Shoes Online

For all the wonders online shopping brings, certain items are easier to pull the trigger on without having touched said item. Everyday things like office or school supplies are commonplace and many folks like to buy online. You know what a pen has in store for you. No big mystery. The same goes with a printer cartridge. It has black, magenta and yellow and guess what, that’s what you need! Clothes can also be thrown into this group, shirts and shorts specifically, but some clothing items become a bit trickier to buy without having tried them on for example. And one of those items is shoes.

In a perfect world we would be able to try the shoe on before buying it. This can be universally accepted we feel. But, as we know, what use is that if we need to obligate someone to go to a store. The whole point of buying online is not having to go to a store. The time spent at said store, the coming and going is what we’re trying to optimize. The first thing to key in on with online shoe buying is the right shop. Sound vague? It is, but what we mean by this is a shop with lots of reviews, thousands upon thousands. We don’t want to promote anyone specific, but odds are you get what we’re talking about here. Screwing around with shops that are not recognized might get you a better deal price wise but play at your own risk.

Second, return policies are crucial. One of the biggest risks in buying shoes online, especially shoes where you have not owned that shoe brand before and know for a fact that an 11.5 wide is your exact size, is you are making a bet based on your own size plus online reviews which size in said brand is right for you. We want to be sure we are emphasizing the word “bet” here. This is all a bet, a calculated bet based on decent information, but a bet, nonetheless. So, if said bet turns south, being able to return that failed purchase is again … crucial. Third, how do the shoes look online. Some sites do this well, displaying the shoes from all angles, zoom functions, the works. Other sites have no clue what they’re doing, and it shows. Tap into a site that has this part nailed down. The get what you want as a consumer and you get the images you need.

Fourth, make sure the site clearly communicates the different materials that make up the shoe you will be purchasing. It is common to assume all shoe materials are the same. Wrong! They aren’t all the same, and unless you have transparent information surrounding the materials in play, you’ll be making another educated guess based on nothing. And finally, the size! This is of course the number one issue, but the previously mentioned four points, if adequately met, will resolve the size quandary. But being able to nail the right fit of course is the main objective. Most sites will map out how the shoe fits, but the commentaries from other buyers is where the size issue is best addressed. If so and so from Kansas City says he typically wears a 10 in Nike but in this case with Puma he needed a 10.5, that information is critical. You might be in the same boat and instead of purchasing the 10 you go with a 10.5.

If done right buying shoes online can be a win-win. But don’t jump in casually, take heed to these 5 points and then pull the trigger appropriately.