People tend to love buying and boasting footwear, which is why the shoe market is growing steadily as the years go by. In fact, it’s projected to grow by 3.62% each year between now and 2027!
If you’re thinking about buying shoes that last a long time and provide you with quality foot support, there’s a lot to think about. Read on for some tips on how to select the best shoes for your individual taste, style, and practical needs.
Think About Where You’ll Wear Your Shoes
Shoes aren’t one-size-fits-all in the physical sense, but they also are far from it in the metaphorical sense. You aren’t going to wear casual shoes to business settings where they will be inappropriate. Professional shoes will make you look too serious for casual outings, and expensive formal shoes only have a place at cocktail parties and weddings.
That’s why considering the occasion you’re shopping for is the first step towards buying the right shoes. You want something that will fit your needs on the occasion that you’re shopping for.
Make sure that you also think about whether you’ll be wearing them a lot. Everyday casual styles and daily workplace footwear need more durability and arch support than those you’re buying for once-in-a-blue-moon formal occasions.
If you’ll be wearing shoes a lot, you also will want to go for something versatile that works in many different settings. Business-casual loafers are a great choice, as are high-end sneakers like Nike kicks online.
Look at Current Shoe Trends
Once you’re clear about your shoe-shopping objectives, it’s time to look into footwear trends within your chosen setting. Every piece of clothing you wear lends to your personal brand, and footwear is no exception. You’re styling and decorating yourself to make a quality first impression.
That’s why you want to make sure that your look is en vogue and up-to-date. Choosing a style that has long been cast aside makes you look sloppy. Other professionals will think that you don’t care about your job, and those in social settings will wonder why you’re so careless about how you look.
You can look at what celebrities are wearing to get a good idea of current styles. Not into that? There are tons of magazines and style guides that you can find online with a quick Google search!
Consider Your Personal Style
Still, choosing shoes because they follow current trends isn’t enough. You want to buy something that you’re actually excited to wear. If you get something you dislike, you’re almost certainly not going to get the use out of them that you could.
Head over to Pinterest and take a look at what people are wearing. Make sure to specify the type of shoe or occasion that you’re looking for. For example, if you’re looking for new footwear to wear at work, enter “professional shoes” into the search bar.
Go through the results and pin them to a board. Once you have 20-30 pictures, go and look at trends in what you’ve pinned. Chances are that you’ll have the same type of shoe, color, or style that you’re into.
You can then start shopping for shoes that fall into these categories. Just make sure that your selection matches the clothes that you wear when you’ll be showing them off. You don’t want to accidentally clash.
Size Your Feet Before Buying Shoes
You’re also going to need to look at a shoe fitting guide before making any purchases. If you already know your shoe size, awesome!
Just check the website before making any purchases to ensure that they come in standard sizes. If they’re sized differently, use a size conversion chart or measure your feet as though you don’t know your size.
If you’re unsure of your shoe size, you can go to any shoe store and find their Brannock device. This lets you measure both the length and width of your foot with maximum accuracy. It’s the #1 way to figure out your shoe size.
Make sure that you look at whether or not you’re taking the men’s or women’s shoe size of your foot. You don’t want to mess this up or you’ll wind up with a very wrong size.
Go for Quality
Regardless of what type of shoes you select, you’re going to want to choose something that’s made with high-quality materials.
The first reason for this is purely economic. If you buy low-end shoes, you’re going to need to replace them more quickly and more often. The cheap price that you’ll pay now isn’t worth the larger sum that you’ll need to pay for a replacement.
More importantly, high-quality shoes protect your feet in a way that lower-end ones won’t. They’re built with padding, comfortable foam, and arch support that keeps your feet healthy.
If you don’t wear shoes that provide support, you’re more prone to bunions and flat arches. You also are more prone to lower back pain. Avoid these health issues by purchasing more expensive shoes made from top-notch materials.
Get Trendy New Shoes Today
Buying shoes is a challenging task when you’re looking for footwear that’s long-lasting and durable. Luckily, you can choose something trendy and comfortable if you do your research and consider all of the most important shoe shopping tips.
Now that you know how to choose shoes that work for your everyday needs, it’s time to learn more about fashion and footwear in 2022. Check out the “accessories” tab on our home page to learn more about what you can wear with your new shoes.