The best place to buy shoes depends on one number most shoppers never take: their width. Zappos and Nordstrom are the safest first stops when fit is uncertain, DSW and Famous Footwear win on price, Foot Locker and Dick’s Sporting Goods cover athletic pairs, and Target handles kids. Measure first, then pick the seller whose exchange terms forgive a wrong guess. The worked example below shows how one Brannock reading changes where you should shop.
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How to Size Shoes Before You Shop: A Brannock Worked Example
A Brannock device is the metal sizing plate invented by Charles Brannock in the 1920s and still used in most fitting rooms. It gives three readings, not one: heel-to-toe length, arch length (heel to the ball joint), and width. The manufacturer’s own instructions say to compare the two length readings and generally use the larger one, because heel-to-toe alone can produce a poor fit.
- Stand with weight on both feet and seat your heel against the back of the cup, wearing the socks you plan to wear with the pair.
- Flatten your toes and read the length scale above your longest toe, which is not always the big toe.
- Slide the arch pointer forward until its curve sits on your ball joint, then read the arch length.
- Push the width bar against the side of your instep, find your size on the bar, and read the width letter beside it.
- Repeat on the other foot and buy for the larger one.
Worked example. Say your right foot reads 10 heel-to-toe but 10.5 on the arch scale. Your size is 10.5, not 10, because the ball joint has to land at the flex point of the pair. On the width bar at 10.5, the pointer falls on E, halfway between D (men’s medium) and 2E (men’s wide). Brannock’s rule is to round up to the wider fitting for a thick, high-volume foot and down for a thin one. If you’re thick-footed, your target is a men’s 10.5 2E.
That single letter rules out a lot of stores. Most mall floors stock D medium first, with only the occasional 2E. A 10.5 2E sends you to Zappos, which filters by width, or to New Balance direct, which offers 2A through 6E on many models. Women’s widths use different letters for the same idea (B is medium, D is wide), and a men’s 9 is roughly a women’s 10.5, though the gap varies by brand. Junior Brannock models build in about one size of growth room.
One thing most guides skip: aftermarket insoles change the math. If you plan to drop in Superfeet or similar footbeds, they take up volume, and shoes that felt right barefoot can end up half a size short. Thick compression socks do the same, so measure in them if you wear them on shift.
Which Seller Fits Your Need
No chain wins every buyer, so start from the constraint that actually blocks you: fit, budget, sport, job requirements, or a growing child.
Wide, narrow, or hard-to-fit feet
Zappos is the default for anything hard to fit. It filters by width from 4A narrow through 6E wide, which almost no general retailer does, and it ships both ways at no charge anywhere in the US. The catch is partial size runs: an individual model often shows only some sizes, so the exact pair you want may not exist in your fitting. Check the full catalog there or compare against the equivalent department on Amazon.
Ordering from the brand gets the full size and width run plus services resellers don’t carry, such as Allen Edmonds recrafting for worn dress leather.
Shoes on a budget
DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) and Famous Footwear sell national labels below MSRP, with the sharpest cuts during back-to-school and end-of-season clearance. Shoe Carnival built its identity on buy-one-get-one-half-off events, and Rack Room runs similar offers. Call ahead for anything outside a D medium, because discount floors stock the middle of the size run first. Browse the clearance aisle at DSW, the full lineup there, or budget pairs on Amazon.
Athletic, running, and sneaker culture
Foot Locker, the mall-based athletic specialist, carries the deepest bench of basketball, running, and streetwear models from Nike, adidas, New Balance, and Jordan. Dick’s Sporting Goods completed its purchase of Foot Locker in September 2025, and the combined global business now runs more than 3,200 stores across 20 countries. Finish Line, part of the JD Sports group since 2018, overlaps heavily and runs its promotions on a different calendar, so it’s worth a second stop. Browse the athletic aisle first, since mall inventory is location-specific. Compare the athletic aisle on Amazon.
