way around.
DeleteJust saw a friend posting looking for "size 8 boys/men's" cleats for his 6th grader. 12, or possibly 11 year old with same size as me... And acknowledging that it's a boys size. While not a direct comparison, it still feels like I've been shown I'm the size of a preteen boy.
ReplyDeleteSo 11/12 would be 6th/7th grade. I remember I was wearing an 8.5 in the 7th grade. My feet essentially stop growing when I was about 12. There were a good number of other kids with bigger feet than me. That's when I initially started to wear size 10s. But now I have totally accepted and embraced that most 11 or 12 year old's feet are likely around my size or bigger. Kids with growing feet can do awesome things to shoes. A lot of parents don't want to be buying kids new shoes all the time and so they make them wear them until they are super tight. A size 7 can turn into a size 9 that way :-)
DeleteI confirmed he's in 6th grade and just turned 12 a few weeks ago. Apparently he's got size 7s which don't fit anymore, and I know cleats are supposed to be tight, so he possibly is size 9 by now.
DeleteThis says it all. A size 8 is an 11-12 year old, no question!
Deletehttps://www.armynavynow.com/pages/how-to-size-kids-boots-and-shoes
And often bigger! ...which reminds me of a story from about 6 months ago when I was in Ross's. I was looking at the shoes and this kid (who I overheard discussion with his mom that he was in 5th grade, so likely 10-11) was trying on some pretty cool looking white/red adidas high tops that were on the shelf in size 7.5. His mom was convinced he was a size 7.5. He was trying to put them on and I heard him tell his mom that they were so small he couldn't get his foot in them fully. In the end he left with a size 9.5 in the same style! After they were gone I had to try on the 7.5s he had tried...they fit me perfect! Normally a 7.5 is a little tight off the shelf but these totally fit me with room to spare! They were only $25 so after that I had to get them!
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DeleteThat chart essentially says a size 8 is a "young boy's" shoe. At least one of my feet is only a half size bigger, so I have only just escaped being classified as having a young boy's foot...this is why I hate wearing flip flops and slides... My right foot especially, it looks like a little kid's foot to me!
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty incredible story. So sounds like what you are saying is that the 7.5s fit more like a 8-8.5? So if the kid who couldn't fit them got a 9.5...that means he would be more like a 10-10.5? A 10-11 year old with a 10-10.5 with bigger feet than I will ever have...geez! I guess kids feet are really getting huge! I think when I was 11 the biggest size I remember a kid wearing was like a 9-9.5, he had the biggest feet in class!
Also, how tall was this kid?
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ReplyDeleteYou should embrace your smaller feet, it can be both liberating and fun! ...then you won't care as much what your feet look like in flip flops ;-)
ReplyDeleteYeah, you are right that the 7.5s probably fit more like a 8-8.5. I also tried the 9.5s in the same style and they were definitely on the big side too. So kit was probably a 10-10.5 foot.
Kid was probably 5'7"-5'8" I would say, I thought he looked pretty tall for his age. But he still looked like a really young kid. He looked like he had a growth spurt before the rest of him had matured.
Here is a pic of those adidas on me, you can see where my toe is :-)
ReplyDeletehttps://imgur.com/a/549kT7r
I have actually worn them out with the tongue hanging down like that so anyone looking can see the size. I was waiting in line to check out one time and another kid was clearly check out the size label! Kid looked maybe 13 but his shoes were clearly much bigger than mine. These really look small and are especially narrow looking too.
I had this happen to me this past weekend! Was at co-worker’s pool party and someone's cousin was there who was 12 (he told me his age). He was almost as tall as me (he was probably 5'10", I'm 5'11") and his calf muscles were actually bigger than mine which was kind of incredible for his age, even though I am on the skinny side. Overall he looked like he had started working out for sure. I bet he weighed about what I do (around 140, maybe even a little more).
ReplyDeleteI was near him when he looks over and says (in a voice that had not quit gone through puberty but clearly he was trying to make sound deeper) “hey we have the same shoes!”. We both had the Jordan 5 racer blues. Then he’s like “what size?”. I told him they were 11s and he has this grin. He's like "Mine are 11s too, but I am probably really like an 11.5 or so now!". He then wanted to compare his foot to mine. Reluctantly I did (though I could already see what I was getting into, as it was clear that his shoes were much more snug on him than mine were on me. His feet were both longer and wider than mine, probably longer by a 1/2 inch or more. His foot looked much more like a grown man’s foot than mine. My foot looked like a little kid's foot next to his. He was so excited that he called his dad and friend over to see. His friend (who was the same age, but probably about 5’6”) said he wore a 10. He was still barefoot and also compared his foot to mine, it was also a little bigger than mine! After that I had put my shoes back on and the first kid reaches over to feel my toe (I do wear my shoes big so they have a good amount of toe room) and says in a dry monotone "dude, why you wear shoes that are way too big for you when you are really like a size 8 or something?" (and this was my left foot which measures close to a 9.5!). I’m like “my feet are not a size 8!”. The kid's dad had come over by then. He was kind of a cocky, macho guy and says (sort of jokingly), "my son is going to be a real man when he grows up, he won't have no girly feet!”. Then the dad’s like “His feet are growing so fast. I just bought these for him a couple of months ago, you should have seen the price, and they are already getting tight for him!". Then he’s like, “he probably has big feet from all the squats he has been doing”.
Then the kid flexes his biceps, he had really defined biceps when he flexed. Unflexed his arms looked similar size to mine and you couldn’t really tell he was that strong. Then his dad’s like, “he can beat everyone in his class in arm wrestling!”, and says “you want to see how strong he is? Give it a go!” I’m like, “I’m good, I am sure he is very strong”. The dad’s like, “come on, it’ll be fun!”. The kid is flexing more now and has his arm ready for arm wrestling on the table next to us. Reluctantly I agree since I didn’t see any other way out of it. We lock arms and it was over in 3 second, I didn’t have a chance! Dad then says to me “you weren’t even trying, give it another try”. We go again, again kid beats me in 5 seconds. Dad’s like, “don’t make it too easy for him and just let him win”. I’m like “I was trying!”. We try a 3rd time, same result, I didn’t have a chance, 12 year old was incredibly strong. So not only did this 12 year old have bigger feet than me but he was also way stronger than me and could probably break me in half! By that time I had had enough embarrassment for one day and was like "I gotta go see where my co-workers are at so they don’t leave without me" and got away.
It's incredible how 12 year olds can have such huge feet now...and get so incredibly jacked! I am sure he is going to be well over 6 feet when he is fully grown and incredibly strong. I left fully demoralized.
Sounds like a fun time (well I would have enjoyed it ;-) ), though I would have been wearing a size 7.5-8 probably. I have seen 12 year olds with some really big feet and jacked too...everyone is getting so jacked these days, it's incredible! So yeah, sounds essentially like total domination by a 12 year old! Would be awesome to find out what he is like in 2-3 years. Maybe he will be a size 14 and huge by the time he is 14-15? Wouldn't be surprised!
DeleteDiscord if you guys want to chat about this stuff. https://discord.gg/ZQY4e6XP
ReplyDeleteSales clerk coming back with boxes, saying "the 6s for you, the 8s for you", suddenly realising what he's saying and flashing a smile - because that latter size was for a kid sitting somewhere near. I sort of DIED of embarrasment.
ReplyDeleteHow tall are you with your size 6s? And are your feet really size 6 or are they actually smaller but you wear size 6 for some extra room? As someone who measures about a size 9 (and 5'10") but loves wearing smaller shoes I would love to be a size 6. It would be so awesome to be able to put on any size 7 or 8 and have it actually fit me huge. Right now I usually have to stretch shoes to make a 7 or 8 fit (and sometimes fit big!). Size 7.5 is always my favorite size, because it is a size I can stretch shoes to fit me and fit comfortably but still look nice and small. Something about also wearing a size below 8, that's when people really start to view sizes as small. I also have fit size 6s on occasion, once without stretching! (Check out my blog! I hope to add to it soon.) Embrace your small feet, you can have a lot of fun!
