Product Review: How to buy pre-order shoes online?

So, I posted up a teaser post at the end of May :P

Now, more than a month later - we're going to answer The Most Asked Question in the blogshopsphere -
it's finally time to unveil this much anticipated product review ...
"How do I buy pre-order shoes online?"

This product review is very kindly sponsored by the wonderful Sarah of Agape Boutique, who agrees with Your Shopping Kaki that lots of us are very interested in buying shoes online - but we don't dare to! The 3 most common worries: What if the shoes don't fit? What if they look nothing like the catalogue pictures? Isn't it better to just buy shoes in physical stores where I can try them on?

Step 1: It's all about the numbers, baby!

Well, first - be sure to get the shoes in the right size! :P You just need to ask yourself these 2 questions: What is the length of my feet? What is the width of my feet? Like the two pictures shown below, trace both your feet on to pieces of paper, and measure the widest/longest parts in cm:

Photo credits | Photo credits

Agape Boutique actually provides very detailed instructions on how to find out which is your shoe size, and I find it really helpful! :D *Click here to read it*

For me, my feet measure 25cm in length and are a little over 10cm wide. I actually wear a Vincci 8.5-9, or sizes 39-41 depending on the shoe cutting. Thus, sometimes I will fit into the size 39 for pre-order shoes - but sometimes, I won't! So if you're blessed with oversized feet (anything larger than 24.5cm), sadly you won't be able to buy most of the shoes in pre-order blogshops because the sizes are mostly 35-39. BUT the awesome thing is that for some designs, they are able to produce larger sizes (up to size 43) for an extra RM5 :) Just ask!

Step 2: Have realistic expectations

Second - to be honest, those catalogue pictures we see in the usual pre-order blogshop actually are pictures of the high-end, much more expensive (Korean/Japanese/Taiwan) products, and thus, they will look the same but may not be 100% the same thing. However, you pay only a fraction of the price of those in the genuine catalogue pictures :D For example, the same pair of shoes (the actual ones you see in the catalogue pictures) may be RM150-RM300, but you can buy the same design (but not the same shoes) for RM45-RM60. It's a give-and-take thing, but rest assured that the quality isn't too shabby at all in Agape Boutique! :D

Compare: Catalogue photo | Real photo
Note: The size 39 shoes are too loose on the size 37 model, hehe, I asked my friend to wear the shoes so that I could take the picture.

Step 3: Consider the alternatives

Third - sure, I guess it's always better to try stuff on before you buy them - but what if you don't have the time, or the transport? That's why a lot of people shop online, after all! :D Also, the designs available in offline stores can be so limited - the nicer ones, most of the time, cost hundreds of ringgit too. Plus, most of the pre-order shoes come in designs familiar or similar to those of us who stalk ASOS and other high street brands! :D

Similar enough, no? ;D
The shoes on the left are over RM300, the shoes on the right are only RM49!


Certainly, the quality isn't the sort you expect from paying more than RM100 -
but it's definitely good enough for under RM50! :D No defects and satisfactory quality!

Step 4: Packaging

This is how your shoes from Agape Boutique will arrive - in perfectly mint condition thanks to the shoebox that Agape Boutique provides for their customers - because when they import the shoes, they don't import them in boxes (to save on shipping, and pass on the savings to you via affordable prices!). Also, it's very important that the blogshop sends them to you in waterproof packaging, because I think water or spillages could damage the shoes. So, make sure you get yours bagged up! ;)

Step 5: Compare prices

After a lot of scouting around on the blogshop-sphere, I think I can safely conclude that Agape Boutique offers some of the most competitive - if not the most affordable - prices around for their shoes :D I've seen these RM49 shoes being sold for RM60, RM70 in other blogshops - so make sure you do your "homework" before buying! :) If a pair of shoes are available in a pre-order catalogue in one blogshop, you can bet that the same pair of shoes are going to be available in at least a dozen different pre-order blogshops too :D

Note: Delivery information specific to Agape Boutique

I enquired on 25th May, placed my order on 26th May - and the shoes arrived on my doorstep on 12th June! :) It only took around 2 weeks - how fast is that?! :D Agape Boutique sends their orders in every Monday - delivery is usually the following week on Thursdays or Fridays! :)

Excited yet? :D
Start shoe-shopping already! ;)

We'd also love to hear from you about your experience buying shoes online -
do leave a comment below so we can all learn from it! :D
(Yes, you can totally comment anonymously!)

And as a sequel to this product review, our new Guest Blogger Anna
will be writing about her online shoe-shopping experience as well! :) Stay tuned!
Say hi to Anna! ;) And don't worry, Datin Cynthia is still our Guest Blogger too! Hehe!

Happy Shopping!
Your Shopping Kaki :)