Seems silly, but holding out for shoes that fit correctly is time well spent. Being able to buy the right size and width makes all the difference. I used to settle for what the store had in stock, and expected the shoe to eventually stretch.  Given the pretty flimsy construction of shoes these days, more often than not, they'd "stretch" by coming unglued or busting at the seams. Now I have shoes that are comfortable from the first time that I put them on - neither too big nor too small, too narrow or too wide (never happened) - and they last longer since they WEAR out rather than break down. Again, that may seem like a Duh moment, but for me it was more of an AHA!