Shopping for shoes online is either one of the worst ideas—or the best. Everyone knows that shoe shopping is an ordeal that entails trying on about fifty pairs and walking around in stores to look at foot-level mirrors as you try and decide in a couple minutes of wear time whether a shoe will give you a blister while walking in the park. Even then, it’s just as likely that what feels comfortable for ten minutes will become decidedly uncomfortable after an hour. Then there’s the dilemma of finding a pair of shoes that fit well, are comfortable, and that you actually like. Once you’ve dealt with the inevitable “I’m sorry we don’t have that shoe in your size,” reply for the tenth time, you may decide you’ve been going about it the wrong way.
Internet shopping is not a weird craze anymore, and while it may seem like a bad idea to shop, for something where the fit is so critical, in a way that doesn’t let you try before you buy, the benefits of shoe shopping at a site like Sneaker King bring balance to the equation.
First, consider the selection. A web store can gather all the styles, both highly sought and more eclectic, and let you browse them all from one place. A good site will not only give you options for what type of shoes you want—boot, sandal, sneaker and so on—but may even allow you to narrow down results by color or material. It’s almost literally possible for a site to gather every possible brand, style, color, and size that’s currently on the market, putting them at your fingertips. Not only that, an online store will offer customer reviews so you can discover specific things about the shoes, like if they tend to run narrow or if design elements cause unpleasant blister-inducing friction. A good web store will also give instructions on how to measure your feet, or, if you prefer, you can go to a local shoe store and politely request this service. Once you have a thorough set of measurements of your feet, it will be much easier to decide which pair of shoes will work best for you.
Familiarize yourself with brands by actually going to some brick and mortar stores and trying shoes on. Yes, this is an extra step and it might seem as though it defeats the whole purpose of online shopping; but when you are familiar with how a certain brand feels and fits, you’re much more likely to be successful when you shop that favorite brand online, even when you’re not buying the exact shoe you may have tried on in the store. A specific brand is likely to be consistent across styles in areas like workmanship, fit, and material quality. And, after all, the idea is not so much about eliminating a trip to the store as it is about finding the perfect pair of shoes among thousands.
Ultimately, shoes are one of the most important pieces of attire for both fashion and comfort reasons. It’s completely worth it to put in a little leg work at stores and then go online for the final purchase. You can even wear the shoes around the house for a day (but not outside!) to make sure they’re keepers. Once you’ve found a perfect set of shoes, you’ll no longer settle for the frustrated “these’ll have to do” that went into so many shoe purchases before.