The Shoe Sizing Dilemma: how accurate are size charts anyway?

This, my friends, is a problem I am far too familiar with, having spent megabucks on shoes online, only to experience the heartbreak of Ugly Stepsister Syndrome. All over Poshmark, I see people using the phrase, 'According to Poshmark's sizing chart, these should fit a 9.5 since they're marked 39.5', and I cringe, knowing that someone will fall in love, buy the shoes, then experience that same heartbreak. Well I'm here to tell you, having purchased shoes made in many corners of the globe, that THERE IS NO ONE STANDARD SIZING CHART! And also, even if you're generalizing, a size 39.5 is ALMOST ALWAYS equivalent to a size 8.5 - not 9.5. Shoe sizing is complicated. If you want your customers to be happy with the big ticket designer shoes they just bought, you need to be aware of a couple of things. 1. Every shoe manufacturer has their own sizing chart, and even within a single country, sizing can vary from one designer to the next. 2. If you're not familiar with a particular designer's sizing, then measurements are the only way to go. In my experience, high-end designer shoes tend to fit 1/2 to a full size smaller than mass market manufactured shoes, so comparing Manolo Blahnik sizing to Jessica Simpson isn't going to work. Your safest bet is to google each specific designer's sizing chart - yes, they all have them, and they're all different. Or measure the actual footbed length and width if you're not sure. Thank you for coming to my TED talk. 😎