| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
v88
Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Location: here
|
 Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 6:48 am Post subject: Can't seem to find big shoe sizes |
 |
|
A huge pain in my butt here...rather foot.
I am absolutely PO'd about the fact that Korean shoe companies do not make shoes bigger than an 11...seriously, what the hell gives? The names are English, the style western, they seem to be trying to break into western markets and Koreans are getting pretty damned big...so what kind of mental retardation is this? Or is this just some shop keeper's excuse for not ordering me a pair?
On top of that my favourite brands seem to be unavailable over an 11 (US) and no half sizes over a 10. You pay loads of money to have these wicked imports....then you don't carry a full range of sizes? Are people with big feet expected to dish out a ton of cash just for a poorly fitted shoe? I suppose I could buy them and put them on my shelf for my geusts to see how much money I have and how amazingly high tech and comfortable they are, on my shelf. They won't even order them for me anymore. I used to get New Balance because they made a point of fitting shoes right (even here in Korea) but lately they just look me in the eye and say...."Solly....no shoe po you". My favourite retailer has become the damned shoe nazi.
I used to buy shoes off G-market...they would carry the bigger sizes...but now, nothing. Am I supposed to go shoeless or something? The great all knowing Naver has once again drawn a blank...no longer will Naver only frustrate me by being unable to deal with a foreign e-mail. Foreign feet now seem to be on the list of things Naver can't have contact with (although in my case I can't blame them).
I'm sick of the choices in the Twon and hate sitting on the tube for an hour and a half. I just want a nice pair of New Balance or Merrell and I would like to find a retailer that actually wants my money. I'm sick of holding cold hard cash under the nose of some shop owner who seems to think a black hole has swallowed all the large sizes and cannot possibly get what I ask for...no matter how much money a pull out of my wallet.
Back home, you want something that the shop currently doesn't have, they get on the computer and order you one. Here, if they don't have it at that moment, it must not exist anywhere in the universe.
Where the hell of all the big sizes gone? Please, someone, let me know that I've missed something!!! Help me find a pair of 11.5 shoes! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
morrisonhotel
Joined: 18 Jul 2009
Location: Gyeonggi-do
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 6:58 am Post subject: |
|
|
| You're preaching to the choir. I'm a US 13. I haven't found anything that fits. I hear there are places in COEX that sell up to US 12. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
InDaGu
Joined: 28 Jun 2010
Location: Cebu City, Philippines
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 7:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I'm a US 15, I can't even by shoes at the store back in the States. Most of the pairs I have here are about to fall apart after 3 years. And v88, I'm sure you know as well as I do what riding a motorcycle does to a pair of shoes. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
crossmr
Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 2:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Shoe companies aren't going to change their line for a few hard-up english teachers.
They're trying to break into the western market, but not here, they're doing that in the west. You know where the market is.
There aren't a lot of Koreans over size 11, so they don't carry it here, it doesn't make much sense.
Walmart in Miami might still be selling shorts in January, but that doesn't mean the one is Alaska is going to have entire sections devoted to them. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rumdiary
Joined: 05 Jun 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 4:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Most stores in Itaewon have a few pairs of 12 and up. Don't waste your time looking at all the shoes in the store though. I just ask what they have in a 13 since they usually only have a few styles in my size. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
morrisonhotel
Joined: 18 Jul 2009
Location: Gyeonggi-do
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| rumdiary wrote: |
| Most stores in Itaewon have a few pairs of 12 and up. Don't waste your time looking at all the shoes in the store though. I just ask what they have in a 13 since they usually only have a few styles in my size. |
Any recommendations? I'm in desperate need of some trainers for going to the gym. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
v88
Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Location: here
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 7:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| crossmr wrote: |
| Walmart in Miami might still be selling shorts in January, but that doesn't mean the one is Alaska is going to have entire sections devoted to them. |
Har, har...we don't live in the land of midgets you know. It's not like Alaska where a pair of shorts is literally of no use. People do have big feet here no matter the season. I have been able to buy them in the past but these days it seems as if no one is willing to order in anything. I can't figure out why they don't want my money, they just throw up their hands in defeat.
It's like 8 years ago when I tried to buy a phone. I took my boss to the shop next door to get me a phone and they said I couldn't have one because I was foreign. So I proposed we find another shop or another method. My boss simply said I could not get a phone and left me to live without a phone for the year. Of course I didn't give up and kept pestering people until I finally got an over priced, pay as you go, used, piece of junk under a Korean friend's name. I found out later that foreign folks could get phones in the foreign districts...but the question remains. Why is it that if someone says you can't or if something is out of stock so many Korean businesses just throw up their hands like you are requesting time be stopped?
