Live in the Philippines

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The shoe is on the other foot

Adjustment, Language Learning / by

I’ll tell you one of the biggest problems we have in the Philippines, and it’s a problem that I don’t recall ever being specifically addressed here on LiP or on other Philippine related websites either.

Shoes.  Feet.  Big feet.  Small shoes.

If the shoe fits, wear it!  If the shoe doesn’t fit… well, there may be a problem.  It might be a tough problem.

That sums it up, but let me go into explanation mode a bit.

When we moved to the Philippines, our kids were young.  Our oldest when we moved, Chris, was 8 years old when we moved here.  Jared was our youngest when we moved and he was 1 month old at the time.  At those ages, it was not hard to find shoes.  We never really considered that our kids may grow up to have large feet, and that it might be hard to find large shoe sizes here in the Philippines.

For the past 5 or 6 years, though, getting shoes for our kids has been a problem.

Chris is 21 years old, and his shoe size is 13 or maybe 13 1/2.  It’s a big problem.  You simply cannot find a size 13 or larger shoe in the shoe stores here, except on a very rare occasion.  If you want to buy “slippers” as they call them here (tsinelas in the local language, also called flip flops or thongs in English), well, that is practically impossible.  Most people here were “slippers” about 90% of the time.  Finding slippers or shoes is quite difficult.

Aaron is nearly 17 now, and he also wears a size 13 shoe, and he is still growing.  He is taller than Chris already, still growing, and I am sure he will end up needing at least a size 14 shoe in the long run.

Jared, just 13 years old is wearing a size 11 shoe.  Size 11 is available, but his problem is that he has a wide foot and also a high instep.  Wide shoes are not available here at all, except maybe in Manila, I would guess.  To find shoes for Jared could take a few days of going from one place to another, it is quite difficult.

Our two girls, who biologically are actually our nieces, are fine in finding shoes, as they are both 100% Filipino and are smaller than our boys are.

So, what do we do?

Well, the truth is, we struggle in finding shoes for our boys.

When shopping or even just walking around the mall, if we see a place that has a size 13 slipper or something similar, we buy it, or we at least make a mental note that this may be a place where we can find a slipper if needed.  Usually we just buy it, though, because you never know what will be available next time you come there.

Another thing we do is that for shoes for the boys, we shop at the Ukay-Ukay places.  Ukay-Ukay is basically used clothing (and they also have shoes and other items) that are shipped here from the States and other places to be sold by vendors,usually on the roadside or in small shops.  In this stuff, you often find large shoes.  Few Filipinos are looking for a size 13 shoe, so usually these items stay on the shelf for a long time.  The good thing about this is that you can get these Ukay-Ukay items very cheap, a quality pair of shoes can be just a few hundred Pesos.  The downside is… who wants to buy used shoes for their kids?  I mean, it’s not like we are poor and these types of shoes are all we can afford.  Truth is, this is one of the only ways we can buy shoes for our boys!

The good thing, though, is that you can usually find shoes that are not used much, and are almost like new.  Also, from time to time you even find brand new shoes that even still have the tags on them.  When you see something like that in the correct size, you snatch it up!

So, as you can see… shoes truly are one of our biggest problems in living in the Philippines.  For me, I don’t really have any problem finding shoes that fit.  How in the heck did our kids get such big feet?

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  1. To answer your question, Bob, “How in the heck did our kids get such big feet?”, you may have to look at your Dad’s feet. My two sons also wear size 13 plus-size shoes and wide. They also are both over 6 feet tall. I am on the shorter side in height and wear size 8 1/2 shoes. Both of my sons must have inherited their granddad’s genes on their mother’s side, who was a towering 6’5″, and who had big feet as I recall.

    Regarding shoe sizes for your sons, you may have to order them from shoe stores that cater to American expats in Subic, or, ask for Paul Thompson’s help who lives nearby there.

