There’s no denying it. You’re completely addicted to buying shoes! But your poor pocketbook is begging for mercy. What’s a shoe-lover to do?
Well, you can start with trying to save the most money you can when purchasing shoes. Here are a couple of tips for how to save money on shoes and how to buy shoes at a discount. Most of these tips fall under the category of simple common sense, but it can help to see them listed all in one place…
Take Advantage of Sales:
Immunize yourself to latest trends. (Hehe, I know.. is that POSSIBLE?!) Do you really need the latest fashion styles anyhow? Smart shoe shoppers shop for themselves only, not for other people. Sure, sometimes you need to treat yourself to the latest and greatest heel-clicking fad. Or, you might need a specialized shoe ASAP for a wedding or other event. But shopping the sales, whether at your local store or online, is definitely the best way to start saving money on your shoe purchases. Make sure you get the best shoe-bang for your buck.
Go Online for Shoes:
It CAN be a bit scary to buy shoes online if you’re used to walking into a store and trying them on. There IS no “trying on”, so you’ve really got to make sure you’re happy with the shoes you’re going to purchase. Read all the reviews of the shoe (for more than one online store, if possible) and note in particular if a shoe is “sized to fit” or if it runs large or small. View the shoe from all of the picture “angles” to make sure it’s what you want.
One nice thing about online shoe retailers is that they almost always offer some sort of return policy in case they don’t fit, often for free. Some of the online shoe stores to keep an eye on that regularly have blow-out sales include: Zappos, Shoes.com, Shoebuy.com and Shoemall. Many of these online stores also regularly run free shipping specials and coupons (check out some of them here). In the long run, it can be a great thing to shop for shoes from the comfort of your house.
Keep Track of the Offseason:
A lot of shoe retailers constantly put “offseason” shoe stock on sale at clearance prices. Or, they might hold fire sales on older stock in order to try and “make room” for newer styles. You can save a ton of money if you’re careful about buying for the future.
Now, it might feel weird buying knee high boots in the middle of summer but you’ve got to think ahead a little bit. It’s often best to buy more “conservative” shoes in the “offseason” that aren’t likely to go out of fashion as quickly. That way, come winter, your boots you bought for 70% off won’t make your feet look like dinosaur fossils!
Shop the Outlets:
Most shoe fans know that shoe Outlet Stores are a great place to pick up brand name shoes at crazy discounted prices. Sometimes the shoes will be discounted because they are “irregular” or they have some other small defect or abnormality. But in many cases, these problems aren’t even apparent on the outside of the shoe, or are not really visible unless you get up close to the shoe.
You probably live nearby at least one or two of these outlets, but if not, try including a day at the Outlet Mall when planning your next vacation or road trip.
