I am in the same boat, and it seems like things are gettiing worse. I like to see things, feel the fabric, try things on and leave what doesn't work behind rather than have to make another trip to ship something back. I resisted shoe shopping online for as long as I could. Then it snuck in, and it's pretty much the only way I can buy shoes -- or clothes, even in a store that will carry a 12 shoe or tall clothing. They never carry them in the store -- you have to order it online. And then they have in-store only sales. Love that.

I know more girls and women who wear 11 and 12 -- my sister wears a 13. There are more people looking, but the only place to look seems to be the internet or a store an hour or more away. When I was in college and newly married, I used to be able to go into a specialty store and shop, but those have dried up. Have to shop online.

And have you noticed how often the 11s or 12s will be the first size to sell out when you are shopping inline?

Tic toc, tic toc for b&m stores....

I don't have a shoe problem but it happens with everything. I drove across town to a lighting retailer whose website said they carried a particular brand I was interested in. Manufacturer website said they did too. Got there and they had nothing on display of this brand. The sales person proceeded to pull out a catalog and knew less than I did from my online shopping. She said they could order it for me. I told her they offered no value if I couldn't see the light in person. And I said I didn't need her to place an order for me, that I could do that from the comfort of my own home.

I rarely go to a B&M store except for groceries and some other consumable household supplies. Every time I try to buy something else it ends up being a wasted trip and I ask myself why I keep doing this.

Agree. I wear a 9.5. Most of the time when I DO go to one of the department stores to look for a pair of shoes and find a pair I like, they are out of my size. Why? Because 'we only get one pair in that size and it's gone in a few days'. Well, what about the rest of us who would like to buy it? 'We can try to find it in another store & order it for you.' No thanks, I'll just get it from Zappos.

Better selection, fast response and I can return it easily. No sales clerk looking over the merchandise to see if I spit on it or something.

That guy was clueless, and he really can't afford to be.

Shoes are one thing I really DON'T want to buy online. I have wide feet, high arches, and a little toe that sticks out. I might try on a dozen pair of shoes to find a couple that work. Fortunately, there are a couple of stores in my area that do stock wide sizes and I happily frequent them.

I also have a very bad track record for actually returning anything I purchase online, even if it doesn't fit or won't work. It sits around my house until I eventually donate it. Not really cost effective when buying things with a high likelihood of not working out (shoes and clothes). There are plenty of other things (books, small appliances, shower curtains, etc. etc.) that I will, and do, buy online.

I try to buy shoes in a store. I also have problem feet. Small, wide with a high arch.

When you ship back merchandise, it takes longer to receive your credit back.

I try to buy shoes in a store. I also have problem feet. Small, wide with a high arch.

I'd like to try on shoes in a store too. Unfortunately, they too often don't bother carrying my size

When you ship back merchandise, it takes longer to receive your credit back.

I really haven't found that to be a problem. Especially with Amazon. Sometimes I get a text from Amazon that I have received a credit right after I drop off the box at UPS.

It's a shame really, because it's yet another thing we do in relative isolation.

I grew up in a very small town, and my every day clothes and school uniforms were Sears Best or JC Penney's. We would make several trips a year including a big one before Christmas for major shopping and for (mostly my mother and older sisters) to buy clothes--I grew up in the last gasp of the department store when you could still buy literally anything in a department store.

I am a terrible consumer. Since the beginning of 2016 I have bought one pair of shoes that I expect to last the rest of my life, two dress shirts when they were having a sale, a swimming suit because my other one was from the 1990s, and a rash guard shirt. I buy work and dress clothes and shoes only at Brooks Brothers, wear only Puma sneakers which I buy online on sale. I have to buy a new suit for a wedding in January 2018,so I will probably not buy anything else until I get something for that wedding.

I actually got a hand written note from the manager at Brooks Brothers because I have spent so little time or money in the store in the past 16 months.

Another small, wide with a high arch here. It's a pain. Yay for Zappos!

