I’m 5’9" and most of my heels are 1-2". 3 is major special occasion for me. Higher than 3 is for the stage (which back in my lawyer days included court).
I want to say size 7 is now the average size. It used be 6-I know that because I used to be a size 6 and my hometown had a “sample” store and all the shoes were 6’s. I was in heaven.
@BunsenBurner for that price, those shoes should pick you up and carry you to your destination.
Speaking of shoes, I have been looking all summer for comfortable walking sandals without success. Every pair I tried on was either too wide at the toe, too narrow at the ball of my foot, pressing against my bunion, heels too narrow, etc. Yesterday I went to Kohls and they had two pair left in their store brand sandals with velcro at both the heel and the ankle. I wore them all day today, walked everywhere and my feet are very happy. I broke my pinky toe a few weeks ago and it is still tender. These sandals didn’t bother me a bit. And they were only $30.
I got a pair that sounds like yours, @sseamom. Strap across the ankle and across the top of the foot, both Velcro- and memory foam pads under the foot?
I’ve thought about asking this question but more in the context of heel height in relation to your height. I’m 5’9" and for so long I didn’t like to wear anything over about an inch because I felt like a giant and I got tired of people saying Wow you’re so tall.
At the same time I didn’t like the way the flats or almost flats looked with certain non casual outfits. I’m not looking to wear stilettos or anything but cute wedges (like the Stuart Weitzmans someone linked) really can make certain outfits. Likewise a cocktail dress looks a lot better with a bit of a heel rather than a flat.
I recently met a woman my age and height (or maybe taller) who wears heels and wedges or whatever looks best with her outfit. She just appears to not care if she is 6’ or more in shoes. I am trying to adopt her attitude.
I do have to put a gel cushion in most shoes with any kind of heel. And I do have to spend more money on my shoes at my age. There are some brands that are more wearable than others.
My family was in the women’s shoe business. The average women’s shoe size these days is closer to 8 1/2 - 9, with an explosion in the 10+. There was a TIME article a few years back about how our feet have grown.
(I am 5’4" and wear a 7 or 7 1/2.)
I was a 7-7.5. Two kids later, I’m a 8.5 - 9 shoe size. :-). My arch is as high as ever!
Size 8 1/2 is the “hot commodity.”
Looks like PG and I agree. 
My guess is purely observational - I wear 81/2 US or 9 (39.5-40), and those are the first sizes that disappear.
I wear an 8. There are seldom size 8 on clearance. The selection of nice shoes even at Nordtrom Rack is NOT in size 8.
Because of that, I figured 8 was most purchased!
@jym626 come here. Plenty of size 7 shoes on the sale,racks.
@jym626 it’s not memory foam, but it is a spongy padding that I like. I have some of their other shoes that do have the memory foam in them. I was up and down stairs, walking all over everywhere for move-in last week and I barely noticed that I had shoes on. My feet never ached at all. But they’re not the most durable shoes and are starting to wear out on the soles.
@surfcity …you need to embrace your height! I’m sorry you don’t love it. I feel short when I don’t wear my heels now. I have several friends 5’9" and over that wear higher heels like I do and when I see them walk in somewhere, I don’t think they look odd at all. But just remember, don’t ever slouch your shoulders, keep your back straight or it really looks like you are ashamed of you height.
I find that stores seem to carry one 10. I now get to the store very early in the season to grab what I want. Sometimes. Because now my foot has flattened a little and I’m a wide width. So…I go to the store and if it really isn’t roomy enough have to try to find shoes online in a wide. Grrrrr.
@MotherOfDragons if I had been a model and in national magazines I wouldn’t tuck them away. I’d pick out my favorites, ok I’d probably do all, and frame them. I think things like that are fun to look at. Maybe a small grouping somewhere. Why not?
Lots of size 8, 8.5, 9 shoes available here. Sounds like everyone needs to relocate!
@sseamom - if your sandals have round medallions that sort of look like suns on the straps over the Velcro, we have the same shoes.
@conmama wrote
Well, mostly because we all age, and those pictures on some level are not the “real” me-hours of hair, makeup, perfect lighting, talented photographers, etc. Visually seeing the most perfect version of yourself all the time is a bit jarring. I like being happy with how I’m aging (well, as happy as one can be), and having those reminders up all the time is kind of tough to live up to.
Plus, I have two daughters who are beautiful (and tall enough) to model, and I don’t want them modeling for many reasons. Saying “don’t model, it’s a nasty business” and then having modeling pictures up would send a very mixed message to them. For me it was a great opportunity to break out of the working class life I was destined for, but the girls have many more opportunities available to them already. They don’t need to model to see the world and meet interesting people.
Back to shoes…At DSW the 8 1/2 clearance section is always the smallest.
@conmama my size 10 D finds lots of shoes at DSW. She scores big every time they’re having a big clearance. We joke about her collection of $10 shoes. She also finds a lot online. She has the opposite problem of you though-her feet are rather narrow.
You sound like you have a great attitude, MOD
Woman’s feet have gotten larger as women have grown bigger and taller, I don’t know what the average size is but I would bet it is close to a size 9. For those whose feet are bigger, a friend of mine has big and wide feet, she said that you often do better in stores where they have sizable African-American population shopping there because there is a sizable population of woman in that community that have larger feet so they tend to keep larger shoe sizes in stock. I often wonder as with clothing sizes, if they realize that women have gotten bigger and they still are producing shoes for an older generation. My wife wears a 9.5-10, and she has a hard time finding shoes at places like DSW, she said most of the shoes they have in that size tend to be either old lady shoes or these outlandish heels.
Bite your tongue, sir.
My niece just bought 4 pairs of size 10
“outlandish heels.” Why 4? They were cheap and shiny. 
Niece is 5’10.5". 4 inch heels is what she lives in. Ah… Youth.
Does anyone else buy crazy shoes at DSW because they have the coveted 80% off yellow sticker on them?
I’m SO guilty of that.
Me: “Look! They used to be $100 and they’re $20!”
Husband says: “Somewhere a clown has to go barefoot now.”