You know what they say about big feet.
Big shoes.
In American sizing, San Geraldo usually wears a 14 (sometimes 13-1/2). That translates to a 48-1/2 or 49 in Spain. And that translates to very few pairs of shoes among all the shoe stores of Sevilla. When we first tried shopping for shoes here, sales people would laugh when we told them his size.
"Nothing in our store and not much in Southern Spain," they'd say. "Maybe some more in Northern Spain. But you really should go to Germany or Scandinavia for shoes that big."
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| FINALLY, IN THE PLAZA DE LA ENCARNACIÓN, A SHOE FOR SAN GERALDO. UNFORTUNATELY, THE LARGE SHOE IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR THE RIGHT FOOT. |
Sevilla's Foot Locker store's in-stock sizes might go up to a maximum of 47 (my size, 11, translates to 45). They'll order shoes for San Geraldo (which will ship from Germany), but he would have to pay in advance. Without trying them on. And even with the right size, San Geraldo has a high arch in the wrong place. He's hard to fit.
The department store, El Corte Inglés, does have some shoes in large sizes. San Geraldo needed new sneakers last month. We went to El Corte Inglés. We already knew the selection in his size was limited, so we simply asked to see everything they had in 48-1/2 and 49. The salesman brought out one pair of white sneakers in 48-1/2. Amazingly, they were a perfect fit.
There are a couple of stores in town that cater specifically to Big Foot (I mean, people with big feet). But the selection isn't all that exciting, to say the least. Even in the States, the selection was limited. And when we did find something we liked, we'd change our minds after seeing them come out of the box in "clown size."
San Geraldo's pedal extremities are colossal!
At least you know that he's unlikely to be blown over in high winds or to sink in soft sand or mud.
ReplyDeleteOwl Wood:
DeleteYes, and its very convenient to come with built-in snow shoes... especially when you grow up in South Dakota.
Great for treading the Guadalquivir waters
ReplyDeleteDoes this saint really walk on water?
lol
saludos,
raulito
Raulito:
DeleteWe have to cross the river to see friends tonight. I'll give your theory a try and make him forgo the bridge.
Can't you just slap a couple of orange crates on his feet?
ReplyDeleteJust sayin'.....
Bob:
DeleteNo arch support. He'd complain.
I have the same problem finding women's shoes my size. Please let San Geraldo know that I feel his pain. Too bad the Big and Tall shops don't have a shoe section.
ReplyDeleteJo:
DeleteAnd they don't have Big and Tall shops here! I had forgotten about YOUR feet! You'd really have it tough here.
I have small feet (8.5) so you'd think I wouldn't have trouble finding shoes, but I need a triple wide and this is hard to get. My feet are wide enough for me to walk on water.
ReplyDeleteStephen:
DeleteWide enough for you to walk on water... It's ironic that you could do that already. Such a waste of wide feet!
I'm an off-the-rack kind of guy. Shoes in my size aren't always in-stock here, but that's a first for me. My only problem is in buying suits. If the jacket fits, the pants are 6 inches too big at the waist. Glad I don't have to buy suits anymore.
They say each generation has bigger feet than the previous. This has held true for my lineage. Mom had 7, I wear 7.5, daughter wears 8 and granddaughter 8.5 and great-granddaughters are advancing on 9. Which brings into question, what are all those relatives of Jerry's in SD
ReplyDeletegoing to do in successive generations? It boggles the mind!
Ms. Sparrow:
DeleteMy sister and I both had much bigger feet than our parents, but my sister was also about 8 inches taller than my mother and I'm about 5 inches taller than my father was, so no surprise that the feet were also bigger. If we had their little feet, we would just fall over!
Of Jerry's two nephews (who are both big guys), one wears the same size as Jerry, the other wears my size. No size 15s in the family yet!
Feet get longer with age as well! I used to be 10.5, now I am a 12!!! What's up with that! My brother wears a 15!! You can see him coming from a mile away!
ReplyDeleteJim:
DeleteJerry was a 13 when we met. Mine has stayed pretty much the same. 15!!! That's a 49-1/2 here. The stores that carry big sizes go up to 52, so you're brother wouldn't have to go barefoot.
We have the same problem with my daughter in a different way. She has extremely long, narrow feet. When we order them, they are usually sent back because, well....she just has very odd feet.
ReplyDeleteI've found one shoe company that specializes in ballet shoes and find that they usually fit her, so while her choices are limited, she does have options.
Even when she was an infant her feet were long. I have a photo of a friend gaping at her long skinny feet as he held her in his arms.....
Maria:
DeletePoor Liv. That's got to be frustrating. I'm easy to fit. But Jerry has really made me appreciate how unpleasant shoe-shopping can be.
I'm always looking for an excuse to go barefoot.
ReplyDeleteStew:
DeleteI used to love going barefoot. City living is not very conducive to that!
Ha! Another good chuckle :))
ReplyDeleteJudeet:
DeleteThat's what I'm here for!
We buy shoes in the states when we visit (we wear a pair we want to discard then come back with a new pair or two). In France, size is not the issue for us, but price is. Any shoe that will wear well and last a while costs a small fortune here.
ReplyDeleteWalt the Fourth:
DeleteShoe stores abound in Sevilla. Cheap to expensive. Badly to well-made (and not always related to price). I got a really nice pair of Pumas this year for €29. But, I saw another pair I really liked for €129 (which wouldn't last any longer or be any more comfortable than my €29 pair). Still, I miss the Premium Outlet Malls!
My mother would say, "Let this big your biggest problem". Pun intended.
ReplyDeleteKristi:
DeleteYour mother would be right!