I can think of several reasons why this could be beneficial. Occasionally, if I find shoes I like in a store, I will try them on to get an idea for the right size, then go online later to actually purchase them. I can almost *always* get a better price online, and there are usually more options online than in-store.

Plus, lots of people live in rural areas where they don't have access to great shoe stores. Color-matching is not an issue because it's not really considered fashionable to have your dress and shoes exactly match. The good news is that even if they don't look right with the dress or fit correctly, returns are easy (if you purchase far enough in advance of course).

There are plenty of reasons why you might want to buy your shoes online from an online shoe store like Zappos.com. You can find them in a store first, try them on, and then buy them for a better discount online, or possibly you can find a nicer color or style that is not offered in the store.

If you don't have a nice shoe store in your area, an online store may have what you are looking for, and they can possibly custom order the shoe. You might have already purchased the shoe in the past, and you might need a second pair of the same shoe, and going online to order them is easier and more convenient than driving out to a store at times.

When shopping at a store like Zappos.com, they have an excellent return policy, so you can try on the shoes, wear them, and still get your money back if for any reason you are not satisfied.

Some people like to shop and customize their shoes, so maybe an online store like NikeID or Zazzle would allow them to customize their shoes to their liking. This is something that brick and mortar stores would not provide.

It has been my experience that you do get better deals online.