I also have difficulty buying boys clothing in stores. There just isn't a selection because they stock rows and rows and rows of girl clothing. If I do manage to find something on the two lone racks in the middle of the pink sparkle sea, the sizes aren't stocked well. Um, boys wear clothes too. Online.

I buy almost all of my shoes online, too. We live in a small town .....surrounded by small towns. I go to the " city" ( Pgh) frequently and can shop there. However, stores rarely ( if ever) carry tall/long pants. I cannot remember the last time I bought a pair in a store!

Cawaps, I thought I was the only one who did that! I HATE packing up stuff & going to the post office to send it back. I have ended up donating things too. I like small boutiques, but do shop online, especially for my children. I think shopping is a fun social event & doubt brick & mortar stores will be completely replaced.

I have super high arches to the point that can't slide my feet into some brands of shoes. I have my best luck with Clarks for regular shoes and sandals and New Balance for sneakers. Not all styles work for either brand but the success rate is much higher than for other brands. Luckily I have a Clarks outlet store not too far from my house. I'm wearing a pair of Clarks slip ons right now.

I'm better about returning things I order online but have some things bought in B&M stores that I don't get returned. The stores I am most likely to order from have either free returns, a local store where I can take my return (Macy's, J.Jill) or I know what to order well enough that I don't expect to need to return anything.

I am the QUEEN of returns! I am surprised some stores don't have my picture on the wall with a big line thru it :). I just returned a $1.25 item at Home Depot because it wasn't the right thing. My DH is my problem child with shoes. He has wide feet and it is so frustrating to locate 3E shoes (that I like)--even on line. Sigh.

I also wear an 11 shoe. I gave up finding shoes in stores a long time ago. I also dislike returning online stuff unless it's Zappos. So my MO is to purchase online from Nordstroms, then take back my returns to the store. Sometimes, I'll purchase five or six pairs of shoes with the intention of keeping one. That way, I can do it at my convenience, and many times, I've returned stuff months later without issue.

When I order clothes online, I find that I am often disappointed in the fabric, no matter how carefully I read the description or now much I zoom into the picture. I do like online photos of people wearing items, especially tops. It is easier for me to see if might be too boxy or short.

When I was younger I used to have a pile of expired returns but I finally realized that it was silly to waste the money.

I wear a size 10 and am finding a lot of 11 shoes and NO size 10 shoes. I think every other woman in my town wears a size 10 but the shoe stores are stuck in 1970 and get in one pair of size 10s per style. When are these stores going to wake up? It's going to be too late for most of them. Back when I was younger, I wore a size 9 1/2 and the shoes didn't even come in that size, they skipped right over it from 9 to 10. Finally stores began to carry 9 1/2 shoes but now I wear a 10 probably because of the crazy sizing. I don't believe my foot has grown that much.

Another stupid thing is that you can order on line and receive the shoe in a couple days but the shoe store says "Oh we can get it from another store, we can have it here in 2 weeks". What? Are you stupid? Is there really no common sense anymore? Why does it take so long? I say "no thank you!"

I usually have no problem with the shoes I order online, but clothing is another matter entirely. I've ordered a couple of things for my Panama trip, specifically long-sleeved, sun-protective shirts made by reputable name-brand manufacturers of outdoor clothing. What a disappointment they have been. I don't have enormous arms. They aren't skinny but they aren't fat -- just average I suppose. However, the shirts have consistently been much too tight right under the arms, and I can just imagine how "wonderful" that's going to feel when the pits start to sweat. Ugh. I really hate the effort involved in shopping at B&Ms, but I'm starting to think it's a necessary evil. (Don't even get me started on ordering pants online.)

