Chie Mihara Mary Janes, Size 5



I got these Chie Mihara Mary Janes from Browns a few days ago.  I don't know if I've ever mentioned it in this blog, but I LOOOOOOVE her stuff.  They have that unique eclectic/artsy feel that many other shoe brands don't have.  In fact, the only other place where I've seen similar stuff is at Anthropologie (I also have a love-hate relationship with Mary Jane shoes - on one hand, they look really little girl-ish, but on the other, the straps help my feet stay in place!).  Her sizes start at a 5/35, and the size available at stores which carry her line.  They do fit slightly bigger, so insoles are necessary (though the straps on these Mary Janes seem to be keeping my feet in place so far).  The shoes can be quite pricey, but as most small-footed women know, it's often a grab it while you can situation.  This is exactly why I don't have that large a shoe collection compared to many other women. 

Do you have tiny feet?  Do you have shoe shopping issues? 

Tiny Feet :-(

I have tiny feet.  Size 5.  Actually, it's probably more like 4 3/4, since 4 1/2 is too small and size 5 is too big.  This means that shopping for shoes is next to impossible and that my shoe collection is full of Stuart Weitzmans.  Yeah, he's the only grown-up shoe line which carries sizes as small as a 4!  I consider myself lucky living in Toronto, where my size (in grown-up shoes) is easier to find.  I think Vancouver is probably the only other city in Canada which can top that (blame it on the Asian Invasion).  Also, size 5 is more likely to be found in higher-end stores, with Town Shoes being the exception.  I'm pretty sure that if I walked into a store in another city, say, for example, Ottawa (where my fiance is from), they'd probably give me a weird look if I asked for my size.


It sucks having small feet.  I had the smallest feet in my class - smaller than even the girls who were shorter than me.  I think some of these short girls are still shorter than me now as an adult, but they're probably a 5 1/2 or 6.  The ones who are size 6 can find things very easily, since that's usually the smallest size brands carry.  Lucky them.  I know that lots of people think it's great to have dainty feet, but it totally is NOT.  Not when your "dainty feet" are too small!  And who wants to wear kids' dress shoes, anyway?

BCBG XXS and Size 5 Nine West Shoes

The BCBG dress (in XXS) was probably from Spring/Summer 2009, as I found it at an outlet store recently. XXS seems to be shorter than XS, even in regular sizes. It's too bad that petite BCBG dresses are sooooo difficult to find. They're not available in their boutiques, and only in a limited number of department stores in the US (petite BCBG is unavailable in Canada). I actually think they're disappearing, since there weren't any at Bloomingdales the last time I was in Manhattan. The shoes are also from the outlet mall - a size 5 pair of "PTFASHNING" in bronze (that's what the box said) from Nine West.

My New Shoes

Shoes from Chie Mihara

The white thing on top (on the left shoe) is called a "halter." It helps keep my feet in!

I went shoe shopping yesterday and bought a pair of Chie Mihara shoes. Her shoes were still a tad bit big on me (due to my narrow feet - at least the guy at the store said my feet were narrow. I always thought that they were normal in front, but skinny at the back), so I not only got insoles for them, but also "halters" - stickers which go on top of the shoe to prevent my feet from slipping out. These shoes are great, and I can't wait to wear them when the weather gets warmer!

Size 5s disappearing!

I first read about it at Alterations Needed, another petite blog. While I understand that there aren't many women who wear a 5, and that it's a "waste of money" for companies to keep making them, my question to these companies is this: What are size 5 women supposed to wear? I'm sorry, but you can't expect us to go to the kids' section to purchase dress shoes if we want to look like adults (not to mention being INSULTING...I don't think people truly "get it"). I've heard women say that there are girls' shoes who have heels, etc, etc, but these shoes are:

a) Lower-heeled than shoes for adults

b) Usually thicker-heeled - no stilletos for little girls, of course

c) Hard to find! I think I've only seen this at Nine West and perhaps a couple of other places.

We already have trouble being taken seriously in corporate/business situations. If our shoes look like little kids', wouldn't that make it worse?