For women who don’t fall within the average foot-size range in Asia, shopping for shoes is one difficult task. It’s not even about a lack in variety of designs. Sometimes, it can be quite impossible for someone with feet that are larger than a EU 41 to find in stores here a basic shoe, like a ballet flat, that fits.
Of course, there’s logic behind why most shoe brands in Singapore don’t produce women’s shoes in extra-large sizes – it simply makes sense to cater to sizes with the highest demand.
“The number of women who wear shoe sizes above EU 41 in Asia is relatively small, so for many brands, there isn’t enough demand to justify the significant cost of producing those sizes,” said Clara Han, the founder and creative director of local shoe brand Oleah.
Making shoes requires a unique last, or mould, for every size, width and heel height – it’s a costly investment, so brands are often cautious about extending their size range. “Larger brands typically look for minimum market demand before scaling up, which means such niche sizing is often best served by niche shoemakers that are specifically committed to that segment,” she added.
