Confession: I have big feet. There, I said it. Being the owner of boat-sized feet means that while most women can show up at Dillards and pick out an adorable pair of dainty, pointy-toed stilettos, I am stuck looking at sensible pumps that are way more Bea Arthur than Rue McClanahan. Plus any shoe that looks cute in a size 6 often looks like it was made for a clown in a size 11.

Having feet that rival Paul Bunyan’s turns what should be a fun, girly shopping trip into a bit of a nightmare. And Wichita, for all its strip malls and chain stores, often falls short in the shoe department. While this girl might dream of Nordstrom Rack’s rows upon rows of lovely (discounted) designer shoes, the reality is that options here are limited, especially in terms of style and variety.

After two recent shopping excursions – one for a new pair of running shoes and the other for a pair of comfortable, yet stylish and professional shoes that can also be dressed down with a pair of jeans (basically the holy grail of footwear) – I felt like I knew the Wichita shoe shopping landscape better than ever before. Some of my experiences were less than awesome, most were just frustrating (see above statements about wearing a size 11), but there were a few stores that stood out.

Here’s my list of the best places to buy shoes in Wichita:

First Gear - This Old Town store focuses on running shoes and the employees know their stuff. Whether it’s measuring and fitting you to a shoe that’s just right and matches your foot type (yes, feet have types – who knew?) to offering to help you find an odd size or width, First Gear has you covered. Interesting fact about running shoes: you should buy them a half size to full size bigger because your feet will swell while working out. You’ll need plenty of room in the toe area to prevent discomfort and bruising. Gross but true.

Von Maur – I generally avoid the mall like the plague. From the flashbacks to the late-nineties when I worked as a sales associate at Aéropostale (pronounced aero-post-all) during high school to the awkwardness of turning down the chair massage and hand lotion kiosk employees, Towne East is not a place I enjoy visiting. However, there is a Von Maur. And if you happen to park right outside the store, you can pretend there isn’t a mall attached to it. But what really makes a trip to the upscale department store worthwhile is a hidden gem – the clearance room full of gorgeous footwear tucked away behind the regular shoe selection. With prices marked down significantly, that pair of designer kicks could very well be yours.

TJ Maxx - Teege (as I affectionately call it) is the place where you will either find THE MOST AMAZING DEAL OF YOUR LIFE or where you’ll leave empty handed. It’s the kind of store where you may find a stray pair of Kate Spade strappy sandals that happen to be your size stuck somewhere in the housewares section. It’s also the kind of store where you might be visually assaulted by rows of Chuck Taylors in every color that no one else wanted. Be sure to visit frequently as the inventory changes weekly. You’ll likely find me perusing the kitchen gadgets aisle or the handbags when I’m not hiding out among the shoes, attempting to shove my sasquatch feet into size tens. Pro tip: the West side store seems to carry a better selection of just about everything and is much better organized. The East side store is full of buried treasures if you’re patient enough to dig for them.

Pink Saloon – Let me preface this by saying my enormous feet and stingy budget don’t make me the perfect candidate to shop at Pink Saloon in College Hill. That said, I can still identify a lovely pair of shoes when I see them. While I don’t entirely get the appeal of TOMS outside their charitable goodness (for every pair of shoes sold, the company gives a pair to a child in need), Pink Saloon is one of the rare shops in town to carry the enormously popular brand. And the luscious leather Frye boots are to die for if you happen to have enough disposable income to throw down for a pair.

Famous Footwear - I’ll admit I had a negative impression of the chain before I set foot inside. Suffice it to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The store carries a wide-variety of shoes from athletic to formal to everything in between. The low prices appealed to my thrifty side while the styles seemed relatively up to date. I mean, I’m not hitting Rodeo Drive anytime in the near future, so sporting last season’s looks doesn’t bother me. If you think Famous Footwear is the same thing as Shoe Carnival, think again. While Shoe Carnival seems to carry an abundance of poorly made knock-offs, Famous Footwear has rows and rows of brand name shoes. Sign up for their frequent buyer club and get coupons for even deeper discounts. On shoes. Is there anything better than that?

Did I miss anything? Where do you like to stock up on fabulous footwear? Sound off in the comments.

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