DeleteSee I would love that interaction you had with the clerk, but I would love it to be much more obvious and interactive. Like if the kid was sitting next to you and you got to compare feet with him and his feet looked so huge compared to you. And if the clerk was helping both you and the kid with sizing. Like you put on your 6s and they have plenty of room and the kid put on his 8s and the clerk decides they are too tight and he could use an 8.5 or something. I have another post on here about a fun interaction I had with a shoe clerk ;-)
DeleteI'm sorry it was not interactive. It happened so fast, so unexpectedly, and it also was so embarrassing that i'd have rather died than remain one more second in that situation :)
DeleteThe clerk was very busy, and seemed to only realise at the moment of passing by with the boxes. As though he started to laugh after hearing what he just said.
And i had also not been aware of a kid sitting down.
What has stuck most in my mind were the few seconds afterwards. How the kid (9?10?) did glance at me, but looked at the clerk for confirmation, like "really"? And the clerk nodded to him, very amused. Like these two gelled.
I did not know just how fast to get out of that situation.
I am a 6,yes,at 5'9". I'm slender.
In my league I'm for sure outranked a lot, if not most of the time, but that's probably why i'm pro-active not to get into such situations.
DeleteThe shock here was that it was sprung on me, very unexpectedly, and that it were THEM that were peers, sharing an amused moment.
When I was younger I used to be more subconscious about my feet and size, but that's partly why I just decided to start wearing smaller sizes. Trying on size 7.5s that someone else's feet outgrew, when my feet measure almost a 9, and having them fit comfortably was an awesome experience and just made me decide to embrace the small. Being skinny I am already small in other ways (even though I am not short) so having small feet maybe seems less unusual to people.
DeletePeople already thought my feet were small and for a while I wore size 10-10.5 but then I would have to worry about people thinking my feet look small compared to my shoes and that my shoes were really too big for me. This is simpler. No one ever questions small looking smaller. It is totally accepted no matter what. But small trying to look big, that will be noticed and called out! Though I also like to have more fun with it and even have small fit big if I can :-)
(I meant outranked by kids)
ReplyDeleteYup, happens all the time to me. Embracing it and having fun with it is much better than worrying about embarrassment. Once you embrace small you take control by making it fun and it is no longer embarrassing because you are no longer trying to hide something.
DeleteHey @SmallShoeSizeGuy what happened to your blog and account? They both seem to have vanished? I was enjoying reading your articles :-)
DeleteHey 🙂. Well, because of this blog here, I realised there already were several blogs, so mine not needed, and mine was not found or read anyway. I much rather go where there are comments.
DeleteThe more blogs the merrier I say ;-) You should at least repost some of your bog entries. But this does seem to be a very tiny community, only a small handful post here. Though I am sure there are a lot more smaller footed people out there! Maybe they are just shy ;-)
DeleteI don't know about 9, but 6ers are a tiny left over, almost extinct 🙂. I don't know anyone my size, and only a few adult 7s and 8s.
DeleteWe're bound to be a small community.
So I thought, wouldn't it be nice if they went to one place?
DeleteThe more visitors in one place, the more others will follow.
The "fun" part, mm, I'm not there 😁. With Kids there's too much potential that they outsize me, and that's a humiliating feel, and totally so when they're 9s or 10s.
DeleteWith men I don't mind.
I will admit that I don't know anyone who wears a size 6. The smallest is probably a size 7.5 (a true size 7.5 foot that is). When I was young there was a kid in camp on summer who wore a size 6.5 and he was taller than me (he was over 6 feet). Not sure if his feet strayed that small or not. I lost track of him. So I am sure there are size 6 people out there. Also, have you tried wearing larger sizes like 7, 8 or even 9 if your foot size bothers you? Adding more socks or insoles should make them fit better.
DeleteWell, even in my 20s I still look really young so I can pass for a 13-14 year old and maybe even a 12 year old lol. I have been mistaken for being in 7th or 8th grade on more than 1 occasion. Last time I was on a plane sitting in the exit row the stewardess asked me how old I was. You have to be 15 to sit there alone. She looked so embarrassed when I said I was in my 20s. I figure people who know me know me and for strangers I don't really care. Same with shoe sizes. People think I am younger than I am so wearing small shoes helps to make it more convincing. I feel like I am accentuating who I am. I look young and have smaller feet so I accentuate that.
DeleteYou just need to try to have fun with it and it won't be humiliating any more :-)
But I know that's not easy for everyone. I am sure most people feel like you do. But I say just embrace who you are and who cares what others think!
Hey! Oh, my size doesn't bother me. But too humiliating comparisons do.
DeleteSay when he's a lot younger or shorter, but is visibly the much bigger size.
I have bought 7s, when there was nothing smaller.
And once took 8s, in a bowling alley, where I didn't want to be seen with a number 6 on my shoes.
Didn't make much difference for the teens in the next alley were all 11 to 13 😁. But at least 8 stil has got some "acceptably small" to it.
I know more guys who are 13s than i know 8s-and-less combined. And more 14s and 15s,
I hit the button too soon 🙂
DeleteMore 14s and 15s then 6s or 7s.
Being a 6 IS already accentuating a small size 😁. You cannot not see it. Clerks have brought me 5s. Fortunately i'm slender so it all looks in balance.
DeleteOnly not next to 10+, then it's "whaat"?!
I remember the first times asking for a sizes 7-8 in stores I felt kinda uncomfortable. Now I don't even think twice. I have occasionally have comments about having small feet but I just say "yeah they are kinda small". I am much more likely to get a comment doing a comparison with someone else than buying shoes in a store.
DeleteI only once really had a hard time buying a smaller size and that was buying size 7.5 sambas at a sporting goods store. When I was checking out the guy (who was probably late teens and pretty muscular, over 6 feet tall) says to me? Are you really a 7.5? I said yeah. Did you try these on? I said yes. Did they fit you? I said yes. Then he's like, I just wanted to be sure you didn't pick up the wrong box. He looked so uncomfortable after that, as if something so wrong was happening, as if I had damaged *his* manhood or something, it was both weird and funny.
Yeah, that's how I feel too. Since I am skinny too wearing smaller sizes does not look out of place really and almost is more "me" than wearing my true size. As you said, it is only next to a larger size that it is really obvious.
DeleteYip! And really. The Big guy then visibly feels awesome. That's fine. But when they're very short or kids, they can let you know how little they think of you, so that situstion... no no 😁. I like being slender etc, but next to kids i can feel like a fragile giraffe 😁 towering over them but being the one with the kids size, lagging 2, 3, 4 sizes behind.
DeleteThe age range 11-12 has a bigger size than me, if not per definition then still very likely. A size 10, 11, 13... really no rare exception for them, especially not at 12. Size 9 is quite common.
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DeleteYeah, the average 12 year olds are probably at least a size 7. I think I was a 7.5 when I was 12 and then quickly grew to almost a 9 by the next year (and stopped). I think I was like a 6-6.5 when I was 11. I remember there was a kid who had size 9.5s in my class at the time. I remember we went to a week long overnight camp as part of 6th grade and a bunch of us were having fun swapping sneakers and I got to wear the kid's 9.5s. They were so huge on my size 6-6.5 feet at the time, I kept tripping! I figure today I can usually fit into the shoes of most 12 year olds, sometimes slightly tight but almost always wearable. I have had a few occasions to try and they always fit (usually sizes 7-9), to the amazement of the 12 year old. Sometimes fitting me better than the 12 year old, as in one instance where he was outgrowing his size 8s (tight on him, slightly loose on me).
