Are my organ shoes too narrow or too tight for me?

[Sarah Weizhen]

I am a new organist, female, with feet Size 5.
I put a piece of suede under my normal heal shoes and they seems to work fine.
But I wanted to try the real organ shoes so I boigbo a pair of Organmaster, size 5 M.
But they turned out to be very tight that I can't wear them with socks. But I can wear them barefoot.

The length doesn't have problem, main issues are on the width, they are literally less than 3 inches wide.
However, i have heard that the organ shoes are supposed to be narrow, probably the narrower the better.
So, should I just keep them and just tough it out without socks? Or should I exchange them into a wider or bigger version?

I think the pipe organs are originally designed for normal hight male with normal size feet, so a pair of narrow shoes for them would even be a lot wider than my size 5 shoes, so in this sense, I guess I don't really need to wear a pair of shoes that is less than 3 inches wide in order to practice the organ well?

[Admin]

Get a wider version. I wear a size 10 wide and the width is not a problem. You certainly will not have a problem with a size 5.


There are several discussions of organ shoes on the forum. Here is a recent one.
https://organforum.com/forums/forum/...1-organ-shoes/

[toodles]

Organ shoes are not supposed to be narrower than what is needed for your feet. Any reduction in their width is done by using thinner leather rather than undersizing. Get a better size for your fee.

[myorgan]

Don't put up with the narrow shoes. Get a wider version. OrganMaster shoes (dance shoes) run narrower than regular shoes. I wear a 7-1/2 shoe, but order a size 8 wide shoe.

Michael

[Sarah Weizhen]

Thank you guys

[voet]

Before you spend money on a new pair of shoes, you might want to see if the leather can be stretched. I once did this with a pair of shoes. There was a liquid product that would allow the leather to stretch. It was a long time ago, so I do not remember what it was, but I believe I purchased it from a shoe repair shop.

I personally do not like wearing shoes with bare feet. You could try using the little socklets that are made to make it appear that you are not wearing socks. They are very thin and might work.

Good luck to you.

[Sarah Weizhen]

Yeah that's a good idea too.

[Leisesturm]

I find buying all my footwear in the next 1/2 size larger allows me to use the 'standard' width vs the extra wide size that I would otherwise need. I agree that organ shoes should not be uncomfortably tight. A lot of opinion surrounds the fact that organ shoes overall are 'narrower' than 'street shoes'. Often they are, and when that is the case it is often because the sole of the street shoe extends a 1/4" or so beyond the actual edge of the shoe all around its circumference. This is a feature of Oxford style shoes in a man's cut. I don't know whether this is reproduced when that style of footwear is styled for a woman. In any case, purpose built organ shoes have more than just a narrower width to offer. The heel of OrganMaster shoes is considerably deeper than standard dress shoes. This allows playing pedal thirds with one foot. Complete extended chords with both. Modern composers are exploiting the possibilities. The suede sole is thinner than 'shoe leather' and has a precise amount of grip and release tailored to pedal execution. My first pair of OrganMasters date to the 1980's. They are no longer presentable but I keep them at home for unexpected playing opportunities (gigs) that do not allow for a trip to the church first. My newer pair have an even deeper heel than the earlier generation. I love my OrganMasters and recommend them highly.

[Sarah Weizhen]

Thank you for your detailed suggestions

[voet]

At my practice session today, I did not want to use my organ shoes, because it was a warm day and I had taken my socks off. I do not like wearing organs shoes without socks and I did not want to go through the trouble of putting on socks just for this purpose. I also do not like playing the organ in bare feet.

Instead I decided to wear my moccasin slippers. These are the soft leather ones with shearling lining. It worked really well. I decided to share this since footwear for playing the organ seems to be a topic that generates a fair bit of interest. I am not sure I will di this every time I play, but it is a great alternative for the warmer months when I like to wear sandals with no socks.

[samibe]

I assume your slippers stay on well without the need for them to be tied.

[voet]

They stayed on with no difficulty. One of the pieces I played was Gaston Belier's Toccata in D minor, which has your feet flailing around a bit. I also played an Andate from William Felton's Concerto No. 3 in B flat major. This is actually an instrumental concerto arranged by E.Power Biggs. (It is a great piece by the way.) It is actually a trio, so again, it keeps your feet moving. I had no problem playing these pieces.

[Silken Path]

Hi, Sarah - just curious, but did you trace the outlines of your feet and send them to OrganMasters before ordering? (Those do look a lot smaller than your street shoes.)

[Sarah Weizhen]

No I didn't. I didn't know I have to do that haha. I just clicked order so it orders.

[Nutball]

Humans are very good at adapting, though organ shoes will probably help people play the best, we can get used to using what we have and get surprisingly good at it. I'm even starting to use my heels too with just normal shoes, and I tend to play in whatever I'm wearing and make do. I have gained the skill of not being too picky about what is on my feet, so it doesn't affect my playing much. I found my Organ Master shoes were too slippery and looser than I expected. I added foam to the bottom for better grip, but I rarely use them and I don't have a good reason why.

https://organforum.com/forums/forum/...113#post546113

And make sure you get the bench height where you need it if you can. Add boards under it, or have the legs trimmed down. It helps a lot not having to either stretch to reach or constantly hold your feet up and lift your legs between notes.

[Sarah Weizhen]

Yeah you are right. After I adjusted my bench a little bit lower, my pedaling was a lot better than before