Looking for the best places to buy discount shoes online? We’ve got you covered.
You’ll be able to browse a larger selection of shoes than you’ll find in a physical store, and you’ll have more time to comparison shop and look for coupons than you would if you made the trek to your local store…or seven.
The trick is to know where to look, and to shop at retailers that provide perks like free shipping, free returns (in case your initial try-on proves unsuccessful), and generous rewards programs.
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Where to Buy Discount Shoes Online
Don’t stress out – here are the top places to buy discount shoes online, considering selection, available discounts, and perks.
1. Zappos.com
Zappos.com starts off this list, largely because of its familiarity to online shoppers. However, Zappos.com also offers numerous benefits that make shopping here worthwhile.
First off, their return policy gives you a full refund within 365 days of purchase, including free return shipping. This is especially helpful with shoe shopping because not all shoes will fit your feet the same.
Zappos.com also offers free shipping on all orders, no minimum purchase required. So feel free to browse and add to your cart at will, knowing that your order will ship for free and you can return whatever doesn’t work.
If the price of any shoes you purchase drops on their website within ten days of purchase, they’ll refund the difference to you, as well.
Their Zappos VIP program is a free rewards program in which you earn points for every $1 spent, and can then redeem those points for dollars off a future purchase.
Amazon Prime members can link their Prime membership to earn double points per $1 spent and bag free expedited shipping.
One more perk: if you’re a military member, student, or teacher, you can receive 10% off your purchase.
Zappos.com has a huge selection of shoes and other products for men, women, and kids – over three million items available! As you browse, you can get a clear picture of each pair of shoes as each listing includes large pictures with multiple angles, plus customer reviews.
2. DSW
Another popular retailer for discount shoes online is DSW. Yes, they have physical locations, as well, but don’t shrug off their online presence.
It’s free to join their VIP Rewards program, and you’ll earn points for every $1 spent. Once you earn 100 points, you’ll receive a $5 reward to spend on your next order. Their Rewards program also offers birthday coupons and the opportunity to earn points for donating shoes.
They’re currently offering free shipping on anything, and they offer returns within 90 days. Please note that returns are in-store-only for Club members, but Gold or Elite members can opt for online returns (the more you spend, the higher your rank).
Remember that DSW stands for Designer Shoe Warehouse, so if you’re looking for designer shoes for women, men, and kids, this is a great place to start.
Don’t let the “designer” word faze you too much, though – names like Carter’s, Keen, New Balance, and OshKosh B’gosh are also in the mix, and they have their own private labels, as well.
Their clearance section is pretty robust, with many shoes priced at 50% off or more. And you can quickly find the lowest priced shoes by browsing the “under $30” category for women or men or the “under $25” category for kids.
You’ll find numerous large pictures of each item as well as customer reviews to aid in your decision-making.
3. Overstock.com
You probably think of Overstock.com as the place to buy furniture, decor, and other home goods…but they also have a wide selection of apparel on their website, including discount shoes online for women, men, and kids.
They carry top brands like Skechers, Nike, Clarks, and more and periodically offer sales on top of these lower prices.
They’re currently offering free shipping on everything, but note that their return policy is a little more stringent. They offer returns within 30 days of delivery, but you’ll need to pay the return shipping fees if the product is not defective and/or if the return isn’t due to their error.
Their Club O Rewards program costs $19.95/year and has several benefits including 5% back in rewards on every purchase, free returns, a price match guarantee, and more.
Club O memberships are free for active military members, veterans, teachers, students, and first responders.
There aren’t as many pictures per product as on other websites, but they do offer a decent selection to browse along with some customer reviews.
4. 6pm
6pm is actually the outlet store for Zappos.com, so a lot of Zappos.com’s perks will also apply here. They sell discount shoes and also clothing and accessories from popular brands.
I’ve found some deep discounts on shoes at 6pm…but keep in mind that some of the best sales are limited to a particular size and/or color.
You might need to browse a little more to find some amazing deals that work for you. Thankfully, 6pm has a pretty robust filtering system that helps you narrow your search to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Shipping is currently free with the purchase of two or more items and/or on orders of $50 or more. Their return policy allows for returns within 30 days, but you’ll need to pay any return shipping fees.