DeleteHey do you want to join the Discord channel?:
Deletehttps://discord.gg/bKnbVEFw
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DeleteYou know it’s funny how size is relative, how it becomes all about perspective. I remember when I was 13, when my feet had suddenly grown from like a size 7 to almost a size 9. At that point I was excited that my feet were going to grow to a man’s size...10, 11, or 12 maybe. When they suddenly grew I went out and bought size 10 and 10.5 shoes, yeah they were big but my mom encouraged me too, because otherwise I would quickly outgrow my new shoes. Of course outgrowing my size 10.5s never happened and they remained big, but at the same time I remember looking at others who wore size 8.5 or 8 or 7.5 or less as having really small feet. It was also after my feet failed to grow more that I became curious about how smaller sizes would fit me. I knew I wasn’t a 10.5, because when I felt my toes there were huge amounts of toe room. So then I tried on smaller shoes, like the 7.5s in my blog post about how it all began, I knew I was faking it and trying on 7.5s (even if a kid who was outgrowing them had stretched them) still etched in my brain that I could wear shoes in a size 7.5 and have them fit me fine. So after that I readjusted my perspective. Size 7.5 or 8 was no longer small any more, it was just “my size”, because they fit me (or I could make them fit). Now when I look down at my shoes they don’t look small at all wearing a 7.5 or 8 (unless I am standing right next to someone with a much bigger size). When I was 13, and wearing those 10.5s, I would have been embarrassed to go into the store and ask for a 7.5. Now I won’t even flinch asking for and/or buying a size 7-8. It feels normal and the embarrassment is completely gone. If someone mentions my small feet it is no worse than if someone tells me I am skinny or don’t have much muscle.
DeleteOh hey, we have a new visitor, welcome SmallShoeSizeGuy!
ReplyDeleteWow, you wear a size 6! That almost makes me feel guilty trying to say my feet are small!
I find the discussion above funny. Let me summarize:
Everyone guy the world with small feet: I want my feet to look/be bigger!
SmallSneakersRFun: I want my feet to look/be smaller!
lol
(I am just giving you a hard time SmallSneakersRFun ;-)
I was here today because I posted a new foot measuring story under "Wearing Bigger Sizes" entry. I just discovered that foot length and width are not the only factors in shoe size, there is also arch length...anyway check out my story, I am interested to hear you guys thoughts and experiences!
heh, I've always been the black sheep so I'm used to it! ...the black sheep has more fun :-)
DeleteI don't think I have measured arch length. I'll checkout / respond to your other post...
That's alright JBC 🙂. Size 9 might be bigger than me, I still see it as a small size.
DeleteWell my longest foot is close to 9.5
Delete...the extra .5 makes all the difference!
No?
:-/
But at least I have long arches!
We need to get this guy over here - 5'10" guy with a size 3. You wouldn't be the smallest anymore SmallShoeSizeGuy! ...might be fake though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kRqLOSZVyU
JCB, if your 9 is wide / strong i'm willing to say it's big :) But most 9s i don't find big at all, more in my own league.
ReplyDeleteThe size 3, not sure, but could be.
On second thought, no. I don't manage to see 9 as anything else but small too 😁. Maybe the alpha of the small, but small.
ReplyDeleteSince i sometimes take a 5, that guy with the 3 is not THAT far off.
I know what you mean. Have seen people with small / wide feet and they still look decent size, like a man's foot. My feet are not like that at all. My feet are skinny like A-B width, more like a young boy's or woman's foot...that along with my short stubby toes makes my feet overall look really small :-( I try to wear thicker socks to compensate but it doesn't always help that much and just makes my feet hot in summer. I try to keep my feet hidden in shoes, I feel like my feet will almost always look the smallest.
DeleteI always hate visiting where they insist that guests take their shoes off. I feel like I have to hide my feet the whole time :-(
Ups, yes, that hiding of feet. Pulling them up under the chair as standard position? 🙂
ReplyDeleteYeah, under the chair or sitting on them or wearing my socks loose so size is not as obvious. I would never stretch my feet out for display or put them on the coffee table...that's for alpha feet.
DeleteHa, yes, un-dominance behaviour, showing that the space for/position of Alpha is vacant.
ReplyDeleteThere are sizes so big, they'd make mine invisible. So i keep the honor to myself 😁
ReplyDeleteLike the way I can wear my size 7 sambas inside a size 12 or 13 shoe and they will still seem way too big for me! :-) (size 7 sambas are about the same length as a size 10 foot).
DeleteSpeaking of that...I like using size 9 sambas to stretch smaller shoes. I will usually microwave the shoe for a short bit then put the size 9 sambas inside a size 7-8 shoe and then put my foot inside the sambas. Then wear them until they have cooled down. (size 9 Samba's are about the length of a size 11.5-12 foot) After that the shoes will be pretty stretched. Usually they don't fit like a size 11.5-12 (as they shrink back some) but they will usually fit like a 9-10 by then, sometimes bigger, depends on the shoe. Since the soles are rubber usually they don't really stretch and just the material stretches, that way the shoes still ends up looking like a small shoe but fitting a lot bigger. For more stiff shoes sometimes it takes several sessions to get them properly stretched.
Here are fun posts I have found on the internet over the last few years, I changed their names to protect identities:
ReplyDeletelv351 writes (probably a 10 year old post but this guy is essentially me, same shoes size, same weight only 1 inch shorter :-) :
"[I wear] 8 in mostly everything and 7.5's in manchester selects. square ones, factions.. the metal shoe size things are pretty off it says Im a like a size 9. it's more of a how you want your shoes to fit. I like my shoes to fit snug, they usually hurt to wear for 2 or so days and then they're perfect....
im 5'9 and 130 and wear size 7.5-8."
okdawg writes (another awesome one, 3 of his posts in order over a few months, makes me feel like I am a little too heavy ;-) :
Delete"i think im really a 10 or something, but i just buy 9s, and am going down to an 8.5. small shoes are better for skating, i hate shoes that are too big.
i am 510 im 16 years old and have a size 9 shoe and i weigh like 120
im 510 or 11, and size 9, ima go down to 8.5 soon though."
Here's another one from "bskater" (I agree a lot of people wear shoes too big!):
Delete"i'm about 5 ft 7, and i'm 17. i wear size 8.5-9ish. some kids are like you kinda have small feet, then when i see how their size 12 shoes fit, theres like an inch or two space of toe room at the end. i'm thinking, uhh you're about the same size there retard."
I love how this guy discovered his small feet :-)
Deletetchrist345 writes:
"i weigh like 143 and i'm 5'9"
I know a lot of kids who wear like a 9 but buy size 12's.. There foot literally doesn't even reach the toe area unless they shift there whole foot forward.
I've seen some members on here post pictures of shoes on foot that were obviously too big,.. its one of those things you never notice until someone tells you about it.
I personally used to do this, I thought I wore a 12 and scolded anyone who told me different, But then my friend lemme try his size 9 shoes and they fit beautifully.. I then tried my other friends 8's and they fit better, Turns out, They were my size. Me and my size 8 shoes are now living happily together.."
I know these are not really related to being outsized by kids but I posted them here since this seems to be where all the action is ;-)
DeleteHa, i'm guilty there too.
DeleteSo back to topic.
I'm outsized left, right and centre. So consistently so that i don't think of age 12 as kids, more like young men.
And you?
DeleteYeah, I know what you mean. Most 12 year olds I have met have bigger feet than me and a lot are even physically bigger. I think a good number who's shoes would be big on me and they wouldn't even be able to get their foot in my size 7.5s (well maybe some that I have stretched, but not the ones I wear normally that fit without tons of room). I have passed as a 12 year old on more than one occasion...
