Steve Madden and larger sizes

[sscotty727]

I've bought several pairs of boots from Steve Madden in the past, but now all of a sudden it seems like every style STOPS at a 10. They used to carry 11s and even had a link for 11! Does anyone know if they purposely stopped carrying 11s? Maybe to discourage men from wearing their heels???? Scotty

[new_look]

i doubt that given the opportunity to bonus sell heels to willing males, that a company would pruposely remove the sizes. i should imagine they are glad of the extra sales

[Bubba136]

SScotty, why not go to the Steve Madden website and send them an email asking why you can't find your size anylonger?

[sscotty727]

Bubba, Not a bad idea, I was thinking the same thing right after I posted here. Scotty

[dr1819]

That's what I've always done when I encounter a manufacturer who won't make their products in my sizes. It goes something like this: To Whom It May Concern: I am one of your customers who wears larger sizes than "avereage." To be blunt, I wear a size 12, US Women's, and would like you to begin supporting those of us who wear a larger sized heeled shoe. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, etc...

[Bubba136]

Hmmm! I don't believe I'd be so blunt. I think I would say that: I have been a very satisfied customer over the past few years. Lately, however, I no longer can find shoes in my size -- U.S Woman's size 12 meduim. Has your company taken a decision to no longer make them in my size? If you have, I wish you would reconsider. If there is any other explanation, please let me know what it is. If your company still manufactures and offers styles in Size 12, please let me know where I can view them on line or in person and, perhaps, purchase them. Thank you for your consideration, Sincerely Sscotty Then, if they don't answer, blast them........ :argue:

[vector]

I guess to revisit an earlier topic, could it be that the national (or world) market for higher heels in larger sizes isn't large enough (read profitable enough) for them?

[Bubba136]

Just did a eBay search for Steve Madden shoes in larger sizes and found 61 offerings in size 11, 1 pair listed for size 12, none for 13 and just 1 pair of black, thick lowheeled, calf length boots in size 14. Mighty "slim pickens" even on eBay.

[Dawn HH]

That sure is very slim pickings for e-bay as usually you can find a wealth of whatever you are looking for on there. We still don't know what happened to the larger sizes from Steve Madden. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[sscotty727]

I just saw a few new boots for their fall lineup (but similar to what I already have) and a FEW (very few) were actually in a size 11, so my new hunch is that the largers sizes are going very fast. Of course, if that is the case, you would think they would make more in the larger sizes. Anyway, I will take Bubba's advice the next time I see an actual shoe that I want from there and it isn't in my size. The problem is, right now they don't have any styles I actually want or don't already have. Scotty

[sscotty727]

All,

I just sent this letter to Steve Madden Marketing (I could only see an email for Customer Service department). Their email address is custsvcesm@stevemadden.com if any of you wish to write them as well.

Scotty

///////////////////////////////////

To the Marketing Department at Steve Madden,

First of all, I would like to thank you for your wonderful line of shoes and boots you put out. I own several pair, a pair of 3 1/2" blocked heeled boots (I wish they were 4-5”), 2 pair of Snatch shoes (purchased on Ebay from another seller) and a pair of Snitch boots I also got from Ebay for the winter.

The problem is, I am a guy and my shoe size is a US Woman's 11. Now I know the mainstream thought is that guys either buy heels for "bedroom" play, are drag queens or are gay. This could not be further from the truth. I belong to a website with members from ALL over the world that represent the average "Joe". From straight single guys in their 20s to middle aged married guys with kids (like me) to senior citizens who have been wearing heels all their lives. All of us straight, all of wearing heels in our daily lives, in public. If shoe manufacturers like you made larger sizes and marketed then to men as well as women, I would guarantee you sales. Guys on the website I belong to often complain about not having shoes available in their sizes, 11-14! And not just in the US, but the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, etc.