Serious runners do better at a specialty store such as Road Runner Sports, where staff watch your gait. Cycling shoes are a separate niche: clip-in models with cleats come from bike shops and brand sites, not shoe chains.
Work and safety shoes
If your employer requires protective toes, look for the ASTM F2413 marking, the US performance standard for safety-toe footwear that OSHA’s foot protection regulation points to. Nurses, line cooks, and warehouse staff need slip-resistant outsoles and a roomy toe box more than a fashion label. Red Wing stores and Boot Barn fit work boots in person. Our work clothing guide covers the rest of the uniform, and healthcare workers can pair this with our guide to buying scrubs.
Kids
Target is the easiest stop. Stride Rite pediatric-fit models sit beside Cat & Jack basics, many in the twenty to thirty dollar range, which matters when a growing child outgrows a pair long before wearing it out. Shop the kids listing at Target or kids pairs on Amazon.
Return Policy and Free Shipping Compared
The send-back window is a feature, not fine print. Fit is unknowable until you’ve worn the pair indoors for an hour, so the seller with the most forgiving exchange terms is the right place for a first purchase in a new size.
| Retailer | Return window | Shipping and return cost | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zappos | 60 days, new condition | Free shipping and free returns in the US | Store credit only after 60 days, in limited cases |
| Nordstrom | No time limit | No charge in store or by mail | Original shipping charges are not refunded; Nordstrom Rack has its own shorter rules |
| DSW | 60 days, unworn | No fee in store; 8.50 USD prepaid label deducted from the refund | No receipt means merchandise credit at the current price |
| Amazon | 30 days from delivery for most items | No-cost drop-off at over 10,000 locations | Marketplace sellers set their own terms |
| L.L.Bean | One year | Varies by order | Proof of purchase required |
Amazon usually stretches its window for holiday orders; purchases made November 1 through December 31, 2025 could go back until January 31, 2026. Confirm who ships and sells a marketplace listing before you count on those terms. Our roundup of stores with the best return policies ranks the rest.
Buying Criteria: What Separates Good Shoes From Bad
Once the size is settled, four construction details decide how long the pair lasts and how it feels by the end of a shift.
- Last shape. The last is the form a pair is built around, and it controls toe box volume. Two brands at the same stated size can differ noticeably in forefoot room.
- Sole construction. Goodyear-welted and Blake-stitched dress shoes can be resoled by a cobbler. Cemented soles cannot, so the pair is disposable once the tread goes.
- Upper material. Full-grain leather lasts longest and takes on a patina. Bonded leather cracks sooner. Canvas machine-washes when it gets dirty, and engineered mesh keeps performance trainers light.
- Heel drop. Heel-to-toe drop changes where load lands on your leg, so jumping from a 10mm trainer to a 4mm one mid-training block invites calf trouble.
A shoe is a sole-and-upper covering worn below the ankle, and footwear, the wider category, also covers sandals, slippers, flip-flops, and work boots. That product sits beside clothing in most department layouts but behaves more like equipment, which is why one resoleable leather oxford outlasts three cheap pairs.
Category Cheat Sheet: Labels and Where to Look First
Shop by what you’re actually buying. A white leather sneaker is the one style that crosses two rows below, working for weekend wear and for smart-casual offices. Birkenstock lists sizes in European (EU) numbers rather than US ones.
| Category | Labels to know | Where to look first |
|---|---|---|
| Running and training | Brooks, Asics, Saucony, Hoka, New Balance | Road Runner Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods |
| Basketball and streetwear | Nike, Jordan, adidas, Puma | Foot Locker, Finish Line (JD Sports group) |
| Casual and skate | Vans, Converse Chuck Taylor, Skechers | Journeys, Zumiez, Pacsun, Urban Outfitters |
| Dress and office | Allen Edmonds, Cole Haan, Johnston & Murphy, Ecco | Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom Rack |
| Boots and outdoor | Dr. Martens, Timberland, Red Wing, Danner, Blundstone | REI, Cabela’s, Red Wing stores |
| Winter and snow | Sorel, The North Face | Backcountry, REI |
| Warm weather | Birkenstock, Teva, Chaco, Crocs | Zappos, REI |
| Slippers | L.L.Bean, UGG | Brand direct |
| Kids | Stride Rite, Cat & Jack | Target, DSW |
We break down fit and pricing in our guide to where to buy running trainers, the swoosh in our Nike retailer guide, and the resale-heavy basketball side in our Jordan availability guide. For casual styles, see Chuck Taylor stock notes, Crocs, Birkenstock, and canvas slip-ons.
