Yes, I'm an idiot

[ghmerrill]

Well, via web search I do see that there's a chain with 5 outlets, each about 20 miles from me. So that counts as relatively "close". Who woulda thought? They seem to prefer being near large university sites. In addition they sell direct via the web, and that might be a worthwhile experiment for me at some point. They even have some New Balance models -- including the ones I wear. Or they list them on the web. The last two times I was actually in a New Balance store, they didn't have the ones I was looking for.

So this is potentially a good find for me.

[timothy42b]

We have a shop here that 3d scans your foot and takes a pressure map as you walk. They identified a couple of issues I never knew I had, and were able to recommend shoes to address those problems (extra wide/high arch). I went in looking for NBs and came out with a specific model of Hokas. On my 3rd pair now.

That seems like a good approach to getting the right size shoe. The variations on the classic Brannock thing all the foot stores used once upon a time don't seem to help me. I need a wider shoe, and end up going a size up to get it in most brands.

I tried using one of those phone apps to scan my feet, but I didn't get good results.

But knowing the exact foot size might not help much if the shoes themselves vary so much in manufacture.

[hyperbolica]

That seems like a good approach to getting the right size shoe. The variations on the classic Brannock thing all the foot stores used once upon a time don't seem to help me. I need a wider shoe, and end up going a size up to get it in most brands.

I tried using one of those phone apps to scan my feet, but I didn't get good results.

But knowing the exact foot size might not help much if the shoes themselves vary so much in manufacture.

I wound up with the Bondi 8 in size 11 extra wide, and added a superfeet insert for high arches. The scan and stride map spelled this out for me, but of course we had to have someone well-versed in the tools and process to interpret the results. They had several brands available: Nike, Saucony, Acis, NB, Hoka, Adidas, etc. I came in wanting a specific NB, but a fitting changed my mind. The first time I bought Hoka, owner of the shop was wearing them, but I really wasn't paying attention to that. I've had foot problems all my life, but with these shoes I feel great while I'm wearing them and after I take them off. It really changed things for me. The shoe store I went to was called Fleet Feet in Roanoke, VA. Not just running shoes, but all sorts of sport shoes.

[tbdana]

Well, via web search I do see that there's a chain with 5 outlets, each about 20 miles from me. So that counts as relatively "close". Who woulda thought? They seem to prefer being near large university sites. In addition they sell direct via the web, and that might be a worthwhile experiment for me at some point. They even have some New Balance models -- including the ones I wear. Or they list them on the web. The last two times I was actually in a New Balance store, they didn't have the ones I was looking for.

So this is potentially a good find for me.

I never liked buying running shoes online. Too much variation, and it's not possible to determine fit without trying them on. Even when I have a brand and model I've come to like, most shoe companies change them in some way each year, and it's fairly common for a beloved model to change to a frustrating model. I'm old school: go to the store and try them on.

I feel the same about buying shoes as buying trombones.

[ghmerrill]

I never liked buying running shoes online. Too much variation, and it's not possible to determine fit without trying them on.

I used to feel that way about buying clothing in general -- but particularly shoes, I guess. However, now (with the unpredictable availability of models and sizes in brick and mortar stores), I find buying online to be very effective. One of the benefits of (extra cost for membership) Prime on Amazon is that you can return practically anything for practically any reason, including (basically) "I didn't like it". Other vendors have adopted similar policies of late, and I've tried and returned clothing at a number of places -- including running and even orthopedic shoes. L.L. Bean, for example, has a great return policy now. And I've become just merciless about returning stuff that doesn't measure up -- especially with Amazon.

I'm old school: go to the store and try them on.

I'm new school: Sit at home and try them on. Going to a store is a big hassle for me in terms of the time it takes, and I don't like to do that unless I know that they at least have what I'm looking for or at least a decent range of products that might fit my needs. Otherwise, I'm taking a minimum of an hour and a half out of my life only for failure and frustration in return.

I get particularly frustrated with the clerk's response of "Well, we don't have that here, but we could order it for you to try" Yeah, well, I could have ordered it for me and saved a trip. And that situation gets even more ironic when they say "We could have it delivered to your home, and you could return it if it doesn't fit." Uh, ..., yeah. Exactly. Why am I here?