DeleteI was even able to convince a 13 year old that I was 12 about a year or so ago ;-) He he mistook me for a friend of his brother's who was in 7th grade, lol ;-) (I instead told him I was in 7th grade in another town ;-). He was bigger than me in every way, taller (6'1"), more muscular/heavier, bigger feet (size 12), more facial hair than I can grow and even had a deeper voice! He even told me my small feet would grow to catch up after I asked him what size his shoes were and he noticed my size 7.5s and I pretended I was upset with how small my feet were :-) He even told me his brother (who he said was my age/size) still wore a 9.5 so I needn't worry. He was a nice kid, he didn't try to make fun of me at all or anything, he just wanted to make me feel better that my feet would likely grow soon too like his had. It was so funny, I almost burst out laughing during parts of our exchange ;-)
I've not met any 11yo who was not a size 8.
ReplyDeleteI know my feet were not an 8 when I was 11...maybe a 6-6.5? I can't remember for sure. But that got me thinking and I researched it and found kids feet are getting even bigger than I realized! There are 9 year olds that wear a size 9 (when I was 9 I remember I wore a size 3!) and 10 year olds wearing size 10, 11 years olds wearing size 11 and so on... That would be pretty incredible to think my size 7.5 shoes could look tiny next to a 9 or 10 year old's! Maybe my feet are shrinking after all...as a result of everyone else getting bigger! :-)
ReplyDeleteTo think I could swap shoes with a 10 year old and my feet would be swimming in his size 10s and he would be unable to even get his foot into my size 7.5s...I haven't been around too many 10 years olds lately to test that (or maybe I mistook them for 12 year olds!)
Here's a thread discussing boys shoe sizes. There are a few with smaller sizes, but it is pretty incredible how many have really big feet. Definitely confirms that you would be less likely to meet a 12 year old who wears a size 8 or smaller! The initial comments were that a size 8 was big for 11, but as you read further you see it's not at all!
https://www.disboards.com/threads/11-yo-boy-shoe-size.1270217/
I just realized that thread was from 2006. I don't remember kids feet being that big when I was 9 to 11 but maybe I wasn't paying attention enough. I mean I knew there were other kids with bigger feet than me but, not as huge as some on that thread. I mean I remember trying on a kid's size 9.5 when I was 11 and they were huge on me but I guess I assumed his feet were super big, but maybe not? Today it definitely seems like kids feet are bigger than 10-15 years ago!
DeleteI so know what you mean. I thought forever things as "of all sales clerks I bump into one with a very big size" or "it's because it's a sports store, of course the sales clerks are of the athletic type". And so on, and so forth.
ReplyDeleteThe tricks of the mind, I suppose, to protect the ego.
It took aaages before allowing the thought that they were ALL that size, that this was just normal, and that i was lagging behind in general.
That one moment of the kid being an 8, was not shocking for his size, not even at age 9 or 10.
But how in the reaction of both himself and the young sales clerk, it was clear that they thought ME the exception. Coming from a clerk, who i suppose has months or years of experience, that was a bit of a shocker, erasing excuses.
You guys are not making me feel better, lol! 9-10 year olds with feet that might be bigger than me...jeesh :-(
ReplyDeleteMentioning tricks of the mind brought back a memory from 8th grade science class, when I sort of first realized my feet were small and how big other kid's feet/shoes were. I was wearing a size 11.5-12 at the time (I now usually don't go over an 11). I remember the kid next to me who I thought had small feet (to me they looked smaller than most of the other kids), wore a beat up pair of skate shoes that his toe was clearly pushing into the end of. I was convinced his shoes were like an 8.5-9. He would also come in in flip flops in the warmer weather and I still thought his feet looked kinda small. They were kind of wide so that probably helped make them look smaller. One day he switches into his flip flops during class and leaves his shoes under the desk while he went to the bathroom. I was in the back so no one would notice, so while he was gone I checked the size of his shoes, they were a 10.5. I was in disbelief. So then I tried them on, because I was thinking maybe they were a small size 10.5 or something...not at all. They fit me very big, bigger than the 11.5-12 shoes I was wearing! (though I think I had like 3 insoles in mine to make them fit smaller, lol!) That settled any illusion for me that my feet were anything but small compared to the other kids... :-(
Oosh, 10.5, to me that's Alpha size :)
ReplyDeleteIt was demoralizing, because up to that point I had sort of convinced myself that my feet really were an 11.5-12. I remember feeling so good that my feet were "big", but that took me back to earth. And my feet never grew any bigger.
ReplyDeleteThen in 9th grade, that super skinny kid in gym class who was like 5'7" and 105 lbs who I thought wore like a 7.5-8...turned out to be a 9.5. Tried his one day too, fit me slightly bigger than they fit him. I knew where I stood...
Even if my feet are on the small side at least they are big enough that I can still pretend to be normal / somewhat alpha! At least with sizes ~8 and above you can at probably at least wear a size 10 and above to "pass" as normal, but I would think a lot harder with a size 6? :-( What is the largest size you have tried to wear without tripping/falling, etc.? How much bigger than your size becomes "too big"? For me it is 1.5 sizes bigger, well 1.5 sizes bigger than my longest foot, 2.5 sizes bigger than my shorter foot. So maybe the answer is really 2.5 sizes? It is my right foot that is 8.5 that starts to really seem to be swimming if I go above say size 11.
Oh man, that brings back so many memories, I had a lot of fun trying on other kid's shoes when I was a teen and they were not looking or left them in their locker, it's a humbling experience! It's pretty awesome when you realize that just about everyone's feet are bigger than yours. When even the kid that is 5 inches shorter than you wears shoes that fit huge on you! That was fun, not so many opportunities now.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how much bigger I could wear? My feet are an 8.5-9 but now wearing anything over a 9 feels huge to me and 7.5-8 just feels normal.
Anyone else have stories about trying on other adults or kids shoes to see how they stacked up? If so did you do it when the person was aware or did you try to do it secretly when the person would not know? What was the result? Maybe you imagined prior to trying them on what size their shoes were or how they fit. What was the result vs your expectation? Did you do it a lot or only a few times?
DeleteI'll start by answering for myself...
DeleteI have tried both adults and kids shoes, mostly kids back when I was in junior high, high school, summer camp, etc. When I was back in school, trying on kids shoes would usually be without them knowing but sometimes I would ask if we happened to be chatting about feet or sneakers. Occasionally I would swap shoes with other friends who had smaller feet for fun (but small is relative, might be a case were I wore a size 8.5 that day and my friend would have a 9.5, we would swap and the 8.5s would be really snug on him and the 9.5s really big on me). With adults it has been much less often, but sometimes at parties when people are asked to remove their shoes there is an opportunity or I could ask someone to try their shoes because will say I am curious about how they fit. The result is almost always that the shoes are sized bigger and fit bigger than I expected. Did it a lot when I was a teen, not as much now.
I don't have a ton of stories of trying on other people's shoes other than what I posted above and the few instances of humiliating situations I posted (some of the still give me PTSD thinking about them, lol!). I tried on other's shoes more as a curiosity than as I hobby. Once I knew where I stacked up there was no need to perpetuate it was my feeling. I have occasionally tried smaller shoes in shoe stores out of curiosity, though it usually results with me feeling slightly demoralized. Anything like that I would always try to do in secret so no one knew what size my feet really were. And yes the times I've done it the shoes usually are/fit bigger than I expected.
