One of the problems with being a big guy in Asia is that, well, you’re a big guy in Asia, where the locals are generally considered… uh, well, let’s just say there’s only one person here that I have to look up at to talk to. A bit of detail for you here – I’m about 6’2” (187cm) and weigh about 260lbs (117kg). At home in Canada, I’m a bit bigger than normal, but not huge; many of my friends there are bigger than me, both vertically and horizontally. But being a big guy in Asia presents its own set of Lilliputian problems, most of which revolve around clothes, especially shopping for shoes. Let me share my story.
One thing that larger people have to get used to is that when you move here, you’re considered ‘fat’. Not big boned, not husky, not full-bodied. You are fat. It can be a humbling expeirence to walk into a store and buy an XXL t-shirt to add to your L-sized collection you brought from home. But with a bit of perserverence you can eventually find a store that carries things you like in a size that fits.
But shoes are a whole other ballgame. I wear a size 14 shoe, which is about 47 or 48 in European sizes. In Canada, this is a bit more challenging to find, but most stores will have what you need; in Thailand, it’s impossible. I’ve scoured every mall, shoe store, market and leather shop from Chiang Mai to Phuket and I’d have more luck finding Emelia Earhart than I would a nice pair of size 14s.
“Wait! Have you seen my shoes?”
I’ve had shoes made in the past, with Tony Leather being my store of choice. While their quality is very good (the last pair of shoes I bought there lasted three years with daily wear), the problem is that Thais just don’t seem to grasp how big I need my shoes to be, so there’s always trips back to the store for a bit more stretching to get them adequately comfortable. Imagine making a jacket for the Green Giant – you’d have no point of reference so when he said “Bigger!” you’d go “Really? Jeesus, it’s already huge!” And then he’d step on you, because he’s a jerk.
So, I bit the bullet and ordered shoes online. I had a friend in Vancouver who was coming back to Thailand so I had them sent to his house via Zappos and he kindly brought them back here for me. Good ol’ Doc Marten boots – soft leather, air-cushioned sole, protection from the rainy season. My foot slid right in like I’d been wearing them for months.
My new Docs next to my girlfriend’s shoe. (Mine is on the left).
However, once I got them home and took a closer look, I noticed something that made me alternately laugh and cry at the irony of it all:
Not seen: me shaking my fists at the sky as lightning crashes and I scream “Damn you, international tariffs and free trade agreements!”
Of course, most Docs made in Thailand are for export, so they don’t even see the outside of a factory until they get sent to Europe or North America. Now… all I have to do is find the factory and make friends with one of the workers…
Made in Thailand!? Hahaha! That's awesome. Another great post, Greg!
Haha, well, finally you have come one step closer to the perfect solution. Although in my opinion, nothing beats custom made shoes (at least for my Thai-sized feet).
As a friend of mine commented when I told him this story, talk about a big carbon footprint.
The irony indeed!
I've had similar experiences before. I once bought some really nice clothes at Saks in NY and then found out later that they were made in Thailand and Cambodia. I could've saved myself a trip and some money! LOL
That is uncanny! I was complaining to a friend yesterday of the exact same thing. I'm quite tall for a Thai girl (5' 8") and cursed with feet that require size 9 (US) shoes. Shoe shopping in Bangkok, as you can imagine, has not been easy. It seems they don't make or sell cute shoes in sizes larger than 7. And if they do, I'm always too late to the store. Don't really know how it works, but the tourists seem to get the first dibs and there's nothing left by the time I get there. Oftentimes, I end up with the "comfortable" shoes found at various export fairs that seem to be made — in Thailand of course — with western women over the age of 70 in mind.
Thanks for commenting everyone. It's a weird problem to have, especially knowing all the shoes are made here. Leela, you have to come with me one time to a shoe factory – we'll picket outside demanding access to their catalog. 😛
Never had a major problem with shoes in Thailand, but it took me 2 months on the local diet before I was able to fit into the largest pair of shorts I could find in Big-C Phrae. It was the happiest day of my life.
I can put myself in your shoes a bit (all puns intended).
I'm in Seoul and I couldn't find a US 11 or 12 shoes here, most shops will carry up to size 10.5 only, even though Korean guys are taller than Thai guys in average.
I had the same problem. Also size 14. Whenever I saw shoes on sale, with the boxes all lined up outside the shop, I would give a quick glance and see if there was anything. The one good thing is shoes in that size, if they can be found, are often on sale as no one buys them. I did find one true size 14 shoe, some adidas trail running style shoes, at Esplanade. I found 13's that that I could squeeze into in athletic shoes without too much every so often.. nothing ever in a dress shoe though. The tourist traps selling knock offs are targeted at westerners, so the shoes they sell there, while low quality, are sometimes available in larger sizes.
Really interesting site – Not in BKK anymore, in Vancouver, but am enjoying reading through it.
Thanks Tim, I haven't specifically been to Esplanade yet, but I'll try it. I was at the new Terminal 21 yesterday and asked around – no dice there either. Funny that you commented this week – I may have to get some minor surgery on my feet to remove a bone spur due to running in ill-fitting shoes. My running shoes are about 4 years old, which – my running friends tell me – is about 3.5 years past the date when you're supposed to replace them. 🙂