Sent this to headofcustomerservices@newlook.com

Sat, Apr 19, 2014 at 9 PM

Shoes in larger sizes.

Hello there, I hope you enjoyed your Easter break.
Welcome back to your desk

My name, for the sake of contacting me is Samantha.
I'm writing to you this evening after a long conversation with my friend on the telephone about how much we like your shops.
Bang on trend, all the choice in the world and not at stupid prices. We like this.
What we don't like are your shoes. Not the styles, we and many of us love your shoes. What we don't like is that they only go up to size 8 and in some cases, size 9.
My friend whom I was speaking to is a shoe size 10 and is 5'11" tall, I'm a shoe size 10-11 and 6'6" tall, and your beautiful footwear over which I have spent many-an-evening pining only cover up to an 8 (usually).

I'm guessing you've read between the lines by now, so I'll just say, me and my friend (and an estimated 300,000 men in the UK alone) are crossdressers.
And no this isn't a suggestion to start making fetish wear, we're not all like that.
We pride ourselves on looking at least half decent, and this isn't made very easy when most of the footwear available to you is designed for fetishists, strippers and prostitutes.
There is the occasional nice pair, but they end up costing near £80 delivered and they aren't even branded - My girlfriend bought 2 pairs from Iron Fist for that price!
I know there is a somewhat limited, niche market in crossdressing, however, I believe it would be a lucrative opportunity for yourselves to at least consider and look into offering all your shoes up to size 10 or 11, maybe even 12.
Here's why - even if you took your higher priced shoes, and charged an extra 30 or even 40 percent for the availability of larger sizing but keeping the same styling, crossdressers would not only be saving money, but you would be making a killing.
Have you seen how much size 10 heels cost? Cheap ones run you at £50 and thats without delivery. If you undercut that price and routinely sell large heels at 40/45 quid delivered, you will clean up.
Nicer shoes for less money than nasty ones? You'd have to be mad not to buy from you.

And we haven't even begun to talk about the genetic women with large feet yet! They would benefit from all of the above too.

You don't even have to focus on the financial aspects of this. Just imagine the good will it would generate within the LGBT community.
'New Look supporting the trans community' - 'New Look for New Women' etc etc
And this in turn would generate profit because everyone loves the good guy, and the more awareness you have for your product, the more likely it is to sell.
I can virtually guarantee that these kinds of shoe would sell, even if you only launch them online because crossdressers are rarely forthcoming about enjoying their feminine side, and usually will buy online unless they're with the 'Out and Proud' gang.

I beg you to take this seriously. I've been crossdressing for more than half of my life and have never had the choice of footwear that I would like to.
You guys turn out the nicest shoes I've seen anywhere else for the money, so I beg you as my favorite shoe seller, please don't write this off as a joke or waste of time.

If you consider this further and need any further information or contacts in the LGBT community either on the web or in the flesh, please contact me for further info.
Or even if you just want to find a way of gauging interest in this idea, please get in touch.

I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Samantha.
-x-

I hope that works!!!

While you're waiting, pop into Evans....lol

I picked up some size 10s from there last week, tried them on in the shop, I wanted to buy 200 pairs of shoes, but narrowed it down to two pairs.

Debbie

I'm not personally a huge fan of Evans' heels, although some of their flats are nice.
Although pricey.

£15? I nearly paid more than that on eBay for the same pair (including postage).And I would have done, had I not been out bid. Plus buying them in the shop meant I knew which ones fit! lol.

Granted, their heels were a bit naff, which is why I'd hope that with increasing foot size among real women, and a sizeable, more visible trans community (we're a demographic), that places like New Look and Primark, etc will stock larger sizes. Things like your email are a good move. I'm all behind your positive action!

Debbie
This post was edited by Deborah Taylor at April 19, 2014 10:05 PM BST

Fantastic E-mail Samantha, i really hope that you do get a sincere response. Like Debbie said, Evans do have a great selection, especially in their Trafford Centre Store, Yours Clothing is another great shop, their Arndale store in Manchester has very helpful staff. Although i don't go out as Liz shopping, i'm quite open whilst out shopping and always seem to get on well with the staff, i always find having a nice picture of Liz on my phone helps ! (Smiling).

Hugs

Liz xxx

Sounds like a really good idea. Getting nice every-day shoes is nigh on impossible so I'm 110% behind your efforts. What about doing some sort of petition so they can guage opinions on this?

I forgot to add: Diechmann. Their 10+ range isn't as extensive as their 8- range, but I've seen some gorgeous heels in there, and had it been after payday, I'd have walked out with some. A tad more expensive than Evans, in that they're twice the price, but still worth it.