DeleteWell, I can't fill an 8, but that's not too visible. From 9 it does, that would be weird to wear. 10, now i start to feel really inadequate, 14, i have disappeared 😁
ReplyDeleteWhat size do you normally wear? I feel like I can go 2-2.5 sizes over my smallest foot and it is not uncomfortable. So that means 10.5-11 for me. But I have seen some 11.5-12 that fit small and will fit me pretty well too. But 12 and above are almost always way too big. So maybe I would put 3 full sizes over as sort of the upper limit for any decent comfort? When I was a teen I used to go higher cause I wanted to be viewed as more "alpha" as you say. Now 10.5-11 seems reasonable and no on will tell me that's small (except for my friend who wears a wide 13, he's always like "I can't believe you are only a size 11". He is an inch shorter than me but also about 100 lbs heavier.)
ReplyDeleteI usually wear a 6. What with the rare-availability, that means that my shoe wear ranges from 6 to 7.5 US.
ReplyDeleteThere are moments that a 5 would fit, but I don't think of buying that.
And yes I'm 5'9" 🙂 but slim.
You are not tempted to wear an 8 so your feet will look bigger? Or is an 8 too much like wearing clown shoes? Are your feet really a 5 so a 6 is already a little big? Even if you are a 5 wearing an 8 would be like me wearing an 11.5 probably, which I don't consider *that* crazy?
ReplyDeleteI also like things as being quick, agile, feeling ready, balanced or well dressed 🙂. So wearing things that fit 🙂. Or whatever that feels and looks right.
ReplyDeleteSo i have worn 8s. It all depends on the make, what the shoes are for etc.
Also 8s can trigger a comment for looking small, so that's not a reason to buy them, they also have to be or feel right. Correction, great 😁.
Whatever i'll do, i'll get the "small" reaction 🙂. Also in Timberland boots.
6 i think is totally right. Only sometimes, for example in Reebok, I find that 5s also do.
9 - not once in my life have i been able to take that, or pull that off. That's just too too big. Not even 8.5. 8 really is the treshold. And only in Etnies or so.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I get the wearing things that fit argument. For me I feel like I can still do that reasonably well as long as I stick to not going higher than a 10.5-11. Beyond that things start to feel clunky. If it was really all about optimal fit I would probably wear a 9-9.5. I did have a pair of emerica skate shoes back in high school that were size 9, trying to skateboard in a 10.5 or bigger would have been crazy! Those 9s really fit me perfect, they felt like they were perfectly sized for my feet, but I did get some comments about them looking small.
ReplyDeleteYou said only in etnies you could do a 8? Did you find they fit smaller than others brands? I have had etnies before but I don't remember them fitting too much different. Though certainly some skate shoe brands / styles do fit bigger than others. These days I am more likely to be seen wearing Jordans than skate shoes. I am something of a Jordan sneakerhead and enjoy talking to people about sneakers (as long as the discussion doesn't come around to the actual size of my feet, which is rarely does ;-) Jordan sizing varies quite a bit depending on the model. Generally I try to stick with 10.5-11 but there have been some where a 10.5 is a bit too big. I have gone as low as 9.5 on occasion with Jordans but I always feel I regret it after as I think they look too small.
"As low as 9.5..." 😁
ReplyDeleteSorry for my smiley! Maybe you can imagine how that sounds to a 6.
Some years ago i would have been shocked by it ("So how low then is a 6"?!) but now i've learned a thing or two about averages and average speak.
Not sure about the thing with Etnies. Because they're sort of pillow'y and push in 2 directions? But I have no idea, all i know is that i once had Etnies in an 8 and that that worked well. Which hardly ever happens.
Let's say that I always try, in all clothing wear for that matter, to find the perfect balance between fit, feel, look, etc.
ReplyDeleteSo yes often i skip smth that too visibly looks tiny, but also too visibly too big, or is not handy or not fashionable or too fashion-victim or or or or...
A bit of being too much into appearance 🙂.
But that for sure is why i don't have rules or patterns. "It all depends".
You could say i'm the type that highly studies and works on appearing that i don't care about appearance, and just naturally look good 😁.
For sure also triggered by being a 6 only and thus aware and cautious.
And trying to make up for it, in all possible other ways?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the balance of fit, feel, look, etc... For me wearing a 7.5-8 (sometimes jordans in a 7 are perfect too if I stretch them a little, I love that they are naturally narrower) fits that perfectly and I don't worry if people see that as small, I do what works for me. I am glad to hear you essentially do the same and are not succumbing to small foot pressure like so many of us small footed people do :-)
ReplyDeleteHey SSRfun! I'm not sure if i'm not succumbing. Maybe just in the same way as when hiding a dirty T-shirt or whatever, you just try to present yourself well. Sometimes that does mean making feet disappear 🙂.
ReplyDeleteJust as not buying narrow shoes that would make them look even smaller.
I do withdraw when an 11 comes too near, or any other potential to that dreaded question 😁
ReplyDeleteEspecially when it's a younger kid. To bring things back to topic.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to a perfect fit I love these Jordan 5 cements, size 7 GS. They fit perfect, length and width, men's sizes always feel way too wide or I have to tie them too tight. I can tie them normally and they fit perfect. I did stretch them slightly length-wise when I first got them but it didn't take much for them to be perfect, I think they were already stretched some by the previous owner - got these at a thrift sore and they fit good right off the shelf really, only very slightly snug. I feel like they are perfectly sized for me, probably like 1/4 inch of toe room - just right. I do often question the shoe size device, but I think having skinny feet really makes the difference. I can be comfy all day in these :-)
ReplyDeletehttps://imgur.com/a/0V4jwgt
SmallShoeSizeGuy...I am sure 9.5 sounds big to a 6...it would be like someone telling me they can sometimes go as low as a 12-13. If it makes you feel better I can usually wear a 9 comfortably too and occasionally even some 8.5s, depending on the model, but I am too self-conscious about the size to actually rock those in public usually, I don't want to be outsized by all those 10 & 11 year olds ;-) But I hear you regarding fit, finish, function, etc. I feel like I size up a reasonable amount without sacrificing style and function too much (and I don't tend to skateboard any more so it's less of an issue if my shoes are a little big).
ReplyDeleteHi JBC. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why i don't size up. Is it because i never did, and thus it feels strange? Never gotten to a point where i'd be used to it?
Or is it because, well, i can size up whatever i want, that'll only change the intonation of the question what size i am 😁. A more smiley "what size is that?" instead of "what size is THAT"?!
Only a reduction in number of exclamation marks, or width of smile 😁
And i'm totally fine. It's simply a rule: any man is a bigger size. Male gender = bigger shoe size. No way around it, shock over, digested, and now onto smth else.
Something like that. A non-issue.
That only still pops up when the other is much shorter, or a kid, or a girl. Where it SHOULD be the other way around. Only then i get embarassed, like they are the man or taller one or have the far better ratio. That is aaargh.
I don't even have that with 11-12 yo, that too has become a given, has worn off. But say 10yo or 5ft short, or much shorter than me while being sizes and sizes up... that's still shocking.
All things wear off, you get used to everything, it's all fine. But a 10yo or a 5ft5 guy who is a 9 or 10, oh my word, i'm knock-out! 😁😳
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, I am not surprised at all for 5'5" to have a bigger foot than me. I have a friend who is like 5'5"-5'6" and his feet are a wide 10.5. It is kinda funny because from a distance his feet look kinda small, but get up next to him and his feet suddenly look way bigger than mine.
ReplyDeleteThat's a blow to sense of masculinity.
ReplyDeleteMore so than having smaller feet than a 10-12 year old? ;-)
ReplyDeleteHah, SSRfun, yes 😁. Because, well, that has stopped being an exception, that no longer triggers a "this can't be...". Because it can, and is almost a rule.
Delete11-12 that is, the typical size 8 guy.
Age 10 though... i still object.
11 or up though, no more chance!
Okay... those of 11-12 should not be a size 10 or over either... there are limits to what you can bear.
