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Buying shoes on-line ... ?

Melensdad

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
So I came home from Spain with a foot injury and started looking locally for a few pairs of very padded shoes.

The brand HOKA ONE ONE has soles that are 2 to 3 times thicker than normal shoes. They have become somewhat popular by runners and hikers are now starting to use them. Problem is I can't find them nearby. So I found a pair of HOKA ONE ONE running shoes on sale at Amazon, $67. Regular price about $130. Bought them and they treat my injured foot well, but they fit strange. Feel tight when I'm just sitting, but my foot slips around when I walk? WTF

Figured I buy another pair because my foot pain is minimized when I wear these things but I want a pair that looks more like a 'casual' shoe.

Found a pair I like. $199 from several websites. $99 from Steep & Cheap. $139 from Campsaver. The MSRP for the shoe is $199. But Steep & Cheap had them in only 1 size. Campsaver had them in only a few sizes. Because of the odd fit of the pair I own I bought the $99 pair from Steep & Cheap in size 11, which was apparently the last pair they had in inventory. The Campsaver pair in 11.5.

I'm hoping that 1 or the other will fit me properly. But obviously I'm going to be shipping something back and probably paying for shipping. :sad:

So do any of you buy shoes via mail-order? How do you "guess" the proper size? What about returns? And why are prices so varied ... literally a $100 price spread on a pair of shoes with a MSRP of $199???

I could have paid $199 and gotten free returns but I think I can ship the 'wrong size' shoe back for about $10 so why the heck would anyone pay full price?

Are there good on-line shoe stores that offer discount prices + free exchanges? Zappos seems to have a good selection but their prices were high. Amazon had some shoes at good prices, some with free returns, some didn't have free returns, some were very expensive (above MSRP). So Amazon could be both the BEST and the WORST of the internet for shoes! WTF?
 
I usually only buy online if I know the exact size. I like Altra's and if I see them on sale at a cheap price in my size I buy them. I have 4 extra pairs at the moment.

Otherwise, Amazon/Zappos have a good and easy return policy so if you aren't in a rush then I have no problem with online purchases.
 
PBinWA said:
... if you aren't in a rush then I have no problem with online purchases.
Click to expand...

Well that is part of the rub. I want these shoes NOW. My foot is injured NOW. The padding in the shoes seems to help and I don't get into the podiatrist for 2 more weeks. I want to go in partially healed.

So I can't really wait for sales to pop up and I don't get why the same shoe has a $100 spread in prices.
 
Are there any shoe orthotics places there? They might be able to get you some padding or something. Of course that might also take some time but it might be worth checking out.

If you find someplace online to buy shoes let me know. I want some Rockport shoes and I don't want to take the bus to try to get some. Then I have to take them to an orthotics place to get a lift (one leg it shorter than the other).

I don't know why the spell checker doesn't recognize "orthotics." It is a real word.
 
PBinWA said:
I usually only buy online if I know the exact size. I like Altra's and if I see them on sale at a cheap price in my size I buy them. I have 4 extra pairs at the moment.

Otherwise, Amazon/Zappos have a good and easy return policy so if you aren't in a rush then I have no problem with online purchases.
Click to expand...

Although I have found most on line stores easy to deal with if you have a problem, Zappos has been the most accommodating.
 
When it comes to shoes I've bought a few pair online. I like the casual types like Rockport or Arnold Palmer. They are comfy right out of the box. I know exactly what size to order. 12wide. Always fit.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
 
NorthernRedneck said:
When it comes to shoes I've bought a few pair online. I like the casual types like Rockport or Arnold Palmer. They are comfy right out of the box. I know exactly what size to order. 12wide. Always fit.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
What's the places (websites) where you buy them?
 
I buy online a lot but I have to say I have never bought shoes online come to think of it. I think I would prefer trying them on and checking them personally. I hate having to deal with returning on line purchases even though many sites like Amazon, for one, make it very easy and hassle free.
 
When the only place in town that carries shoes is Walmart, you don't have any other choice but to occasionally buy on line. I usually buy shoes in Durango, CO., when we go up there during August/September but my favorite shop stopped carrying Clark's. I know, I know. Clark's make some ugly shoes but I do like their "wave technology" shoes. They are the most comfortable things that I can ever remember putting on my feet so I buy them from Clark's online. I'm pretty much a bog standard 10D so fit hasn't been a problem.

I did get bit once when I bought a pair of high dollar walking/hiking boots for my wife from Cabelas. She hated them. Said they were the most uncomfortable things that she had ever worn. Never again. Let her pick out her own stuff!!!!
 
I buy shoes from LL Bean online as I get free shipping and free returns. Also the customer service is awesome as you get to talk to an English speaking person. The last ones I had even had gortex in them and lasted me close to 10 years wearing them to work everyday. I called them up to see if I could get another pair and they told me to send that pair back and they would credit me if I wasn't satisfied but I did t as I was more than satisfied. Unfortunately they didn't make those anymore.
 
k-dog said:
Unfortunately they didn't make those anymore.
Click to expand...

I run in to that a lot. I'm not hard on shoes. I still have shoes from 30-years ago although they are not comfortable any more as my feet have changed over the years. But it's a sad day when I can't get 10-years out of a pair of shoes.

I have one pair of Clark's slip on shoes that my wife calls my "Jethro clogs". They are nubuck leather, waterproof and Clark's wave technology. I've had them for about 7-years. I don't care what they look like, they are the most comfortable thing I've ever had on my feet. I thought it was time to get a new pair before the old pair finally gave up the ghost and after hunting all over the place, I ended up calling Clark's only to be told, "Sir, we haven't made that style for at least 4-years". Too bad!!!! I found another pair that are fairly similar ... but not quite the same.

I need to revert to type. When I find something that I really like, buy at least two of them. With shoes, that should see me out of this world with satisfied and happy tootsies. :biggrin:
 
I buy on line all the time and I have bought shoes, mostly sneakers, and I have never had a problem. If I needed to return them you have to pay shipping most of the time. I hate crowded stores and rude people so I avoid it by shopping on line.
 
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