My toes are raw from ordering the wrong size online, and the walk back from the shoe shop has become a perilous journey. Years ago, I made a simple rule based on hard experience: never buy footwear online. I've proven the worth of this rule several times since—by breaking it. But I never learn my lesson.
Last year, I paid a substantial sum for a pair of smart black shoes that raise a blister the size of a 10p coin on my right heel whenever I walk more than a hundred meters in them. Luckily, I only wear these shoes to funerals, which are largely seated affairs. One day I may build up a tolerance to them, but I don't know how many more people will have to die before that happens.
My wife and I are going on a holiday with an itinerary that calls for walking shoes. It is a matter of some debate whether we actually own walking shoes.