The website is www.hhplace.org, go to the Forms area. Don't just believe me. I challenge you to have your marketing department conduct a survey of members there to see what they would and would not buy and how they would wear your shoes. For every member who belongs to the website, I am willing to bet there are 100 that haven't heard of it or are in fear of backlash my revealing their desire to wear heels in public. If heels for men became mainstream (much as pants for women or earrings for men), I am sure alot more men would wear heels in public.

Now the question I have to ask of you all is this. Are you a trendsetter or a follower? Are you willing to take that plunge into an untapped market or would you rather just wait for someone else to set the standards and follow along?

I am looking forward to hearing back from you and PLEASE go to the website and look around. Like I said, you will be surprised!

Sincerely,

W. Scott

[Pam]

Looking forward to hearing their response!

[Dawn HH]

Sscotty727:-) Your letter to the shoe company was well written. Their reply could be very interesting reading. Let's hope they have the courtesy of a reply. Let us know what happens. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[sscotty727]

Thank you. I will keep you all informed of the response. I encourage any of you to use my email as a template to "call out" other shoe makers!!! Let's see if we can make this happen instead of sitting back and "hoping" they somehow read our minds and do it. Scotty

[Ellen-Jay]

Sscotty727, Good for you, and good for all the guys who do struggle finding their shoe size! Although my son in law takes only a UK 6, and he struggles getting guys shoes in that size(well thats in the kind that he likes!) I look forward to hearing how the shoe company responds> Ellen-Jay

[sscotty727]

Thanks Ellen-Jay!

I would like to see two things happen.

#1) I'd like for other members here to follow my lead and write Steve Madden at custsvcesm@stevemadden.com. If they get enough emails, I am sure they can't ignore them all (I haven't heard back yet, but I did just send it yesterday).

#2) Send similar letters to other shoe makers. Unfortunately, I don't really know of any others that I buy there shoes. I usually get from online Ebay and just search for my size or Payless which also seems to carry 11s. If you know of another shoe maker who needs a "kick start" please use my letter as a template and let them know!

Thanks,

Scotty

[Dawn HH]

Ellen-Jay:-) It sounds like your son-in-law has trouble finding shoes because he has a small foot for a guy. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[dr1819]

Here's a Steve Madden boot I'd buy...

...if they bothered to carry them in something larger than a 10!

I'm with you, Scotty, and just wrote them the following letter:

-----

To Whom It May Concern:

Every time I come across your shoes, I stop and admire them. Unfortunately, admire them is all I can do.

During the last few decades, people are growing up taller, primarily due to better nutrition and exercise. I'm no exception. With height, however, comes an increase in shoe size.

I and many taller people enjoy wearing heels. Unfortunately, companies such as Steve Madden apparently do not understand the needs of the market.

Recent polls found that the demand/production ratio for mid-sized heels (7-9) was nearly 1:1. The same polls found that demand/production ratios for larger-sized heels (10-11) was nearly 2:1, and the ratios for significantly larger heels approached 4:1.

Why is that?

Why would any company fail to take advantage of a market where the demand outpaces the supply by a factor of 4 to 1?

It simply makes no sense!

I suspect one of the reasons may have to do with circular reasoning behind your own market research. Questions like "how high a heel" or "what size shoe do you normally wear?" is meaningless if the only reason we're wearing tennis shoes or flats is because nothing else is OFFERED in our size.

As a result, taller people like me often go wanting for the more popular styles available to those with smaller feet. If events require us to wear heels, we usually have to put up with shoddy workmanship from "fetish" heels, which fit poorly, look sleezy, and generally do little for our self-esteem.

I implore you to increase the sizes of your offerings to at least 13. This would cover the vast majority of those of us with larger frames and feet. As it is, perhaps 10% of all women under the age of 30 these days wears a shoe size larger than 10!

Please don't leave us barefoot!

Sincerely,

D.R.

-----

If EVERYONE aboard this board would write similar letters to just five top shoe manufacturers, I guarantee you there would be a response!

