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Valentines Day Gift Guide For Shoe-Lovers

February the 14th is a day for showing your special someone just how much you love them. Yet for many Valentines day can get a bit stressful when thinking about just what gift to present to your loved one as a token of your affection.

This guide is for those people.
More specifically, its for those people who have a partner with a love of shoes. You’ll know if that’s you because your home, each room, every corridor, every wardrobe, cupboard and shoe rack will be festooned with footwear. You’ll have arguments along the lines of “ANOTHER pair of shoes?!” “They were reduced, so really I’ve saved you money, honey.”

If any of that rings true, carry on reading. If not, stop now and go any buy chocolates, champagne or an expensive gift pack.

Still with us. OK, lets do this…

BUYING SHOES FOR HER

The first thing you are going to need to know is her shoe size. You can find this out by doing a random sampling of the plethora of shoes overtaking your home. Look either on the bottom of the sole or inside the shoe some indication of what the size is. Be aware that most manufacturers will print the sizes in different formats, for example the most common formats to find are UK, European (EU) and US (American). You will need to be able to convert between these, and the list below should be sufficient to aid with this.

LADIES SHOE SIZE  CHART
EU 36  =  UK 3  =  US 5
EU 37  =  UK 4  = US 6
EU 38  =  UK 5   = US 7
EU 39  =  UK 6   = US 8
EU 40  =  UK 6.5  = US 9 
EU 41  =  UK 7    = US 10
EU 42  =  UK 8    = US 11

Of course, sizes can vary from brand to brand, and the only way you are ever going to be certain of getting a correct fit for your lady friend is to physically get the shoes on her feet, so don’t worry too much about it. Just don’t go getting your size UK 4 girl and pair of size UK 8 clown shoes and you’ll be sweet!

The next thing is to decide which style of shoe to go for. This is the hardest bit, and for ladies getting the “perfect” shoes is a very complicated business and highly dependent on the lady in question. The important thing to consider is…

HOW THE SHOES WILL MAKE HER FEEL

You want her to feel happy about these shoes, right. Knowing the character and mood of your girl will be key. Before you decide on what style of shoe to go for, put out a few feelers to test the waters. Is there a longing or a love for going out? Restaurants? Theatre? Clubs & pubs? Dancing? If so, then consider what she might wear to such an event, and look for shoes that will go with those outfits. AND the handbags – check those out too. Ladies love to have matching bags and shoes. They just do. (Guys don’t worry so much if their shoes don’t match their wallet, but its a big deal for ladies).
The shoes should also be practical. And by that I do not mean plain boring with good padding, ankle support and steel toe caps. I mean, if they are going dancing, then she should be able to go dancing in them without falling off them and snapping her ankle. High heels are OK, just don’t go for the 12-inch platform heels that make her look like the last tree in the forest in a strong wind.
Above all, get shoes that other women will compliment her on. She will love this! But also, she will love telling her friends “I don’t know where they are from or how much they were, because my boyfriend/husband bought them for me!” If she can say this line, then guys, its mission accomplished! Sit back, enjoy your drink, and await the smooches that will be arriving imminently.

BUYING SHOES FOR HIM

Ladies, you too will need to follow the guide to determine your fella’s shoes size.


MENS’ SHOE SIZE  CHART
EU 40  =  UK 6.5  = US 7
EU 41  =  UK 7    = US  8
EU 42  =  UK 8    = US 9
EU 43  =  UK 9    = US 10
EU 44  =  UK 10  = US 11
EU 45  =  UK 11  = US 12
EU 46  =  UK 12  = US 13
EU 47  =  UK 13  = US 14

Once you know this, you can start deciding what style to go for.

Usually, it is thought that men are more practically minded than women, when choosing footwear. And while we may indeed pay more attention to things like what the performance characteristics of materials like lined upper fabrics and Phylon midsoles are like, it may actually be surprising to you, girls, to know that they too have feelings.

HOW THE SHOES WILL MAKE HIM FEEL

Guys also like to be complimented on their shoes, and there is an old-fashioned thing that you can tell a lot about a man from his shoes. And to some extent that is true. So when you are deciding what style of shoes to get your man, think about how he would like to feel when wearing them, AND being seen to be wearing them by those whom he wishes to make an impression on. He too, when asked, will say something like “My girlfriend/wife/partner bought them for me. Yes, she does know me very well. I wouldn’t have chosen them for myself but I love them! She did a good job!” And if you can have him saying stuff like this to his mates and colleagues, then well done indeed! Sit back, sip your wine / tea / beer with a smug smile, and brace yourself for the incoming snogs.

SO WHAT STYLES ARE POPULAR AT THE MOMENT?

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