Leather Shoemaker

I have spent a month looking for shoes.  I even gave my students some money so that they could buy a pair of shoes off of a famous Chinese online shopping site, but they thought the shoes were too ugly and the shop wasn't reliable enough.  They did not buy the shoes and gave me the money back.

Last night I went and had a Chinese meal near Sichuan University's west gate.  Lo and behold, I found a leather shoe making shop.  I am getting a pair of shoes made using a male sole that is wide and a feminine Mary Jane top. 

There are two reasons why I have been having trouble finding shoes:
1.  Shops rarely carry size 8.  China size 38 which is the longest that most shops carry is just a bit too small for me.
2.  The shoes for females are really narrow and I feel like I am walking on a balance beam.

I am happy that I found the shoemaker and can mix and match what I want.

PS.  To the commenter about cost of living in China- I can't reply to comments because I don't have a VPN and my blog is actually blocked in China.  As a Peace Corps Volunteer I live comfortably on $240/month, but I don't pay for rent.  I heard rent in Guangdong is like $400 which can be shared between two people.  In Yunnan I am not sure, but I am going to guess rent is a lot cheaper.  Actually I will be trying to find cheaper rent in Guangdong because $200 is way too much for me.  If you want to learn more please provide me with your email in the comments.  Comments are private.