You’re sure to be in the minority if you haven’t ever bought a pair of shoes and then got them home and realized, when you wear them, that they weren’t the best purchase.
Many of us make mistakes when buying footwear and waste money over the years that we would have liked to have spent elsewhere. To help you avoid making such errors in the future, here are some common shoe-buying mistakes to avoid.
Going Too Cheap
While we all enjoy finding a bargain when shopping, it’s not good to place value in a deal over quality. When it comes to shoes, which need to support our feet well and be comfortable, often for a whole day or at least many hours at a time, you don’t want to go too cheap. Many people make the mistake of choosing footwear purely because of its price but regret it later.
Although more expensive shoes may seem like a splurge at times, if you get a lot more wear out of them and can avoid foot and heel pain and the issues that can come with that, the money is usually well spent. Plus, cheap items don’t tend to last very long, so you may spend much less on one good pair of shoes than on a few low-cost and low-quality ones.
When you shop for women’s shoes, look for indicators that the products have been made well, such as looking for stitching rather than glue and leather rather than synthetic materials.
Buying the Wrong Size
Another common mistake is buying the wrong shoe size for your foot. Again, many of us are guilty of this when we find a great bargain but the only size left is a little too large or too small. Before you get swept up in the offer on the table, stop and consider how good the deal will be if you can never actually wear the shoes because they’re too uncomfortable.
This is particularly the case for products that are too tight. If shoes are just a fraction too big, you may be able to put adhesives in the heel or under the sole to help get more grip or even wear thick socks with the footwear. However, if they’re too small, there’s not generally much you can do except put up with the pain.
Picking Style Over Comfort
Similarly, you may have chosen shoes based on their stylish design rather than focusing on how comfortable they are. This is another common human error when shopping. If shoes are too high or narrow for your needs, or they squeeze your toes, rub the skin on the back of your ankle, or otherwise cause discomfort, they’re not worth investing in.
It’s much better to wait and find footwear that looks great but is also a pleasure to wear. It should fit well, enable you to walk or stand for hours without issues, and not cause back or other postural problems.
Making a Decision in a Rush
If you want to avoid common mistakes other people make when buying shoes, you need to try to give yourself plenty of time to shop for these products. Deciding in a rush is a recipe for disaster as you not only won’t have time to walk around in the products enough in-store to see if they fit correctly, but you also may neglect to consider factors like price, whether they’ll go with other items in your closet, if you already have something similar, etc.
Rushing to buy items can also leave you with a pair you can’t take back if you try to return them because you discover this isn’t allowed in the terms and conditions – something you likely would have asked about if you had more time. Whether you’re shopping by yourself or with a group and feel pressured to decide on footwear on the spot, it’s always better to wait and think about it.
Many stores will hold items for you, if needed, for a few hours or a day, so this can be a way to buy yourself some thinking time if required.
Not Considering Various Other Practicalities
There are numerous other practicalities that many people erroneously forget to take into account when shopping for shoes. For example, it’s essential to consider how appropriate footwear is for different elements, especially rain or snow, and what type of maintenance is required to keep shoes looking good and fitting well.
Don’t forget durability and the ease of putting on or taking off footwear and adornments (such as rhinestones) that could come off over time and make the shoes look lackluster. When you try shoes on, think about whether your feet are more swollen than usual, which can affect the fit you get, and learn about shipping costs and timeframes for delivery when purchasing goods online.
Keep all the above elements front of mind when you shop for footwear, and you will avoid many of the errors that most people make repeatedly. In turn, you won’t be so likely to waste your time or your money.
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