Wearing the right pair of shoes means a lot to a woman. Men may call it our obsession, but until they have stood for an hour in high-heel shoes that are causing their feet to bleed, they can’t possibly know just how important buying shoes that are fit for purpose are.
If we are in pain, we are miserable, so comfort should always be our first consideration, hotly followed by our demand for style.
Here are the steps for you to go through in order for you to return home with the perfect pair of shoes:
Buying Shoes – Your budget
The amount that you spend on your new purchase should be predetermined before you even leave the house. If the shoes are for everyday use, then you will want to spend as much as you can afford. You can spare your budget purchases for special event shoes and shoes that will only match one outfit.
Buying Shoes – The style
The use that you have for your new shoes should be your guide as to what style of shoe you will want to buy. If you are going to spend a great deal of time either standing or walking in these shoes, then you need to pay careful attention to the type of heel of the shoe.
A lower heel or a more solid heel will give you some much needed support. This is probably one of the biggest mistakes we make by not considering the amount of time that we will be wearing the shoes and what activity we will be doing.
Buying Shoes – The foot
To ensure you get the best fit for your foot, have a look at the shoes you already own. Have a look at the place where your existing shoes have the most wear. This will help you know what to look for in new shoes.
You shoes know that the best time for you to do your shoe shopping is mid-afternoon. This is because it is the maximum swelling point for your feet during the day and will help make sure that you don’t buy a pair of shoes which are too small.
Buying Shoes – The store
You are now armed with the information you need: budget, style and your feet. This will speed up your shopping time and will ensure that you don’t impulse buy. Here are some tips for you when trying on shoes.
- Don’t rush. Try on lots of shoes. That first pair of shoes which looked perfect, may not be so nice after you have seen your feet in other shoes.
- Walk on a hard floor while wearing your new shoes. Carpet will not give you a true feel of what it is like to walk in these shoes.
- Try to bend the front of the shoe upwards. Only the front third of the shoe should bend.
- Try to twist and distort the shoe. The shoe should maintain its shape and not be distort-able.
- There should be a half-inch of space between the top of your big toe and the end of the shoe. This is about equal to the width of your thumb.
- Don’t be fooled into thinking that the shoe will stretch to fit you. Make sure that you get the perfect fit for your foot in the store. Badly fitting shoes can cause problems.
Now that you have this information, you are now prepared to go shopping in style and come home with a new pair of shoes that will last you a long time and give you many hours of comfortable wear.
Extra Tips:
- Can any of your currently owned shoes be repaired for future use? It will be less expensive for you to repair shoes that you already own. There is also the benefit that these shoes have already been worn into your foot shape and will be more comfortable for you.
- Do not buy shoes from the internet. Shoe sizes vary with different brands and different styles. You must try on a shoe and walk around for a while in them, before buying them.
- If you are buying high heels, check that when you raise yourself up onto your toes that the heel raises up from the floe. If it doesn’t, then the heel is too high for your foot.
How do you go about buying shoes?
Share your experiences in the comments section below
