No man engaged in a healthy and flourishing relationship wants to be remembered as the “gift certificate guy” by his beloved lady on December 25th. To put your best foot forward when Christmas shopping for your significant other, nothing kicks off the actual swapping process with your girlfriend like a new pair of women’s shoes. But how does a man choose a pair of shoes that he would never wear on his own feet? These simple tips will prevent you from tripping over the wrong shoes.

What is your style?

Sure, you can choose what you’d like her to wear, cross your fingers for good luck, and keep the receipt. But why not research your girlfriend’s current collection (it’s probably extensive) and take note of all the style similarities? What colors keep appearing? Is she a leather lover or does she wear suede? Which brands does she seem to show the most loyalty to? Do high heels lift your girlfriend’s mood or is she more relaxed in loafers? Follow their buying patterns. Being too creative can lead to a fake smile and a trip back to the mall the next day.

Shoe sizes?

There are two easy ways to determine your girlfriend’s shoe size without offending her or implying that you’re buying her a pair of shoes. As you do your aforementioned research to discover the shoes you like to wear, simply write down the shoe size for each brand. Be prepared to make this happen as soon as she goes to take a shower.

But let’s be honest, she may not give you enough time alone with her prized shoe emporium to pick up each pair and read the faded numbers inside them. Don’t worry, just ask him, without asking. “Your feet are perfect babe. What size are you 7?” When she answers, your answer should be, “In high heels or flats?”

Compare prices.

Now the fun part is choosing the perfect pair, at the perfect price. With an online search, you can quickly cross-reference your favorite selections and find the nearest retail stores that carry them. Obviously, you can order your shoes online if time permits. But if the inventory is suddenly out of stock or the shipment is delayed for an unexpected reason, “Merry Christmas” will become “Merry Crisis”. Also, why not enjoy the Christmas spirit physically instead of virtually?

Now you can be sure that you have made an informed decision about which pair of shoes will look fabulous on your bride’s feet. He can even give you extra credit for knowing his favorite brands and colors.