I have this shop that I go to for motorcycle boots. The guys sells only imported goods and sells the brand of boots that I like in my size (usually). However, if he doesn't have the size in stock, he will not order more. I've asked him when his next order would be, showed him the cash and asked him if he could bring in the item at that time...He just looks at me like I'm foolish or something. It's as if he has a set list, a list that must have been handed to him by god himself on stone tablets and he couldn't possibly change the nature of his monthly shipment in order to make some extra cash and help a fellow biker out. I've even given him my card and asked him to call me if the gods should smile in my favour and bless him with the size I'm looking for. I have to keep going back and forth from his shop in the hopes that I will be lucky and the item I'm looking for has arrived in that month's shipment. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
murmanjake
Joined: 21 Oct 2008
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 7:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Definitely strange to not carry those sizes. I'm 6'3" and I see at least one korean a day my size or bigger. Big feet are not a western phenomenon, and v88 is right that we are not in the land of the midgets. Hell, one of my 15 year students is just as tall as me, with feet to match. Where does he buy shoes?? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rumdiary
Joined: 05 Jun 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:28 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| morrisonhotel wrote: |
| rumdiary wrote: |
| Most stores in Itaewon have a few pairs of 12 and up. Don't waste your time looking at all the shoes in the store though. I just ask what they have in a 13 since they usually only have a few styles in my size. |
Any recommendations? I'm in desperate need of some trainers for going to the gym. |
You shouldn't have any trouble finding trainers. Nike, Rebok etc. in Itaewon will all have a few selections in your size. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
v88
Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Location: here
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 9:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
As it turns out I will not be able to get Merrell shoes in my size in Korea. Merrell Korea doesn't carry anything bigger than an 11US.
I find this odd. Merrell Japan carries 12s (300) and they are shorter than Koreans. Koreans on average are only 3 cm shorter than your average Westerner yet Merrell UK sells 340s (16US), a good 5 cms longer than the biggest Korean shoe (a 290). Whats even sillier is that the average height of Koreans is skewed because of all the short old folks. Young Koreans are much closer to the American average in height, so it would seem likely that some Koreans wear size 16 (340) shoes. How do they get shoes if no one in Korea makes them or sells them? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sweet_potato
Joined: 05 Jul 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 9:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
if you know what you're looking for, check out ebay. you're already expecting to pay more, so why not just pay the shipping and get what you want  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dazed and Confused
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 10:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I too have problems finding shoes here. The only problem is I'm a girl with size 10N feet. Even in the states it is hard. 14 years in Korea and the only shoes I've ever bought for myself here are bathroom slippers.
Do what I do. When you go home buy 4 or 5 pairs of shoes pack them in your suitcase and rotate them as you wear them. Keep them polished and in the shoe cabniet so they'll last longer. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
crossmr
Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:31 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Har, har...we don't live in the land of midgets you know. It's not like Alaska where a pair of shorts is literally of no use. People do have big feet here no matter the season. I have been able to buy them in the past but these days it seems as if no one is willing to order in anything. I can't figure out why they don't want my money, they just throw up their hands in defeat. |
The point was, they don't stock goods which aren't appropriate for the market. If the retailers thought they could sell a lot of shoes at that size, they'd have them. There is the odd person here with giant feet, but they're not a significant part of the market or more stores would cater to them.
Often businesses can't just order 1 of something.
They have to order a case, etc.
In the case of shoes, maybe they have to order them in lots of a half dozen.
If he can't sell the other 5 pairs it doesn't help him to get just yours. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
v88
Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Location: here
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 5:12 am Post subject: |
|
|
| crossmr wrote: |
The point was, they don't stock goods which aren't appropriate for the market. If the retailers thought they could sell a lot of shoes at that size, they'd have them. There is the odd person here with giant feet, but they're not a significant part of the market or more stores would cater to them.
|
I know what your point is, but my point is that people with big feet exist in Korea, just because stores won't sell many of them doesn't mean you don't sell them at all. It doesn't make sense not to sell large shoes. People need them and as a seller of shoes it's a niche in the market that can easily be taken advantage of by warehousing (which large retailers do) and door to door delivery (which is huge business here). If they charged me extra for that extra bit of warehousing then so be it. The largest size shoe offered in Korea is ridiculously small when compared with the average size of Koreans. This is even sillier when compared with other Asian countries who are on average smaller than Koreans (Japan) yet sell larger shoes. A far greater number of people are having to make do in Korea because manufacturers have decided to cut costs...pretty lame. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
normalperson
Joined: 06 Jan 2011
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 6:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
Off Topic: Does anyone know why the old people here are midget height and the young people giants? Back home I was the short kid at 5ft 9. I came with the "asians are short" stereotype having been to Japan and now I'm here I'm feeling short again... But does anyone know WTF happened in that 2 generation age gap that changed the height difference so much?
On Topic: My shoe is beginning to talk and my only other pair are paper thin volleys. I'm a 12 and I havent gone looking for shoes yet. Would places have shoes in my sizes? But sneakers, not running shoes or anything, something like Nike Air Forces, or Adidas High Tops etc. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