DeleteNo problem being seen as small. But you also don't want to be seen as coming from another planet 😁
ReplyDeleteSmall is awesome. Most people probably see me as a little alien too...but that's more than just my shoe size, lol ;-)
DeleteLol, SSRfun 😁
DeleteCould you remind me, what is so "awesome" about small?
Which i ask, because in that you are quite original i must say 😁.
DeleteHeh, SSSGuy...I supposed that's complex ;-)
DeleteMaybe it is something about being different. I like being unique.
You get a lot of options with small shoes. Small shoe sizes are more likely to be available at thrift stores.
At a certain point you can't fake small like you can big. I mean I could wear a size 14 and fake it with socks and insoles. I can't fake wearing a size 4 for example without cutting off my toes. So I am something others can't be. Someone who is a size 10-11 or bigger can't pretend to be a size 7.5, their foot just won't fit in my shoes even if they want them to, but that same size 10 could much more easily fake being a size 15.
It is fun to be something most other people can't be, relatively tall and wear small shoes. I always look for others who are like me, it is rare but it is fun to find them. And if it turns out I was wrong and their feet are still bigger than mine that is even more awesome.
Trying on shoes of people who are shorter and have bigger feet and having them fit me really big is pretty awesome.
I have always liked acting and role play. I look young and can still pass as a 11-12 year old in my 20s so that's kinda fun too. And having small feet/shoes helps to complete the picture. Even if most 12 year olds have bigger feet it is still more convincing if you are a 7.5, because it is almost like you couldn't be older with feet that small, lol ;-)
Ha, that's a point, as to be guessed much younger. True.
ReplyDeleteThe overwhelming, if not general reaction to a very small size, is not a positive one. Even the nicest ones, looks of endearment, amusement or words as "cute", "elegant" or "you are lucky, womens shoes are a lot cheaper" are not immediately building up your confidence, or sense of masculinity. Try getting an endeared smile from a 14yo, as though you are the kid!
Range 11-12 is more like... "wha...?"
All in all as though small is the precise opposite of awesome.
I am always being mistake for a young teen or less and it is almost less embarrassing to "be" that 11, 12 or 13 year old than it is to have to then say that I am really older. When people think I am young it is easier to just go along with it and it can be fun too. I have had 13 year olds think I am 11 or 12...in every way they are bigger than me... maybe taller, bigger, stronger, have bigger feet, probably even deeper voice. So to me it would be a lot more more embarrassing after that to then say I am actually a man in a kid's body ;-) So I go with it. It is a lot less demoralizing than if they knew how old I actually was. If the 13 year old thinks I am 12 then it becomes a natural thing for me to be the smaller person.
DeleteHeavens.
ReplyDeleteI don't have that advantage. To me the look can be a baffled one. "Taller, an adult... and i'm the bigger size"??
The bigger the size disparity or reversal of roles, the more open mouthed. But also as if i let them down, in my task as role model.
Yeah, there is good and bad to looking super young but I make the best of it and having small feet helps to confirm the illusion. People have said I have looked 12 since I was about 13 so I guess I am frozen in time ;-) I am sure in a few year passing as a 12 year old will become more difficult, but it'll be fun while it lasts. It is kinda funny because I am not really short at 5'10" but I sort of look like a 12 year old who just had a growth spurt being so thin and baby faced, lol ;-) Friends who know me often laugh at the idea that others would see me as 12 (they would say I look young, but not "that" young. But once you know someone you always see them differently anyway, since they know I am not 12 :-)
DeleteI can relate to the looking young part. People have said I look like I'm still a teenager, lol. Though passing as a 12 year old would be a bit of a stretch... Age 15-16 is about the youngest I have been mistaken for, it can be a bit awkward sometimes :-(
ReplyDeleteHow often, percentage-wise, would you say that you're outsized by guys in general, by guys your own height or shorter, and by younger kids?
ReplyDeleteMe, the impression is:
ReplyDelete100%
99% for shorter guys
80% for age 11-12
Compared to other adults my height I would say I am outsized 95% at least (that might be low). It is pretty rare to see a 5'10" guy with size 7.5-8 but I have seen it occasionally.
ReplyDeleteCompared to shorter guys, I would say 75-80% maybe?
Compared to 11-12 year olds, I will say more like 60-70% maybe (kid's feet seem to be growing bigger!)? I don't really have a big enough sampling of 11-12 year olds to compare.
I did find out recently that one of my cousins who is 11 wears a size 5, so not all kids that age have huge feet. But he is also pretty short. Maybe 5'2" or so.
Deletehmm...
ReplyDeleteOutsized in general: Wearing size 10.5-11 shoes I feel like I fit somewhere in the average. If I take my shoes off, I feel like I would be outsized 80% of the time or better, and for people the same height that rises to 97% probably. When I wear flip flops or slides and look around I feel like I am being outsized right and left, even by people much shorter. It is freaky to see someone who looks like they wear a size 8 and then see them in flip flops and their foot looks like a 10 and bigger than mine. It happens a little to often for comfort... The fact that my feet are skinny makes the difference more noticeable.
You probably have to go to 5'6" or below before it is clear that most people have smaller feet than me. So from my height (5'11") to 5'7"-5'8" I feel like I am outsized 90% of the time. 5'6" and below it gets to be more 50/50. At that height people are more likely to have an 8.5 or below. Though if you compare just to my shorter foot all bets are off...
As for 11-12 year olds... I have never seen an 11 year old with bigger feet (though I don't know that many anyway)...as for 12 year olds things start to change. Maybe I've had bad luck but I have been outsized by 12 year olds a few times...but again I don't know that many 12 year old to say what the average really is. For sure there are some 12 year olds with large feet! Based on my encounter with 12 years olds I have been outsized more than 50% of the time, but it's really only been a few times, so nothing scientific there ;-)
Hey @SmallShoeSizeGuy, is this your blog? https://bigshoeguys.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteJBC, ups, yes, that was one of the older parts that was supposed to have been deleted with the rest. I'll look into it how to do that 😁
DeleteWhy get rid of it? Seemed like a cool blog and it's a different angle to the size issue than this blog.
DeleteI knew it had to be yours, when I saw the size 6... ;-)
DeleteUh uh. Yes, i know we’re rare. I had sales clerks remembering my size months down the line. As though i was the only one to have asked for that size in a long time. Or ever.
DeleteWow, this thread is getting so long, 142 comments! (143 now)...
DeleteThe sales people in the local thrift store all know me, lol. I go in there a lot and I am always buying sizes like 7-7.5 and the sales staff will comment on my small size. I am known as "the kid with small feet" as I have overheard them saying (they think I am still a kid, lol).
OK. So that SSR with an 8 is outsized with these percentages, that was within my expectations. From my point of view that would be very accurate.
ReplyDeleteBut you JBC with your 10...gosh.
yeah, happens far too often :-( And even if we are exactly the same size, his feet are probably wider and it just puts his feet in a different class. If I am a 9.5 and skinny foot I have a kid's foot. If he has a 9.5 and wide, he has a man's foot (compared to me at least).
DeleteAnd i know what you mean, JBC. Someone looks all normal, or nothing special or small, and then BANG they pull out a foot that dwarfs yours.
ReplyDeleteHaving someone (especially a kid) who looks to me like they are wearing a small size (maybe 8-9) and then in flip flops their foot looks big (like a 10 or better) can be pretty demoralizing. It is sort of equivalent to the kid who looks average or skinny but then he takes off his hoodie and he has huge bulging muscles. You totally paint a picture of someone only to have it blown away, those tend to be the most demoralizing for me. I guess you could call them "sleeper" sizes.
