Amazon User Reviews And Ratings
Amazon offers the following on all orders:30-day returns | Free exchanges | Free returns | Free shipping for Prime Members | 24-hour customer service | Try before you buy
- Has an A rating and is accredited at the Better Business Bureau
- Scores 3 out of 5 via Consumer Affairs
It’s near impossible to get a sense of the Amazon user reviews for its shoe service, so we took a cross-section of about 50 reviews across a number of products we found in the shoe section on the site. Overall, they reflected the quality of each individual brand and, while there were complaints about shipping and lost orders, they were very positive.
Amazon’s A rating on the BBB comes as little surprise, given the volume of complaints received for a wide range of problems encountered by users. Amazon’s responses aren’t always convincing, and many consumers fail to accept the resolution offered. Again, though, it’s difficult to find a large number that specifically relate to shoes or the Prime Wardrobe aspect of the site.
We did check some style blogs for reviews of Prime Wardrobe. Many talked about the limitations of the service, such as the narrower selection, the fact you have to use a credit card, and the three-item minimum. However, the overall impression was positive.
Buying Shoes Online: How To Choose The Right Shoes For Your Feet
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Everyone enjoys e-commerce purchases, but buying shoes online is a bit trickier.
Its much easier for you to go shopping at the mall for a pair of new kicks.
Why?
Because you get to try them on, see how they look and feel, then check out and be on your way.
Obviously the in-store method guarantees that youll get the proper shoes for your feet, right?
Wrong!
According to a study by the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 75% of Americans are wearing the wrong sized shoe. A shoe is considered to be the wrong size if its:
a. Longer or shorter by half a size
b. Narrower or wider than a persons foot by more than one width size
You probably wont think that this is a big issue. You might even say that you like your shoes slightly bigger or smaller than your feet.
What Are Customers Saying About Prime Wardrobe
“It was so easy to order multiple sizes of shoes for my kids to try on and keep what worked and return the rest. Much easier than going shoe shopping in a store!“
“So nice to try things on in the comfort of my own home. I could see how things look with the different shoes and other accessories I already have. Love it!!!“
“For a busy mom who doesn’t have time to go into stores to try clothes on, I loved having the opportunity to try on clothes at home and ship back what I didn’t want, hassle free!“
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Tips For Buying Shoes That Are Good To Your Feet
Buying the right shoes is an investment in foot health. But how do you find ones that fit properly and provide adequate support?
Start with your own feet, and look at what’s already in your closet. Stand barefoot on a piece of paper or cardboard, and trace the shape of each foot. Now take your shoes, one by one, and place them on top of the drawing. If you’re like most people, your “comfortable” shoes will closely match the outline of your own feet.
Identify the shoes that cause pain. If you’re a woman, most of these will be shoes with narrow toes or high heels. Check to see if the toe of the shoe is narrower or shorter than your own toes.
When you’re ready to replace some of that uncomfortable footwear, these tips can help:
Foot Locker User Reviews And Ratings
Foot Locker offers the following on all orders:30-day returns | Pay for exchanges and returns | Curb side pick-up | VIP Scheme | Day time customer service
- Has an D- rating via the Better Business Bureau
- Scores 3.5 out of 5 via Consumer Affairs
We looked at around 120 user reviews of Foot Locker, and separated the ones that were specifically for the online service offered. What users really like about Foot Locker is the brand and the way it treats its customers. The selection of shoes and the style of footwear is usually praised, and it was good to see a range of ages leaving positive reviews. Foot Locker’s physical stores were complimented too, and several members of the online customer service team have been praised by name, which is a great sign.
Complaints usually stem from shipping and incorrect orders arriving, which are very common among other online shoe stores. There were several grievances around ordering via phone, which isn’t a common method of buying shoes, and this does seem to have caused some confusion among customers.
Unusually, Foot Locker has a terrible D- rating via the BBB, and it doesn’t seem to be that good at closing customer complaints.
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Best Online Shoe Stores
Below is our list of the best online shoe stores. While we have Zappos as our top pick, all the retailers below it are seriously worth checking out, as each one offers something we really like in a shoe store. Don’t think of this as a ranked list – it’s a guide to our favorite shoe stores, designed to help you find exactly what you need.
