How to buy shoes online
Tags: Fashion, Shoes, Luxury, Designer, Brands

Calling all shoe-lovers! If you know your Valentinos from your VANS and your Choos from your Chuck Taylors then we’ll bet you’re guilty of a few of the obvious shoe shopping sins, such as buying the wrong size, or completely blowing your budget because you’ve fallen in love.

When you buy shoes online, you can avoid these mistakes by keeping a checklist beside you. We know how easy it is to be swept off your feet! Remind yourself of a few key things: check the material the shoes are made of, confirm your shoe size and if you need to convert it and always shop around for better deals.

It’s easy, convenient and often cheaper — you just need to know a few ways to go about it. Here they are…

Buy secondhand from a shoe lover

If you’ve got expensive taste or just a healthy shoe addiction, a great way to grow your collection without emptying your savings account is to buy secondhand.

Instead of having to bounce around different websites to see who is selling what where and for how much, you can find the information all in one place: Bountye. The site pulls all the search results from relevant secondhand sellers and produces one list for you to scroll through.

It’s safe to buy online through Bountye — you’re in direct contact with your seller, and actually have a better chance at negotiating a lower price for the secondhand shoes that have stolen your heart.

Budget for your Blahniks

When you’re a shoe-a-holic and looking to buy shoes online, do yourself a favour and consider your budget.

If you really, really, really are in love with Louboutins or desperately need a pair of Jimmy Choo heels, why not look online and find a pair that’s secondhand. The fashionistas who buy these gorgeous things often fall out of love with them quickly, and move on to the next shiny thing. That means you are in the running to buy shoes online with a designer label at a fraction of the price.

If you can’t find the label you want via a secondhand seller, be smart and shop around at the stores known for their runway inspired creations. Zara, Aldo, Tony Bianco and others produce high quality shoes that are often almost replicas of what you will have seen at New York Fashion Week.

If the shoe fits, wear it

Any shoe-savvy senorita knows that for a shoe to be worth its weight in gold, it needs to be the perfect fit. She also knows that different countries have different sizes, so you if want shoes that were made in Paris or New York, you need to make sure you have a conversion chart handy so you get the right size.

The fashion aficionados over at Net A Porter have put together a size conversion chart that covers every possible garment, and this information is invaluable. The chart covers off shoes made in the US, UK, France, Italy and Europe. Bookmark it — it’s sure to come in handy.

And remember — you can buy the most amazing pair of shoes ever created, but if they don’t fit well, you’ll never wear them.

If the shoe doesn’t fit, do not buy it!

This might seem obvious BUT, we know you love shoes. And we know you love to buy shoes online. And when you see a pair you love on sale, the fact they are the complete wrong size isn’t even a factor in your decision making process.

Look — we know how easy it is to convince yourself that you can squeeze your foot into that gorgeous pair of heels and it’ll be fine if you spend the entire day sitting down. Or that it doesn’t matter those ankle booties are three sizes too big. You can stuff them with tissues and insoles and heel protectors. You can MAKE them fit, right?

Wrong!

Take our word for it: if the shoe doesn’t fit, don’t buy it. It’s a complete waste of money, and there will be other shoes that will come your way that you will love just as much, and they’ll fit. If we haven’t convinced you, check out what the intelligent minds over at VeryWellHealth have to say about ill-fitting shoes and the problems they can cause.

You’ve got mail

Receiving an email from your favourite shoe retailer alerting you to a sale is like getting a love letter in the mail, only better. If you’re looking to save time and still take advantage of the sales, you need to be ready when the sales and emails hit your inbox.

Sign up for mailing lists from your favourite stores so you can be the first to snap a pair up — just make sure they’re in your size!