It's hard to be perfectly Goth if your feet are an unusual size, because finding the right gothic wide shoes can take a bit of effort. The good news is that a good Goth look can comprise extra-large shoes, so you can get shoes in a half or even full size larger than what you would normally wear and stuff the toes with lamb's wool or something similar, or add an insert or arch support.
Shopping for Gothic Wide Shoes Online
The general consensus in the Goth community, whatever size or shape your feet are, is that buying online is tricky and you are much better off buying your shoes where you can try them on. Since that isn't always possible, especially where an awkward size is concerned, or you may be looking to save money or get something that isn't available in your country, there are some tricks to shopping for shoes that should help.
- The shoes must have rounded toes.
- They should not have a seam across the ball of the foot, where a foot is often widest. It keeps the leather from flexing and will quickly cause discomfort, and even pain.
- They must be made of either soft leather or a fabric with give, something that will stretch (or can be stretched at a good shoe repair shop) and mold itself to your foot.
One of the best online shops to search for Gothic wide shoes is Zappos. Goths are quick to point out that there are not many styles available, and most of what is there is not very exciting, but you can do a search specifically by width, even including double-wide width. And, since shipping is free and you have the option of unlimited free exchanges lasting up to a year, you can keep sending things back until you finally get the shoe that works for you.
Finally, for the Goth woman who doesn't want to wear heels or pointy toes, she can wear men's shoes like New Rocks or Doc Martens. Even Docs for women can run fairly wide, so you may want to explore the range of the line.
Popular Sources for Goth Shoes
Any shop that specializes in Goth gear should also be able to address the needs of a wider foot. You may have the best luck trying outlets whose emphasis is predominately on shoes, like Vixens and Angels. Their range is huge, including Doc Martens, Steel, Emily, Getta Grip, Underground, Pleaser and New Rock. They also have a selection of vegan shoes. You have to call them if you have questions, but they are very committed to customers and will do everything they can to see you get what you need.
You can also try Good Goth, which has a large selection of unisex shoes and notes that these will tend to run wider than women's styles. They are also easy to work with if you need to do a return or exchange.
Vintage Wide Shoes
You don't tend to think of old shoes as Goth, but a lot of boots from the 1960s and 1970s fit with a modern Goth style. What's even better is that older shoes tended to be sized as Narrow, Medium or Wide, so it's definitely worth browsing good vintage shops for something that will not only fit well, but be unique and guarantee some drooling!