One aspect of 6pm that differs from others mentioned is that they offer regular sales – even daily – on particular categories of shoes or brands.
You can sign up for their email list to keep up with those sales (they sometimes send coupons, too), and also browse their clearance section to save 70% off or more.
Their online catalog of shoes for men, women, and kids features multiple views of each product, but no customer reviews.
5. Shoes.com
With a name like Shoes.com, you’ll find a great selection of discount shoes online, right? They definitely have a huge variety of shoes for women, men, and kids.
Shipping is totally free, no minimum, and returns are free within 60 days of purchase, as well. Keep in mind that exchanges are free, but if you want your money back, they’ll charge you a restocking fee.
Sign up for the free ShoeFan Rewards program to earn points for every $1 spent, and redeem your rewards on a future purchase. You’ll also receive a $5 reward just for signing up. Post product reviews to earn points, as well.
Check their Coupons page for current site-wide and category-specific coupons, and you can also sign up for their newsletter to get exclusive deals, sneak peeks, and more.
Their catalog features many different views of the various shoes available, and there are some customer reviews, but selection and pricing can vary by size and/or color.
The blog at Shoes.com offers helpful tips for finding the best shoes for nurses, athletes, and other special needs.
6. Famous Footwear
Famous Footwear has over 1,000 physical locations, and they also have a robust selection of shoes online for women, men, and kids.
Due to their having so many stores, you can select free store pickup if it’s convenient for you. Otherwise, signing up for their Famously You Rewards program will also bag you free shipping, no minimum.
This program allows you to earn points that you can redeem for future purchases, not to mention you’ll get a bonus for your birthday.
Returns are allowed in-store or by mail within 60 days of purchase. Note that return shipping charges must be paid by the customer (so if you can, try to return in-store).
Another perk of shopping online: coupon codes! Famous Footwear regularly offers coupon codes that stack with sale prices for even bigger savings. Their online catalog also allows you to browse the selection of what you’ll find in-store so you don’t waste a trip.
Their prices are a little higher than what I’ve seen elsewhere, but the coupon codes and free shipping sweeten the deal. I like their large pictures and multiple views of the shoes, plus reading customer reviews on many items.
7. Zulily
Zulily is a good website to check if you want to keep tabs on specific brands. They run limited-time sales on popular brands like Crocs, Stride Rite, New Balance, Havianas, TOMS, Muk Luks, and more at deep discounts.
The catch is that you’ll need to set up alerts for when your favorite brands go on sale (easy enough to do). Or you can browse the Shoes category to see what’s currently available, but you’ll need to check back often as the selection changes daily.
You’ll need to pay for shipping, regardless of how much you spend, but subsequent orders within a certain time frame usually ship free. Shipping from Zulily is notorious for taking a long time, so it isn’t the place to shop if you need something immediately.
As for returns, they’re allowed within 30 days, but the shipping and handling fee starts at $4.95 and will be deducted from your return. Oh, and returns are only given as store credit.
Still, the big savings you can find on your favorite brands may make shopping at Zulily worth it to you.
It’s not super easy to browse Zulily’s selection, but they do offer lots of pictures, colors/patterns, and sizes (albeit no customer reviews).
8. Amazon
I suppose I can’t leave Amazon off the list of the best places to buy discount shoes online, can I? Of course, you can find shoes at Amazon…goodness knows they sell everything else under the sun. And they have plenty of styles for women, men, and kids.
Prime members get free 2-day shipping, which comes in handy if you need shoes quickly for an upcoming event or trip. Even if you’re not a Prime member, many orders ship free with a minimum purchase of $35 or more.
Amazon’s return policy is also very generous and relatively hassle-free. Most returns are free, including free return shipping, and if you don’t want to mail it, you can usually bring it to Kohl’s (yes, Kohl’s) and they’ll package it and send it in for you.
Of course, Amazon products include numerous customer reviews and usually feature lots of pictures, as well, although that can depend on the brand.