The only downside to having all high street stores cater for our larger feet is that I'd be spending the food budget on shoes....

Still: Who needs to eat? Where do I sign?

Debbie

<blockquote><strong><a href="/se4/profile/grace02">Grace Armstrong</a> said:</strong><br />Sounds like a really good idea. Getting nice every-day shoes is nigh on impossible so I'm 110% behind your efforts. What about doing some sort of petition so they can guage opinions on this?</blockquote><br />


I will if they ask for it, thats what I tried to get across at the end.
Fingers crossed we get a good response ladies

Good luck on your enterprise

As for myself I'm lucky having size 8 feet, which means depending on the brand I can get away with a size 7 ladiesxx

Julia nods.

Bit disheartened by this.
Don't think we're getting much further.

Dear Samantha,



Reference: 265****



Thank you for your recent email to New Look regarding shoe sizes. I really do appreciate you bringing your thoughts and opinions to our attention.



New Look are always looking to improve our company and are all about making our customers happy and again really appreciate you taking the time to contact us regarding this. I can confirm I have passed this information onto the relevant department for there consideration.



However, if you have any other queries, please do not hesitate to contact us again on 08444996690, where we will be more than happy to help. Our lines open Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm, Sundays 10am-6pm.



Kind regards,



Michaela Dunkley

Customer Relations Specialist

New Look Customer Services

That does sound like a fob off. Boo hiss New Look! I'm GLAD you closed your shop next to my office now.

We'll get there eventually. Just as soon as advertiser notice that there's 3/4 of a million trans* in this country.

Debbie

P.S. trans* is any flavour of TV/CD/DVD

Love the any flavour comment Deb's !xxx

TV: Transvestite
CD: Cross Dresser
DVD: Desires Vagina Downstairs

:D

Debbie

Samantha

It seems to me like you got a classic brush off from some minion at New Look. To get some kind of real action in my opinion you need to try the following actions :-

1. Identify the names of directors at New Look ( should be on their website) and write a real letter to their head office, initially to only 2 directors.

My suggestion is to try the head of marketing or sales and their head financial person. You have to get their names - sending an email to a function ensures a brush off.

2. In your letter say that you have already written a nice letter (copy it as an attachment) and that you are not satisfied that any action may or may not be taken by New Look. And that is why you are writing to Ms X or Mr Y.

3. Say in your letter that you will be following up with a phone call within the next 10 days.

4. You could try the same approach with other companies. One potential target could be the N Brown group - who do the catalogues (Marisota, Simply Be, Fashion World and have 2 shoe catalogues - Viva La Diva and the Shoe Tailor). They specialize in large sizes women's clothes and wide fitting shoes (up to EEE) but only up to size 9. They must be looking for new niches?

I personally don't have the problem of super large feet and can buy 8s or 9s from high street (usually a 9 as that is a true 42 and not a 43 as they say). Even Asda do great shoes at a size 9.

But I know that many of you have real problems finding normal shoes. Ironically I lived in Holland for 20 years and there was the same problem there even though the average Dutch woman is 5'9" and many are over 6'. There was only 1 shop in Amsterdam that specialized in shoes up to size 11/12 and also 1 in Duesseldorf (Germany) and they were both publicised by the LKGT&T (Dutch tranny groups). Dutch shoes for women stop at 43 and still in many shops at 41.

Good luck and if I can be of help then please let me know.

hugs

Pauline xxxx

Ladies, nearly a month later, I still haven't had a non-standardised reply.
So I wrote back


Samantha Smile <samanthasmile82@gmail.com>

11:53 AM

to headofcustomerservices@newlook.com

Hello.

Thank you for the reply and confirming my message had been received.

As it is nearly one month later, I was just wondering if any of the 'higher-ups' have had a chance to view my mail and given it any considerable thought?
Only reason being is that I still haven't had any form of reply that specifically addresses my questions.

I appreciate you must get a good number of emails each day and so I don't like to pester, but god damn I love your shoes, and I would like for them to fit my feet.

Sincerely
Samantha

----------------------------------------------------------

Is it time to rally the troops to flood their mail servers??

Hi Samantha, we have a great selection of shoes and boots right up to UK size 14 and most of them are around the £40 price range.

If you don't like what you see you can always email me with a design that you like and I will see if I can obtain it for you.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Regards
Ellie

You can view our range here - http://www.crossdressingcloset.com/footwear/shoes.html?p=3