Buying shoes online used to feel like a bit of a gamble. You’d pick your usual size, study a handful of photos, cross your fingers and hope the box that arrived contained something vaguely resembling what you’d imagined.
These days, online footwear shopping is considerably easier — but it still pays to know what you’re looking for. Retailers such as petersheppard.com.au give shoppers access to a broad selection without the limitations of what happens to be sitting on a local store shelf. The trick is learning how to assess a pair of shoes when you can’t physically pick them up first.
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Read Past the Product Name
“Leather loafer” might tell you the basics, but it doesn’t tell you nearly enough to decide whether that loafer belongs in your wardrobe.
Product descriptions can reveal details that photographs don’t. What’s the upper made from? Is there a leather lining? How high is the heel? Does the shoe have an adjustable fastening? Is the sole designed for everyday wear or something a little more delicate?
Measurements are particularly valuable with boots. Shaft height and circumference can be the difference between an excellent fit and a return parcel waiting by the front door.
Spend an extra minute reading the details rather than shopping entirely from the hero image.
Know That Your Shoe Size Is Only a Starting Point
Annoyingly, being a size 39 in one brand doesn’t guarantee you’ll be a size 39 in another.
Different lasts — the forms around which shoes are constructed — can produce noticeably different fits. Some brands run narrow through the forefoot, others offer more room, and certain styles naturally fit differently even within the same label.
If a retailer provides individual sizing guidance, use it. It can also be worth checking your foot measurements rather than relying on the size you’ve bought automatically for the past decade.
And remember that fit is more than length. Width, instep height and toe shape all come into play.
Zoom In
This is one occasion where being overly interested in tiny details pays off.
Look closely at stitching, joins, buckles, zips, soles and the texture of the material. Multiple product angles can tell you whether a shoe is genuinely versatile or simply happens to photograph beautifully from one side.
Then picture it with three things you already own.
Not the hypothetical coat you might buy next winter. Not the trousers saved in an online wishlist. Actual clothes hanging in your wardrobe right now.
If you can immediately see yourself wearing the shoes with several existing outfits, they’re already making a stronger case for themselves.
Check the Practical Stuff Before Falling in Love
Returns policies aren’t particularly exciting reading, but they’re worth understanding before checkout.
Shoes are inherently fit-sensitive. Even when you’ve researched carefully, a style may simply feel different once it’s on your foot. Knowing the exchange or return process beforehand removes much of the anxiety from ordering online.
The same applies to delivery information, particularly if you’re buying for an upcoming wedding, work event or trip.
Online shoe shopping shouldn’t be a leap of faith. With good product information and a little patience, it becomes much closer to shopping in person — only without having to carry three shoeboxes around a shopping centre while you decide.
