January 9, 2010

How to buy shoes for your elderly relatives

Have you ever been  in the mood to buy shoes for your elderly aunts or cousins in Kuala Lumpur or London ? Or you have just had a call from a cousin telling you that grand aunt would like a pair of shoes just like yours and she probably needs a size 6. You might find it difficult to get the sizes right!~ They have told you roughly it was size 6. But you need the exact size.


Your head is in a spin. UK size? US size? Or Chinese size? It is hard  actually to get your lovely elders to  tell you their sizes.....And your mum said that Grand aunt has always been nice and there is great respect if you could buy a pair just like yours. (emphasizing the last phrase).

Not every one has the shoe size converter at home or know how to go online to get the shoe size conversion chart. My daughters and I had to devise a good way to gauge her size and we came up with several.

So here are several ways for you to remember their sizes or to get the measurements from home...

If they don't already own a pair of good shoes...you have to devise an original way of measuring their foot accurately. If there is no tape measure - use a raffia or nylon string to measure the foot and keep that with a good label as to whose size it is. I know of an Ustaz who carried twelve of these strings to a shoe shop in Manchester to buy shoes for his relatives.
Or keep the inner sole of your aunt's old shoe..and bring it along to Oxford Street or Times Square....


Or you get your younger relatives to draw a foot print and send to you by snail mail/or on the next visit you do it yourself....





My daughter has this way of measuring a foot....use her arm....




My shoe size is the same length as the 500 ml water bottle. So if you are thinking of buying me a pair of shoes for Christmas ...don't forget my size!!




I love shoes (but not to the extent of Imelda Marcos or Princess Diana) and I do understand why people must wear a good pair or two of shoes.....




15 comments:

wenn said...

shoes should be comfortable or else it is torturing.

Yan said...

I would never ask someone to buy shoes for me lest I walk out of his/her life! Ha, ha..

Yan said...

And likewise, I won't buy shoes for anyone in case she/he walks out of my life.

Ah Ngao said...

when i was in my twenties,i like James Bond type of shoes,younno those type when you walk,you make a "kik kok"2 sound.now,i go for those with "air" at the heal becoz bones getting old...hehe

fufu said...

a very good hints for your friends to get the correct size for the gift hhohohoho

Ensurai said...

Hi Wenn

I love shoes and would look at all the technologies involved with a pair of shoes before buying the correct size. I think Hush Puppies are very intelligent shoes.
I am still looking for a pair of ultimate running or jogging shoes as I have a high arch.
I love strappy shoes but most of them are not made for my feet...the straps are too short!! Sigh...and they are so trendy these days.

Ensurai said...

Yan
I thought this taboo is only for boy friend/girl friend or husband/wife ?

I bought shoes for all my siblings in the past (when in KL)as gifts..and of course I continue to buy for my children and they buy for me too...oh no......

(sigh)

Ensurai said...

My paternal grandmother used to tell her daughter (one of my aunts) not buy shoes and handkerchiefs for the fiance....now I understand...They must have observed all the taboos and are very much married and attached!!!Hint. Hint.

Ensurai said...

Hi Ah Ngao
James Bond leather shoes are still good. Daniel Craig wears them and can still run up buildings across roofs and jump from one building to another!! Fantastic...
And new sports shoes are just as marvellous too...Remember Bolt's golden running shoes?

I love those shoes with cushioned heels.

Ensurai said...

Hi Fufu...what are shoes like in Germany?

Yeah....I love shoes especially if people can donate some...the right size of course...hehahahaha.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

real coincidence, I was thinking or never buying shoes for a GF r BF, as according to Yan. I think like you say, applies to BF or GF.

Any way, we did use a string as a measure of the foot length.

What about socks? When we went shopping with mum and dad in Sibu, the shop owner would not let us try them . Instead, they make us make a fist, if the sock goes round our fist, that is the right socks for us. (of course it won't work now with ankle socks.

May be you should ask youe Sia relatives,

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

My Dad told me a certain (the first) rich timber tycoon, when he bought his new shoe, he always got his relative to wear it, so when he wore it, it would be nice and soft.

makes good sense to me, as my feet are so SIOW JIE, they always get blisters when I wear a new pair, it is even worst not, after a season, eg summer, and winter comes, I actually wear my old shoes, and they still make me blister.

p/s last night, my half Chinese /half Ang mo neice was asking me about foot binding. I told her, when I was in Pri School, I still saw little old Foochow women toddering because they had bound feet.

Ensurai said...

Hi Ann
Yes! Now I remember how we bought socks for others! We used our fist too for our own measurements. But nowadays we know the sizes because of the number given on the socks.

Lovely memories there.


We are still not allowed to try on socks nowadays in the supermarkets etc. but samples are opened for us to know the texture of the materials - which is good I think.

Ensurai said...

Hi Ann
I think the timber tycoon must be a very tricky kind of guy - but he knew his comforts!

Well when you have lots of money you also have different kinds of friends who can do anything for you!!

My great grandmother who passed away in the 50's had bound feet and therefore I have a tremendous respect for people with bound feet. There is a good Chinese book with good pictures and research on these women. There are still many of them in some villages in China.

God bless.

HealthTips said...

Thank for sharing this useful informative!
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