One advantage about having larger than average feet is that when I need to quickly dash to the store, I can slip in to my husband’s loafers and no one is the wiser. The drawback is that it’s still hard to find ladies stylish shoes that fit well and are priced right. I don’t know how many countless shoe stores I’ve walked out of without making a purchase, not because they didn’t offer footwear in my size but more that the selections lacked taste. When I want bowling shoes, I’ll go bowling.

collections in my size and at affordable prices. I was ecstatic! I inadvertently found the answer to my dilemma one day not long ago when I happened to get an e-mail from my sister who suggested that I look for plus-size clothing and footwear online. At first I scoffed at the idea and forgot about it. I just wasn’t comfortable with ordering shoes that I wasn’t able to try on first, but during the next few days the idea kept gnawing away at me. I reasoned that it was just as easy to order online and exchange them if necessary as it was to run all over the countryside looking for shoes in my size. I remembered the last thing my sister had asked, “What have you got to lose?”

One morning after sending the kids off to school, I decided to give it a whirl. It didn’t take long at all to find what I was looking for, a huge inventory of styles, brands and designer

They had everything from quality-made leather daytime lower heels to knee high boots to warm, furry slippers to casual sandals . . . from Anne Klein to Valentina and from Comfort Collections to Fashion Fun. There was so much to choose from and I could hardly wait to receive my order in the mail.

And then I spotted it: The "Return For Any Reason" policy that I found on most women's shoes websites. Any reason? My only fear was that the shoes wouldn't fit and then I'd be stuck with them. Well fear no more--I had a refund guarantee that put my mind at ease.

When my package arrived several days later, I excitedly tried on each pair of shoes right then and there and was thrilled to discover that all three of them fit perfectly. What a sense of relief it was to know that I never had to go on an endless shoe hunt safari and weave my way through the department store crowds and mall jungles ever again.