The Art of Shoe Buying Online

It’s no question that most women love shoes. We just can’t help ourselves. Whether it’s that cute strappy number or a pair of soft leather boots, we take obsession to the next level. But shoes can cost a pretty penny, especially if we’re going for style and comfort. Fortunately for us, e-commerce has come to our rescue again with sites like Zappos.com, Shoes.com and Bluefly.com. These sites offer heavy discounts on high-fashion, name-brand shoes that you can’t resist.
So here’s the idea. Instead of rummaging through the shoe sales racks at your local department store, you buy your shoes online. No driving to the store, no waiting in line, and no messy aisles and racks to deal with. Just you and your computer. Not only are you saving time, but these websites offer amazing discounts that you won’t see in department stores or off-price stores. Bluefly.com has brands like Jimmy Choo and Christian Dior discounted up to 50% off retail.
Some may shudder at the thought of buying before trying, but online shoe-buying is much easier than buying clothes. First of all, we know our shoe size, and thankfully it doesn’t fluctuate like our clothing size. Second, shoe sizes are pretty standard across brands, so chances are you wear the same size in one brand as you do the next. If you’re still fearful of online shopping, it might be comforting to know that more websites are adopting better return policies. Bluefly.com offers a 90-day full refund minus the shipping costs. This is a decent return policy for online merchants. Zappos.com on the other hand, has a 365-day return policy and will even pay for your return shipping!
There are also online stores for specific shoe needs such as Sierra Trading Post or Rei.com which specializes in outdoor apparel like hiking boots. Sites like these offer great prices on what are normally expensive products, and it is easy to plan a trip, search for what you need online, and order it.
With every day seeming to get busier and busier, you can save time by shopping online. The few extra minutes you drive to the mall are the minutes you could be using to take a quick breather before you pick up the kids from school, or pick up the dry cleaning, or meet with a client.
So next time you are in a department store for a ‘big blowout sale,’ and you are desperately searching for the left shoe of the last size 6, you may want to rethink your strategy.

Article Contributed by Megan Baines