Brick-and-mortar shoe retailers still have strong arguments in their favor. This is shown by a representative study commissioned by the chain Siemes Schuhcenter. Particularly striking: given identical prices online and in-store, 64,5 percent of respondents would shop more frequently in-store.
The biggest advantage of buying shoes in a physical store is the opportunity to try them on. 88,8 percent cite this point, followed by the ability to take the shoes home immediately (65,9 percent) and the direct assessment of material and quality (61 percent).
The biggest obstacles to shopping in stores, on the other hand, are high prices (47,4 percent), the time required (40,5 percent), and a lack of sizes (38,9 percent).
Convenience and selection are the dominant factors in online shopping. At the same time, fit remains a problem: 74,1 percent are unsure whether the shoe actually fits, and 56,7 percent doubt the correct size.
The boundaries between channels are becoming increasingly blurred anyway. 63,6 percent have already researched online and then bought in a physical store, or vice versa. Young customers, in particular, frequently switch between the two.
For the study, Horizoom surveyed a total of 1.022 people aged between 18 and 74 in June 2026.
