Why was the site created?
Why are there so many people with mismatched feet?
Do any shoe manufacturers or dealers sell individually sized shoes?
What has been done in the past to help people who need shoes of different sizes?
Why can’t I just get my mismatched shoes from the National Odd Shoe Exchange or the One Shoe Crew?
How does this website attempt to address the problem of mismatched feet?
How do I use the website?
How do I determine a price for the shoes I post?
What if I can’t find the shoe I want to sell on a website so that I can provide a link?
How do I pay for or receive payment for shoes?
How much does it cost to use the website?
Why was the site created?
A study in the 1980s found that approximately two thirds of American men and three fourths of American women have one foot longer than the other, with one third of Americans demonstrating a difference greater than half a shoe size. Foot widths show even greater discrepancies, with over three out of five men and almost one of three women having one full shoe width difference between feet. http://jaapa.com/issues/j20050901/articles/cotm0905.htm While most people are either unaware of the difference in the size of their feet or the differences are small enough for a single shoe size to accommodate both feet, some people have feet so different in size that they must buy two pairs of shoes, leaving two shoes of different sizes unused. This site is intended to be a partial remedy to the problem of buying two pairs of shoes for one set of feet.
Why are there so many people with mismatched feet?
There is a lack of perfect symmetry of the body in everyone, although such asymmetry is usually minor. Many people are born with clubfoot, which can lead to severely mismatched feet. Although polio is rare today, millions of polio survivors still suffer from its effects, which often left one foot and leg much smaller than the other. Lymphedema and diabetes often result in swollen feet. Diabetes can also lead to injuries that result in one foot being larger than the other.
Do any shoe manufacturers or dealers sell individually sized shoes?
Birkenstock offers mixed size pairs of shoes at less than the cost of buying two pairs of shoes. Nordstrom’s Department Stores will sell mixed size pairs of shoes. Mixmatchshoes.com specializes in selling individual shoes and mismatched pairs of shoes.
What has been done in the past to help people who need shoes of different sizes?
There are several organizations that were formed to address the problem. The National Odd Shoe Exchange was formed in 1943 to put people with similar tastes in shoes, but opposite foot sizes, in touch with each other. The mission of the organization expanded as amputees needing only one shoe returned from the war. The organization now ships new shoes to people across the United States and Canada.
Another organization, The One Shoe Crew (P.O. Box 285, Rio Linda, CA 95673; (916) 991-0412; sally_tavarez@hotmail.com) provides a similar service to the National Odd Shoe Exchange.
Why can’t I just get my mismatched shoes from the National Odd Shoe Exchange or the One Shoe Crew?
While these organizations perform a valuable service and deserve our support (They can use donations of both shoes and money.), both organizations are staffed by volunteers and have their limitations. For example, a request may take a considerable amount of time to fill due to a shortage of volunteers. In addition, despite their large warehouses full of shoes, it is unlikely that they will be able to locate two shoes of the same brand, style, and color in both of your sizes to meet your request. There are just too many different brands, styles, and colors of shoes out there. For example, online shoe store zappos.com lists over 1000 brands. When you consider that most brands have quite a few styles, with many – if not most – styles coming in several colors, you begin to understand the magnitude of the problem of matching shoes.
Trying to match people with opposite shoe sizes faces a similar uphill battle. While there may be many people with opposite shoe sizes from you, what are the odds that you will find one who will have similar shoe-buying habits. A 20 year-old construction worker who wears Red Wing work boots is unlikely to have much in common with a 60 year old stockbroker who wears Guccis to work, despite having complementary shoe sizes.
How does this website attempt to address the problem of mismatched feet?
With so many people buying two pairs of shoes, there are probably millions of odd shoes languishing in closets, eventually being thrown out. There are also millions of people who could use those shoes. This website is an effort to bring those people and shoes together.
How do I use the website?
While the many people who will use this site will inevitably find more efficient ways to use the site than anticipated by the few people who were involved in creating it, the following is the vision of the creators as to how the site will be used in its early stages:
A user (seller) with an odd shoe or mismatched pair of shoes posts a listing of his shoe(s) including the brand, style, color, size, which shoe, and an asking price. Along with the posting of the available shoe(s) will be a link to a picture of the shoe on a website such as zappos.com or shoes.com. This not only allows other users to see what the shoe looks like, but also where to buy shoes of the other size if matching shoes to fit both of a buying user’s feet are not found on the site.
A second user (buyer) does a search of, for example, casual shoes in each of his sizes. Looking over the list of shoes available in each of his sizes, and looking at the linked images and descriptions, he eventually finds a shoe or pair of shoes he likes. He may then contact the seller to arrange to buy the odd shoe(s).
Obviously, as the number of users grows, it will be easier to match buyers and sellers. Ultimately, oddshoefinder should reach a “critical mass” of users such that most users will find an assortment of pairs of shoes available in their sizes, with no need to buy a second pair from a retail source. We welcome suggestions to improve the site. Suggestions can be sent to mail@oddshoefinder.com.
What if I can’t find the shoe I want to sell on a website so that I can provide a link?
Most – if not all – shoe makers change styles over time. Some change styles quite often. The shoe you want to sell may no longer be available. It doesn’t mean you cannot post the shoe(s), but it does mean that your odds of making a sale are not as good as if you could find a link. We recommend that you at least post a picture of the shoe(s) if you cannot provide a link. It could be that someone else has a shoe for sale of the same brand, style, and color that would make a pair for some buyer on the site. It costs nothing to post shoes for sale. Help spread the word and soon there will be enough shoes posted that almost all users will have a wide variety of pairs of shoes in both of their sizes from which to choose – and enough users so that virtually every mismatched pair of shoes will have a potential buyer.
How do I determine a price for the shoes I post?
Keep in mind that other users are taking a risk buying shoes from you rather than from a retail site. They have no idea who is posting the shoe. They do not know whether you will actually ship the shoe(s) once they pay you, whether the description of the shoe(s) is accurate, etc. You are an anonymous seller, while sites such as zappos.com and shoes.com have a stake in maintaining their reputations. Therefore, there is no incentive for users to buy your shoes if they are not considerably below the retail price. Once the site has reached a “critical mass” of users, most buyers will be able to find a variety of matching pairs in their sizes. At that point, asking prices should increase because the need to buy a second pair to get a match will be rare.
How do I pay for or receive payment for shoes?
Those arrangements are to be determined by buyer and seller. As always, use caution in providing anyone with credit card information or in sending cash. One alternative is PayPal, an e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. It serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods such as checks and money orders. There is a fee for the PayPal service, but it does offer advantages in privacy and convenience.
How much does it cost to use the website?
There are no present plans to charge users for the service.
