Finding Shoes Online

You may have ventured into trying to purchase shoes from an online retailer. My personal experience has led me to believe that online shoe shopping is more of an art form.

Whether shopping in person or online, the first task is to find a pair of shoes that you are interested in purchasing. I’ll tip my hat to internet retailers, because they have the edge in terms of convenience. (Yes, that will soon include us at Shopparel once our store launches later this year.) I’ll confess I’m a lazy shopper, so browsing so thousands of shoes while sitting on my couch is quite the treat. Let’s be honest, when shopping in person, most apparel stores have less shoes than in the average woman’s closet. Also once you find a pair you are interested in, you have to ask the employees if they carry your size. By the time an employee is free to help you out and return with your selected shoe size, your mall entourage has already moved on to the food court.

The most obvious downside of shopping online is finding a pair that fits. Shoes are not like shirts, where I know my t-shirt size and I rarely have any issues purchasing shirts online. Depending on what type of shoe it is for (walking, work, style) I can often conclude what size fits my foot and go from there. Also look for websites that contain customer reviews or discussions about fitment issues (Many of our shoe partners have this feature). Also, look for online apparel retailers that offer free return shipping and convenient return labels. We recommend purchasing the two closest sizes and returning the pair that does not fit. Premium retailers such as Macy’s and Nordstrom’s usually let you return the product in their stores as well.

Don’t let online shopping get you down! After all, online shopping is about to become more convienent with the launch of our decision engine. We will recommend shoes that fit your style and budget, and give you helpful hints along the way. Be sure to get on our email list so you can come check us out on launch day! Happy shoe shopping! Got any tips for shoe shopping online? Comment below and qualify for a Shopparel shopping spree!