The shoe shopping tricks we wish we knew years ago!

Chances are you’ve been shopping for shoes your whole life but did you know these tips for finding the perfect pair?

1. Shop in the evening

It can be tempting to go to the shops straight away of a weekend but actually you should purchase a pair in the afternoon. This is because your feet swell by the end of the day, giving a more accurate size.

2. Know your arch type

If you’re having trouble finding a comfy pair of shoes, a high or flat arch may be to blame. To find out for sure, wet the bottom of your foot and step on a piece of white paper. Based on the wet parts of the paper, you should be able to determine your arch type. For example, if you have a flat arch, you’ll see most of your footprint. If you have a high arch, the middle part of your footprint (your arch) will be missing. And if you have a normal arch, about half of it will wet the paper. Now you know this, you can get the right shoe.

3. Try on multiple sizes before you buy

Try on the shoe size that you typically wear, then try on a half size smaller and a half size larger. Different brands and different shoes vary.

4. High heels

When buying high heels, try on a slightly larger size, especially if the toe is pointed. At a minimum, the distance between longest toe and end of shoe should be the width of your pointer finger.

5. Aus -> UK size conversion

Have you ever seen size 38 or 39 shoes? These are UK sizes. If you’re having trouble figuring out your size, here’s a diagram for you: