Most shoe stores or online sellers have a vast choice of footwear to choose from! This is a good thing when you have decided to buy new shoes. But it can also present a challenge when thinking about what you need your shoes for an which style to pick!
Regardless of your budget and lifestyle, investing just a little time to consider a few important factors can prove to be the difference between boom or bust with your new acquisition!
Where do you start?
The good news is that with the size of the range available now, you are sure to find something that fits your needs. Australian Nike stores alone have more choice than you can imagine!
So first, think about your average month. What do you do? Where do you walk? What sports and hobbies do you have? Do your feet have any special composition or conditions? How much do you have to spend on your purchase?
From there, you can narrow the field to find the most suitable shoe for you. Going through this process will eliminate many choices, therefore already making your search a lot easier.
Pick your shoe for its functions, not its look
A running shoe can look fantastic, but if you take it on a 20km hike and it falls apart, it is unlikely to look good for long! Choosing a shoe from AU Nike stores is all about picking the most appropriate one.
This can happen even to the best made shoes. Do not be fooled – a big brand name on the side does not guarantee your shoes will be able to handle anything you throw at them! Even cheaper shoes can do a good job if they are deployed for the use for which they are intended!
Think of a shoe as you would a car. A rear-wheel drive Ferrari sports car is great, but if you tried to use it off-road in tough terrain, you would soon have made a very costly error! Okay, shoes do not cost as much, but it can become annoying replacing pretty expensive shoes time after time simply because you have not chosen them correctly.
Get some advice
When you visit AU Nike stores, you can see the huge range on offer. Better still, you can discuss your requirements with a specialist advisor. Although they are ultimately trying to sell, they also have expertise in finding the right fit to their customers’ feet. This can be a big help, and getting a second expert opinion never does any harm either.
Another strategy you can use with shoes if your budget permits is to buy a couple of different pairs for different purposes. You could consider a lighter, more fashionable pair to walk around town or use to create a more informal evening look. At the same time you could buy a more robust pair with greater ankle support for sporting activities or longer walks.
Try before you buy
It is also important not to make your choice based on the appearance of the shoe alone. Of course, this can be difficult to achieve if you are shopping online. The best you can do then is to look at several angles of the shoe (inside and out).
Also, check out user reviews to see how well they support ankles, the bridge of your foot, and how they stand up to wear and tear. Although most products get a mix of good and bad reviews, read through the first couple of pages to see if there are any common themes of defects with the shoe. Also use this information to gauge how responsive the seller is to faults, and check out the return policies or warranties on offer.
When you go into Nike stores in AU, you can try on the shoes before you make your decision! The only thing to bear in mind with that is that walking up and down the store a few times does not always mean they will hold up well to other demands you place on them. However, you can get a feel for the shoe, how it gels with your foot, and your valuable first impressions.
Good luck with your search – your feet will thank you!