- Great website with user reviews prominent
- Good price ranges, and a wide variety of shoes
Zappos.com is our top pick for online shoe stores because it provides an excellent all round service, while offering a good range of shoes at competitive prices. The website itself is easy to navigate, has excellent product photography, and offers loads of useful information on each product page.
When you choose a pair of shoes to view you’re given a range of sizes available, a drop-down menu with color variations, and other style options – all contained in the right-hand navigation of the page. We love that the picture of the shoes has pride of place, and there are so many images for each pair, showing you almost all the angles you could possibly want to see. Zappos also makes a feature of its user reviews, and underneath each product you get statistics from customers detailing information on the shoe, like ‘True to fit’ and ‘True to width’, so you get an idea of how your particular shoe compares to others of the same size and style.
Famous Footwear User Reviews And Ratings
Famous Footwear offers the following on all orders:60-day returns and exchanges | Pay for shipping and returns | Free returns in store | Member Club | Day time customer service
- Has an A+ rating via the Better Business Bureau
- Scores 3.4 out of 5 via Consumer Affairs
We researched around 100 reviews of Famous Footwear, and found them to be quite mixed. The positive reviews focused on the quality of the products that arrived, and the fact that they had been bought for so cheap. There’s an assumption with outlet-style online stores that they’re going to be sending substandard goods, but this isn’t the case and people are delighted.
Complaints tend to center on errors with being charged for cancelled orders, and for problems with shipping. The response from Famous Footwear is inconsistent, if users are to be believed. Some like how efficiently the company resolves shipping issues, whereas others found them very unhelpful.
Overall, there were no real red flags from the negative reviews, as you’ll see a lot of complaints that revolve around shipping for every online shoe retailer.
Also Check: How To Whiten Your Shoes At Home
What Are Your Consumer Rights For Refunds
While most of the best online shoe stores offer at least a 28-day refund policy on all items, we find that the terms of these policies vary wildly. You may be wondering what your rights are, as a consumer, and the answer is that it varies per state. This guide from the excellent FindLaw website breaks down your federal and state rights in relation to online shopping, so if you’re in any doubt, head over there and look up your particular state. California, for example, mandates that a full refund must be offered within 30-days but ONLY if the retailer fails to clearly state their refund policy at the point of sale. Most other states do not offer these protections.
The basic summary is that, while it’s seen as best-practice for retailers to do so, stores are not legally required to accept returns on goods whatsoever. So, while it’s unlikely you’ll find any online shoe stores failing to have a refund policy, you are not legally protected if you buy from somewhere that doesn’t have a full returns policy. Ouch.
Shoe Carnival User Reviews And Ratings
Shoe Carnival offers the following on all orders:60-day returns | Pay for shipping, returns, and exchanges | Return to store | Member Scheme | Day time customer service
- Has an A+ rating via the Better Business Bureau
- Scores 2 out of 5 via Yelp
We looked at around 45 user reviews of Shoe Carnival, as there were fewer related to the online version of the store than the brick and mortar retailer. What we found were a lot of critical reviews that took issue with the delivery and returns process of the site. Some users had really struggled to return items, and in some cases the issue had been ongoing for several months. While users had fewer issues with the stores, they also suggested that customer service was average at best.
Another more troubling review suggested that they were unable to get a refund for a defective item and, while there are often reasons why stores won’t accept refunds on worn shoes, this wasn’t an isolated case. We also noted that several users didn’t like the more aggressive sales tone that both the regular stores and the website take with customers, with one noting “Just let the shoes be the shoes”! We couldn’t agree more.
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You Can Buy And Return Without Limits
The first time you shop at Zalando, youre looking for a catch, as it seems impossible that an unlimited number of orders and returns is accepted. You start suspecting that you must have missed some small print. Then, you wait for an indication to appear which will let you know how much you have to spend to get a free delivery bonus. But nothing like this happens.
You can buy and return as many times as you wish. If it turns out that the shoes you ordered are too big or too small, or you stopped fancying them in the meantime before the courier delivered the package, you can always return them. The procedure is easy: you have to fill in a simple form and wait for the courier to come to pick up the package. It is completely free of charge and may be done within 100 days of the delivery date. And you are refunded to your bank account no later than 14 days after the package reaches the Zalando warehouse. This usually happens much earlier.
