How to Shop for Shoes Online

Finding the right fit for your feet is key to buying the best shoes online. While brick-and-mortar outlets offer the benefit of allowing you to physically try on a pair of shoes, buying footwear online is easier, faster, and provides a significantly larger selection of options. Once you learn how to properly measure your feet at home and brush up on your footwear fitting lingo, you can easily shop for shoes online and guarantee you get the right size and shape for your feet. 

How to Measure Your Feet at Home in 4 Easy Steps

Ordering shoes online and finding out that they don’t properly fit you is a disappointing but avoidable experience. As someone with large feet, I have been solely shopping for shoes online most of my life because online stores offer more shoes in my size. Because of this, I have foot measurement down to a science, and you can too by using only a piece of paper (or two if you have bigger feet), a pencil, and measuring tape.

The instrument that shoe stores use to measure your feet is called a Brannock Device, but you don’t need a fancy tool to find out your correct foot size. Simply follow the steps below, and you’ll know the exact dimensions of your feet so that you can accurately shop for a new pair of shoes on the web.

1. Lay a Piece of Paper on the Floor

This is much easier with a piece of white computer paper than with looseleaf. If your foot is too big for one piece, overlap another piece until there is plenty of room to fit your entire foot.

2. Trace Your Foot

Place your full weight on the foot for the most precise measurement possible. You can do this barefoot if you’re shopping for sandals or boat shoes, but wear a sock during this exercise if you plan on buying shoes that require them. Feel free to trace your foot more than once for more accurate results.

3. Measure Your Foot Outline from Heel to Toe

After tracing your foot, use a tape measure to measure the outline from the back heel to your longest toe.

4. Measure Foot Width

Take the measuring tape and wrap it around your foot at the widest part near your bunion joint, which is the bony bump on the side of your big toe. 

Other Tips for Ordering Shoes Online

The biggest obstacle with online shoe shopping is that certain brands of footwear run smaller or larger than others. That’s why determining your correct foot size is so important when it comes to online shoe shopping. 

This way, you know the exact dimensions of your feet and can find the perfect fit. Most shoe brands will list the specifications of their sizes, so you can use the charts or information they provide to determine what size is right for you. If you are in between sizes, always go with the larger size, as this is often more comfortable. For foot width, choose the width that is closest to your measurement. 

Another thing to watch out for is online scams. Some online retailers may sell knock-off shoes and claim it is from a popular brand. Others may take your cash and run.

The best way to avoid this is by only shopping online at reputable retailers like CampSaver. Our selection of footwear includes only high-quality shoes and boots at affordable prices from the brands you know and trust. Once you figure out your correct shoe size, come shop our collection of women’s footwear or men’s footwear to find the right fit for your feet.