I can understand buying shoes online if you’re looking for a specific model and brand you already tried and fits.

This is not my case: I’m looking for stiletto heels online because where I live there are no sizes that match my feet or heels are too short.

Online there are several stiletto makers, most of them China based, meaning that if I don’t like the shoes or they don’t fit, I have to pay the return shipping costs, which are most likely higher than the purchase price.

most sellers include a sizing chart, but this means nothing: I’ve bought shoes according to their charts and sometimes they’re off, meaning to make it make sense I’d have to buy several sizes to see which one fits and return the ones that don’t.

Overall seems to be a losing proposition, but where I am I find no high heels that fit me.

Has any of you ever done something like this?

  • monovergent@lemmy.ml
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    3 days ago

    I did once while abroad. None of the shoe stores had the style I wanted in wide, so I went on Amazon and found a pair which reviewers tended to say fit well. Particularly that the listed size matched their expectations when they tried the actual shoe on. Ordered the size I thought would fit me and it did in fact fit me perfectly. It lasted about a year until it started leaking at the glued seam, which to be fair, wasn’t too disappointing for a 48-Euro no-name pair.

    Granted, that was for men’s hiking shoes, can’t really speak for finding good high heels online. Other than for that one-off occasion, I’ve only shopped for shoes and clothes in-person.

  • pr06lefs@lemmy.ml
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    4 days ago

    my gf buys several sizes at once and ships back the rejects. with some online shoe stores the return shipping is free.

  • wickedrando@lemmy.ml
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    4 days ago

    I have very large feet and I am a total shoe hoe, so I have bought many types of shoes online. Whether it is sneakers, heels, boots, sandals, I have bought them all.

    There are better stores and sometimes that return shipping I consider part of the cost.

  • robocall@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    I googled if the Brand’s shoes ran true to size and hoped for the best. It worked out.

    But I do try to buy in person or have the option to return in person to avoid the situation you are in, when possible, but sometimes that is not an option.

  • yermaw@sh.itjust.works
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    3 days ago

    buy several sizes to see which one fits

    My wife does this with dresses when shopping online, its a massive pain in the ass.

        • sarah2653@lemmy.mlOP
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          2 days ago

          you mean she wants you to take the package back to a post office… or does she want you to deal with the seller?

          • JSens1998@lemmy.ml
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            1 day ago

            You usually don’t need to deal with the seller as most things are done through Amazon themselves. Firstly, you have to tell Amazon why you’re returning the product. Then you print a return label that they give you, take the product/label to the closest UPS store who then box it up and ship it back to Amazon. A process that gets very annoying very quickly.

            It takes time, gas, paper, and ink for each product you have to return.

  • disregardable@lemmy.zip
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    4 days ago

    I’ve found that buying shoes online usually goes badly, but buying shoes in person also usually goes badly. At least online you have a chance of something you like and that fits. If it’s in your budget, maybe a custom shoe maker would be the best route. The issue for me there is that it’s difficult to find one who makes a vegan shoe, and I imagine you’d likewise have an issue finding someone who makes stilettos.