Just a heads up; don't buy from Shoebuy via Amazon because they do not honor their regular store's return policy. They want to charge a restocking fee if you have a return and plus they want to charge you return shipping. Also, I just read that Shoebuy is now owned by WALMART. I doubt anyone realized that tidbit of information. That explains why I had such a dreadful experience with my return of a pair of shoes that were defective. I had purchased from shoebuy for many years and loved buying from them, they HAD great prices plus great customer service...NO MORE! They are no longer the same shoebuy and now I know why...they were bought by Walmart company. Walmart is wanting to compete with Amazon and getting a piece of the on-line shopping "pie".

OK, all you size 11 girls. What about the 99% of socks that fit only up to size 9 shoe size??? Do they think we size 11 shoes girls don't wear them?????

arkansas girl, thanks for the info about Shoebuy. I have used them before and have been very satisfied. Their prices were quite good.

I agree. I don't enjoy shopping and usually order online. This week I made a special trip to Nordstrom, found 7 pair of shoes to try on and they only had 2 of them in my size (9.5). Back to Zappo's for me.

Re: shoes - haven't bought a pair in a B&M store in years - stopped torturing myself long ago once I realized I could buy online with return shipping included in the price. Plus I often buy the same brands and they always fit. I did see a cute pair in a store at full MSRP one time when I was shopping with a friend. Didn't want to pay that much so searched online and found them cheaper with no add'l charge for shipping.

I sometimes have a problem finding shoes small enough - I wear a men's 7 (or a women's 9), and so frequently I end up buying women's shoes, as they always stock size 9, unless it has sold out. I always thought size 9 was large for women, but the stores seem to sell a lot of that size. BTW, I am talking mainly about running and hiking shoes, and the main different between men's and women's is the color selection - and there are better selections in the women's department. At one store, I have seen women buying men's shoes while I was buying women's (hiking) shoes. Some of the men in the store were jealous that I could find shoes in such interesting colors in my size.

I once ordered some shoes on line (because I could not find them locally), and the store then told me that they were out of stock and that I would have to make a different selection. I had to notify my credit card of their practice in order to get my money returned, as the on-line store refused to give me a refund, even though they offered shoes on-line that they did not have in stock. Since I live in Los Angeles, there is not much that I cannot find in a store, and I will not go back to ordering shoes on line again. There are also stores here catering to drag queens and have extremely large sizes of what look like women's (i.e. "hookers") shoes.

Lars, my husband wears a 7 1/2 or 8 shoe so I know exactly what you mean, what do they think young men are supposed to do for shoes in that size? I realize that most older men have larger feet but younger men have smaller feet and they need shoes too! He hates the colorful running shoes so women's shoes really aren't an option but I'm going to suggest that for him, he could wear a women's size 10 probably.

I totally agree. I don't really like to shop, so will buy about anything I can online. That includes clothing and shoes. I do have a couple of local shops I will still occasionally pop into, but I buy a ton of stuff online. Even toilet paper. LOL

When I was unable to get my favorite hiking boot in my size 10M (back before there were so many options online), I bought the same style in the appropriate men's size (I think it was a size 8M). The men's size was noticeably wider than the women's size... worth noting for the men looking at women's running/hiking shoes.

When I was unable to get my favorite hiking boot in my size 10M (back before there were so many options online), I bought the same style in the appropriate men's size (I think it was a size 8M). The men's size was noticeably wider than the women's size... worth noting for the men looking at women's running/hiking shoes.

Exactly right. My feet are fairly narrow, so if all the women's sizes are too short, the men's sizes aren't really an option for me, because my feet swim around in them. A men's medium is a C or D, or the same as a women's wide; while a women's medium is a B.

My my.....this is a circular argument for sure! The blame falls on everyone imo.

Stores closing or reducing inventory because of online competition. Therefore, it's harder for good or veteran commissioned salespeople to make a living. Newer/younger staff have no idea what good service is or used to be.

Yet....online shopping is so hard to find clothes/shoes/fabrics because it's just a "picture". Prices are obviously lower because there's no "people overhead". Some "faceless website" is getting your $$. No money stays in your area.

Nobody wins. And the "race to the bottom" spiral continues.

We buy little online.

