We get it - buying shoes online can be daunting, especially if it's your first purchase with a new brand. But once you know how, the online shoe-shopping experience can (and should) be fun!
If you’ve not shopped with habbot before - or with any online shoe brand for that matter - here’s a step-by-step guide to simplify the process.
1. Shop Well-Known & High Quality
Every brand is unique and will have their own way of approaching shoe design. Look to established brands or leaders in their field, as years of design experience will lead to shoes that are comfortable, stylish and fit well. Different brands will employ different materials in their shoe designs. Are the shoes made from a high quality Italian leather? Then the shoes will mould to your foot in a way that faux leather might not.
Established brands will often have a bricks-and-mortar store that you can visit, and it can be worth going in to try different styles to get a feel for how a particular brand’s shoes fit on your foot. This can help for future online purchases from that brand. habbot has a store in the bustling and creative inner Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. You’re welcome to come in for a browse or try some of our shoes with the guidance of our expert store staff. If you can’t make it in person and want to chat about a particular shoe, feel free to send us an email or give us a call – we’re just as happy to help you remotely as we are in person!
2. Read The Returns Policy
Buying shoes online can be tricky, so the best shoe brands will have a customer-first shipping and returns policy. Ideally, you don’t want be out of pocket if you try the shoe on at home and it’s just not right. Look for brands that offer size exchanges and full refunds for change of mind. Shipping your online purchase back to the brand could also prove to be expensive, so the shipping policy is just as important as the brand’s stance on refunds. habbot's policy covers the cost of shipping shoes back to us if an exchange or refund is required. Therefore, you don’t have anything to lose!
3. Check The Reviews
Buying online can often mean that the first time you try the shoe is after you’ve purchased it. Customer reviews are a great source of information, and you may pick up some handy fit tips by someone who’s already tried the shoe. Make sure to have a look at the images of the shoe on a foot and if there’s a video of someone walking in the shoe, even better!
Stuck? The brand themselves are going to be your best resource on the shoe. Send an email or give them a call to discuss any questions you might have.
4. Know Your Size
You need to pick a size when you’re shopping for shoes online and for some, this can be the most daunting part of the experience! There are a multitude of factors that go into how a particular shoe will feel on the foot and length is just one of them. Your foot is a pretty complicated 3D shape - and so are shoes - so measuring your foot is a good place to start, however this will give you just one element of the fit. More important? Know the size you most often buy, it’s likely that’s the best option for you.
5. Style & Size Are Linked
When you’re shopping for shoes online, it can be handy to understand how the style of a shoe could feel different on foot. For example, a heel can feel different compared to a flat shoe and a lace up will feel different to a loafer.
A sneaker is often a wider style, especially at the toes, so if you’re often in between sizes you may find that the smaller one would work this time round.
You may have a bit more wiggle room to size down with an open toe style compared to an enclosed lace up, because the space at the toes isn’t restricted by the toe cap. So if you’re shopping for a sandal or heel, it’s best to look at other heels in your wardrobe for an idea of what size you would need.
It’s also a good idea to check if the brand has included any fit information about the shoe. This might be something along the lines of ‘fits wider than average’ or ‘fits a half size long’. habbot will always include fit information right at the top of the product description.
6. Average, Wide or Narrow?
Every foot is different, but shoes are designed to averages, so knowing some basic details about your foot width will help you get the right fit for your online shoe purchase.
If you’ve got particularly narrow or wide feet it’s often best to shop for shoes that are designed with your foot width in mind. Otherwise, an average foot width will fit comfortably into most styles!
We’ve put together a handy guide to understanding your foot type.
Average to Narrow (VIEW NARROW SHOES HERE):
If you are familiar with shoes feeling unsupportive or have developed a habit of lacing or buckling shoes as tightly as possible, you more than likely have narrower feet. Worse, you may be in the habit of clawing your toes or experience side to side movement in your shoes.
Average to Wide (VIEW WIDE SHOES HERE):
You may be accustomed to experiencing an overly tight or simply uncomfortable fit, even though the length of the shoe may be correct. Some feet may only be slightly wider than average, but it is important to feel supported and not pinched. The ideal is a snug but not tight fit.
High Instep (VIEW HIGH INSTEP SHOES HERE):
You may be very aware of your high instep (top of the foot) although we find there are lots of women who aren’t, and so seem to consider themselves wider than average as a result. There is an average midfoot height that many enclosed shoes are designed to fit and if you have an average width but very high instep, getting your foot in may be a challenge.
7. Try At Home
With online shopping quickly overtaking the in-person experience, brands are getting innovative with their online offerings. For example, habbot offers a Try-At-Home service, so no matter where in Australia you live, you can try on our shoes without the commitment of a full purchase. For our Try-At-Home service, we’ll ship you either the left or right shoe of a pair (tip: pick your largest foot to try) and you can give these a go in the comfort of your own home. If you want to purchase any of the shoes from the pack, the process is easy and streamlined. If none of them are quite right, no worries! We get them back and you have a better understanding of exactly what our shoes are like to wear.
For more information head HERE.