I'm much closer to the fat part of the bell curve than you, so you might not be aware that you are likely being denied half sizes in your shoes. I used to call

I'm much closer to the fat part of the bell curve than you, so you might not be aware that you are likely being denied half sizes in your shoes. I used to call myself a size 13, but after I started running, either my feet shrank or I became more aware of the fit of my shoes, and I happened to find a size 12.5, which fit so much better. Then I discovered that most shoes don't come in a 12.5 - they usually only do half sizes up to 12. And when a shoe is made in a 12.5, most stores don't carry it. So now I get to spend a lot of time trying to decide between a 12 that sometimes pinches (whee numb toes) or a 13 that sometimes is too loose (whee blisters) or looking for shoes that run big or small that might not be the style I want/need. And most stores at least have size 12 and 13 I can try on; I can imagine the hell of finding not just size 16 but size 16 that fit right.