3 Things to Avoid When Buying Shoes
Buying shoes can be an obsession to some, a necessity to others and a headache for the rest. Per year women in the UK alone spend billions of pounds on shoes. Out of this huge number, how much of that is wasted because the customer later finds that they are too small, too big, too tight, the wrong style, too high to wear…? As fast as we are spending money on buying shoes, we are also probably wasting money equally as fast because we are making these 3 terrible mistakes when buying shoes!
As women, I think we are all guilty to a certain extent of buying shoes and clothing in the wrong size, usually in a size too small. When we buy clothing we either convince ourselves that we will slim down into a new garment or after a week of eating extremely healthy, working out on a daily basis and switching coffee for herbal teas, we refuse to accept that we cannot squeeze ourselves into the size we usually wear. In the case of buying shoes a size too small, we are not always interested in the size of our feet but rather the choice of shoes and sizes available in the store at the time. The shoes in our size are ugly and boring, whereas the shoes a size smaller or just a size too big are half the price and twice as nice!
I’ve made the above mistakes more times that I care to remember and although on the one hand it can be funny the lengths we will go to, on the more serious side it can lead to permanent foot and toe injuries! At all costs refrain from buying shoes a size to small or even too big!!
Ideally, the best time to go shoe shopping is about 13.00. It is not too early in the morning but not too late. Buying shoes too early in the morning means that your shoes will fit your “morning feet”, which is when they are at their smallest and those particular shoes may feel too small later through the day. Buying shoes too late in the day/early evening could mean that your shoes feel a little too big for you when you go to put them on the next morning because your feet can swell and increase (slightly) in size throughout the day. The best time to buy shoes is around lunchtime because the shoes that fit your feet best at that time of day can then withstand your feet being slightly smaller or slightly larger without feeling uncomfortable.
During the past decade, buying shoes online has become nothing less than the norm for many. Some women do not even leave the house to shop anymore. This is not a problem if you apply the same shopping principles and strictness with yourself that you would if you were shopping in store.
Despite online shopping being highly convenient and in many cases more cost-effective, it can make us lazier. When items arrive at our front door that don’t fit, we sometimes cannot be bothered to return them so we are happy to just shove them in the bottom of our wardrobes and forget about them.
Buying shoes online can open up a world of high quality, discounted shoes to you and this is where things tend to get a little bit complicated. When shopping online we can be tempted to buy items that we wouldn’t usually buy or we could snap up a designer or high quality garment that is such a bargain you just couldn’t say no! Then, when your purchases arrive and they don’t fit as well as they should, you cannot bring yourself to part with them and therefore keep then in your “one day when I…” wardrobe.
Style lesson: Buy shoes that fit. Return them if they don’t. Do not let designer shoes confuse you – if they are a waste of money, save the money you could potentially waste on poor fitting shoes and buy shoes that fit like a glove!
Mistake 1: Buying Shoes a Size Too Small or Too Big
As women, I think we are all guilty to a certain extent of buying shoes and clothing in the wrong size, usually in a size too small. When we buy clothing we either convince ourselves that we will slim down into a new garment or after a week of eating extremely healthy, working out on a daily basis and switching coffee for herbal teas, we refuse to accept that we cannot squeeze ourselves into the size we usually wear. In the case of buying shoes a size too small, we are not always interested in the size of our feet but rather the choice of shoes and sizes available in the store at the time. The shoes in our size are ugly and boring, whereas the shoes a size smaller or just a size too big are half the price and twice as nice!
“So what if they are just a teeny tiny size too big? I’ll wear insoles. What if they are a size too small? I’ll stretch them out a little!”
I’ve made the above mistakes more times that I care to remember and although on the one hand it can be funny the lengths we will go to, on the more serious side it can lead to permanent foot and toe injuries! At all costs refrain from buying shoes a size to small or even too big!!
Mistake 2: Shopping at the Wrong Time of Day
Ideally, the best time to go shoe shopping is about 13.00. It is not too early in the morning but not too late. Buying shoes too early in the morning means that your shoes will fit your “morning feet”, which is when they are at their smallest and those particular shoes may feel too small later through the day. Buying shoes too late in the day/early evening could mean that your shoes feel a little too big for you when you go to put them on the next morning because your feet can swell and increase (slightly) in size throughout the day. The best time to buy shoes is around lunchtime because the shoes that fit your feet best at that time of day can then withstand your feet being slightly smaller or slightly larger without feeling uncomfortable.
Mistake 3: Buying Shoes Online
During the past decade, buying shoes online has become nothing less than the norm for many. Some women do not even leave the house to shop anymore. This is not a problem if you apply the same shopping principles and strictness with yourself that you would if you were shopping in store.
Despite online shopping being highly convenient and in many cases more cost-effective, it can make us lazier. When items arrive at our front door that don’t fit, we sometimes cannot be bothered to return them so we are happy to just shove them in the bottom of our wardrobes and forget about them.
Buying shoes online can open up a world of high quality, discounted shoes to you and this is where things tend to get a little bit complicated. When shopping online we can be tempted to buy items that we wouldn’t usually buy or we could snap up a designer or high quality garment that is such a bargain you just couldn’t say no! Then, when your purchases arrive and they don’t fit as well as they should, you cannot bring yourself to part with them and therefore keep then in your “one day when I…” wardrobe.
Style lesson: Buy shoes that fit. Return them if they don’t. Do not let designer shoes confuse you – if they are a waste of money, save the money you could potentially waste on poor fitting shoes and buy shoes that fit like a glove!