by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: April 09, 2007   Last Updated: April 12, 2007

Shoe buying etiquette.

When you shop for anything certain etiquette is involved with your interaction with other people that are perhaps forgotten. We see things from our point and view and often don't take into account that the poor sales staff might just be having an off day too.

Shoe shops can be extremely busy sometimes, and politeness and patience count. Don't push in just because you are in a hurry. People do, and it's really rude.

Know what you are looking for. It's surprising how many people don't even know their correct size or have the sense to ask the assistant to measure their feet, trying on ill fitting shoes because they like them, and not paying attention to details like this can waste so much of the assistant's time and your own.

Try on shoes with the kind of socks or material that you would wear them with. Here, being wise in advance pays. For example, if it's winter, and you are wearing heavy socks though want dress shoes, take a clean pair of pop socks. It's likely that your feet may be sweaty and there is nothing more unpleasant for the shop than people that don't think of others and try shoes on with smelly feet. The hygiene aspect goes further than this as many diseases spread because of thoughtlessness.

If you have pop socks on, but want to try sportswear, have socks with you, so you can try the shoes on without doubts, rather than putting the assistant through all the hassle of assisting you and then deciding you need to wait for another day because you haven't had the foresight to think about it before you came shopping.

If you are shopping with children be careful that they behave in the shop. Badly behaved children upset everyone.

People say that it isn't that good to get the poor assistant bringing out box after box of styles for you to try. Here I disagree. You may be searching for that special pair of shoes, and it may take time. The assistants are usually geared to giving you advice. What I would advise is that if you really are on an expedition of hunting down those perfect shoes, try and chose a time when the assistants aren't stretched to the limit.

Etiquette in a shoe shop is a matter of common decency and also one of common sense. Be nice, be polite, be prepared, and certainly have clean feet and appropriate socks with you.

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