[sscotty727]

DR, Great post and great letter. I know you were relunctant to also point out the guy wearing angle, but I think that too needs to be addressed. They (and others) turn a blind eye to it or apply steriotypes (guys in heels are either drag queens or gay) and don't wish to accept the fact that men wear heels in normal wear and fashion just as the women do. As DR pointed out, I would encourage everyone here to write a similar letter even if you only point out the size availablity and didn't wish to push the men in heels angle. We need to make a vocal point to let them know the demand IS out there. Scotty

[dr1819]

DR,

Great post and great letter. I know you were relunctant to also point out the guy wearing angle, but I think that too needs to be addressed. They (and others) turn a blind eye to it or apply steriotypes (guys in heels are either drag queens or gay) and don't wish to accept the fact that men wear heels in normal wear and fashion just as the women do.

As DR pointed out, I would encourage everyone here to write a similar letter even if you only point out the size availablity and didn't wish to push the men in heels angle. We need to make a vocal point to let them know the demand IS out there.

Scotty

Actually, Scotty, I was trying to minimize/hide it due to the fact that I believe they arbitrarily limit their sizes so as to eliminate wear by males. I believe that they feel that such cross-dressing hurts their legitimate sales among smaller sizes.

While I believe this is the general motif among most shoe marketers, I also believe that if they simply opened up the sizes, they'd stifle the "fetish" shoe market and wind up marketing directly to both men and women who happen to wear larger sizes. Furthermore, I also believe that in a very short period of time, there would develope a size/style combination which would be perfectly suitable for both men and women! I furthermore believe the sales would be phenomenal, the women finally having access to non-fetish shoewear, and the men finally having access to heels in their size which are nevertheless appropriate to wear by males.

Case in point: The Harley Davidson line of footwear. Nearly ever model would turn few heads, if any, if worn by a male into any bar. The problem is, they simply don't offer them beyond size 11.

That is indeed a tragedy, as Harley-Davidson designers are quite skilled, yet their marketers are appareantly brain-dead with respect to both current fashion trends as well as fashion history!

I really don' t know if I can say more.

[Shafted]

I've never shopped Steve Madden myself, but most of the time the manufacturers that I do shop have my size (US Womens 11B). To be perfectly honest I've never thought about writing manufacturers for larger sizes, since I usually find what I'm looking for in my size.

[Dawn HH]

Dr1819:-) That really is an attractive pair of boots and it is a shame that you can't get it in your size. Let's hope that your letter will make a difference. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[Danielinheels]

I remember when Steve Madden used to carry plenty shoes in a size 12, and even had a small selection of 13s. Infact, around this time last year I bid on some size 13 Steve Madden wedge sandals. I didn't win them but they were at least there. Now they've taken out all 13s, all 12s, and I'm sure all the 11s are gone too... I think they'd broaden their bottom line if they went back to at least a 12

[dr1819]

Hmmm! I don't believe I'd be so blunt. I think I would say that:

I have been a very satisfied customer over the past few years. Lately, however, I no longer can find shoes in my size -- U.S Woman's size 12 meduim. Has your company taken a decision to no longer make them in my size? If you have, I wish you would reconsider. If there is any other explanation, please let me know what it is. If your company still manufactures and offers styles in Size 12, please let me know where I can view them on line or in person and, perhaps, purchase them.

Thank you for your consideration,

Sincerely

Sscotty

Then, if they don't answer, blast them........ :argue:

But you're bubba, not scotty...

[dr1819]

i doubt that given the opportunity to bonus sell heels to willing males, that a company would pruposely remove the sizes. i should imagine they are glad of the extra sales

Hi, Daz. I've written literally hundreds of letters to manufactuers to get them to reconsider their offerings with respect to size. One train of thought I've received from some of them involves them curtailing their sizes because they're aware of how many men are buying up the larger sizes.

