What she should have done was NOT search for a box and just take the shoes as they were up to the front. Most shoes have a tag on the inside with the DPCI number or even on the bottom of the shoe.
Security could not "catch" her until she actually left the premises, meaning that she "stole" the item.
She wasn't being observant or using common sense so now she gets to whine about her experience to the general public just because she works for the paper.
Obviously, she has never worked in retail.