The best advice for women with feet size 11 and larger or size 5 and smaller is to take a deep breath before you enter the shoe department. Do not start by browsing the prettiest and loveliest shoes and setting your hopes on walking out with that pair today. Be calm.
Find a sales clerk who is polite, patient and hopefully sympathetic. If it's a crazy day of major mark-downs and rampant activity, you will have to hit the lottery to find a pair of shoes.
Lazy days, such as Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, are best for shoe shopping when you need special attention. As a bonus, many stores have midweek deliveries to prepare for weekend traffic, so they may have just gotten a new shipment and you can snag the one shoe available in your size.
Ask the salesperson about weekly deliveries and note it for the future.
For a nice selection of large-hard-to-find sizes, check out www.downtowngalshoes.com. They have all the major brands such as Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Tods, Prada, Kate Spade, and Burberry.