DeleteHah “sleeper sizes” :) Indeed. And your remark of “a 10 or better” is definitely definitely how people see it. Up is better. “A 9 or even less good” is also how i constantly feel it.
DeleteIt's an incredible feeling if someone you are convinced has smaller feet actually has bigger feet, especially if you get to try on their shoes. A guy's shoes you were expecting to be small or just fit you turn out huge on you. Sleeper domination, lol, I love that! ;-)
DeleteBut then afterwards the respect skyrockets?
DeleteYeah, the guy you thought was your smaller or a min your equal is now bigger/alpha. That makes for a more intense domination because it is so unexpected.
DeleteTrue. The surprise factor. And that confidence of not needing to look bigger, or not caring to look smaller.
DeleteIs that "incredible feeling" purely negative? Or positive, or a clash?
DeleteIt's a clash but I turn it into a positive ;-)
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ReplyDeleteI so understand that feel of being demoralized. For myself that cascade is in the past, as though there's no more moral to "de-lise" 😁.
ReplyDeleteWhat with the number of comments in this thread, could it be that this is THE touchy theme of them all, for small footers? To be outsized by kids?
ReplyDeleteBeing outsized by kids is definitely more demoralizing than adults and they can be a lot more cruel about rubbing it in (like my plane encounter with the 14 year old who was already more alpha than most full grown adults - with size 13+ feet and being jacked). It's like the kid has already become an adult and exceeded you before he is an adult, and maybe before he is even a teen! It's like he's already an alpha "god" and you never had a chance to compete. That's just a lot harder to swallow. As you say, it's the world upside down.
DeleteGood description. Like you're beaten twice, or get two blows in one.
DeleteI used to get this sinking feeling, when I'd be in Junior Shoes, and they'd walk by to Mens. Confidently, as though already going there for ages.
Probably why a simple regular "blow" no longee bothers me, is no blow at at all any longer. And two blows neither 😁. It has to be a Blow before i still notice, like being and much younger and much shorter, or a short girl.
Sizes bigger...
DeleteSame height as me - "that's normal".
Shorter than me - "that's normal".
Shorter and younger than me - "now i start to feel inferior".
Much so - "uppercut"
*Yawn*, been very quiet over here...
DeleteI would love to have size 6 feet like you @SmallShoeSizeGuy. Do you think we could trade? ;-) lol
Then make it less quiet 😁
ReplyDeleteMm, a few years ago i would still have traded in a heartbeat, now i really like being very small.
Really? Interesting...I wasn't expecting that. Why do you like being really small? I was assuming you wanted bigger feet. That maybe you had learned to live with them but would have traded up in a heartbeat (if the was humanly possible) :-) What changed to make you like your fit the way they are?
Deletefit -> feet
DeleteHey SSRfun. Hah, I'm not sure.
DeleteMaybe because if it's not straight away minimum a 10, it doesn't make sense. Why swap uncompetitive with uncompetitive?
Then i might as well be special in our direction 😁.
Or maybe because i see the advantages in what me i have got.
Yeah, I feel you, I guess that's kinda why I like wearing smaller shoes. My feet are never going to be "big" so it is just easier to embrace the small. It's like if you are only slightly small (like a 9 like me) people would be like "why aren't you a 10" or at least wear a 10. Where if your feet are like 7-8 people are just like "ok, his feet are just really small no biggie". A 10 just doesn't see 7-8 as competition like they would a 9. So it works better really to be sort of off the bottom of the scale. So yeah love it and embrace it I have always said! :-)
DeleteTrue.
ReplyDeleteI notice that big guys are very nice with me - and think that stems from being seen as uncompetitive, so no danger or risk at all, coupled with them feeling chuffed with themselves.
Oh yeah, same. Big guys are always nice and want to help me with heavy stuff, etc. (even though I am not quite as weak as they seem to assume). Guys with size 12-13 my shoes themselves are no longer as long as their feet. Generally a size 7.5 shoe is about the length of an 11-11.5 foot from the outside so that's when my feet truly start to look microscopic and my feet being so narrow a 7-8 always still looks roomy on me (tow area wrinkles, etc when I walk).
Delete"Microscopic" 😁
ReplyDeleteyeah...I can do without being microscopic... ;-)
DeleteI am only looking to trade feet with someone whose feet are way bigger ;-) I would have loved to trade feet with the 5'5" kid in my story below. It would be so awesome to be able to completely fill a size 13 shoe!
DeleteThat feeling with the kid who is 5'5" has bigger feet than you...
ReplyDeleteSo yesterday when I was taking the train in town I sat next to a kid who was probably 16-17 (I think he was going to be a senior in high school as his friends were across the aisle and he was talking about school starting) and he was really short, probably 5'5". I suspect he was fully grown. He was wearing the exact same style vans that I was. Mine were a size 10.5 but his had to be a size 12-13 (more likely a 13). Not just long but also super wide. They were tied super loose on him but you could tell his feet completely filled them. He was not a big guy at all, but his feet were massive. And the fact that he was wearing the exact same style shoes made the difference even more obvious and eliminated room for error. I was able line up my shoes right next to his (he was busy talking with his friends so I was able to line up my shoes within a half inch of his to get a really exact comparison), there was no question that his feet were huge . Sitting next to him made me feel very inferior (and even more so given that my size 10.5s were already quite roomy on me and laced much tighter than his or they would have fallen off me). I didn't chat with the kid, just observed his shoes...
What feelings do you guys have when something like that happens, when you are outsized in a big way by someone a whole lot smaller? To me it was a pretty intense feeling of inferiority. If he was the same height I would have still felt somewhat inferior but the fact that he was so much shorter really made it worse :-/ I couldn't stop thinking about his massive feet.
Also, the kid got off at the same stop as me and once he was a little distance away, to me his feet looked totally normal, even for his height. I guess I am just too used to everyone having big feet now. Far too often now I see someone at a distance and say "oh, that guy's feet are my size" get close to him and his are way bigger or think "that guy's feet look sort of small" get close and we are the same size or "that guy is wearing kid's size shoes" and then realize they are probably a sz 8.5-9 :-/ I am trying to recalibrate in my mind what big and small is. I am learning that from a distance big never looks big, it just looks normal at best...
ReplyDeleteHi JBC, hah yes, I to-tal-ly know what you mean.
ReplyDeleteThat he fills up part of your mind (and you not at all in his) makes it clear who the Alpha is, if your sense of inferiority did not already do so. That perception (or reality) might come from your instinct reading him to be superior in balance/leverage (especially given the ratio!) and social or sexual competitiveness, thus also confidence levels.
Though as 10 I see you as superior, or alpha, that would change next to this guy (he'd become alpha, you beta).
In situations like that I would love to have known exactly what size his shoes were or how they would have fit me, but I have been humiliated too many times in the past so I wasn't about to ask :-/
DeleteAnd ow yes, that recalibrating! Big looks normal now, for sure because it is.
ReplyDeleteEven when I think I have recalibrated I keep finding that I am still off...wanting to think that other guy is not a bigger size or we are the same size, etc. The desire to not be as small as I am is strong and it skews reality for me probably...
DeleteAnd wearing shoes that are on the big side for me makes any comparison more embarrassing (if I ever take my shoes off or someone feels where my toes are)...I have found that out the hard way one too many times :-/
As things get further away they look small, as I learned back in 7th grade art class ;-) But it is still fun to be surprised up close how much bigger someone's feet are than they might appear at a distance. Some styles are deceptive and look smaller than they really are. I think a lot of the popular vans vulc shoes look smaller than they are. I am always looking to buy deceptively small styles ;-) Wide looking styles, shoes with short toe boxes or shoes were the toe area goes into the vulc rubber at the end tend to look deceptively small.
DeleteInteresting, that of the art class.
DeleteQuestion: shouldn't the whole person than not look equally small?
