Update Oct 2016: We received this from a BBS reader regarding Shoes of Prey….
“I ordered a pair of ballet flats in a wide fitting from here (Shoes of Prey). My feet are horrible! Swollen and wide. The shoes did fit but I was disappointed with the quality. They are so stiff they are v uncomfortable. I went to a lot of trouble to find the softest material but – suede – but these are not like Italian shoes. More High Street. They did offer to replace them and suggested I mail them back but their other materials were more rigid and couldn’t be bothered to have them wizzing back and forth across the globe.”
Anyone else had a problem?? Contact us and we’ll publish
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We’ve been on the lookout for fashionable wide fitting shoes for a number of years. We had two previous attempts that you can read here, review 1 review 2. We’ve also been trying to find trendy shoes that are easy to get on when you can’t control your foot or have ‘dropped foot/ankle’ (common in neurological conditions). Years later we’ve found some ‘loose’ shoes, one new service and a new trainer design. This is the latest ‘D’List – 3 new things in the world of disability.
1st Cocorose, a successful, ‘loose’ fit shoe, that has worked on my swollen feet this summer. These are shoes are the ‘official gift partner to the EE British Academy Film Awards.’ It’s rumoured Helen Mirren wears them on the red carpet. The pair I received were a black and white version of the Clapham Loafer range shown below and although not specifically for wide feet, for me they did the job…….
They are really comfortable and only hurt after 8 hours wear! The only issue I have is the rubber soles which stick when I transfer from my chair, a small price to pay for shoes that actually fit, are made of leather and look good. Reasonably priced at c.£90, even Lizzy Yarnold (Remember the Skeleton Bobsleigh) wears them,
2nd is Shoes of Prey a bespoke shoe design service from Australia where you design your shoes on line – as long as it’s one of their basic shoe styles. They have wide fit shoes, in multiple choices of colours and finishes. As you design online you see the results immediately. Here’s the image of my first attempt………..OK I’m no designer but I only had 5 minutes to produce something.
Thankfully, you can return anything that’s not right and they’re not too expensive. The design above came out at £137. Not sure how many attempts they’ll let you have before they stop the free returns but it’s certainly worth trying. I’m also not sure how wide, ‘wide’ is, they say they have ‘E’ and ‘EE’ but I’ve found this varies depending on shoe style. Based in Australia they ship worldwide normally within 4 weeks. They also have an express service. Let us know if you’ve tried them.
3rd Is The Flyease LeBron, Nike Trainer. Designed for a guy with Cerebral Palsy we’ve featured these before, see the review. They are ‘rear entry’ trainers secured with a zip at the heel . Here’s the story of their design…..
I’ve now got my own pair and they work a treat. I just wished I’d got a size larger as I had to cut the elastic laces too get enough width. I also hope they come in more colour ways.
As a fall back if the shoe doesn’t fit just get a pedicure and paint them with the latest ‘cool’ colours that compliment the skin tone of your feet. Here are two Chanel shades that have blue/orange tones and don’t emphasise the redness of my feet.
I’ve also found that if I go around barefoot in my wheelchair people ask why! I can then break into my spiel about ‘no fashionable/trendy shoes for fat feet…….blah, blah! I do this in the hope that a designer may overhear and make me some…..My breath is not being held!!