Buying shoes is very simple: We women particularly like it (if you believe the common prejudices). However, it is not at all easy to buy the right shoes that you can enjoy for a long time. We have a few tips for you that you should pay attention to when buying shoes.
The right shoe is the right size
“The material is definitely still stretching!” – Sometimes it is the saleswoman and sometimes our own voice who tries to convince us that we absolutely must have the beautiful, low-cut shoes. The fact that it tweaks on the toes and our feet feel squeezed is ignored with a lot of eloquence. The purchase then makes you happy in the short term, but the joy ends when you wear it for the first time and the beautiful shoes end up feeling depressed in our shoe cabinet. It may sound banal, but when buying shoes you should first and foremost make sure that the dream shoes fit one hundred percent!Your own feeling gives the most important clues: It shouldn’t press anywhere – not even a little bit. Because a little pressure may not hurt when trying on, but at the latest after a short walk, misery takes its course …
How to find the right size
You can either have your own shoe size measured in a shoe store or do a small calculation yourself at home in an emergency:
- Stand on a piece of paper, the floor underneath should be as hard and level as possible.
- Ask someone else to run around your foot with a pen. The pin must be kept as vertical as possible.
- Draw a line on the outline at the highest point of the toes and heels.
- Now measure the distance between the two lines and note the result (in centimeters).
- Calculate the result plus 1.5.
- Multiply this result by 1.5. Now you have calculated your (European) shoe size.
- If the result is not smooth, you can round up or down.
With this measurement and calculation you can determine your shoe size. Ultimately, however, this size may vary with different shoes, because there are differences depending on the shoe size, material or manufacturer. In the end, one thing is always essential: try it on!
Trying on: Extensive trial round
Trying on a foot and sitting is by no means enough! You should always put on both shoes, because sometimes you have feet of different sizes and it doesn’t fit perfectly on one side, or a shoe is somewhat expanded from being tried on by several people. If both shoes fit well, a very extensive trial round through the store is the order of the day (when shopping online through the apartment or house). If possible: Do not test run on carpet! The soft material can simulate comfort that the shoe cannot have without a fluffy surface. You should always try on with socks similar to the ones you would wear in your shoes after purchase. Trial socks have their justification, but they are, for example, not suitable for trying on shoes in which normal or thicker socks are later to be worn.
A foot is not the same size at all times of the day
The perfect time to buy shoes is in the afternoon or evening – because: Our feet actually get a little bigger the longer we are on them. Feet swell a little during the day and even in this state, there should be about a thumb’s width in front of the big toe so that the foot can be rolled off easily when walking.
Always pay attention to the material and processing when buying shoes
The more critical we look at a shoe, the more likely we are to avoid buying it wrong. An important factor for a good shoe that lasts a long time is the material: It should be soft and flexible so that the movements do not cause any damage when walking. This also applies to the sole, because it lasts longer if it can take part in the rolling movement of the foot. A too hard sole is also not good for the feet. Leather shoes often last longer (especially with good care) than models made of synthetic leather, because leather adapts to the foot and its movements over time, while the artificial version tends to crack and show signs of wear. An indication of good workmanship is also if the shoe is held together by seams and not by gluing. Models stuck together can also be well made: Here you should make sure that there are no traces of glue or edges, because this is often an indication of poor quality.
Buy shoes that can also be worn
The color of these sneakers is just incredible, and our legs look so great in the sandals! But: The beautiful color of the sneakers may not match the rest of our wardrobe and the sandals may be so high that no three steps are possible … What do we get from the most adorable shoes in the world if we don’t wear them after all? When buying shoes, you should always think a little about what the shoes could be combined with and on what occasion or where they could be worn. A dream shoe not only has to fit our foot, but also in our life.
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