Do any of you do this?
I see a lot of great bargains, and perhaps it’s just me but my shoe size from store to store, seems to vary by 1.5 to 2 inches, and I just don’t feel like the hassle of returning them. And that’s not even taking into account the “feel” of the shoe.
So while I guess online shoe shopping isn’t for me, I was wondering if any others have had success with it?
Me, a Red Wing fan. I thought I blew it with the wife’s work boots. She’s 6AA but the 6D steel toes I got her fitter her fine. I’m 7E but I usually buy 7.5D. Now Red Wing dealers warn buyers to size down 1/2 or even 1 but I got 7E all the same. It fitted like a torture device at the start but after 1 week, the tough leather molded around my feet so they’re now very comfortable. I suppose I’m lucky.
So those problems: the size down advice, translations in different measures (US, UK, EU), and the risk of getting a lemon.
95% of my shoe purchases are done on line. Zappos has excellent selection and service. If you can’t find shoes you want there, you’re not really trying. There are a couple of other on line stores that I also like for high quality shoes. But yeah… I rely almost entirely on shoes purchased over the web.
Most on line shoe stores will provide you with a free pre-paid return label. So when I’m not sure because mixed reviews seem to indicate that a half size up or down may me warranted, I order two adjacent sizes and return the one that didn’t fit.
Beats the hassle of crowded malls.
Yeah, from Zappos. I honestly think I’ve managed to keep only one pair–mostly I’ve tried 'em on, decided I didn’t like them, and sent them back. It’s a pretty pain-free experience.
I did it once, several years ago (around 2000), had a bad experience so have never done it again. The shoes ran 1/2 size large for my feet, so they didn’t fit well, they were heavier than what the picture led me to believe, and then the return process was too much of a hassle that I ended up eating the cost.
QuickSilver, thanks for mentioning Zappos. The site looks pretty good - several pictures per item (for the shoes I bought online, there was only one picture back then), and the return process looks easy. Free shipping on purchases and returns, too, although of course that cost is built into the cost of their items. Still, I think with a site like that I may give online shoe shopping another try. It looks very convenient.
I also use Zappo’s. I love that I can order the same style in more than one size and return the one that does not fit for FREE! They also have a fabulous selection. I really like shoes, own many pairs, and have shopped exclusively at Zappo’s for over five years. Of course another reason I like Zappo’s is because I would rather chew glass than go shopping:D
Depends on what you’re buying. Say you want some New Balance tennis shoes. You already own some, they fit well, and the size you got is…? Well, order more on line. But if it’s a brand you’ve never had, that’s different.
Of course you might be able to find them locally, try them on, see how they fit, then order on line.
I’ve had mixed luck with it. Once I ordered some shoes that were so incredibly narrow, well, forget it. I’ve also ordered some NB that fit ok—width ok, length ok. Then, after wearing a few times, one pair hurt my feet so much I can never wear them again: the N on the side is stitched in such that it rubs my instep severely. But that’s not something I would have flagged when buying them at the store, either.
Check the return policy before ordering.
Shopping locally is very important to me, but shoes is where I break my own code. My feet are wide, practically square. Local stores rarely have my size in stock.
I find the customer reviews helpful as far as “felt true to size…true to width, etc.”
My own circumstances make it very easy for me to return the ones that don’t fit or that I don’t like. I get UPS deliveries frequently at work so I don’t need to stray from my regular schedule at all to return things to them.
The only draw back is that if you have an event this weekend and see the perfect shoe and order it on Thursday, and it arrives Friday you don’t have time to fix it if they don’t fit. That’s why people buy the same shoe in several sizes expecting to return some. That ties up cash, but usually not for long.
I think it’s easier to buy shoes online if you’ve got standard sized feet without any issues like bunions and such. Because of my foot issues, I have to actually try on everything before purchasing. Can’t do that with Zappo’s nor with any other online retailer.
Not to disagree with the previous poster, but I buy shoes online precisely because I have non-standard sized feet (4E width)!
I don’t buy shoes online because it’s bad enough getting them to fit properly IRL. I’ve got huge (women’s) feet: size 10, but with the fluid way the manufacturers are sizing things nowadays, sometimes a 10 is more like a 9.
Case in point…one of my local stores was having a sale on Doc Marten boots,and a pair I’d had my eye on for some months was reduced from $229 (AUD) down to $99. And lo and behold, they even had a size 10…swooning ensued. 
But the buggers didn’t fit properly. I guess they were sort-of long enough, but they were shallow over the foot area and I envisioned many months of blisters.
I ended up with a different pair, still size 10 and they fit like a glove.
So, yeah, I like to try things on first.
I do it fairly often, but generally only for brands where I know the sizing. This is somewhat complicated by my custom orthotics, so that the thickness of removable insoles is also a factor. I sometimes stray from the general rule if the deal is good enough, though.
My husband thinks it’s a bad idea but I’ve done it a couple of times with success. In fact I just got my Christmas present to myself in the mail today - a pair of new Harley boots. And they fit perfectly.
But then, I expected them to as I’ve used the brand enough to know how their sizes run.
I’ve also ordered from Herberger’s of brands I’m familiar with.
My coworker tries shoes on at local retailers to make sure they fit comfortably; then she looks for the exact pair on line and orders them at a lower price - mostly from Zappos. She’s encouraged me to do the same, but I haven’t yet.
What your co-worker is doing and suggesting you do seems wrong to me; you’re taking advantage of the local retailers without giving them your business. Generically, I think it’s called showrooming.
Nothing beats getting measured out in a proper shop but those shops cannot possibly stock up on all models a walk-in buyer will want --at the right size. They will likely order from their suppliers and it will likely take longer than an online order. It isn’t really much of a crime since you get measured out just once (hehe…) But yeah, I’m planning on giving our local Red Wing distributor some business in the future.
Well… this is a little bothersome, because the people who systemically do this take unfair advantage of the local retailer’s costs to run their business, including rent for their store, labor costs for their employees to cater to such shoppers who won’t buy, and inventory and storage costs for these shoes kept in stock.
Those costs are passed on to the consumers who buy there.
One might be able to argue that such shoppers are cheating, and even stealing.
I’ve bought them before and returned them locally at a store that allows it (Finish Line). It was a no-nonsense exchange, very easy.
I bought from Ebay before, a brand I never tried before which was a gamble for my because I have very wide feet but not very long feet. They ended up working out (Vans).
Also I’ve bought many pairs of Crocs online that have worked out well without trying them on. And no, not the originalslip on, rubber many-hole neon crocs. They have actual nice shoes!
I buy all my shoes at Zappos. I am hard to fit (14 wide) and always buy the same brand and model, so fit is not a problem. Once they sent me a size 13 in a box labeled 14 and not only did they take them back, emailing a prepaid mailing label, the woman I spoke to was extremely apologetic and sent me a $10 certificate towards my next purchase. Which I used to buy the correct size when that came back in stock.
6pm.com. Very low prices, at least for the stuff I like to wear. And free shipping.