Asklemmy

I did once while abroad. None of the shoe stores had the style I wanted in wide, so I went on Amazon and found a pair which reviewers tended to say fit well. Particularly that the listed size matched their expectations when they tried the actual shoe on. Ordered the size I thought would fit me and it did in fact fit me perfectly. It lasted about a year until it started leaking at the glued seam, which to be fair, wasn't too disappointing for a 48-Euro no-name pair.

Granted, that was for men's hiking shoes, can't really speak for finding good high heels online. Other than for that one-off occasion, I've only shopped for shoes and clothes in-person.

buy several sizes to see which one fits

My wife does this with dresses when shopping online, its a massive pain in the ass.

Check the actual measurements for the shoes not the sizes

I have very large feet and I am a total shoe hoe, so I have bought many types of shoes online. Whether it is sneakers, heels, boots, sandals, I have bought them all.

There are better stores and sometimes that return shipping I consider part of the cost.

my gf buys several sizes at once and ships back the rejects. with some online shoe stores the return shipping is free.

I'm with you: I'll buy shoes online but I don't wanna shop for shoes online.

I've found that buying shoes online usually goes badly, but buying shoes in person also usually goes badly. At least online you have a chance of something you like and that fits. If it's in your budget, maybe a custom shoe maker would be the best route. The issue for me there is that it's difficult to find one who makes a vegan shoe, and I imagine you'd likewise have an issue finding someone who makes stilettos.

I googled if the Brand's shoes ran true to size and hoped for the best. It worked out.

But I do try to buy in person or have the option to return in person to avoid the situation you are in, when possible, but sometimes that is not an option.