    • Actually, my father’s feet were smaller than mine. Maybe somewhere else in my ancestry somebody had big feet, but I know of none! I didn’t realize you could get large sizes up in Subic. I may have to get Paul involved soon! 🙂

  2. Bob;
    In 1963 in high school it was hand me down shoes but being the middle child by the time my two older brothers were finished with a pair of shoes no cobbler on earth could repair them. (You younger folks might have to Google the word cobbler.) But even worst for me I could wear my grandfathers shoes, not too many of my contemporaries were wearing Black Wing Tip Cordovans, except three teachers all named Francis Xavier Murphy. By the way we had four more with that same name, and a few students. (Irish section of Boston) When I joined the Navy again I was stuck wearing clunky black shoes, and steel toed Boondockers. Now that I can afford it I wear Converse “Chuck Taylor All Stars” or Dockers’ and Dexter’s but Flip Flops are my number one favorite.
    PS John is right on base is a large Payless Shoe Store that does carry large sizes (SOME)

    • Paul, in Springfield Mall in Alexandria, Virginia, there’s a place where I used to take my formal shoes for maintenance. The place is still there, and it’s called, “Cobbler’s Bench”.

      • John;
        Refreshing to know they are still around. I had a pair of Dexter boat shoes repaired in Olongapo. But the man replaced the interlining with one made of plastic, they caused my feet to sweat so much I threw them away. But he did do a great job replacing the heels!

    • Hi Paul – We have a few Payless shops in town, but none of them carry large enough sizes for our boys! As Jared continues to grow (and Aaron too) the problem will only get worse!

  3. There are shoe makers in Bogo and I assume all over the Philippines that can make custom pair of shoes from the outline of your foot and cost is about the same as “ready to wear”. Have had no problem getting size 12 made for me there.

  5. Our son has a similar problem. He wears a size 12, American, and lives in Japan. From time to time, we send him a new pair of dress shoes for work. Don’t know what he does with the old ones. Maybe he donates them to a thrift shop & they end up in the ukay ukay in the RP.

    I have only a small problem. My feet are small by US standards, but large by Filipino standards. When folks visit, they tend to shuck their shoes at the door sill. Eventually there’s a pile of ’em there. Folks going in and out to the dirty kitchen, or down the street to the cousin’s seem to just stick their feet into the closest matching set there. No problem til I need to go outside. They have no problem shuffling along in shoes that are too big. When mine walk off on someone else’s feet, I can’t get my feet into any of the too small ones that are left. Lately I’ve taken to keeping my shoes under the bed. It means that I have to go fetch them when I want to go outside, but at least I have something to fetch.

    Take care,
    Pete

    • Ha ha… I can understand your problem, Pete, as I see how the “pile of shoes” gets started and then gets used up, and it is exactly as you say!

  6. Are there not craftsmen there who could make shoes to order? The Filipino people certainly seem to be the masters of Yankee ingenuity. (That sentence made more sense in my head.)

    • There are, but I feel that the comfort level is not on par with commercially made shoes. Also, convenience… for example, when the school says “you need a new pair of white shoes, meeting x criteria by Wednesday…” well, that is not always possible for a local show maker to get it out quickly enough.

  9. I am not talking about looks, but comfort. Also, convenience… for example, when the school says “you need a new pair of white shoes, meeting x criteria by Wednesday…” well, that is not always possible for a local show maker to get it out quickly enough. Anyway, yes, I know is available, but it is not what I want. I’m glad it works for you, but it is not of interest for me.

  15. BTW, you can also have custom clothes made at just about any dress maker. So if Ex Pats need double extra large, they can accommodate you. Just take a favorite shirt to them as a pattern. Same with pants and shorts.

  26. Bob:

    I have the same problem as AJ… The size is OK, but I have a wide foot. The local shoe repair guys can sometimes stretch them a bit so they fit better.

    Since your mum is still in the States, you could ask her to watch for a Payless or Nike or similar sale, buy a bunch, and ship a BB box full at one time… Like a pair of dress shoes and sneakers and flip flops for each kid. Will take 6 months, but you are ahead of the game.

    The mall here, and it gets expensive, if you visit the store of the shoe brand (Like Nike, Hushpuppies, Addidas, Etc.), they can usually order for you if size is not in stock. You may need to ask the manager to do it, but they usually will.

