What to Look for When Buying Women’s Sandals Online
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Authored by Adam Sherman
We’ve all been there. A friend of yours has the cutest sandals and you get your own pair, only to find that they give you blisters or are just not comfortable to wear. This is a common tale that happens frequently when women shop for sandals and this is because sandal fit is more technical than fitting other shoes.
The lack of laces and a fully-enclosed toe box can make sandal fit challenging, especially if you are not sure which sandal styles fit your foot shape best. Thankfully, there are some ways to make sure that your next sandal purchase is perfect! You will be so glad that you learned about the best ways to identify the correct sandal style and fit when you get your next pair of truly comfortable sandals.
If you are ready to learn more about what to look for when buying women’s sandals, read on!
What to Look for When Buying Women’s Sandals Online
Many people make the mistake of considering sandals as something that you buy based on looks and not fit. This is a big stumbling block for many women shopping for sandals because they are thinking of simple styles that will be easy to take on and off or that will look cute with a sundress rather than looking at all of the factors of fit and styling that they would consider if they were buying any other kind of shoe.
To prevent falling into the trap of looking at just one factor when buying sandals, read on to learn more about how to find the right sandals for your needs.
1. Think About How Active You Are Planning to Be Before Shopping Online for Sandals
This can determine a lot about the kind of sandal that you need to buy for your needs. If you only need to wear your new sandals to the pool and back, they probably don’t need to worry too much about fit or other factors related to comfort.
However, if you are planning to wear your sandals to walk, hike, or do other adventurous things, you will want to make sure that they can hold up to a whole day of wear without causing blisters or making the bottom of your feet sore. Hiking and sports sandals are made to fit your feet correctly and the straps and other components are made to grip your feet without hurting them.
The Cortana Sandal is a perfect example of a quality sport sandal. Made of quality sneaker materials and with straps that will never injure your toes or ankles, this is the kind of sandal that is made with active people in mind who still want a cute sandal to wear with their favorite shorts, jeans, or skirt.
2. Correct Sizing is Key to Online Shoe Shopping
While many people will tell you that they know what their foot size is, many of those same people have never had their feet properly sized. Many of us buy through guesswork and trial and error without being sure of what the correct size of our feet really is. Even more people are unaware that you should also be sized related to how high the arch in your foot is.
The best way to make sure that you are buying the right shoes is to have your feet (both of them) professionally sized. Running shoe stores and boutique shoe outlets can help you to do this. Make sure that you keep track of this information for the next time that you go shopping for sandals. If you have very flat feet or high arches you will need to make sure that the style of sandal that you pick will match the contours of your feet for maximum comfort.
If you have very wide feet, sandals are probably harder for you to find, but there are still sandal styles that will work well for your needs! Sandals like the Sloane Sandal are perfect for wider feet and the straps can be adjusted to fit any dimension that needs to be adjusted. This means that you will not have to struggle with pinching straps or a tight heel cradle again!
3. Read Reviews When Browsing Online for Sandals
Reviews from other customers can be very helpful when you are shopping for new sandals. People are always willing to talk about their experiences if they either loved or hated a sandal, and you can glean some information from their reviews that will tell you if a sandal might work for you or not.
Reviews can be a bit suspect if they seem overly emotional or accusatory toward the brand. But the reviews that mention fit is as expected or not, details about the construction, and how well the shoe performed for them are very useful if you are shopping online for sandals. You can even use these reviews to find out whether or not the sandals have held up over the long haul because some people don’t review until they have owned a pair of sandals for a while.
This is not the only way to learn information about your next pair of sandals, but it can help narrow down your options so that you can focus on the right sandals with the right features that you are looking for.
4. Check Out Return Policies on Online Shoe Sites
This can be very important when you are buying shoes. There are many companies that do offer returns for their sandals, but some online sellers will not allow you to return any sandals that you buy which do not fit you. This can be a big bummer if you have bought from a company for the first time and then find out that their sandals just do not fit you.
