Buying Sneakers Off the Internet
Besides design and price, comfort should be the number one factor in in mind when deciding on which sneakers to buy. So when you buy sneakers online, simply based on size, and you have retailers supplying shoes from different countries with product made everywhere, you are sure to lose measurement consistency across the board. Every manufacturer sizes their shoes differently. Even a major brand may have their own sizing and a size 8 in Puma could feel different compared to a size 8 from Nike. There is a standard measurement system, but I can tell you right now, a size 2 dress in America is way different than a size 2 dress in Korea.
Trust yourself more than what someone trying to sell you something is trusting you'll believe them. It's always better to see the product in hand and try it out for fit, than to take the risk of getting something tiny in the mail. Sixty percent of the sneakers I've purchased online straight from retailers and Ebay - don't fit. I learned the hard way.
No. I learned immediately after I bought a pair of size 5 black jeans from Ebay and when they came...it was sized for munchkins!
No Two Apples Are Exactly Alike
Sometimes if I see something I like so much and it's on sale, or a rare find, I'll stock up on it. It's not uncommon for me to walk out with two or three of the same pair of sneakers. However, it's also not uncommon for me to have their boxes eventually marked over time: GOOD, NOT GOOD, or RETURN TO STORE. How so? No two apples are exactly alike -- in anything. Last time I bought perfume, two bottles of the exact kind, one smelled exactly as it did in the store, while the other one, had way too much alcohol in it. The machine must have slipped! Same with shoes. Same with that bottle of Nescafe you bought last week. Not all jars had the same amount! You get the idea.
Try on your sneakers - all of them. Make sure you spot interior, exterior, and any possible comfort defects before you make a purchase.
Workmanship, Wear and Tear
Unfortunately, I don't know a store owner who'll allow me to walk back and forth throughout his shop all day while I check out the comfort of a pair of sneakers. They may check out alright in the store, but a week or two later, they're already thrown in the closet with a R.I.P stamp on them. It's important to initially try them on, yes, but even that's not good enough. Again, how so? The true test for comfort is make sure all your toes can move about freely and don't feel suffocated.
Second, taking steps forward and backward while arching the heel upward to see if there is enough room in the shoe, or manufacturing defects in the lining or stitching, can take a whole day or week. The number of times you need to to keep leaning forward is repetitive and the store owner does not have time for picky customers like us. Most people don't even try out their shoes in the store. They take it boxed and they are out the door! Those same people won't bother with the hassle of returning what won't fit. This is why it's very important to try them on. Not all of us have huge closets or hold garage sales.
You must also predict at the same time what could happen to your feet the longer you have the sneakers on. If you feel pressure at the toe of the shoe now, then most likely it won't stretch much later, especially if it's not leather. People look at shoe length only and pay no attention to width, while others will say the sneakers fit fine, until they go out with them - just one time!
Conclusion
Sneaker fit should be the most important factor to consider when you buy new kicks. It's that simple. You can have the Superman sneaker of the season and it won't matter if you can't be comfortable in them when you show them off to your friends. Be smart. Always consider sneakers 1/2 a size larger too. I'd rather have shoes a little too big, than a little too small. The perfect sneaker is comfortable, then slick. That's the trick.