    In Manila (Quiapo), SM has their outlet store. This is where they unload a lot of the sizes that don’t sell well, so larger sizes are there… and it is cheap. Becy goes there for me frequently. You do need to visit in person.

    Finally, the shoe makers in Marikina also work similar to the made to measure tailors… you visit once, they measure you, and keep your measurements on file. They can ship them to you in Davao. Since they make to your foot, they always fit well. The well-established makers are best… but expensive.

    • Hi John – It won’t work to ask my Mom to ship stuff over.. so far, she doesn’t like to do that! 😉 oh well…

      The problem with kids is that their feet grow so fast, “measuring once” and shipping is not really viable, because the kids’ feet would have grown even just a couple months down the road! 🙂

      Thanks for your tips!

      • Bob:

        Another option…

        Tiger Airways now flies nonstop to Davao from Singapore. With the large number of expats there, larger sizes are much easier to find (Carrefour has a very large, very cheap, shoe section).

        You could do a shopping trip there and stock up (buy sizes a little larger). Lots off BB box companies in Singapore, too, so baggage limits really aren’t a problem.

        As an aside, SIM LIM Centre, next to Little India, is an entire shopping mall with nothing but electronics… all 12 floors of it. Your computer stuff, latest, greatest, cheapest, is also there… Nothing else like it

  27. Bob, try Marks and Spencer in Abreeza mall. I get my things from there, expensive but very good quality.

    • I have avoided the place up to now, John! The prices are so high! But, if they have big shoes.. I might just have to break the budget! 😉 Thanks for the tip.

  30. Hi Bob,
    Not too familiar with Philippine Ebay, but I do know that they have stylish new large sized athletic shoes in US sizes for pretty resonable prices. Might be worth looking into for sneakers and shoes. Good luck!
    Short of that, as John J says, Marks & Spencer–maybe one pair for each of your sons in a larger size for them, and hope that they don’t grow too fast. Also, having a cobbler around as needed for maintenance Kids!

  31. Dont have big feet but mine are wide so its difficult to find a size 9 EEE, especially for sports shoes. I needed a new pair of golf shoes, but they wanted p8k. So bought on Amazon for $28 (Callaway) and shipped on Myus.com for I think $20 so it worked out as it still arrived in little over a week. I should have bought 2 pairs, but wanted to make sure they fit. To be safe, maybe you can order a 1/2 size larger.

    • Hi Don – I am also a client of MyUS.com, and they work good. I just am really trying to be able to get away from having to order from the States and be able to get our daily needs here instead of from abroad. But, it is always an option.

  32. Shoes, shorts, pants, underwear and anything else to wear is always a difficulty. Big people should bring clothes before they come. My wife is 5 foot 4 and about 56 kg and still struggles with choice as she is relatively big here compared to many.

  33. When I was in Davao last year for a vacation, I forgot to bring my leather shoes. It was necessary to have a pair because we were going to attend the wedding of Susie’s niece in Cebu. Problem was solve because Biema Shoe Shop at C.M Recto made a pair for me costing Php.2,500. During the early 60’s when I was yet a bachelor, I had all my shoes made to order at Biema and it was only Php.200.

  34. Last year when I went to Davao for a vacation, I forgot to bring my leather shoes and it was necessary to have a pair because we were going to attend the wedding of Susie’s niece in Cebu. Problem was solve because I had it made to order at Biema Shoes Shop at C.M. Recto. Cost was Php.2500.

  36. Hi Bob – Maybe it’s regional or maybe I’m just lucky, but I find that local shoemakers are more than able when it comes to shoeing my wide feet. Prices are most reasonable and satisfaction has always been guaranteed. A good shoemaker can make almost any style you’d like (outside of “gym shoes”) and insure the fit. Too, the shoes last and last, provided you take care of them. Add to it all that one’s patronage helps the local economy as well. 😉

      • If you ever get to spend a little time in Manila, you can visit Marikina, the “Shoe Making Capital of the Philippines.” Many of Imelda Marcos’ shoes were gifts from the various shoemakers in Marikina. If the shoes are good enough for her, . . . . 🙂

        • “Get to” spend time in Manila? For me, to make it grammatically correct it would need to be changed to “have to” spend time in Manila. Ha ha 😯

  37. Bob,
    I understand your dilemma with the shoe sizes. That’s why I’ve sent and am bringing with me several different types of shoes/clothes my size to avoid that problem. Can’t wait to get there. Will be leaving on Tuesday. Will be coming your way in August or September sometime. Maybe we can meet for lunch or for coffee if your not too busy. Good luck on your search.