Quality sandals will come with a good return policy that makes sure that you can give back or exchange any product that you buy without penalty. Clothing does not always fit everyone the same way and returns should be part of the process that a company has built into its sales model. It is always a red flag if you see that returns are not allowed because it indicates that you might run into other customer service issues related to buying from this brand.
5. Think About What Purpose You Are Using Your Sandals For
Sandals are not all made to be used for the same purposes and you need to be sure that you consider what you are planning to do in your sandals before you buy the wrong kind. Flip flops are great for a jaunt to the pool but are not right for all-day wear in many cases.
Likewise, if you are looking for a heavy-duty sandal for hiking or watersports, you might not want to look at sports sandals because they are not usually made to handle these kinds of challenges. There are crossover sandals out there that handle many kinds of activities, but you should always look into the actual details of the fit and design of each sandal that you are buying to make sure that it will work for all of your intended uses.
If you love a good crossover sandal that will look cute and also stand up to the rigors of outdoor adventures, The Napali Hiking Sandal is a great choice for your needs. This is a quality sandal with a great comfortable sole and the perfect straps for sports use and water adventures. You will enjoy the lightweight durability of these sandals and the customizable fit that makes them seem like they were made just for you.
The purpose is often the deciding factor between different styles of sandals, and you should really think about what kinds of plans you have for your sandals before you purchase a style. This is one of the areas where being drawn in by styling and appearance might end up backfiring when it comes down to wearing the sandals that you have chosen.
6. How Adjustable Are The Sandals You Are Looking at Online?
This can be a major factor in comfort if you have very narrow feet or very wide feet. All-day wear can be a major challenge to any style of sandal, and you should be sure that there are many different adjustments that can be made to fit if you are planning to wear your sandals for hours at a time.
Good adjustable sandals will offer adjustments across the tops of your toes, at the heel, and on the sides. The more adjustments the better if you have narrow or wide feet. It is always best to check that the straps can adjust without overlapping and rubbing on your skin as well. Some older style hiking sandals use heavy-duty Velcro that can be adjusted a lot, but it then will hang over onto your skin and scratch you.
The Acadia Hiking Sandal is a great example of a sandal that can be adjusted in many different ways to ensure a good, secure fit that is still comfortable. There is nothing worse than finding the perfect sandal that is missing an adjustment that you need for true comfort. Settling for a sandal that is not actually comfortable can spell disaster for your feet if you wear them for too long.
Make sure that any sandal that you invest in can be adjusted properly to make the fit just right for your needs. This is a sign of quality construction and if you have struggled to find the right sandals for your needs for years, this is probably a major part of why you have struggled to find sandals that you are comfortable in.
Shoe Fit
Like it or not, buying shoes that fit is an important part of your foot happiness. The average person takes around 2,000 steps a day. This equates to 63 tons of pressure on your feet total! That is a lot of wear and tear if you are not taking those steps in quality shoes or sandals!
Many people should take shoe fit more seriously than they do. Shoes cause 9 out of 10 cases of foot problems in women, usually due to buying for looks and not sizing or comfort. You would never buy a running shoe that hurt your feet while you were working. So, you should only choose comfortable shoes for your daily life as well.
Investing the effort to find out what your actual shoe size is and getting advice about the shape of your foot can make all the difference in finding the right pair.
You Can Buy Women's Sandals Online That Are Cute and Functional
Always avoid falling into the trap of thinking that pretty sandals don’t have to be comfortable or that practical sandals cannot be pretty or stylish. Neither of these things is true, and you can find lots of quality sandals that offer performance and comfort as well as attractive styling. Settling for sore feet in the name of looking cute is not worth it in the long run and your feet will thank you if you don’t fall into this common trap.
Taking a look at all of the features of a shoe’s fit and styling can help you to pick the right shoe for your needs. If you are active and enjoy wearing sandals on a daily basis, you should always choose to invest in a shoe that will hold up to your lifestyle while also keeping your feet comfortable.
Shop through our well-made, comfortable sandals with unique and attractive styling and you will find the right sandals for your needs, no matter what size of shoe you wear or what style of sandals you are looking for. We create quality sandals that are made for any size foot or any lifestyle.
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