At least where I work, not all that much can be bought online. Sometimes people will get a good mower price online, but then "at checkout" they find what the freight will be, or some similar charge. Not sure how the online seller is making anything?! Could be older production, but there's no way to check serial-numbers. The margins on Power-equipment are usually 18-30%. If a store ran only on that, they'd be closed in a month. Obviously, clothes, shoes, & furniture HAVE TO have much higher margins. If you find a Stihl product online, it's counterfeit/chinese. Stihl ONLY operates thru REAL stores.

I WILL NOT BUY from walmart. Some people "get it".....most don't.

Faron

I have the same problem with buying men's shoes because I have a somewhat narrow foot so the men's shoes don't feel right on me. My husband would have to buy a women's wide width to fit his foot. It's not wide for men's shoes but it is wider than my foot but the same length. So we both wear a size 10 in a woman's shoes but he'd be 10 wide.

Stores not providing an appropriate selection of goods in inventory was happening long before the internet so it's not because of online competition. Online stores just filled in the gap.

Stores were beginning to carry more selection, but the internet has allowed them to go back to a more limited selection.

I agree with the comment above -- they would tend to get one pair in a size and I was never the only 11 or 12. Better get there first. I'm finding shoes online can be just as bad. If the shoe is something fun or different, it will be gone quickly. Even Tieks -- they start at $175 and the 11s, 12s and 13s often sell out first.

Lars, when I lived in Dallas, there was a store I saw advertise, but I never shopped there. I had wanted to, but after going to a restaurant across a patio from them, I got a chance to look in the window. Nothing under a 4 inch heel -- back when women's shoes tendded to be 2-3 inches or less. Rhinestones and more. Realized it wasn't the place I was looking for. LOL

Lately I'm having a problem buying shoes online. Is it me or are regular B width shoes now wider? I do hate the process of sending things back. So, I went to Macy's and many of the shoes I tried on there were to wide. My foot hasn't lost weight.

You know what I'm finding...it's that many shoe styles are ONLY wide width. I'm thinking "WHAT????!!!!" I haven't yet noticed that regulars are wider than they used to be. I haven't shopped for shoes other than Asics or Saucony though.

I wonder if anyone else is having the problem with wide B widths. When I was younger I was between a narrow and a regular B width but most B's worked fine. Now, they are huge. After children and into my now age my shoe size has gone up a half size or more depending on the shoe. But I know my foot hasn't lost weight. The rest of me weighs more than yesteryear.

I do have problems with a lot of B widths but they are not standard.

I too used to wear a somewhat narrow shoe but could sometimes get by with a B width. Remember when you could find shoes with a AA, A, B, etc widths? Well, I was an A. My foot grew in length a couple of times over the years too, and my really high arch has collapsed a bit, but my heel is still narrow and across my toes is narrow. Clark's is an example of a shoe I just cannot wear because it's always too wide.

I have skinny feet and find shoes to be wider lately too. Maybe the rise in obesity has triggered a shift in shoe sizing like happens in clothing. I am 30 pounds heavier than I was in the 80s but I'm wearing the same size-something is wrong there.

Yes, I agree about the shoes being wider! I mostly wear Mary Jane style because they have a strap. My foot will not stay in most pumps.

I don't like to shop and being in either my wheelchair or scooter it makes it difficult to get around in many stores because they pay absolutely no attention to the guidelines for clearances for aisles and make it impossible to even get through some areas. Steinmart is one of the worst. And they give me a dirty look if I accidentally hit something struggling to maneuver to get to the merchandise. They lose my business. So shopping online is a godsend for me. I hate returning because it means I have to get to the post office which I never do. But eBay, Amazon, and a few other stores get a lot of my business. I ordered a lot of stuff for the house remodel after the flood.

I have found that I have good luck with certain men's shoes because I have a very flat wide foot so they fit better. I just bought a new pair of leather sandals in men's 7. I now wear a woman's 9. I wore a 7.5 for years and years then suddenly things changed.