Is that really my shoe size?

[reader]

After recently buying and wearing these beautiful boots from Adam at Alden of Carmel, I've realized that they were just too darn small.

My feet would feel so tired at the end of the night and the seam on the inside of my right foot was digging in just the wrong spot. Sadly, it was my own fault that they weren't fit properly because this was my first pair of "nice" shoes and I was too excited to wear them. I bought them over the internet and I had never tried on Alden's before. Adam sent very specific instructions on testing for fit, but I just assumed they fit because they were my "size." So, I called up Adam and told him they fit fine, as I thought the digging seam would magically stretch to fit. My "size" is 10.5D, because this is what I had once been measured at in high school. I've had a bunch of 10.5s since then, but mostly loafers and sneakers. I couldn't imagine that it was my fault that these boots weren't fitting so I compared them to all of my other shoes--sure enough they were the right dimensions. I began reading some stuff about getting a proper fit (without actually going and getting fit) and decided to pick up a brannock device on ebay. When I got it and measured my feet, my right foot measured at 11C and my left measured at a 12B--I was shocked. Apparently my heel to arch is pretty long, so I have been buy shoes according to my heel to toe measurement and they were the wrong size. So, my question: how do I go about finding a last that approximates the shape of my foot? Is there any way to deal with the fact that most shoes come in a standard "D" width and I need a "B?" When I try on an 11.5D it feels like my foot is going to slide out of it when I take a step. Thanks in advance.

 

[FCS]

Does it happen to be the same shoes mentioned here? http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/F...p?TOPIC_ID=776 That'd really bad if the shoes do not fit.

 

[reader]

Bad isn't the word...Sad is more like it. Yes, it is I from that very post. I've come a long way with my polishing regimen since then and it is not a stretch to say that I've polished these shoes more times than I've worn them. They look great, but they just don't feel right. As you'll soon be able to see from the pictures on Ebay

. The Bruno Magli Chukkas that I received at the same time just came back from being stretched by my local cobbler. They feel pretty good now, but I can tell they are definitely the wrong size. They were pretty tight on the top of my foot, but since the soles are much more flexible than the Aldens they don't hurt my feet. Live and learn--I guess.

 

[AlanC]

I took the plunge and had my foot measured yesterday. I came in as a 9B. Now it's clear that most "D" and "M" size shoes are wide on me, but I usually find that 9's are restrictive on my toes, which requires me to move to a 9.5. Shoe fitting, like most things, is an art rather than a science. It all points to the fact that I need some John Lobb bespokes.