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 Ah, the holidays. On top of having to smile every time someone says "Ho-Ho-Ho," patronize stores that are crammed with bargain-crazed shoppers and spend more money than you have on unappreciative family members, the pressure is on to look glamorous. New Year's Eve demands "black tie" at every turn, which for most women means heels. And then there's the whole run-up to Valentine's Day. How can you inspire romance in running shoes?  So off you go to the store in search of the perfect cocktail party shoe. That is unless you're like me, burdened with impossibly large feet. I don't mean they're anything worthy of the circus sideshow (just feet in proportion to my frame), but they are beyond the range of what's readily available at every run-of-the-mill shoe store.Grab yourself an eggnog and I'll tell you my story: In the seventh grade home-ec fashion show, Michelle Powers looked down at my unsightly beige shoes, which weren't too fashionable with my baby blue sailor dress, and said, "God you've got big feet." Instead of a snappy comeback, I glumly nodded. What I should've said was something smart-ass like "Is THAT what those pontoons at the end of my legs are?" Let's just say I have trouble finding fashionable shoes that fit, and I'm on a life-long quest for acceptable footwear. On my first trip to New York City, I found a Tall Size Shoes store and reveled in the sales person saying "I'm sorry, we don't carry your size" to someone asking for a size 8. It was heaven! Years later, things have certainly improved. There are designers who dabble in the pontoon range, and what's trendy has expanded to include everything from vintage to flip-flops. Of course, my feet have grown a few sizes since junior high to a difficult-to-fit size 12. Must've been all the Manhattan pavement pounding. Although it seems as though my choices are "largely" limited to orthopedic shoes resembling flattened lima beans or towering seven-inch stiletto hooker heels, there actually is fashionable footwear available out there. You just have to look. REALLY hard. Well I've done some looking for you because you, like me, want to look stylish, even if you wear a size 17.  The Internet has been a godsend for curious teens searching for sex information, closeted fetishists who thought they were the only spitting enthusiasts or balloon lovers out there and millions of lonely singles who want to hook up in the next, like, half hour. It's also been a boon to anyone in search of something that's hard to find. It holds a treasure chest of plus-size shoes, that's for sure.Personally I prefer to shop for shoes in real time, to try them on and walk around a bit. While the web may lead you to shoes in your size, it can't guarantee they'll actually fit or feel good. So what's a fashion-forward femme to do? Here are my discoveries and recommendations. The most obvious source of larger size shoes is the ubiquitous Payless. They carry up to size 13, which is new; last time I stopped in, the highest size was 12. They also carry wide width shoes for those of you who need more wiggle room. Sadly, Nordstroms is not as ubiquitous, but if you live within driving distance or plan to visit a city that has one, I strongly advise that you stop in. The mammoth department store started out as a shoe store, so they know their footwear. On my last visit, I asked a salesman if he would direct me to their large size shoes, and he told me, "Sit right down. I'll get Nancy for you." Nancy returned moments later, all 6'2" and size 13 feet of her. Her empathy was impressive, and so was the shoe selection. She brought out 10 boxes, turned around and headed back to fetch 10 more. Then 10 MORE! That was 30 pairs of shoes for little ol' (I mean BIG ol') me to try on. Sure they ranged from running shoes to spike-heeled boots, but just the experience of having all those boxes in an array around me made me feel more "normal." I tried on every pair. Who knew a fancy-shmancy designer like Stuart Weitzman made his shoes in such large sizes? I was heartbroken that I couldn't afford ALL the $200-plus pointy-toed boots and elegant rhinestone-encrusted evening shoes. I left with the more practical platform mules by Linia Paolo for only $72.  