RE: Marian Keyes!

I subscribe to her blog or newsletter or ezine (whatever that's called) and was  delighted to see that she too is a member of the Size 5 shoe club. She  refers to have freak size feet. Quite true.

Mark didn't understand why I tend to do quantity shoe buying when I do until he want to the vernerable and much touted Nordstrom shoe department with me. If you have a size 6-9 1/2 foot, maybe life is rosy and happy and lovely every day. But veer outside the MASS MARKET shoe sizes, and you're tempted to say what the hell and wear sneakers for Teva sandals for the rest of your life.

We had a wedding to go to, I needed a dressy shoe; I laid out for Mark  how this whole shoe experience would go down. Even at Nordstrom's, the only shoe department that MIGHT stock ANY size 5 shoes.

"We'll walk in...the sales associates will fall over themselves to wait on me...until I hold up a winsome, cute shoe and ask, 'Do you have this in a 5?'

"Notice the look on their face. They are disappointed. They know that waiting on me will cut 45 minutes out of their sales commission time. Instead of being able to sell hundreds of dollars of shoes to several women with average-sized feet. Instead, saddled by me, they will spend the next 20 minutes in the stockroom, searching for a size 5 shoe--any size 5 shoe. To mollify me, and to avoid coming out empty-handed, they will bring out size 5 1/2s and 6s. 

"They will suggest that I can put a little foam pad in the shoe, to make it fit better."

Mark looked skeptical.

"Just watch," I said. I picked up a lovely designer shoe in the Salon area of the shoe department (for some reason there's always a better chance Salon shoes will come in the rare 5). I hold it up, look at it. A sales associate takes the bait and fast approaches me.

"Do you have this in a 5?"

I thought he would cry.

He collected his poise, set his mouth and then bolted for the stockroom. 20 minutes later, he emerged, sweaty, irritable, and defeated.

He handed me a box...he didn't bother to kneel down to help me put on the shoe.

"We don't have that style in a 5, but I have a similar style in a 6. We could try putting a pad in the shoe..."

I smiled and quietly nudged my husband's knee.

40 minutes later, I emerged with a pair of $150 shoes. The most expensive pair, the only size 5.

 "Now do you understand why, when I find any size 5, I have to buy it?"

My husband conceded defeat. "I guess it's true--if the shoe fits, buy it."  

It's wonderful. He hasn't complained about any shoe buying since then. 

BusyGal