One manufacturer even claimed that 60% of all customers of their size 12 shoes were men. Some said they believed men buying their larger sizes hurt sales of their typical sizes. One said, "At this time, we believe that the disproportionate sales of our larger women's sizes, to men, are adversely impacting sales of our normal sizes. We feel most women do not wish to purchase shoes, much less heels, worn by men. Because of this, we will be scaling back the construction and marketing of our larger sizes." Another commented that they cater to women, not men.

Bottom line - they're not concerned about appropriately catering to the entire market, but rather, they're merely concerned about the bottom dollar. Until they realize that sales of their heels to men don't actually reduce sales of their heels to women (or don't adversely affect it with respect to the additional income they receive from heels sold to men), they'll probably continue to be adverse to making larger sizes.

What most don't realize is how great a market there is for larger sizes. Market stats cite that the market could easily field four times as many heels made in the largest sizes (12 and 13).

I believe one of the reasons for the confusion has to do with the many FMPs which cloud market stats. I'm talking about the shiny patent leather fetish heels which are in abundant supply in the larger sizes, but which don't truly represent market demand. Most of us who wear larger sized heels aren't interested in FMPs. Instead, we're interested in heels that a stylish, and comfortable (and nearly all pointy-toed FMPs are NOT comfortable).

Their overabundance in the marketplace skews stats with respect to more normal heels, such as those styles commonly found among sizes 7 through 9.

The overriding clincher in this issue involves how rapidly the "normal" styles disappear in larger sizes as compared to more normal sizes. I've seen many an outstanding heel appear on Zappos in size 13 only to disappear within days, while it's smaller-sized 8 is still available for more than a year.

The bottom line is that they're simply not fielding heels strictly by demand. Rather, they're leveraging some of that demand to re-create a market devoid of men wearing heels, probably fearful of what heel-wearing males would do to the market as a whole if the trend were to become more publically known.

[Dawn HH]

It seems to me that the shoe manufacturers are cutting their own throats by manipulating the market just to cut men from buying women's shoes in the larger sizes. They indicate in one breath that the bottom line is the dollar, and in another breath that if men buy their products that the women won't because men will. It doesn't make sense to me. If the bottom line is to make a dollar, who cares who buys the shoes. In my book, a sale is a sale is a sale. Leave manipulating the market alone and sell, sell, sell---and your bottom line will grow tremendously and the more you make means that you just may be able to lower the prices and provide more product to people that can now afford it who couldn't afford it before. Makes sense to me. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[Danielinheels]

probably fearful of what heel-wearing males would do to the market as a whole if the trend were to become more publically known.

haha I don't know what there is to fear... if y'all were to take a look at my photobucket pics under "wanted," they'd see that the styles that [some] men would like are fairly pedestrian, and certainly so when stacked against frumpy FMPs advertised on eBay as "HOT SEXY 5 INCH STILETTO HIGH HEELS PUMPS CROSSDRESSER SIZE 15."

the way I feel about it, is that selling begets more selling. the problem is that our larger sizes aren't reproduced enough; if a style of shoe is sold at, say, Nordstrom, in sizes 6-13, and the 13s run out, then it's a wash. Gotta wait for the next shipment. But when 8s get close to sold out, there's likely a truck already on the way with more 8s to sell... and no 13s on it.

[lorriette]

well done dawn, what more can anyone say?

[dr1819]

I think most shoe manufactures continue to fail to realize that most men are no interested in pastic, pointy-toed heels, but would rather wear the same model shoes as worn by most of their women customers. This is certainly what I've gathered through many informal polls, Internet and otherwise.

[HeelD]

I think most shoe manufactures continue to fail to realize that most men are no interested in pastic, pointy-toed heels, but would rather wear the same model shoes as worn by most of their women customers.

I'd agree. I would rather wear more general female shoes than the stuff you get on the more "fetish" sites (although a few suppliers do sell some pairs I'd like to own - which aren't really fetishy at all).

I guess I'm lucky I can buy 'em off the rack.