Are you looking for ways to spice up your sneaker collection? Are you tired of gravitating towards the same pair of shoes for every outfit that you wear? If so, then you need to learn all that you can about the most common sneaker shopping mistakes to avoid.
Doing so can help you stay more informed. By understanding the most common mistakes, you’ll avoid limiting yourself during your search.
See below for an in-depth guide on the mistakes to avoid when buying sneakers online or in person. It will help ensure that you find the perfect pair for your needs.
Table of Contents
1. Not Creating a Shoe Budget
Source: allbusiness.com
Let us know if this sounds familiar: you’re going through your daily life when, all of a sudden, you notice that you need a new pair of shoes. That’s when you start to look online and in-store for a new pair of shoes you might be interested in.
You find a few that catch your eye, but think to yourself, “There’s no way I can afford these shoes!” and settle for a cheaper pair that you don’t like as much.
Here’s the thing: you could afford those shoes if you had just prepared for the purchase a bit. If you created a budget and started saving for new shoes ahead of time, you wouldn’t have to try and come up with the money all at once.
We encourage a bankroll type of mindset: putting away a small portion of each paycheck towards future shoe purchases.
For example, let’s say you decide to put away $50 per paycheck for new shoes. In only 3 paychecks, you’ll have $150 to spend. That’s the going rate for many of the most popular shoe models on the market today.
Whatever you do, do not purchase shoes just because they’re lower priced. In those cases, you’ll get what you paid for cheap shoes.
2. Having a Walk-In-First Shopping Mentality
Source: forbes.com
If you were going to go fishing with your friends, which body of water would you prefer to visit: a small backyard pond or the ocean? You’d choose the latter. Why? Because it allows you to catch more fish, as well as access to thousands of different species.
Believe it or not, this is similar to the experience you’ll have shopping for shoes in a store vs on the internet; the store is the backyard pond, the internet is the ocean.
Too many people have an old-fashioned mentality with shoe shopping. When they need a new pair, they start by visiting their local sports store and convincing themselves that those are the only options they have to choose from.
How likely are you to find a pair of shoes you actually love with only 10 to 20 options? Not very likely at all.
Instead, you should always start your shoe shopping with some research online. See what’s out there. Catch up on the latest models. Look up ways to get your hands on the shoes you legitimately want.
For example, there is a way to shop for any Adidas Dame shoe model in existence. Click on this link to find out now.
3. Check Online Customer Reviews
Source: righttimemarketer.com
Speaking of performing research online, there’s one incredible way you can get valuable insight on the shoe models that you’re considering.
Once you’ve lowered your list to 2 or 3 pairs of shoes you want to buy, be sure to check the online customer reviews on them. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to gauge whether or not you should buy them:
- Were the customers satisfied with their purchase?
- How much have they worn the shoes since they purchased them?
- Where did they purchase their shoes from? How much did they pay for them?
- How comfortable are the shoes?
- Do they offer stability and traction? (especially important for basketball shoes)
By reading online reviews, you’ll have more confidence in the purchase you make. It will ensure a higher return on your investment.
4. Always Reaching for the Same Brand
Source: cnn.com
You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto. As much as you might adore a certain brand, such as Nike or Adidas, there are so many more options out there these days.
If you’re going to diversify your shoe collection and create new looks that will catch people’s eyes, you need to try out more than one brand. See what’s out there!
Depending on the type of shoe you’re looking for, you might try brands like:
- On
- ECCO
- Li-Ning
- Clarks
- Veja
- New Balance
- Saucony
- Asics
- Off-WHite
- MLO
The list goes on and on. If you do your research like we’re advocating, you can find the perfect pair of sneakers for your next purchase.
5. Buying the Wrong Size
Sometimes, you’re faced with a difficult decision when buying shoes. The store or website that you’re at doesn’t have the shoe you want in your size.
In those moments, you might be faced with the temptation to buy the next size above or below your actual foot size… don’t do it!
Finding a shoe in your proper foot size is vitally important. If you get shoes that are too big for your feet, your foot will slide around inside and can lead to serious injuries.
Avoid These Common Sneaker Shopping Mistakes Today
Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on the most common sneaker shopping mistakes to avoid, be sure to use this information to your advantage.
Take the time to browse our website for more articles on buying sneakers online, as well as many other topics that you will find interesting.