In Store or Online?
Buy in store when you don’t know your size in that brand yet; order online when you do. Nordstrom stocks mid-range and luxury labels under one roof, and its salon-style fitting help is the closest thing left to a traditional shoe department. Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s cover the same dress ground. See the men’s department there or the women’s department. The Anniversary Sale each July is the biggest markdown event of the year for premium dress leather. See dress styles on Amazon for a price check first.
Online, Amazon wins on speed, with two-day Prime delivery on most listings. Walmart.com covers budget tiers and free in-store pickup, and Target and Walmart stores handle kids and basics well.
Red flags when buying shoes online
Trusting your size number across brands. Check each label’s own chart. Sizing runs differently between Nike, Brooks, and Allen Edmonds, and a men’s US 9 is not a fixed measurement.
Third-party marketplace listings on hot releases. Counterfeits cluster on high-demand models, so order popular pairs from the brand, an authorized chain, or a listing the platform itself ships and sells.
Believing spray-on waterproofing claims. Silicone and fluoropolymer sprays make suede water-repellent, not waterproof. Winter models use a sealed membrane for a reason.
Walking outside before you decide. DSW, for one, takes back only unworn pairs, and most retailers refuse a refund once the outsole shows pavement wear. Test on carpet and keep the box.
Start with the Brannock reading, since the width letter removes most of the guesswork. Then buy your first pair of shoes in that size from a seller with no-cost exchanges, such as Zappos or Nordstrom, and reorder future colorways from anywhere once the fit is confirmed. If you’re between sizes, order both and send one back rather than guessing.
Shoes Questions, Answered
What is the best site to buy shoes online?
Zappos leads on selection breadth and width filters, with no-cost shipping both ways inside a 60-day window. Amazon wins on delivery speed, Nordstrom on premium labels and open-ended exchanges, and DSW on national names at clearance prices. Pick by the constraint that actually blocks you: hard-to-find width, speed, or budget.
What is the 3 shoe rule?
The three-pair rule says most adults only need three pairs in rotation: one pair of athletic shoes, one dress or smart-casual, and one weather pair for rain or snow. It is a wardrobe guideline, not a fitting standard, and it works mainly because rotating pairs lets the lining dry out between wears.
Where can I find footwear in wide or narrow widths?
New Balance direct, Zappos filtered by fitting, SAS, Rockport, and Propet all carry wide and extra-wide runs for men and women. Most mass retailers stock only D medium and the occasional 2E. Custom orthotics need volume too, which pushes you up a width rather than a length.
When should sneakers be replaced?
The commonly cited range for running is every 300 to 500 miles, or roughly eight to twelve months of regular wear. Watch for outsole wear at the heel strike, a midsole that no longer rebounds, or new aches in the knees and hips. Casual pairs last longer because the foam is never loaded the same way.
Are Zappos and Amazon connected?
Yes. Amazon acquired Zappos in 2009, but the two sites operate independently with separate inventory, pricing, and policy. Zappos skews toward premium and specialty labels, while Amazon covers a broader spread of price points and ships faster.
When do shoes go on sale?
Four windows matter: January clearance after the holidays, Memorial Day weekend, back-to-school in August, and Black Friday. Seasonal categories mark down at the end of their season, so buy snow boots in March and sandals in September. Nordstrom is the exception, running its deepest cuts in July.
Return windows and shipping terms above come from each retailer’s posted policy page and can change without notice. Disclosure: some links above are affiliate links, and we may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.