Why Size 11s are not Happy Feet in Dubai

Is your shoe size 11, as a woman, or 12 as a man?

Do you find yourself in Dubai, tempted by the enormous shopping malls and a promising number of shoe outlets that make up the true shopping paradise.

Well, you better be prepared to walk on, because big sizes are almost next to impossible to find.

Men have it easier than women. There are a couple of shops at the mercy of the large-footed men, like Brantano Shoe City in Deira City Centre or Fabi Shoes in the Mall of the Emirates.

These shops sometimes sell men shoes in size 12, or 47-48 in European terms. But these sizes are only confined to some models, and the male shoe shopper will have to choose based on availability.

For women, who often care much more to be seen parading on fancy footwear, it is much less likely to find a shoe of preference in larger sizes.

Women with feet extending the American size 11, which is more than 43 in European terms, often find themselves unsatisfied after a daylong of strolling past all shopping options in Dubai.

“We do not go up higher than European size 42,” says Elmar Huseynor, floor manager of women shoe outlet Giuseppe Zanotti Design in the Mall of the Emirates. “It would be a very bad business decision to stock shoes in larger sizes. They are not often sold.”

According Abdallah Fahes, floor manager of Fabi Shoes, the average foot size for women is 37-38 and 44 for men.

“Only every now and then we have a customer asking for a bigger size. We have an African lady who regularly comes to our outlet. We have the shoe of her choice designed for her in her size, but of course this takes some time.”

Most shoe outlets are offering the service of delivering customized design.

“If a lady really fancies a shoe, we can place an order for this shoe in her size. The factory in Italy will then design the shoe and send it to us,” explains Elmar.

But this carries the extra costs of transportation and in the case of Giuseppe Zanotti Design an additional 20% of the original price.

“It is very difficult to meet the demand in a culturally mixed city as Dubai, as with each nationality comes a different foot shape,” explains Elmar, adding that in the shop where he works Russian females are the most frequent buyers.”

According to him, Europeans and Africans have the biggest feet, although Europeans have only large feet, whereas African women have large and wide feet.

“Asians have the smallest feet and Arab women mostly have average –sized feet, but with a considerable width.”

“I am having great trouble finding shoes for my daughter, who has European size 42,” says an Egyptian father who lives in Dubai and sometimes wants to buy his daughter a pair of shoes. 

An Emirati man, who prefers to remain anonymous, says to find his size 46 in thirty percent of the cases.

Although web forums where the problem is discussed offer comments with advice on where to go shopping, Brantano Shoe City confirming that they sometimes sell larger sizes for both sexes.

Other options suggested are to order the shoe of your preference from the retailer directly, which in many cases can be done online. Or, to keep it local, one can visit Foot Solutions, which is located in Dubai Mall, Oasis Center and Mirdif Center. Here your shoe will be made just as you like it. Off course, this has a price tag.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.