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Around Twelve

Large size women's shoes in up to AUS size 14

Around Twelve Limited was established in 2005 by sisters, Kimberley Cody (nee Smyth) and Naomi Hughes (nee Smyth) of Piopio, in response to a need for a variety of shoes for both men and women with large feet. The business name ‘Around Twelve’ was inspired by the need to source and supply shoes that were ‘around size 12’.

Company director, Kimberley Cody, had struggled to find shoes since she was twelve years old at which time her feet had grown to a US size 12. Whilst a number of shoes are made to her size, retail shops rarely stock shoes beyond a size 11. Visits to shoe shops often involved shoe assistants searching out in the back for the one pair of large shoes that the shop had on hand. At other times, Kimberley was encouraged to hear that “yes, we do stock your size”, only to be disappointed to find that the sizing of the shoe was too small - not a true size 12. This limited selection meant Kimberley’s wardrobe consisted of a few pairs of shoes which didn’t quite fit right or didn’t really match the rest of her wardrobe.

In 2004, Kimberley and her husband, Hayden, moved from Matamata back to her home town of Piopio to set up a small trucking company. She enrolled in the Certificate in Small Business Management with Te Wânanga o Aotearoa to assist with in her venture. Through this programme, Kimberley not only developed the skills she needed to run her business, but was also inspired to establish another business to meet the needs of people with large feet. In 2005, Kimberley therefore approached her sister, Naomi, with a proposal to set up an online shoe shop catering to both men and women with large feet. Naomi, who has a background in small business education and is a director of Aotahi Ltd (www.aotahi.com) recognised the need for the concept and therefore accepted the offer.

In August 2006, Kimberley and Naomi, accompanied by their father, Bill Smyth, went on their first overseas trip to source suppliers of large footwear. Encouraged by the success of their trip and by the market response for the concept, Kimberley and Naomi proceeded with their family-based business. Around Twelve was subsequently launched online in January 2007, with the vision of being known as the large shoe specialists throughout Australasia and the world.

Visit the Around Twelve Shoes website

Here is a list of Australian stores that offer women's shoes in large to extra large sizes (up to Australian size 16). These companies come highly recommended. Please feel free to use the rating function in order to grade the websites. Comments are also welcome.

Please remember that a lot of American companies ship globally these days.

Willow Shoes

They have shoes for long feet in New Zealand up to size 14 - great website and stores in NZ. They also cater to customers in Australia.

Willow Shoes is New Zealand's #1 store specialising in Shoes for Long Feet with a fantastic easy to use website and four absolutely gorgeous retail stores – Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.

All the women at Willow Shoes are tall and have long feet – they make you feel totally at ease and will do anything at all to help. Their range is huge and they have scoured the globe to get the best selection to suit down under customers and have something for everyone.

You feel fabulous every time you shop at Willow Shoes and the gorgeous ribbons they use on your online order is really cool. All their shoes are great quality (almost always leather) and Willow Shoes are great at standing by their products and helping if you ever have a problem or need some help.

You can join up online and receive emails about sales, new season arrivals or special offers or you can be left alone and just shop!

Visit their website

Women's shoes in large sizes

We all know how hard it is for tall women (or women who simply have larger feet) to find suitable footwear. As a matter of fact I have friends who wear a size 16 (mens)!

That's why I have compiled a list of selected stores that sell women's shoes in large sizes as required by most tall women. Most of the stores have a selection of shoes in up to at least a (US) size 12. Plus: I'm always adding new stores to the list. If you know of a company that is not listed This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Please select the country of your choice from the Footwear menu above or right here:

Here's a conversion table:

Conversion Chart