Koreans are getting bigger, and demand for plus-size shoes and clothes is growing.
Shoe manufacturer Kumkang said Monday that sales of larger size shoes in the first three months of this year rose 28 percent offline and 71 percent online compared to the same period last year.
Bigger sizes for men range from 280 to 310 mm and for women between 255 and 260 mm.
At online retailer Auction, sales of larger size clothes grew 27 percent from January to March. Auction has had a separate webpage for plus-size clothing since 2014.
At apparel maker Shinwon, plus-size men's tops in size 105 or above accounted for 30 percent of total men's tops sales last year, up from 13 percent in 2014.
The average height of Koreans has steadily increased resulting in rising demand for bigger shoes and outfits. In 1999, shoes measuring 250 to 255 mm made up the biggest proportion of men's shoes sold with 39 percent, while last year shoes measuring 260 to 265 mm were still the biggest sellers.