Kenneth Cole manufactures two lines. The slightly less expensive Reaction runs a bit bigger and, fortunately, wider. I managed to fit into an 11, and even the knee-high boots I tried on felt fabulous. Sacco carries most of their styles up to a 42, the general equivalent of a US 12, depending on the shape. Varda carries up to a 42 as well, and their shoes are all extremely well made of soft, yummy leather, so they are comfortable AND long-lasting. Be prepared to pay a bit more though.The most indulgent thing I can imagine would be to have my shoes custom made. Not only would they fit, I'd get exactly what I want. Well, even if cost were no object, it isn't as easy as you'd think. There are companies out there who claim to craft custom made shoes, but the styles you have to choose from leave much to be desired. Most of them are horrifying orthopedic-looking monstrosities and some are only available in black, brown or gray. That simply WON'T due for a sparkly New Year's Eve ensemble, even if I were only marginally ambulatory! (I suppose there's always spray paint...) And now for my findings online: www.DesignerShoes.com Their tag line is "For women who leave a larger footprint," so they had me from the get-go. I was compelled to click on "Teen Collection." I wish I'd known about this place back in junior high! They even had "wait list" shoes just like on Sex and the City! Sizes range from 8 to 14 in widths from AAAA to WW. Wow! The selection of designers made this the site I came most perilously close to purchasing from. With everyone from Anne Klein to Via Spiga and styles from athletic shoes to special occasion, you aren't limited to those bland sensible pumps. One brand I wasn't previously familiar with is Pelle, worth mentioning only because all their styles looked very youthful and exactly what I'd be wearing if I were back in junior high! www.nordstroms.com Nordstroms.com is the virtual department store, so there's a huge selection. It's not nearly as much fun as shopping there live, but it's perfect if the physical store is too far away or if you prefer to shop at home.  www.allsexyshoes.comAll Sexy Shoes carries up to women's size 14 US in some REALLY fetishy styles, (especially "Freak," which is a witchy lace up with an impossible vamp). You can search by heel size, from 3 inch to 7 inch, or by style: boots, platforms, ankle, knee or thigh-high. They have shoes categorized as woods, slip-on, chunky heels, closed toes, open toes, lace-ups, platforms and sexy shoes. The shoes are all reasonably priced averaging between $40 and $200. www.shoesonthenet.com This site is a great collection of online shoe shopping links. Interestingly, the best site, DesignerShoes.com, wasn't listed, but they DID have a clickable ad. www.babieca.com Babieca is a search site that led me to some of the best large size shoes. I found myself there by Googling "Custom Made Fetish Boots," but there weren't too many actual "Custom Made Fetish Boots" to be found. www.punitiveshoes.com Just as you'd expect with a name like Punitive Shoes, these are all very extreme fetish shoes. They're available up to size 46, UK 10 1/2 and US 15. qualifetish.com Similar to Punitive Shoes, they offer fetish ballet boots and shoes custom-made for a perfect fit. www.allheelsformen.com All Heels for Men claims to be the web's number one source for large-sized sexy shoes. They specialize in only sizes 9-17 and have been serving the transgendered community for over 10 years. eleveneast.com Eleven East carries up to women's size 12 in mostly fetish-styles.  www.thighhighboots.netThigh High Boots will custom make their boots to fit larger calves for an extra $75, but they carry up to size 16 crotch boots. Kinky! www.fitforaqueenfashions.com Fit for a Queen Fashions carries up to size 17; however, those size 17's are limited to sensible pumps in silver, gold and black. Most of the other styles top out at either 14 or 16, which is still impressive. Their thigh-high boots are only $62! www.pennangalan.co.uk Pennangalan is perfect for the goth-slash-fetish folks out there. They carry lots of funky and fetishy boots up to men's size 11 UK. If your feet are a special case - some sort of disability rather than merely a large size -- you can check out Hersey Custom Made Shoes (the evil black, brown or gray triumvirate), Best Made Shoes (Yikes! They look like Birkenstocks!), OandP.com (Custom made men's and women's, but limited styles and very old fashioned looking. It's perfect for those of you living in a previous century.) or the UK's Taylor Made Shoes. They have lots of history, but nothing very "now." Lastly I found Warren Edwards, half of the Manhattan-based "Susan Bennie Warren Edwards" shoe team who design high-color raw silk confections that cost a fortune. Be prepared to just open that wallet nice and wiiiiiddde, but I'm sure Mr. Edwards will work with you to create your dream shoe. Better think about a second mortgage beforehand! Good luck with your search for the perfect shoe. Feel free to ! Images provided by All Sexy Shoes.
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