Women's Shoe Stores by State

Why Shoe Shopping Starts Locally

A shoe that is half a size wrong is unwearable in a way a slightly wrong dress is not, and women's shoes add variables men's shoes mostly avoid: heel heights that shift weight onto the forefoot, pointed toes that need length beyond the longest toe, and straps and slingbacks that either hold or rub. Trying shoes late in the day, when feet are at their largest, and walking on a hard floor rather than the shop's carpet, are the two oldest pieces of shoe-shopping advice because they work. A local store also measures width — narrow, medium and wide fittings exist for most women's styles, and many fit problems blamed on size are really width problems. The state lists on this page were Apparel Search's organisation of that local search; because the section is now kept for historical reference, confirm a store's current address and hours directly before travelling, and use the wider clothing stores by state section for general fashion retail in the same area.

The Types of Women's Shoe Store

Most states offer the same four kinds of shoe retail. Department stores carry many brands under one roof and suit comparison shopping across price levels. Brand stores — a single label's own shops — stock that label's full size and width range, including the odd sizes general stores skip. Independent shoe boutiques curate smaller, often European ranges and give the most fitting advice, at higher prices. Off-price and outlet stores sell past-season and overstock shoes cheaply, with patchy size availability that rewards regular visits. Specialist categories sit alongside all four: bridal shoe salons, dance shops for ballet and ballroom shoes, orthopaedic and comfort shoe stores for width and support fittings, and the boot specialists covered in the women's boots section of this directory. Knowing which kind of store you need narrows a state's list quickly.

Fit Checks That Save Returns

Three checks catch most bad purchases. First, length: there should be roughly a thumb's width — about a centimetre — between your longest toe and the end of the shoe, and the longest toe is the second toe for many women. Second, the heel: a new shoe should hold the heel with minimal slip; pumps that slip when new will slip worse as the leather relaxes, and heel grips are a remedy, not a fitting strategy. Third, the widest part of your foot should sit at the widest part of the shoe, so the flex point matches your foot's flex point — a shoe that creases across the toes is the wrong last, however right the size. Buy for the larger foot, use an insole in the smaller shoe, and remember that feet change with age, pregnancy and weight: the size you were at twenty is information, not a guarantee, at forty.