Many customers cant believe that the best answer to a shoe fit problem on the first try is to send them back and buy another pair.
How Does Shoe Testing Work
Most companies have a testing and evaluation department where they send out samples and products to a select group of consumers in order to get feedback that can be used to improve the product.
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As a tester, you have to sign up to become a product tester for one of the shoe companies listed below.
Once youre approved for the test program, theyll send you the product along with a prepaid shipping label so you can send it back after the test period is over.
You then wear the shoes for a few weeks, putting them through the normal wear and tear.
At the end of the test period, some companies require you to send the shoes back so they can evaluate them in their lab.
Now, some companies will actually send you a free pair after the test for you to keep. Others may compensate you with cash or gift cards. Either way, theyll give you this information when youre signing up.
Below, Ill list the companies that I was able to find which have this type of program.
Theyll want to know if you fit an athletic demographic because these will mostly be running shoes, tennis shoes, that sort of thing.
Yeah, no free designer shoes here, sorry !
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Shoescom: Best Store For Specialty Shoes
- Great variety of shoes, especially if you need specialty pairs
- Frequent discount codes and coupons
- Great website with loads of search options
Shoes.com has a large inventory of shoes, free exchanges and helpful customer service. In addition to a large selection of everyday footwear for women and men, there are many specialty footwear options, covering narrow and wide shoes, and even things like dance shoes for kids.
The search browser is useful to find a specific shoe, or you can find a category type, like boots, oxfords or slip-ons if you want more browsing options. You can also filter for such specialty features as orthotic-friendly, vegan, moisture wicking, insulated and diabetic-friendly. You can refine your search further under specifying categories like canvas, clogs, flats, size, color, price range and brand. The product photography on each page is clear and bright, and there are further options for changing size and style. Scroll a little further down, and you get a good range of customer reviews and comment on the fit of the shoes. The site is really good.Shoes.com offers free shipping, and there’s no minimum value needed to qualify. If you decide you dont like the shoes, you can return them within 60 days for a complete refund, and shipping on returns is free. However, there is a fee of $6.95 for ‘restocking’. Items that are labeled as final sales, however, dont qualify for returns. There’s also a rewards club called Shoefans, which is worth enrolling in.
Best Online Stores To Try For Small Shoes
Small mens dress shoes barely exist in physical stores. With more informal shoes, you can get away with shopping in the boys section or having a look at Unisex options. This is not the case for mens dress shoes.
You can start by trying the small-size collections at Nordstrom and Stravers, for example. Both brands offer on and offline stores with plenty of options to choose from.
Read Also: What Is M Width In Shoes
Measure The Arch Length
An important part of the shoe fit is the arch length. The arch length is measured from your heel to the ball of your foot . The bend in your big toe should match with where the shoe bends.
With both shoes on, rise up onto your toes. If you feel the shoe bend before or after the big toe joint, then the shoe is not a good fit for your arch length.
What Shoes Are People Shopping For In 2021
Shoe shopping trends have undoubtedly changed over the past 18 months, as our world has undergone a radical overhaul thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. While online shoe sales have clearly skyrocketed, our buying patterns have also changed. According to NPD we’ve been buying 27% fewer fashion shoes, as a nation, while sales of more comfortable footwear is well up. Clogs are the big winner, perhaps surprisingly, with a 33% increase in sales, while we’re also buying 21% more slippers too. I guess we know what most people are wearing on their feet while we’re chatting to them on a zoom screen!
What will we be wearing when we’re back out fully this summer? Harpers Bazaar is predicting a big year for chunky sandals, as we look for something dressy and practical when we’re outside our homes with greater frequency. You can see their 2021 trends right here.
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Mistakes To Avoid When You Buy Shoes Online
- Do Not Delay Checking the Shoes: Remember, some sellers have fixed days return policy. Hence do not delay checking the fit and comfort of the shoes. In case they do not fit, you should have enough time to return them.
- Do Not Cut the Tags or Throw Away the Box and Wrapper: You will need tags in case you decide to return the shoes.
- Do Not Dirty the Shoes While Trying them on: When you try on the shoes, do it in a carpeted area or a clean floor. Do not dirty the shoes or the seller might not accept the shoes back when you return them.