I mean, the ratio remains the same, no? So the shoe size should look big, whether you see it from nearby or from far?
It was a really interesting art class with a really good teacher! I learned a bit about art and even more about life in that class ;-)
DeleteIt's true that the whole person would look smaller but if we are focused on the shoe size then maybe we miss the proportion in a larger sense? I know I have been deceived many times as to someone's shoe size from a distance and been surprised close up how big they are / look.
I guess the key is once you get close up to someone you are no longer relying on perspective to judge size, you can instead do a direct comparison / measurement if the person's foot is inches away.
DeleteThis discussion has gone in an interesting direction...
DeleteSo this got me thinking more about the vans old skools I was wearing (which I only picked up a few weeks ago) and I realize that from a distance they really do look small compared to other shoes in a 10.5. Putting them next to an old pair of jordans in a size 9.5 the vans look much smaller. I also notice physically they are not as long as most shoes in a size 10.5. So now I am thinking that if I had not been wearing the exact same vans as the kid I might have guessed his shoes were the same size as mine 10.5-11 (or even smaller) rather than more like a 12-13. Which probably means that I have misjudged the size of people's vans in the past, thinking their feet were smaller than they were :-( Now I worry that when I wear my 10.5 vans people will think I am wearing a size 9 instead, grrr. When I bought those vans I was hoping to get an 11 but they seemed to fit so big that 10.5 was as big as I could get away with :-/ It is interesting that a shoe that is so popular actually makes people's feet look smaller. I guess I need to recalibrate yet again... :-(
My, JBC, if you as 10.5 worry to be thought small, what chance do we 6s and 8s have.
DeleteI understand your worry as to 9 though. Even me i notice to find that inadequate.
lol...yeah...
DeleteI don't want my feet to look less than a 10...and some shoes look small :-/ Yet these vans seem to look a little small, so yeah now I am worried :-( Maybe I am overly concerned. I have spent all my life trying to hide that my feet are on the small size so I am not going to stop now, you know? I am not ready to embrace small like you and SmallSneakersRFun have done...my ego would take too much of a hit :-( I probably shouldn't care as much, but these things get in your head...
JBCx: A little Miralax for the brain will get those things out of your head! ;-) Then you can wear a size 9 or 9.5 (or even smaller) and just be cool with it. And it can be fun too :-)
DeleteInteresting. To see that you're in the same state of mind that i was in years ago. That first unease, those first doubts.
DeleteIn the mean time, and incredibly quickly so, those doubts were crushed 😁 i cannot worry that maybe I'm small, if half of guys blow me out of the water, and "very small" is undoubtedly the only definition.
Me I think you're still OK as to ratio, but i also understand that a part of your instinct hesitates.
Let's say that in that department i no longer HAVE an ego 😁. It has taken so many hits, or a few too strong ones, to keep it afloat 😁. As in "you win, game over".
DeleteI can go for boots, key words as "robust", "strong", whatever, it still looks like a kids size. I can go for hyper cool, and then someone will say "cooool sneakers! But what's that size"??
No way around it. Ego can't be rescued 😁😁 So then you embrace it.
What's the size that you'd all find to be acceptable, makes the guy masculine?
ReplyDeleteI hesitate between 10 and 11.
Yeah, essentially between 10 and 11 I would say. I prefer at least 10.5 so I am comfortably over the 10 threshold. If I can do 11 or 11.5 I will, but 11 is usually the limit and sometimes that is just too big to not be tripping or sliding in the shoe at least.
DeleteI know a couple of guys over 6 feet tall who wear a 10.5, so I can be comfortable with that. A little small for over 6 feet, but for me being 5'11" I think it is acceptable.
DeleteSince I like wearing smaller shoes I suppose "acceptable" wouldn't be the term I would use use...but I would agree that many would say that you have to have a size 10 to be an acceptable man's size and I compare myself with that. Size 7-8 that I normally wear is very small compared to a 10 and a lot of guys my height are over a 10 for sure. So yeah, I agree that most guys would probably say 10-11 is the start of what most would call a "manly" size. After all Jordan GS sizes go to 9.5Y now so it has to be bigger than that right?
DeleteHi Ssrfun, yes i think so. Only over 9.5 a guy will feel to be out of any youth or women comparison, or any grey zone.
DeleteDo you think your embracing of being small has got anything to do with just not having an option? The mind for reasons of health and happiness deciding to look at the bright side?
I knew a guy who was a 7 at almost 6ft tall (and slim). When he buys shoes, he seemed to prefer the model that is most "elegant".
DeleteThat surprised me, because "elegance" is not immediately smth that a guy would focus on.
I wondered if maybe for his body ratio, he had sometimes been named "elegant", or that word was used by sales clerks trying to come up with a compliment or a positive note... and in his head it stuck as something to aspire for, or smth good.
What do you think? He's not gay.
What are the key words that you would use, when looking for shoe wear?
That's interesting. I would not ever use the word "elegant" to describe footwear I am looking for. I don't associate elegant with masculine. Although I enjoy wearing smaller sizes, I don't ever want my shoes to not look masculine. They might be small but they should still look like men/boys shoes, not girls shoes. When looking for shoes I usually want shoes that I think look "cool" rather than "elegant". Small shoes are fun, but elegant or feminine would not be fun.
DeleteThx SSR. I thought so too. I wondered if his very small size had feminized him. In the sense of probably often having heard the word "elegant" and then starting to think it was a plus.
DeletePersonally i have heard "cute", "delicate", "girly" but never so much so i'd start to see that as something to aspire for 😁!
For me liking wearing smaller shoes actually started because I saw kids with smaller shoes who I thought were cool. It was sort of that they had something different that others didn't...their feet or shoes were small and they could still be cool kids despite that. So for me wearing small shoes almost become an alternate road to masculinity in a way. My feet would never be "big" so I would instead embrace small, along with the kids who wore small and were still cool. So I still see masculinity in small, just differently. Also, if cool kids outgrew their small shoes but had stretched them so they fit me then it was a way of becoming cool like them in a way. I knew I was still lower in the pecking order, but I could still enjoy a piece if it. It fed my inferiority complex. Hard to explain I suppose but it worked for me...
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DeleteHas my last comment left you at a loss for words? ;-)
DeleteQuestion: do you know guys that you'd name unequivocally masculine, Alpha?
ReplyDeleteIf so, what is their shoe size?
And do you think there's a link, between them being that size and you seeing them as masculine?
I would argue that one can be overly masculine. I think a lot of guys who are uber masculine/alpha are often also obnoxious and not people I really want to be around. I am fine with more subtle masculinity, rather than in your face alpha male personalities. It's probably true that a lot of masculine/alpha males tend to have big feet, but not exclusively so. Probably more about body size than strictly foot size. I used to know a guy who was super obnoxious alpha and he wore a size 9. He was a big guy other than his feet. In a way it was kind of funny because his smaller feet didn't go with his overall "big/alpha" personality but he also never seemed to care about his foot size either.
DeleteThat confidence about not caring about it, is alpha, or his privilege, no?
DeleteI also know one guy who is 5'7" ish and only an 8.5, yet very very athletic and alpha'ish.
DeleteBut that's also the only one. All other guys i'd call alpha, are a big size.
So yeh it is possible, yet there is also a correlation.
His not caring was probably related to his alphaness...it was sort of that he was alpha in other ways so his feet didn't matter.
DeleteYip!! Not being confident is a beta or gamma trait in itself. Or: is it not the small shoe size doing that, but hand in hand with other insecurities?
DeleteThere probably need to be other insecurities in addition to the shoe/foot size. The shoe size need not bring everything else down, but it can contribute. It need not be an insecurity in and of itself if you can turn it into a positive.
Delete