Shoe Fetish
Let me make something clear first – I am a size 7 in Australia. That is the smack-bang-in-the-middle-average size there. I do not have a huge size in feet!
I was really looking forward to shoe shopping in Japan, especially after what I saw on offer in the FRUiTS magazines that I love. I already knew that Japanese shoe sizes tended to be small, but I was still pretty sure that I’d fit in the range.
But no, it couldn’t ever be that easy in Japan.
First of all, shoe sizes are (usually) measured in centimetres. That’s not so bad, it’s logical and I could measure myself easily to find out what size I was. Note, however, how I said ‘usually’. Actually, ‘usually’ should be replaced with ‘occassionally’…
In my shoe shopping adventures in Harajuku and Shibuya, I found that shoes weren’t generally marked with 21, 22.5, 23, etc. but rather S, M or L.
Small, medium and large shoe sizes?
What??
After a bit of experimenting, I figured out that L was equivalent to 24cm. Generally, the store staff can help you if you say what your size in centimetres is. But really – Small, Medium and Large? Is there a Medium-and-a-Half size? What happens if you’re 23.5cm?
Not that that was an issue for me, giant gaijin that I am, with a whopping 25cm foot! Oh no, not even a ‘large’ could fit a freak of nature like me!
When you see the damn cool, sexy and sometimes so-weird-that-I-must-own-them shoes on offer in Tokyo, being 1cm too large is enough to break a person.
Wandering around Harajuku a bit more, I noticed that some stores sold “extra large” sizes. The range wasn’t very good though, and many were imports from Europe anyway, not the kooky Japanese fashions that I wanted.
Eventually, I stumbled upon a shop that sold a depressingly-named “Queen Size” range of shoes…
Bite me, Japan! You’re the freaks of nature, not me! What the hell kinda sizing system is S, M, L anyway? Oh, LL! How very generous of you! There’s billions of people in the world with my size in feet, how bout catering for th…..oooh, those are cute! Furry!
Nyaa! They curl up at the toes!
Ha! They fit! Muahahahahaaaaa, they are mine! Mine!
*ahem* anou…kore o kudasai.
Okay Japan, I forgive you this time. But I do not want to resort to buying men’s shoes in the future, got it?
- 
December 3rd, 2005 at 5:13 am
Haha spiffy! Did you get a matching hat? :D
December 3rd, 2005 at 9:28 pm
No, but that is a bloody awesome idea :D and a matching bag!!
December 7th, 2005 at 4:51 am
awww! I just love your blog I mean i`ts realy good!! and by the way nice shoess!!
December 7th, 2005 at 1:55 pm
Awww shucks! Glad you like it :)
December 8th, 2005 at 5:44 am
You could try to get a matching vest too. ;)
You should also take alot of pictures of those nice (chique) boot-thingies that have become a rage amongst Japanese men. I want those so badly. ;(
December 15th, 2005 at 12:09 am
Do you mean the ones that are a bit snakeskin? A bit cowboy? A bit retro? I’ll try to make a Men’s Shoes post later :)
December 16th, 2005 at 6:49 am
Jesuss, R u serious???
R u serious that there are mainly four sizes for SHOES? S, M, L?
The store were I buy BELTS offers more sizes. lol lol lol
February 10th, 2006 at 5:31 am
This is very funny. I currently live in the US, but hope to be in Japan in several months. I fit a size ten in shoes, is there any chance ever that I can find a funcky pair of shoes in Japan?
March 22nd, 2006 at 2:54 pm
Oh, how cute! Do you happen to know what small and medium correspond to in cm or in number size?
March 22nd, 2006 at 9:52 pm
Not exactly sure, but I’d say 22.5cm for a small, 23.5cm for a medium and 24.5cm for a large. The staff can generally convert between centimetres and ambiguous sizes like “small”.
March 24th, 2006 at 1:08 am
I know you pain!
I’m a size 10 normally in Aus and here I found one pair of LL shoes that only just fit. *Hangs head in shame* damn them and their stupid sizes!
August 14th, 2006 at 9:25 am
My feet are a bit too tiny for size S shoes. ‘-’ But only a bit, so it works out.
June 1st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
That means I can fit into a size Large/24 in Japan, good to know.