Shoe salespeople don't do their job? =(

tulipfield

tulipfield

O.G.
Dec 11, 2007
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#1
Last September I bought a pair of Repetto flats while on vacation in Tokyo. The sales lady let me try on a couple of pairs and I found a pair I thought fit.

I didn't get around to wearing them until today, and realized after a few minutes wearing them around the office that the toe box is too tight; my big toe pushes the top of the shoe outward. Given that it's been months and I've already worn them, I obviously can't exchange these shoes. I can only sell them at a big loss or try the toe stretching technique, and I have no idea if that will look good. I haven't even found that style elsewhere where I could buy it again in a larger size.

I remember back in the day, anytime you bought shoes, the salesperson would measure your feet, find your size, and then press your toes to make sure they fit properly in the shoe. I feel like if I had gotten that service, the sales lady would have realized this was not my proper size, which I could only realize after wearing the shoe. I was the only customer at the time, it's not like the shop was busy.

I wouldn't expect that service shopping at a discount shoe store, but if I'm spending $300+ on shoes, shouldn't a proper fit be a guarantee? I am so disappointed and frustrated right now.
 
#2
tulipfield said:
Last September I bought a pair of Repetto flats while on vacation in Tokyo. The sales lady let me try on a couple of pairs and I found a pair I thought fit.

I didn't get around to wearing them until today, and realized after a few minutes wearing them around the office that the toe box is too tight; my big toe pushes the top of the shoe outward. Given that it's been months and I've already worn them, I obviously can't exchange these shoes. I can only sell them at a big loss or try the toe stretching technique, and I have no idea if that will look good. I haven't even found that style elsewhere where I could buy it again in a larger size.

I remember back in the day, anytime you bought shoes, the salesperson would measure your feet, find your size, and then press your toes to make sure they fit properly in the shoe. I feel like if I had gotten that service, the sales lady would have realized this was not my proper size, which I could only realize after wearing the shoe. I was the only customer at the time, it's not like the shop was busy.

I wouldn't expect that service shopping at a discount shoe store, but if I'm spending $300+ on shoes, shouldn't a proper fit be a guarantee? I am so disappointed and frustrated right now.
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I feel I am qualified to criticize your opinion being a shoe saleslady myself and in my opinion you are putting too much responsibility upon the salesperson. Any amount of toe pressing and measuring isn't going to guarantee the correct size of the shoe since everyone's feet are different and some shoes just aren't made for some feet. Especially the correct tightness of the toebox is a very difficult thing to determine without the actual feeling of the shoes in your feet. It may have been that you didn't try them on very long before buying or that the tightness started to be a problem only when worn regularly.

You must be very upset since the shoes you paid a lot of money for won't fit well, I was too when I made careful precautions and research and even after that my pair of Louboutins was waaay too big for me. My and your cases are chances to learn so that we wouldn't repeat the same mistakes we made and unexpected things can still happen.

If I was you I would sell the shoes, since this experience has been a very negative one for you and you propably would always remember those shoes as the ones that gave you the headache. I also want to say that my post wasn't meant to be offensive or rude in any way. Wish you all the best!
 
#3
It's kind of unfair for the sales to get the blame, as the buyer it would be your responsibility to test the shoes instore properly, what's snug for them might be excruciatingly tight for you. Personally I walk around in them at the store to check how it affects my stride, if there's any spots that rub etc.
 
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#4
It's unfair to blame the salesperson after you have tires several pairs in the store. I agree with walking in them for a while in store or even at home/hotel room to see if there are any pinches/rubs. Also know that your feet swells later in the day than in the morning. Try stretching the shoes before you sell them.
An expensive pair of designer shoes doesn't mean that they will fit your feet perfectly. Get bespoke shoes if you want your shoes to fit you perfectly.
BTW, the only time I see the sales person pressing on the toe box for fit was when I take my children shoe shopping.
 
#5
I agree with the others that it is unfair to blame the salesperson.

I've also found measuring the foot is not nearly as accurate as trying the shoe; in some designers, I have shoes that span 1.5 sizes.
 
#6
It's not always a guarantee the shoes are going to fit properly or feel comfortable even if you were measured in the store. Feet swell during the day so while it may fit comfortably in the morning, it may feel too tight in the afternoon after walking around in them for a while. I bought a pair of LV pumps once and while they felt great in the store and it was my "correct" size, I found them too tight and narrow in the toe box a couple of weeks after wearing them around. I sold them to my cousin who has the same size feet but much narrower than mine. Now I only buy shoes in the afternoon to account for feet swelling. I also try to walk around in them inside the house to see if there are any hot spots in the shoes that might potentially become an irritant later on before I decide to keep them.

As for "pressing in front of the toes to make sure there's enough room"....my only experience with this was when purchasing running shoes.
 
#7
Minty Tea said:
*cut*
BTW, the only time I see the sales person pressing on the toe box for fit was when I take my children shoe shopping.
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Agreed! Nowdays even children's shoes are usually measured by taking the insole out and asking the kid to stand on it :biggrin: I remember the toe pressing from my own not-so-far childhood.
 
#8
I think your expectations of the salesperson was too high, and designer brands salespeople just won't have the necessary skills to do what you were expecting.

If I may waffle on -
In terms of foot anatomy, and in my own experience thereof, there isn't a brand that makes foot-shaped-shoes and as such the money wasted is huuuge.

I also know that there are supposedly 'specialist' shoe fitting shops and their 'associated brands' that don't live up to their job description at all.
I see many, many, patients who have invested in pairs of these dream shoes and they haven't been measured nor fitted properly thus rendering those pairs of shoes useless.

So, I think even if you'd gone to one of these there's no guarantee they'd have done a better job !
As a general rule I also think it best to always confirm that you can return shoes, without quibble if they prove to be unsuitable, within a 2-4 week period afterwards, this way you can try them on in a clean carpeted environment at all times of day to see how they fit at any given time.

Thank you for being tolerant and indulging me on my pet peeve :P
 
#9
I don't know, I don't think my feet are weirdly shaped. I don't think it's asking too much of a highish-end salesperson to be something of an expert in what they sell. When I wore my shoes the other day, I noticed my toe pushing up on the top of the shoe, and a good salesperson should surely notice that after lots of experience, even if the customer didn't. So maybe it's not this salesperson's fault, but the company that doesn't train their staff properly.

I expect these issues ordering online, but I thought they would be avoidable shopping in person.

Anyway, we can agree to disagree. I'll have to try on my shoes at home from now on, with a blanket on my floor I guess as I don't have carpeting. Lesson learned!
 
#10
Update!

I went to one of my local boutiques and picked up a couple of new pairs. They didn't have the same color on the same style but I found some that fit in my wardrobe the same. For what it's worth, the lady pressed the shoe to check where my toe was without me asking, so I don't think it's a dead art. XD On the other hand, when I asked she pointed out to me that people's toes poke through in basically all Repetto shoes so I guess that's just a quirk of the brand. In any case I'll be trying these out extensively at home before I commit.
 
#11
I think your comment about 'old fashioned service' does ring true. I hadn't considered the fitting process because it is just so long since a proper fitting was shown to me while buying shoes instore. Proper (or at least 'traditional' ) fitting process seems to have gone the way of the dodo. Perhaps it is demeaning for shoe salespeople to get down on bended knee and fit shoes properly for adults these days who knows.
 
#12
I visited a Carmina shop in Barcelona and they still measure my foot before I try on a pair of oxfords. I think all gentlemen's shoe shops that have women's line still measures the foot thoroughly as the type of shoes they sell are much more fitted as compared to ballet flats.
 
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