  38. Even a 10 or 10 1/2 can be hard to find…..I don’t know how many times I found a pair of shoes I like, only to be told they cant find the size I need. I pretty much walk around in a cheap pair of crocs (128p). I do have a pair of dress up for special occasions, but I have only worn them when I had to. What is it with these kids and their big feet?. My nephews also wear skis. I dont remember kids having big feet like that when I was young. 😀

    • Hi Greg – I wear and 10 or 10 1/2 and so far I have never had problems finding shoes for myself. I used to wear crocs myself, but have graduated from them already. 😉 Thanks for stopping by, my friend.

  39. My wife had just the opposite problem. She complained about having to shop for shoes in the little kids department when she first got here if she wanted to find shoes small enough to fit. I gave her two choices which seemed fine to me, either go dancing with me (the visual should be easy if you’ve seen me dance) hence resulting in feet two to three sizes bigger, or go shoe shopping on one of her trips back home ( we know how women hate to shop!!).

    • Hi Joe – I understand that! When Feyma came to the States, she had to shop in the children’s clothing section! The shoe is on the other foot… literally!

      • Yes, that body size thing can throw you for a loop when you first encounter it. When we were first married, Marlyn’s mom made some shirts for me. She didn’t take any measurements, just gave me a good look and stated “you’re the same size as your Daddy”. My late father-in-law and I were the same height, weight, and build. When the shirts were made, they were way too tight around the chest. They fit my father-in-law just fine. There’s just a difference in skeletal size between Asian and Euro bodies.

        Take care,
        Pete

        • Ha ha.. cool, Pete. You know, it’s interesting, because I had a shirt made one time and it was the same… nice and lose everywhere, but too tight in the chest!

  42. LOL…. just reading now. I bought a bunch of new shoes I am bringing with me. Maybe I should buy a few more. Maybe one pair for every pair my wife has… wait, that might take me another two balik bayan boxes. 🙂

  43. Feet size and height, I think, can be gotten from anywhere in your ancestry line. My father and mother were both less than 5’6″ tall, but I was 6’0″ tall before my back injury. I’ve been shrinking a lot since then. Now I know… but lots of new shoes and bring them with me!! Hey, maybe I can start a little business of shipping large shoes to the PI… or just bring gifts for friends. 🙂

  44. I have the same problem in China. I’m “only” a size 10 (UK), which means that most modern brands a size 44 or 45 is fine. But here – nothing above 42, even in the foreign shops in the large cities. Bizarrely (in other words typically, for China) the only place I can find anything to fit me is in military surplus stores, and then only plimsolls ! There is one style which has a fairly good tread, good for walking and general wear. They last about 2 years and cost 50 yuan (about $10). And another style, much plainer for 19 yuan (about $4) which last about 1 year. The good thing with those (apart from the price !) is that the soles, though thin, are made of a rubber which actually grips in the wet, unlike anything else I’ve tried (don’t talk to me about crocs, they’re lethal in the wet).

  45. Hi Bob,

    My wife wears a size 5 shoe and we have to order them off the internet her in the US. When in the Philippines we often shoe shop and stores carry her size, but it they are often out of stock. The saleslady usually says when we get size 5 shoes in they sell out quickly. The logical follow up is if they sell so quickly you should get more in stock, but apparently from reading this site this is a common problem.

  46. Goodness me! A problem indeed! At first, I thought there may be a big difference between US and UK/Australian Sizes, so I looked up a chart and the sizes are more or less the same. A size 13 shoe is a BIG shoe. I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen a size 13 shoe before. No offence intended, but I think you can probably get Kayaks smaller than that? 🙂 In fact, the largest size shown on the international size comparison chart is a size 13.

