shoe shopping

I'm not an avid shopper.  Somehow the shopping gene skipped me.  But, I have to tough it out occasionally and hit up the stores.  Today's mission was to find a pair of black flats.  Sounds simple, doesn't it?  The thing is, my feet are a wider width (cue the laughter) and there aren't that many styles available for wider feet.  I guess standing around all these years has caused my feet to spread into comfort mode and, therefore, bypass stylish mode.  My feet also are of a very average length and the available stock of this size is generally lower.  As far as style goes, I'm fairly easy to please.  But there is one thing that I will not put up with and that is a low cut vamp.  Who thinks toe crack is attractive?  Why would any shoe designer make a shoe that is cut so low in the front of the foot that the cracks between the toes are exposed?  Now, I'm not talking about sandals or flip flops here.  I expect to see the toes and all the spaces between them while wearing these kinds of foot attire.  But, not shoes!  I want the toe cracks covered!  (Exposed toe tips, however, are quite acceptable.)  So, in addition to finding wider shoes in very average sizes I also have to deal with revealing toe crack and it makes shoe shopping all that more difficult.  I toughed it out though today and in the third store I visited I found a very nice pair of black flats and a bonus pair of houndstooth check flats.  Whoopee!!  I'm glad that's over.  Done.