I bought two new pairs of shoes this weekend. They set me back $100. I need to buy two pairs of shoes each time because I wear a 7 1/2 4E on my right foot and a 9 1/2 D on my left foot. My right foot is a clubfoot.
I used to be able to get an orthopedic discount at some shoe stores (like 1/3 off of one pair) because of my funny feet, but I have yet to find a store where I am now that will do this. They certainly won't let me mix and match. 😉 But paying for two pairs of shoes is only a minor annoyance considering that I can walk almost normally and do pretty much what I want; I've known people with my problem who can't. My previous mismatched pairs have gone to charity, like the National Odd Shoe Exchange.
NOSE wrote me back after I donated five pairs of my shoes and said that finding someone with the opposite problem I had might be tricky. This organization is volunteer-run, and there's only so much they can do at the moment.
As I was buying these shoes I had the idea of starting up a website that would serve as a marketplace for these kinds of shoes — something that was searchable.
Well, I found a site that already does what I had planned to do: OddShoeFinder.com. After signing up for a free account, I searched for my sizes, and found three matches for the sizes of my feet, though I think the right shoes listed was too narrow for my right foot. I'm sure there will be more posted later as the site grows. It's possible to search for particular kinds of shoes, as well as for ranges of sizes.
There are already over 2,500 pairs listed on the site, and the prices people are asking are very reasonable. Even better, this site currently does not charge either buyers or sellers. It's a bit like Craigslist in that regard but concentrated on mismatched footwear.
The icing on the cake was the support I got from the webmaster with my login issues — very personable, and very quick.
If you have the same problem as I do (mismatched feed) please head over to OddShoeFinder.com and see if you find the odd shoes you need, as well as list your odd shoes for sale!
Never say never when it comes to the internet. Chances are if you need something, so does someone else and it's only a matter of time.
My dad has polio, so of course, one foot is bigger then the other, what an odd website idea, thanks for the link.
I found oddshoefinder.com soon after the webmaster started the website. He and his family have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into that thing, and for those of us that have problems needing either 1 shoe or mismated shoes, it's an amazing resource. For those of you out there that are looking for resources, NOSE and oddshoefinder.com are two goods ones. The one and only store that really caters to these types of issues is Nordstrom. I don't know if they publish it anywhere, but last time I checked you can buy mismated shoes for regular price (that's 50% off for us used to buying two pairs). They keep the mismates you don't need for whatever reason. You can both buy in stores or by calling in an order, and the people I have talked to knew about the discout/offer. Please pass on these resources to those in need.
Thanks for the nice write-up and comments. We continue to improve the site.
As for "sole mates" (people with opposite foot sizes with whom one can exchange shoes), we are working on a way for users to find them – perhaps in the range of sizes in which people ask to be notified weekly. A user would be able to view a list of his/her sole mates with contact information.
We may include a place for information such as what sort of shoes a user has and is looking for, and a user's location so that someone doesn't waste their time looking for sole mates on another continent. There are users on every inhabited continent except Africa.
I just went to look at storage buildings with my niece yesterday, so we are looking to continue selling shoes ourselves. That was not my original intention, but we've found cheap sources of shoes and have made sorting into a family event. Two of my nieces, their husbands, and children get together and sort thousands of shoes.
We WERE throwing away shoes for which there were only rights or only lefts. However, we accidentally came upon a use for many of those. Some construction workers saw bags being hauled to the landfill and asked if they could have them. They sorted them out by size and wear two shoes that do not match when doing concrete work. Then, they throw the shoes away. It is nice to know that those shoes are not totally wasted.
Basson kicked off the recycling theme at Odd Shoe Finder.com by recently purchasing 5,469 unused, brand name shoes and boots from an asset recovery company. The original size of the shoe lot was about 12,300 single shoes from which 1,900 matched pairs were created.
I am looking for a female to exchange shoes with. I wear either a 6 1/2 W to 7 W on my left foot and a 8 M on my right foot. I need flat soled tie shoes with deep heels
I currently have a brand new pair of athletic, "skate" type looking Route 66 brand tie shoes. The Left shoe is a size 8, the right shoe is a size 7 both medium. They are dark brown with light blue leather accents.
