There are times when we pick shoes based on the style and style only, forgoing the quality and the workmanship of the shoes. Those days are over for me though since I did a spring cleaning on my closet the other day and realized that I was putting away some of the poorly made shoes that were either already worn out or just ill-fitting. I then understood that quality stands above all. Besides, shoes are important elements in our outfit. Not because they complete our look, but because they are the ones who support our body for the whole day. In fact when I think about it, we spend half of our lives on our feet. Poorly constructed shoes will make our feet ache and will give a total discomfort to our knees, legs and all the way to our spine, which will not make us a happy girl.

I have roughly calculated the money I spent on my shoes and came to a conclusion that it is much more costly effective for me to spend more on good quality shoes that last a long time than for me to spend on cheap shoes that can only be worn a few times.

But buying well-made shoes doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You just have to know what to look for and buy the best you can afford with the money you’re willing to spend. Here’s what you need to keep in mind when shopping for shoes:

1. Make sure you walk on different surfaces first before you decide to buy the shoes. Most department stores are carpeted so it’s always feel soft when you’re stepping away. Try to walk on the tile floor and then try to imagine walking on the asphalt with those shoes on. So don’t just try the shoes to make sure the size is right, try them to make sure they are comfortable to walk on.

2. The best shoes are the ones that are hand sewn all around. But if you can’t tell it, just check if the stitches look strong and neat. Make sure the heels and the soles are glued properly.

3. Examine the buckles, bows or other adornments. Make sure they are securely attached with double stitches. Check if the stitches are neat too.

4. Check the inside. Only shoes that are made of genuine leather lining (or 100% full leather lining) that offer total satisfaction because they are guaranteed to be comfortable and breathable since they absorb moisture in the foot the best.

5. For the material, obviously, genuine leather is the best. Leather stretches to fit the curves and shapes of our feet.

6. Try to bend the shoes, but not too much that the back meets the front. You just want to make sure that they can bend a little bit to mold with your feet when worn in.

7. Go shoe shopping in the afternoon. Our feet stretches the most in the afternoon, and they have felt a bit of discomfort after spending a few hours on shoes. So if the shoes you are trying on feel comfortable then they would feel comfortable too at other times of the day.

8. Never buy shoes that are too big, too long, too wide or the opposite, too small, too narrow or in other words, just don’t fit your feet properly. I’ve had a few scenarios when I bought a pair of shoes that are too small, hoping that I would broke them in and they would stretch overtime. Well, they won’t! In addition to discomfort, shoes that are too small can cause other problems such as ingrown toenails, blisters, etc.

So those are some tips for me. If you have more tips, please share them here. In the meantime, happy

shoes hunting!
Oh…if you have a favorite store where you usually get genuine leather shoes you can share them here too. Mine is happen to be LINEA (Plaza Senayan, Plaza Indonesia, PIM 2, Senayan City & Saberro House Kemang). You can check their website here and follow their twitter @lineashoeshops for new arrivals information and special deals..:)

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