View Full Version : buying shoes online?
hikemikehike
05-05-2011, 15:40
I have a credit to BC.com otherwise id go to my local outdoors shop. I need shoes/boots. im leaning towards something more along the lines of a trail runner more so than a hiking boot that will be sufficient for section hikes in the range of 1-2 weeks and my long trail E2E in august. My main question: Is buying shoes online a bad idea? i strayed away from buying my pack online because i was most concerned about getting a good fit. Last time i bought hiking boots was 5 years ago and i tried on a couple pairs until i found one that fit me well. If i was going to use a shoe as opposed to a boot is fit still as important? What is your take on buying off the internet? back country has some great sales right now on shoes its hard to resist. thanks
Jonnycat
05-05-2011, 17:14
Every pair of boots I have bought blind online I ended up sending back. I wouldn't do it again unless I had at least tried them on a couple of times.
Others are probably more lucky, but my feet are really picky.
Worse case scenario you have to cough up ten bucks and ship them back.
BC will give you a UPS label to send them back for free. Its still a PITA, though, and I would not buy online unless I knew the brand and how they fit. If you do, then its probably the best way to buy.
I really dont recomend it. Boots are the single most important piece of gear you take on a hike: you need to buy them in store so you can test them out before you buy. Of course, you can return them (probably) if you buy them over the internet, but it will take time and shipping fees.
If i was going to use a shoe as opposed to a boot is fit still as important?
Yes, the fit is still as important. You never want a bad fit. It definitely takes longer to buy shoes online, but you have a better choice. I can only wear wide shoes so buying online is really my only option. So I order a pair, try them on. Wear them as long as I feel like it around the house. If I'm the least bit unsure, I send them back for a different shoe or a different size. Takes weeks. But the other way, trying them on in stores, means I end up buying them, wearing them on the trail and being stuck with a shoe I can't return, which also results in not only weeks to find a good shoe but a lot of wasted money.
hikemikehike
05-05-2011, 18:02
maybe ill go to my local shop and see if theyll price match or something. or at least ill be able to try some shoes on for fit. thanks for all the advice. it confirmed my feeling but i just wanted to be sure
bulldog49
05-05-2011, 18:57
I buy all my shoes online, never had a problem.
MuddyWaters
05-05-2011, 23:13
I wouldnt hesitate to buy online from somewhere with free return shipping (zappos, running warehouse, etc). It can be a slow process. size can be a crapshoot , some order 3 sizes and return the two that dont fit. It helps if you know what shoes normally fit you well though.
I have tried on probably a dozen different pairs of trail shoes recently. The ones that fit me best (narrow heel-midfoot, wide toebox) are Salomons, NB, Inov-8. Vasque was servicable, but not great. Rest was pretty bad feel by comparison. You cant judge a poor fit until you know what a great fit feels like. NB is a great fit on me normally.
I bought the Inov-8 terrocs from running warehouse. Good fit, light, great grip. Not much underfoot padding in the forefoot though, a bit hard. There is a ridge that you feel at first under the forefoot, but it goes away as the insole molds to thte foot.
Outdoor76
05-09-2011, 12:17
Here's the thing - We tell people all the time that there is hardly a better example of a mass-produced product that's built on a bell curve than a shoe. Any company will compile data from thousands of feet and map that data into a bell curve. Guess what shoe gets built ...the one at the top of the bell. Guess who has the bell foot ...hardly anyone. Then you factor in that almost every company has its on way of lasting and building shoes - almost every company's volume and width distribution is different.
So here's the point, GET FIT !! You'll read lots of reviews on why one shoe is better than another, but feet are as dynamic as dynamic gets. The same shoe that got "Gear of the Year" this year might fit you, but not me. Nothing on your body is working harder on a hiker than his/her feet. Don't compromise with shoes that are CLOSE to fitting. Go to a shop that has a pedorthist or has been trained by a pedorthist. Any good hiking store should have one. Getting a shoe that mates your foot the best online is a big gamble.
LoneRidgeRunner
05-09-2011, 12:38
I would NEVER buy hiking boots online. Can't test drive em..
simple: check return policy before purchase!
max patch
05-09-2011, 13:40
I buy replacement shoes online all the time, but I would never buy a shoe online I had never worn before -- even with a full refund and return shipping paid for by the vendor.
Blissful
05-09-2011, 14:07
Once I had my first pair of trail runners fitted back in 2007 at a professional running shop, I have bought the model over the Internet ever since.
I've had amazing experiences with Zappo's. Great people, great company. I buy from them even if it costs more.
UGHHH! I have wasted more time and sometimes expense ordering shoes online and having to return them!
i strayed away from buying my ...... because i was most concerned about getting a good fit. Hikemikehike
Same with hiking shoes!
If you are going to order shoes online, like LoneRidgeRunner, test drive them out somewhere first!