Hello, Marion. If you have not already done so, you should register at OddShoeFinder.com and indicate that you are looking for a "sole" mate. Eventually, maybe someone with opposite feet will register (The feature is new, so not that many are using it yet.) and the two of you can exchange shoes. Also, it is a simple matter to post your shoes for sale on the site. Give me a call at 703-505-9750 should you have any questions or problems. Thanks.
Marion, if you have not already done so, you should register at OddShoeFinder.com, indicate that you are looking for a "sole" mate, and post your own shoes. It is really very simple. Send me an email at kbasson@hotmail.com if you have any problems. Thanks.
Kent
Marion! I am your sole mate! I wear an 8-8.5 on my left and a 6.5-7 on my right. I see this was an old post but maybe there is a chance you will read this.
Hello, Liberty. I am the webmaster of OddShoeFinder.com. I did not find a “Marion” among the users, but did see that there are dozens of shoes posted in your size range, along with 24 “sole” mates. Your sole mates are located in 15 US states and three Canadian provinces.
By the way, in about two weeks, I will be mailing out about 3500 copies of a book (the “Shoe Wearer’s Handbook”) I coauthored to promote the site. Most of the books will go to podiatrists, orthopedists, physical therapists, and others who deal with foot problems. If you want to read the entire book online, please go to:
shoehandbook.com
Hard copies of the book will be available on Amazon.com, and eBook downloads will be available at my site. I’m asking the recipients to review the book and/or place it in their waiting rooms. I’m keeping my fingers cross that the promotion will result in thousands of new users for the site.
I regularly buy my shoes at Nordstrom’s Department Store. They do not charge any extra fee for the second pair, and send the unused shoe of each pair back to the factory.
Hi,
I am looking for someone who I can use my daughters other shoes. She has a growth disorder and currently has a left foot in size 4.5 – 5 size and her right foot is 6.5-7 size. I have the unused shoes for the opposite feet and would like to find someone who can use these shoes
Looking forward to hearing from you. Nordstroms is the only shoe store that I have found that allows you to buy 2 different size shoes for the price of one pair.
Thanks,
Amy
Thanks for the comment, Amy, and Merry Christmas!
I’d recommend either going through OddShoeFinder.com, which is a marketplace for different-sized pairs of shoes, or donating them to the National Odd Shoe Exchange (http://oddshoe.org). When I donated some of my off pairs to NOSE, I received a letter back saying that it would still be low odds of them finding someone with the opposite problem I had. Even organizations with a primary mission to do this can’t find a match for everyone.
And good to know about Nordstrom! They carry my favorite shoe online so I’ll check it out!
i’ve been doing web searches for years trying to find a site
that would do this. i considered trying to start one on my own, but my own business takes up most of my time.
even in my last search your page comes up, but not the site you mention. i thank you for the info. the NOSE said my 6.5 left and 12.5 right had no matches, and in 30 years i’ve never gotten anything from them. so thanks, again
Amazing that this thread has been going since 2008!
update:
Kent from Odd Shoe Finder hung up his (odd-sized) boots a few years ago but the site is still going strong. We’ve completely overhauled it’s look and functionality and hope to be doing a further upgrade (to make it mobile friendly) by the end of the year. I invite anyone/everyone to have a look.
Re Tim’s shoe size:
As of July 25, 2016, there are two listings on Odd Shoe Finder for shoes that are L6.5/R12.5
http://search.oddshoefinder.com/items/5/mens-shoes?sort=01&qid=1.121,1.105
We now have the feature to automatically notify people when shoes are listed in their particular size.
http://oddshoefinder.com/oddshoesblog/how-to-be-notified-when-the-right-shoes-are-posted/
I hope this is helpful. And yes, Odd Shoe Finder is still free.
Hi Colin! Well, I have a special place in my heart (and feet!) for what you do. I’ll update this post and republish it soon.