8 1/2 EEEE. Never has been easy to find shoes that fit well.
When I was young and on my feet a lot at work, I would most often buy Florsheims since they were the only decent shoes available locally. Costlier than some, but worth the investment. They were spot on for size consistency, long lasting, and always good looking. Their only downside was that thieves seemed to favor them as much as I did.

Does that mean you got your shoes stolen, or that people who saw you wear them thought you were a thief?

If they got stolen, how'd that happen, take em off to go in the ball crawl at Mcdonalds Playland and they're gone when you come out or something? Something similar happened to one of my kids with her sandals at a waterpark once, had to leave the place barefoot...

Sorry, never had an opportunity to do the ball crawl. Is that a dance of some sort? Or?

Basically, I couldn't leave the shoes unattended (as applies to most personal items) and expect them not to "walk away" This problem was exacerbated by the fact that unlike all other purloined items they didn't need to "grow legs" in order to "walk away". Lol

It seems that among the sticky fingered crowd there are quite a few who will steal something just for the sake of stealing it. Or to show off to like minded friends what ballocks they had or to demonstrate that they were Worthy, Top Tier pikers. Or whatever their rank was.
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.

I think "McDonald's Playland" really explains it well enough.

Wow, you use such clever words!

I've noticed 2 things in the year+ since I asked this question: I've stopped building calluses on the sides of my feet and my shoes have lasted longer.

For a long time I grew calluses on the inside of the joint of the big toe, at the ball, and on the little toe's distal joint. It was a slow process but if I didn't scrape them off with a rasp (a cheese grater for calluses) they'd break off and tear living skin. That has stopped. I only just noticed.

And the shoes I bought in late '21 are still in good shape. I had been wearing through shoes in 6 months, sometimes sooner, after many years of them lasting a year or longer.

The 'meta' lesson may be that I've become less sensitive to what's going on in my body.

At age 21 I wore American size 9 shoes. Now at age 78 I wear size 10.5 shoes unless the shoes are made in China in which case I wear size 11. This change has been gradual over my adult lifetime. The width of my feet has not changed during my adulthood.

Been US size 14 for ages. No shrinkage or swelling. Shoe size fits my large frame body so my feet are not too big.

Been getting close out deals for ages also in that shoe/boot size.

Lace ups like this are fav

picture link

Edit: Wife likes leaving my old worn out boots outside by the back and front doors.
So no problems with solicitors.

Finding 7 1/2 was hard enough when I was younger now that I'm older and feet are wider it's even worst finding shoes that fit. I have better luck at the local Walmart then I do at a shoe store.

Not happy about hearing that. At least for running shoes, sizes had been pretty consistent for a long time. Trying to buy shirts and/or pants has been an exercise in frustration for decades. It seems that no two manufacturers can agree what an inch is.

I don't like my feet.Those are ugly. But I should be happy because I have feet.

Size 15 EEEE. I can't buy shoes locally, I order online. Getting footwear can be a challenge.

Never got the hang of it. But dad always wrapped his feet in rags. I'm westernized. So socks.
Found out here in the desert to buy cheap body oil to wipe my feet every morning to keep my feet from cracking skin on calluses.

Watched a German News TV Documentary on How Mongolians live.
Watching the Husband wrap his feet before putting his boots on reminded me of Dad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzo6wNPkDSk