Your feet continue to grow as you grow older. The bones spread and the fat cushioning on the bottom of your feet decrease...and don't talk to me about the foot swelling at the end of the day.:(

I really like good arch support too. That's where I find shoes kind of failing.

Used to be when I was teen-twenties a size 5 was the "sample" size so I was lucky to be able to buy them at a very reduced price! Try to find size 5 now! Have to get them on-line and pay extra for shipping, then if they don't fit well...Arghh! On my budget, I can't shop for $50 and up! I think with more healthy diets as babes, people are growing bigger all over!

Wish that were the case Tartan! I'm 72 now. How much longer before they grow?! I swear that like the rest of me they are shrinking!:o

I do know that when I lost weight my foot problems decreased tremendously and that in turn solved my back aches. Being overweight for me had lots of hidden ills.

I've gained about a half size in length! My feet were always long and thin. I took a size 9 with a double A heel. If you thought a size 9 with a double A heel was hard to find, try looking for a 1/2 size! I usually settle for a sling back so I don't walk out of them. Of course, you have to be mighty special for me to get out my fancy shoes nowadays.:D

Agree with Tartan!! I have suffered the dreaded spread also! I worked in Retail management for almost 20 years and had to wear dress shoes all the time, and was on my feet for 10+ hours a day. Now that I'm in my 5th year of retirement I rarely wear dress shoes! In the house it's always "slides", and outside it's athletic shoes. I need a wide fit...found I have better luck with men's shoes!! Hope you find something that works for you!!

OMG, isn't THAT the truth!! I can't wear most shoes because they have no arch support, and you can forget sandals unless they're Keen's or Merrill's. I've seen so many cute shoes, and 99% of them have absolutely NO arch support. I just found some Sketcher GO!'s that are amazing. Arch support AND lots of cushion - they feel like slippers and are just cute as a button!

At 70, I no longer feel the need to wear high heels; however, I do need a bit of a heel, about an inch and a half up to two and a half inches, otherwise I get a backache. Comes from wearing high heels every day for about 20 years And so many dressy shoes have no toe room, (called the box) no arch support either. I buy Clarke's when I find them on sale and wear them til they start looking badly. Cannot bear going bare foot.

I still wear shoes and jeans from my jr.high school days-late 60's- they are both size 7's to get those sizes now they are way to big on my feet and I can almost get a second pair of pants out of new jeans in a #7.. There was a show on PBS about 2 yrs ago addressing this weirdness in sizing cloths and footwear. ''Due to the rise in obesity there is also a rise in low self esteem issues. So by putting a size 7 tag in apparel that should be tagged as a 14 helps to lower the numbers of low self esteem issues. I wonder how many millions of $$ the government granted for that study???