Frey surmises that the issue is improper shoe sizing for ladies with larger feet. To raise all internal shoe dimensions as the size increases, several manufacturers employ a technique known as scaling or grading. According to Frey, that idea only sort of works. In her research, she discovered that the width of the forefoot rose along with the length of the foot. But especially above Size 7, the heel breadth did not dramatically widen. So, whether one has large or small feet, there is room for discussion. The higher occurrence of pain and deformity in women with big feet may be partially explained by the fact that this group of women has more trouble finding shoes that fit them than smaller women. Suzanne Levine, a New York podiatrist who treats many women with feet sizes 9 and greater, is not surprised by Frey’s study results. According to Levine, “most women (with larger feet) complain about their heels coming out of their shoes.” It’s not ideal, she admits, but some people choose to make up for it by adding cushioning to the back of the heel. According to Levine, author of “My Feet Are Killing Me” and a consultant for the American Podiatric Medical Association, it frequently can result in blistering. When it comes to big feet vs. little feet, it seems like women with smaller feet win out. He claims that despite studying thousands of feet, he has not discovered that women with larger feet experience more foot issues. The results “might not hold true in the overall population,” he claims. At the end of the day, when feet are at their largest, go shoe shopping.