    All joking apart though, big feet or small feet, we all need shoes. I would imagine that it wouldn’t be too expensive to have shoes hand made there in the Philippines, and of course there is always ebay and overseas purchases…the ubiquitous balikbayan box?

    Best of luck with this dilemma.

    • Hi Jim, luckily, over the years we have found work arounds, but having to order from overseas and such is sure a hassle.

      You Brits and Aussies must be small chaps, Jim. A size 13 is not so uncommon for Americans these days.

      • lol I believe the average shoe size in the US is around a 10, and a 9 in the UK. I’ll stick with my size eights though…less shoe to spit ‘n polish.

  47. Bob,

    I had that problem when I was there a couple times ago being i wear a size 12 and I think 12 and up is were it starts getting harder and harder to find shoes. Think i have a plan…… I will just start buying shoes I like about a year before I make the move to the RP and send them there so I’ll have the right size and style I like I’m sure there will only be a few tennis shoes and the rest being sandals and flip flops.

      • Bob,
        You see what i’m talking about when i say you can learn a lot from your wedsite,Yes for the ones that have already made the move and have big feet it’s to late. But for the one’s like me there’s still time and not only for shoes but other things that might be needed there as well? So everybody keep the post coming i learn more and more every time i read here on the LiP. Thanks Bob!

    • Todd,
      I’m packing 4 pairs of casual leather boat shoes i acquired in a half price+ closing down sale, although i don’t have a size problem in the PH the price was very hard to beat anywhere.
      For what little use they will get like downtown shopping trips and formal ocassions, they should last me years. Rest of the time it will be flip flops and canvass shoes etc.

      • Chas,
        I’m always looking for deals here in the states even for the family there in the RP, When my wife and I are out shopping we look for things to send and when there’s a big close out or special going on we take advantage of it.

  48. Hi Bob,
    I thank my lucky stars i am only a shoe size 9 (UK) = size 10 (Asia)
    Similar with shirts etc, i am UK Large = Asian size XL
    Always one size up in Asian sizes.

  51. Hi Bob
    its so funny, here in US its really hard to find my size, in the Philippine my shoes size is
    6 or 6 1/2 but here in US my shoes size is only 5 inches. 6 inches here is so big for my feet so me and papaduck need to go in kids section ,but still some are not fit to me, were
    been in several stores here before we found the right size.

  52. I really got a good chuckle out of the comments here Bob, around the middle of the comments the more you mention that you did not want to get custom hand made shoes, the more comments appear telling you about them LOL. Well, that gives me an idea, Here in the USA I am sure custom made shoes would be out of the question for me price wise, all of these comments however have given me the idea of checking into having a pair of custom made shoes there on my next visit. I wear a size 11 or 11 and a half ( sizes seem to vary slightly among different manufacturers or brands sometimes ) . Not many shoes are actually Made in USA anymore ( so what else is new ) . For the kind I wear, oxford style work shoes, Last I remember imports from India or China go for about $30 to $50 and Made in USA is about $90 to $100 . Last I tried to buy some shirts there in PH I realized for what was easily available PH L or XL just won’t quite fit anymore as compared to my first visit. I think this year I’ll get a few new shirts here before I visit. For me, selecting and buying clothes is not one of my favored things to do. LOL

  53. Nice to read about a discussion on this and it made me feel I am not alone…hahaha!
    I am from the Philippines and I had experienced difficulty finding big shoes in the 1990s. When my size went up to size 10 (40), I always try to ask each store for the biggest size they have so I won’t get frustrated. I got used to it until our daughter arrived in 2002 and her feet grew as she aged. At age 8, her shoe size was 8 (38) and it was hard to find white kid’s shoes for first communion. However, after that, it was a needle in a haystack to find locally-made kid’s school shoes for her. She is now 11 with a size 12 (42). For school, we bought her men’s shoes almost the same as that of her father’s. But as she needs one for special occasions, it can be frustrating. Her recent recital, we had to let her wear male sneakers with her formal dress… good thing it is a trend!