Buying a pair of shoes is something many people do without much thought. You walk into a shop, browse through different styles, ask for your size, and, if you're lucky, leave with exactly what you came for.

For some people, however, the experience is very different. Finding the right pair of shoes isn't about choosing a style they like. It begins with a much simpler question: Will the shop have my size?

That is a question I know well.

As someone who wears a size 44, every trip to the shoe market begins with hope but often ends in disappointment. Before I think about style, colour or price, I first have to find out whether the shoes I like are even available in my size.

When plenty of shoes still isn't enough

My search begins at Tema Station, one of Accra's busiest destinations for affordable footwear. The market is packed with heels, flats, sandals and sneakers in almost every colour and design imaginable. At first glance, it seems there is something for everyone.

Experience, however, has taught me otherwise.

After several minutes of searching, I ask a trader named Pounds for help. One look at my feet and he delivers an answer that has become all too familiar.

"You won't find size 44 here. Size 44 and above are rare. Some customers place pre-orders, and when we find them, we send them pictures to see if they like them."

He says it matter-of-factly, as though he has repeated those words hundreds of times before.

As I look around at the rows of shoes surrounding me, the irony is hard to ignore. There is no shortage of footwear. There is simply very little made for people looking for larger sizes.

Pounds explains that when larger sizes do become available, they usually cost far more than smaller ones. While common sizes can sell for as little as GH¢40, bigger sizes often range between GH¢150 and GH¢200.

Eventually, I leave without buying anything.

It's disappointing, but not surprising. After years of shopping for shoes, I've come to accept that walking away empty-handed is sometimes part of the experience.

Looking beyond the market

The next day, I decide to try somewhere different. This time, I head to one of Accra's largest shoe boutiques, convinced that if anywhere would have my size, it would be there.

The atmosphere is noticeably different. The shelves are neatly arranged, the displays inviting and the selection extensive. For the first time, I feel genuinely optimistic.

Then I spot a pair of red heels.

The colour catches my eye immediately. So does the design. For a brief moment, I think the search might finally be over.

It isn't.

The biggest size available is a 42.

The disappointment isn't because the boutique lacks beautiful shoes. It's because, once again, the pair I want simply doesn't come in my size.

Sales attendant Gloria tells me my experience is far from unique.

"There was a time a customer just stood by the entrance. She couldn't find her size, but she also couldn't bring herself to leave."

Her words resonate with me.

Finding a shop with shoes you genuinely love only to discover they don't come in your size feels like getting within touching distance of the finish line, only to be told the race is over.

She says many customers eventually settle for styles they never intended to buy simply because those are the only options available in their size.

She then takes me to a separate section of the boutique reserved for larger sizes.

In that moment, another reality becomes clear.

Finding my size is only part of the struggle.

Paying for it is another.

The larger-sized shoes are priced significantly higher than many of the others in the shop. Some sell for GH¢825, while similar styles in smaller sizes cost GH¢325.

Having bigger feet, it seems, can also come with a much bigger bill.

The science behind shoe size

Growing up, I heard all kinds of assumptions about people with larger feet. Some suggested that women with bigger feet must have spent their childhood walking barefoot. Others treated a size like mine as something unusual.

Most of the comments were made in jest, but hearing them repeatedly made me wonder what actually determines foot size.

Medical practitioner Dr. Lukman Ahmed says the explanation is far simpler than many people assume.

"One major factor that determines foot size is genetics or heredity. If your father or mother has bigger feet, it is likely you will inherit those genes too."

He says wearing a larger shoe size is not, by itself, a sign that something is medically wrong.

"It is not true to say that a woman wearing anything above size 42 is abnormal. It depends on what her natural foot size has always been."

According to him, concern only arises if there is a sudden increase in foot size.

"If someone's foot size has always been 42 but suddenly begins to increase, then it may suggest that something is going on."

Science may offer reassurance, but social perceptions often tell a different story.

Even today, I still encounter raised eyebrows, surprised expressions and jokes when people discover my shoe size. Sometimes the reactions are harmless. Other times, they make something completely ordinary feel as though it needs explaining.

Over time, I've learned to laugh along.

But that doesn't mean the comments stop affecting you.

When people repeatedly draw attention to something as ordinary as your shoe size, it can subtly shape how you see yourself. Something that should simply be part of who you are begins to feel like something that sets you apart.

More than just a shoe size

After all this, I still haven't answered the question I set out to answer.

Did I find the perfect pair of shoes?

Maybe.

But this journey taught me something far more important.

There is nothing unusual about my feet.

The real challenge was never my shoe size.

It was finding a world that makes room for it.