9. Foot Locker
Foot Locker is another brick-and-mortar retailer with a robust online presence. They specialize in sports shoes and some apparel for men, women, and kids.
Filter your search by sport, style, brand, price, and more to quickly find what you want. Their prices are a little higher than what I’ve seen elsewhere, but they’re a good bet if you need something specific.
Their sale section also offers a decent variety of lower-priced, name brand items.
Shipping is free on orders of $50 or more, or you can join the free FLX program to get free shipping and earn points that can be spent on rewards like headphones, gaming systems, and more.
Returns are accepted within 30 days of purchase and must be processed online for online purchases. Note that a $6.99 charge for shipping will be deducted from your refund amount unless the item is defective.
One bummer is that you won’t find product reviews at Foot Locker, but they do display large pictures of the items to help you make an informed decision.
10. OnlineShoes.com
Sometimes the simplest names are the best – OnlineShoes.com provides exactly that. They offer shoes for women, men, and kids from brands like Chaco, Keds, Saucony, Sperry, and more.
You’ll get free shipping on all orders, and returns are accepted within 30 days of purchase (minus a $5 return shipping fee).
It seems like their selection is more casual – you won’t find a lot of dress shoes here. Instead, they focus more on everyday and workwear as well as shoes for hiking, running, and boating.
Keep tabs on their coupon page for current coupon codes that stack on top of regular and sale prices of up to 60% off. Their catalog offers lots of different views of each item as well as customer reviews.
11. Nordstrom Rack
Nordstrom Rack is – obviously – the outlet for Nordstrom. There are over 250 physical stores located across the United States and Canada, but you can also browse their selection online.
If you’ve ever had the experience of shopping in-store at Nordstrom Rack, you know that you may need to dig a bit to find the sizes and colors that work for you.
The same is true online: they have some great deals on a huge number of brands, but not every size will be available.
Shipping is free on orders over $100, and returns are accepted either by mail or in-store within 45 days of the original ship date.
If you choose to return by mail, a return shipping fee of $5.95 will be deducted from your refund. Note that items marked Final Sale or Non-Returnable are not eligible for returns.
You’ll want to sign up for The Nordy Club rewards program to earn points toward purchases made at Nordstrom Rack and also Nordstrom, HauteLook, and Trunk Club. Other benefits include curbside pickup and early access to shopping events.
Their shoe selection includes styles for women, men, and kids with several images for each item…but no customer reviews.
12. ThredUp
If you don’t mind buying gently used shoes, you’ll want to at least take a peek at ThredUp. ThredUp is the world’s largest online secondhand shopping destination. People send in their gently used, like-new styles to be listed on and priced by ThredUp.
Obviously, this unique form of acquiring inventory means that you may need to be a little less picky – or shop more frequently – to find items that work for you. Think of it like browsing your local thrift store, except online.
Shoes are available for women and kids only. Items are carefully examined upon arrival, and the condition of each product is listed on the product page. Pictures are limited and there are no customer reviews.
Shipping is free on all orders over $79. Returns are available with different options: get free shipping on your return if you get your refund in the form of ThredUp credit, have $8.99 deducted from your refund if ThredUp provides the label, or just ship it back yourself at your own cost.
If you’re willing to do a little digging, you may be able to find some amazing deals on your favorite brands at ThredUp.
13. Macy’s
Your local Macy’s may have closed its doors in the past few years, but you can still shop their wide selection online.
They actually have a pretty wide selection of shoes for women, men, and kids at a variety of price points. I’ve typically found great deals boots and dress shoes at Macy’s.
Shipping is free on orders of $99 or more, but they frequently offer limited-time promotions in which you can get free shipping at a lower threshold. In-store pickup may also be available.
Returns are accepted for free within 90 days of purchase by mail and in stores. Shipping and delivery fees are non-refundable, but you can ship your return to them for free.
Summary
Shopping online for shoes doesn’t have to be a stressful or expensive undertaking. Know your sizes, be prepared to dig, and check back frequently for new deals.
Once you’ve received your shoes, try them on right away and test them out inside in case you need to send them back.
